The Korea Herald

Lee government draws flak for fresh revelations in surveillance scandal

PoliticsMar 30, 2012

The main opposition Democratic United Party on Friday intensified its attacks on President Lee Myung-bak, following the disclosure of documents alleging that his government carried out extensive spying on not only public officials but also civilians years ago. The ruling Saenuri Party also condemned the alleged surveillance and called for a thorough probe in an apparent attempt to distance itsel...
Japan orders destruction of N. Korean rocket if necessary

North KoreaMar 30, 2012

Japan's defence minister said Friday he had issued an order to shoot down a North Korean rocket if it threatens the nation's territory, a planned launch that has raised global alarm bells. North Korea said this month it would fire a rocket to put a satellite into orbit between April 12 and 16 to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of founding president Kim Il-Sung. But the United States and...
Chung quits shared growth panel, hints at political aims

Social affairsMar 29, 2012

Former Prime Minister Chung Un-chan stepped down as the head of the Commission on Shared Growth for Large and Small Companies, raising speculation that he may be looking to run for office. Although Chung said that he was stepping down as he considered it the best way to raise interest in shared-growth among the government and the public, observers suspect that the move is the first step in runni...
N.K. readies rocket fuel as U.S. halts aid

North KoreaMar 29, 2012

The U.S. and North Korea appear to be heading toward another stalemate as Pyongyang quickens preparations for a long-range rocket launch in breach of their recent agreement on nuclear and missile tests. A senior U.S. defense official said Wednesday that Washington had been forced to suspend its planned provision of food aid to the impoverished state, which is sticking to its launch plan despite ...
Race one of the closest ever

PoliticsMar 29, 2012

Battles in Seoul, Gyeonggi set to be decisive in April 11 polls The following is the first in a series of articles on the April 11 general elections. ― Ed. Korea’s two main political parties are neck-and-neck in the contest for control of the 300-seat parliament in next month’s election. With the showdown less than two weeks away, opinion polls place the rivals ― the conservative ruling Saenur...
Candidates on stump as campaigning starts

PoliticsMar 29, 2012

Party leaders make hectic campaign stops in and around Seoul Parties kick-started their election campaigns on Thursday as the official 13-day canvassing period started for the upcoming April 11 general elections. Leading parties displayed particular focus on the southwestern Youngdeungpo-B constituency, where a tight contest is expected between a ruling party heavyweight and an opposition rooki...
Three-way battle set for Sejong City

PoliticsMar 29, 2012

This is the sixth in a series introducing the key inter-party battle fields in the upcoming April 11 general election. ― Ed One of the key constituencies in the April 11 election is the recently designated Sejong City, the new administrative city in South Chungcheong Province. Parties have set their eyes on Sejong’s first-ever parliamentary seat as the city is regarded as not only a significant...
Gender Ministry criticizes Noda’s denial of comfort women

Social affairsMar 29, 2012

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family Affairs on Wednesday expressed its disappointment with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda’s denial of Korean sex slaves drafted by the Japanese military during its 1910-1945 colonial rule. “We are more than disappointed about the level of the Japanese Prime Minister’s understanding of the issue. We call for his government’s proactive resolution of t...
Board rejects dismissal of MBC president

Social affairsMar 29, 2012

The operator of MBC, the nation’s second largest terrestrial broadcaster, on Wednesday refused to fire the MBC president, despite a long-standing union strike against management calling for political neutrality. The decision is expected to take the 60-day general strike to a new level. Personnel decisions related to the MBC president are taken up by board members of the Foundation for Broadcast...
U.S. offers 20 retiring choppers to S. Korea

DefenseMar 29, 2012

The U.S. Third Marine Amphibious Corps has offered to provide the South Korean Marine Corps with 20 transport helicopters. According to the Ministry of National Defense, the Okinawa-based U.S. Marine Corps unit has offered to transfer the ownership of 20 CH-46 Sea Knight transport helicopters that are to be decommissioned. “We have not been able to confirm whether the U.S. Department of Defense...
Two hackers arrested in S. Korea-Dutch joint probe

Social affairsMar 29, 2012

Dutch police, in close collaboration with their South Korean counterparts, have arrested one Dutch and one Australian teenager on suspicion of hacking into the servers of a telecom operator and a number of universities worldwide, police here said Thursday. Police said they launched the joint probe after a South Korean college student reported a hacking incident into the internal server of Dutch ...
Foreign ministers of S. Korea, China, Japan to meet on N. Korea

Foreign affairsMar 29, 2012

Top diplomats from South Korea, China and Japan will hold three-way talks early next month on regional security and cooperation, Seoul’s foreign ministry said Thursday, with North Korea’s rocket plan expected to be a hot topic on the sidelines. South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan will hold the two-day tripartite talks with China’s Yang Jiechi and Japan’s Koichiro Gemba in the eastern Chi...
Prosecution mulls charging police chief

Social affairsMar 29, 2012

Police refuse prosecutors’ investigation requests, citing internal probe cases The police and the prosecution are once again clashing over investigative powers. This time the police have refused to investigate a number of election rules violations deferred to them by the public prosecutors, saying that the cases fall under the category of internal process. Under the modified Criminal Procedure...
Rival parties solicit support ahead of official campaign period

PoliticsMar 29, 2012

The highlight of Saenuri chief Park Geun-hye’s schedule Wednesday was a visit to a Buddhist temple in central Seoul, in an apparent bid to woo Buddhist voters. She attended a service at the Jogye Temple, the headquarters of the country‘s largest Buddhist sect Jogye Order, to celebrate the inauguration of Ven. Jinje as its spiritual leader, or the Supreme Patriarch. The Buddhist community has be...
New York Times carries ad demanding Japan’s apology

Social affairsMar 29, 2012

Singer Kim Jang-hoon and Sungshin Women’s University professor Seo Kyoung-duk placed an advertisement in the New York Times on Wednesday, requesting compensation or a public apology from the Japanese government to former sex slaves for the Japanese military. Headlined “Do You Hear?,” the ad shows a photo of Korean elderly women who were forced to serve as sex slaves for Japanese soldiers during ...