• North Korea rejects South’s flood aid offer

    North Korea rebuffed a substantial offer of flood aid from Seoul, Wednesday, saying it did not need the proposed items. Officials here said that the North, in a cabled response to a list of items worth $8.88 million, said, “We do not need such aid.” Whether the move closed the…

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  • Street near COEX area to become smoke-free

    People caught smoking on the street near COEX will be fined 100,000 won starting Nov. 1, following designation of the area as a “smoke-free” zone. Officials of the Gangnam-gu Office said Tuesday that the southern Seoul district will ban smoking on sections of footpaths along Yeongdong Street. This will be…

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  • Society

    Multiculturalism strength for country

    A Canadian politician said multiculturalism is a strength for a country and the government should take a full advantage of it by welcoming differences. “Everybody brings something to the table. In Canada, no matter what they are or who they are, they bring different views, ideas (which make people) think…

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  • North Korea agrees to consult over aid

    North Korea has accepted Seoul’s offer to discuss the provision of aid to the flood-stricken state, officials said Monday. Pyongyang contacted the South through Red Cross channels earlier in the day asking that Seoul specify the type and quantity of the proposed aid. “The North said they want to engage…

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  • 1 out of 7 Koreans think about suicide

    One in seven people have thought about committing suicide, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Sunday. The ministry’s report on people’s mental health in 2011, which was released a day before the 10th World Suicide Prevention Day, showed 15.6 percent of adults seriously think about killing themselves at…

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  • Society

    From eccentric to darling of Venice

    While the world more readily acknowledged and embraced Kim Ki-duk as an auteur director, he has been received in a mixed fashion in Korea. But with his 18th feature film “Pieta” having grabbed the Golden Lion Prize at the 69th Venice Film Festival, the 51-year-old Kim has reaffirmed his art…

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  • Society

    ‘Sanctions won’t stop bilateral ties from growing’

    The top Iranian envoy to Korea said the two countries have cleared all hurdles that have kept Korean oil refining companies from importing oil from Iran. On July 1, SK Innovation and Hyundai Oil Bank had to halt oil imports from Iran due to European Union sanctions which banned European…

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  • Society

    Director Kim Ki-duk takes Venice

    ‘Pieta’ becomes first Korean movie to win Golden Lion award Maverick Korean director Kim Ki-duk’s “Pieta,” a brutal mother-and-son drama, won the Golden Lion for best movie at the 69th Venice Film Festival, Saturday. Kim’s bleak-morality tale became the first Korean film to win the top prize at one of…

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  • Society

    ‘Generations lack communication in digital era’

    The author of the best-selling book “You Are Suffering Because You Are Young,” said interaction between generations has become ever more limited despite today’s era of digital media and social networking services. The book outlines the difficulties the younger generation is facing today. He said the older generation needs to…

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  • Society

    Gwangju Biennale shows diversity of contemporary art

    To fully appreciate the works of 92 artists from 40 countries at the 2012 Gwangju Biennale, art fans will need stamina. The largest contemporary art exposition in Asia opened Friday at various venues with an extensive amount of pieces to see, hear, touch and experience. Under the theme “Round Table,”…

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