• East Asia

    North Korea phases out ‘strong and prosperous’ claim

    North Korea is not known to shy away from hyperbole. The impoverished country, after all, boasts that the late despot Kim Jong-il scored 11 hole-in-ones during his first round of golf. It appears to be taking a more measured tone, however, on its long-held claim that it will emerge a…

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  • Depression hits 1 in 3 female NK defectors

    Life in South Korea is not easy for North Korean defectors and their difficult situation is reflected in numbers. A study showed Tuesday that 30 percent of 140 female North Korean defectors settled here suffered from depression. The depression was a comprehensive result of their weakened physical condition and psychological…

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  • East Asia

    Korea 8th in business environment

    Korea ranked eighth on the ease of doing business list this year, unchanged from a year ago, remaining in the top-10 list for two consecutive years, the finance ministry and the World Bank said Tuesday. The country was second in terms of enforcing contracts, showing that its judicial system provides…

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  • East Asia

    Apple fires Korea’s country head

    Apple, headquartered in Cupertino, California, has dismissed its Korea country manager Dominique Oh, allegedly over sluggish sales of its products here. “Apple terminated the contract with Oh last week,’’ Apple spokesman Steve Park said by telephone, late Tuesday. “We acknowledge that there are many speculations surrounding Oh’s contract termination. But…

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  • East Asia

    Japan’s Justice Minister Resigns Over His Alleged Connection With Yakuza

    In this Oct. 12, 2012 photo, Japan’s Justice Minister Keishu Tanaka speaks during a press conference at justice ministry in Tokyo. Japanese media reported that Tanaka submitted his resignation on Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2012 over health issues and allegations that he took questionable contributions and attended a gangster’s wedding. <AP…

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  • East Asia

    Chinese Aged 60 Or Above Expected To Account For One Third Of Total Population By 2050

    Members of an elderly model club rehearse in a park in Zhengzhou, capital of central China’s Henan Province, Feb. 7, 2012. China had 190 million people at or above the age of 60 at the end of last year, according to the China National Committee on Ageing (CNCA). It is…

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  • East Asia

    Those ‘guilty’ in innocent lady’s death

    A year ago, when I was working at a previous school, a female teacher’s death left me speechless. I was depressed all day at the sad news. How could she die suddenly with her marriage so close? She should have been walking on air, dreaming of a wonderful honeymoon with…

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  • East Asia

    Korean professor uses ‘ondol’ to help Cambodians

    BATTAMBANG, Cambodia — The mercury hardly drops below 30 degrees Celsius in the daytime throughout the year in Cambodia, but vegetables and fruits dry slow even under the blazing sun and often go bad. Kim Man-gab, a professor at the National Polytechnic Institute of Cambodia, wondered why. Kim eventually discovered…

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  • East Asia

    Ancient construction secrets to be shared

    Asian master carpenters to meet in Suwon History is well reflected in traditional architecture, giving awe and admiration to its beholders. But few know how the structures were built and who designed and constructed them and how they were preserved until today. In East Asian nations with a long history…

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  • East Asia

    Star gymnast caught in nasty fight between agency, KGA

    Korea’s star rhythmic gymnast Son Yeon-jae has found herself caught in a power struggle between her agency, IB Sport, and the Korea Gymnastic Association (KGA). Son, who finished an unprecedented fifth in the London Olympics, saw her long-trusted mentor Kim Ji-hee has tendered her resignation from the KGA. The friction…

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