South Korea

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S. Korea to Workers: Go Home and Make Babies

Office lights out at 7 last night in effort to boost birth rate

(Newser) - South Korea's government has issued an unusual directive to its workers: Go home and make babies. Faced with an aging population and one of the world's lowest birth rates, Ministry of Health officials enforced the order by switching off all the lights in their building at 7pm last night. The...

Yoga Guru Actually Cultmaster: Lawsuit

Former employees allege fraud, grueling physical trials

(Newser) - Former employees of a worldwide yoga chain allege its founder is actually the leader of a cult that demands cash and torturous exercise from those caught in its spell. Dahn Yoga, founded by Ilchi Lee, operates more than 100 locations in the US and more than 1,000 internationally, and...

S. Koreans Play Dead at 'Coffin Academy'
 S. Koreans 
 Play Dead at 
 'Coffin Academy' 
FOR ONLY $25
Jan 4, 2010 10:43 AM CST

S. Koreans Play Dead at 'Coffin Academy'

Self-help tactic controversial in country with high suicide rate

(Newser) - At the Coffin Academy, South Koreans pay $25 each to write their own tombstone epitaphs, bid loved ones goodbye, then climb into caskets in a candlelit chapel and play dead for 10 minutes. The entrepreneurs who guide this death simulation say it motivates people to improve their lives; critics counter...

Record Snow Paralyzes Seoul
 Record Snow Paralyzes Seoul 
Jan 4, 2010 5:54 AM CST

Record Snow Paralyzes Seoul

S. Korean capital weathers biggest snowstorm in 70 years

(Newser) - Seoul residents are facing paralyzed traffic and canceled flights after the heaviest snowfall in more than 70 years dumped 10 inches on the South Korean capital today. Gimpo International Airport canceled 224 flights before resuming service this afternoon, AP reports. China and Japan are also coping with snowstorms, with an...

S. Korea Pardons Samsung Chief to Lead Olympic Bid

Convicted embezzler holds seat on Olympic Committee

(Newser) - South Korea has granted a pardon to a former Samsung chairman found guilty of embezzlement to allow him to lead the country's bid for the 2018 Winter Olympics. President Lee Myung-bak said he pardoned Lee Kun-hee to allow him to keep his seat on the International Olympic Committee and to...

N. Korean Hackers Steal US War Plan

They grab 11-page file off unprotected thumb drive

(Newser) - North Korean hackers may have made off with secret documents outlining American and South Korean military plans in the event of a North Korean attack. Last month, officials discovered that a South Korean officer had downloaded the plan, codenamed Oplan 5027, on an unsecured thumb drive, and that his computer...

Latest Undeserved Honor: Black Belt
 Latest Undeserved 
 Honor: Black Belt 
OBAMA'S FREE RIDE
Nov 19, 2009 2:07 PM CST

Latest Undeserved Honor: Black Belt

Obama is now a master of tae kwon do, with 0 years practice

(Newser) - This has gone too far. First President Obama gets the Nobel Peace Prize “without actually producing any peace,” writes Andrew Malcolm. Now the South Korean president has awarded him a black belt in tae kwon do “after zero long years of study. What would Chuck Norris do?”...

Obama: We Will Sanction Iran
 Obama: We Will Sanction Iran 
Nov 19, 2009 7:12 AM CST

Obama: We Will Sanction Iran

Obama ups pressure on Tehran, North Korea in South Korean speech

(Newser) - Barack Obama offered his toughest talk yet on nuclear issues today in a joint press conference with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak. Obama blasted Iran for turning down a deal to turn their nuclear stockpiles into fuel rods, “for internal political reasons, or perhaps because they are stuck in...

US, South Korea Offer North 'Grand Bargain' on Nukes

Obama's envoy heading to Pyongyang next month

(Newser) - South Korea's president says he and President Barack Obama have agreed to offer North Korea a "grand bargain" aimed at ending the North's nuclear program. President Lee Myung-bak, speaking at a joint news conference today in Seoul, said the deal would be similar to his proposal for a package...

Koreas' Navies Trade Fire
 Koreas' Navies Trade Fire 
Nov 9, 2009 10:07 PM CST

Koreas' Navies Trade Fire

South's ship fires warning shot at intruding North vessel

(Newser) - A South Korean navy ship fired warning shots at a North Korean vessel early Tuesday off the countries’ disputed west coast; the North’s ship was damaged and returned the salvo. No casualties were immediately reported. South Korean officials tell Yonhap the North crossed into their territorial waters; the North...

950 Tries Later, Woman Passes Driving Test

Now all South Korean has to do is pass the physical test

(Newser) - A 68-year-old South Korean woman has finally been granted the chance to take her actual, physical driving test after completing the written exam—on her 950th try. Cha Sa-soon took the test and failed almost daily since April 2005 before recently squeaking through with the minimum score of 60%. At...

Mixed Verdict Against Fake Korean 'Cloner'

Scientist who lied about stem cells gets suspended sentence

(Newser) - The disgraced South Korean scientist who falsely claimed major breakthroughs in stem cell research in human clones was convicted of embezzlement and other charges, but was acquitted of fraud and received only a suspended sentence. Hwang Woo-suk was hailed as a national hero in 2004 for claiming in the journal...

North Korea Tests 5 Missiles: Report

Short-range test comes despite seemingly warmer relations with South, US

(Newser) - North Korea fired five short-range missiles off its east coast today, news reports said, even as South Korea proposed working-level talks with its communist neighbor. South Korea's Yonhap news agency, citing an unidentified South Korean government official, said the North test-fired the surface-to-surface KN-02 rockets from mobile launch pads.

Travel Back to Normal in Koreas

(Newser) - Travel between North and South Korea returned to normal today, eight months after Pyongyang clamped down on imports from the South. It's the latest sign of warming ties between the two Koreas, following a recent deal on reuniting separating families and the fight high-level diplomatic talks in two years. Negotiations...

World's First Cloned Wolf Dies
World's First
Cloned Wolf Dies
Sep 1, 2009 3:10 AM CDT

World's First Cloned Wolf Dies

Cause of death a mystery

(Newser) - One of  of the world's first two cloned wolves has died due to unknown causes, reports the Korea Times. Snuwolf, 4, was found dead at South Korea's national zoo. Her identical sister, Snuwolffy, remains healthy. "Snuwolf had been in good condition," said Prof. Shin Nam-sik, a leader of...

North, South Korea OK Family Reunions

Meetings signal easing tensions

(Newser) - North and South Korea have agreed to resume allowing reunions for families separated by the Korean War, in a sign that tensions are once again easing between the nations, the BBC reports. North Korea called off the meetings 2 years ago, after South Korea’s newly-elected President Lee Myung-bak ended...

South Korea Launches Space Rocket
South Korea Launches
Space Rocket
Aug 25, 2009 6:44 AM CDT

South Korea Launches Space Rocket

First attempt from own soil; satellite aboard fails to reach orbit

(Newser) - South Korea's first rocket blasted off into space today following an aborted attempt last week and just months after its rival North Korea drew international ire for its own launch. A problem quickly surfaced, however, when the satellite the rocket was carrying apparently failed to enter its intended orbit. ...

N. Korea Envoy Meets With South's Prez

(Newser) - An envoy from Kim Jong-il met with South Korea's president today to deliver the first direct communication between the two nations in 18 months, reports Reuters. The content of Kim's message to President Lee Myung-bak was not disclosed. But the fact that the 30-minute meeting happened at all indicates an...

South Korea Scrubs Satellite Launch

(Newser) - South Korea scrubbed a planned satellite launch minutes before liftoff today, citing an unspecified technical error, reports the BBC. Seoul has been itching to join the Asian space race and has already produced 10 satellites for other countries' rockets. But the event had threatened to strain recently improved relations with...

Nobelist Peacemaker Kim Dae-Jung Dies at 85

(Newser) - Kim Dae-jung, the former South Korean president who won the Nobel Peace Prize for his reconciliation efforts with the North, died today at age 85. He had been hospitalized with pneumonia since last month. As a pro-democracy opposition lawmaker, Kim built a reputation as a passionate champion of human rights...

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