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Culture is an integral part of a country's soft power, and can sometimes exercise greater influence on other people than so-called hard power, such as economic superiority and official diplomacy. This idea is well illustrated in the recent resurgence of hallyu or the Korean wave in Japan, with Korean pop culture once again sweeping Japanese people off their feet despite diplomatic feuds between ..

Larvae in tap water Government should calm public fears about tainted water An increasing number of insect larvae have been reported in tap water in various regions over the past week. Since the first case was reported in the western port city of Incheon, July 9, similar reports have been filed in Seoul, Busan and Gyeonggi Province, which surrounds the capital. Unlike in the past, when the conta..

Repeated reversals on policies befuddle, annoy public President Moon Jae-in has stepped in to prevent any further entertainment of the idea of easing Seoul's “greenbelt” zones to supply more housing. The upside to the President's action is that there will be no more dizzying disputes among Cabinet and ruling party members on the matter. The downside is that such public disarray only deepens the ..

Threshold for high-priced cars must be determined reasonably State subsidies for high-priced electric vehicles (EV) are expected to end next year. The policy change is meant to raise the efficiency of budget execution, considering that hundreds of billions of won in taxpayer money is spent on subsidies every year. The Ministry of Environment is reportedly in the process of drawing up a policy pa..

Actress Song Hye-kyo, professor donate 10,000 guidebooks for historic LA site Actress Song Hye-kyo and Professor Seo Kyung-duk have again donated 10,000 Korean/English guidebooks to the Korean National Association in Los Angeles to help provide information about the historic site of the Korean independence movement against Japan. They made the first contribution in 2018. The donation is part of ..

Probe needed over alleged sexual harassment People bade farewell to Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, Monday. His sudden death, an apparent suicide, marked the end of a life that had earned him an exceptional reputation as a human rights lawyer, civic activist and top municipal administrator. However, it has triggered a controversy over sexual harassment allegations brougth against him. Now it appears ..

Government should step in at signs of supply shortage The government ended the rationing of face masks Sunday, shifting to a market supply scheme. However, some people are concerned about what they view as a “hasty end” to the public supply system, which played a vital role in maintaining the so-called “K-Quarantine.” That was mainly because the rationing system was a model case of efficient mar..

What matters most amid the COVID-19 pandemic is to keep jobs The country's minimum hourly wage for 2021 has been set at 8,720 won ($7.25), up 1.5 percent from this year. This is the smallest increase since the minimum wage system was first introduced in 1988, and even falls short of the 2.7 percent increase in 1998 during the Asian financial crisis. During the ninth session of the 27-member Mini..

The Korea Educational Broadcasting System (EBS) denied Tuesday a claim that its sensational giant penguin mascot Pengsoo is a copycat of the Japanese bear character Kumamon. “Pengsoo is not a knockoff version of Kumamon,” an EBS spokesperson said. A Korean freelance writer made the claim on July 9 on Japanese media outlet Daily Shincho, insisting the two mascots share plenty of common ground. He..

Electronics must be included among relief fund beneficiaries The government has named seven industries ― automobiles, shipbuilding, machinery, petrochemicals, oil refining, steel and aircraft manufacturing ― as key industries subject to a relief fund designed to help weather the coronavirus pandemic. The decision brings the number of industries benefiting from the 40 trillion won ($33.3 billion)..