Most Popular
-
1
Korean labor force to shrink by 10 million by 2044: report
-
2
[AtoZ Korean Mind] Does your job define who you are? Should it?
-
3
Allegations surrounding BTS resurface, enraged fans demand apology
-
4
Students with history of violence will be barred from becoming teachers
-
5
Top prosecutor pledges 'speedy, strict' probe into first lady's luxury bag allegations
-
6
Medical feud leaves hospitals in financial crisis
-
7
'Super Rich in Korea' will leave viewers appreciating Korea more: producers
-
8
'Queen of Tears' riding high on Netflix chart
-
9
Samsung mocks Apple over iPhone alarm glitch
-
10
Chip up cycle won’t stay long: SK chief
-
Stem cell windpipe gives Korean toddler new life
Hannah Warren, a 2-year-old born without a windpipe, has been given a new life after a groundbreaking transplant in the U.S. of the organ made from her own stem cells. An international team of surgeons performed the landmark operation at the Children’s Hospital of Illinois at Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria, Illinois, on April 9 to help the Korean toddler breathe on her own. Early signs show that the stem cell windpipe is working, doctors said, although she is still in the recovery proces
May 1, 2013
-
Falun Gong practitioner denied refugee status
The Supreme Court overturned a lower court’s ruling that granted refugee status to a Chinese Falun Gong practitioner who sought refuge here to avoid persecution.The court said in its ruling last Thursday that the fact that the man named Choi was a practitioner of Falun Gong was not a strong enough reason to give him refugee status. “Refugee status can be granted only to those Falun Gong practitioners who are clearly subject to oppression by the Chinese government because of their active involvem
May 1, 2013
-
Court grants refugee status to Ugandan lesbian
A Korean court has granted refugee status to a Ugandan woman who claims she cannot return home for fear of being persecuted for her sexual orientation, officials said Wednesday.The 27-year-old Ugandan woman, whose name remains undisclosed, fled to Korea in 2011 after her family members were killed by neighbors because she was a lesbian.She soon petitioned the Seoul government for refugee status but the justice ministry rejected her application, saying she did not meet the criteria of a “well-fou
May 1, 2013
-
Ex-vice justice minister put on overseas travel ban
Former Vice Justice Minister Kim Hak-ui has been banned from leaving the country amid an ongoing police probe alleging that he received sexual favors from a local contractor in return for business favors, police said Wednesday.The sex bribery scandal centers around allegations that a number of high-profile figures, such as former and incumbent high-ranking government officials and the head of a hospital, received sex services from about a dozen women hired by the 52-year-old construction contrac
May 1, 2013
-
Pro-Pyongyang group raided over security law breach
Police have raided the office of a pro-North Korean activist group as part of a probe into its alleged violation of the nation’s draconian security law, officers said Wednesday.The so-called “sopoong” is a Seoul-based organization formed in2006 by pro-North activists. The group claims its goal is to call for the reunification of the two Koreas.The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said it has also searched the houses of 10 members of the organization to search and seize relevant digital files and
May 1, 2013
-
[Photo News] Clean air campaign
May 1, 2013
-
Expats, naturalized Koreans take leading roles in Korean society
As Korea’s population becomes more multicultural, naturalized Koreans and foreign nationals are branching out into all areas of society. Since 2002, the number of foreign nationals staying in Korea on a long-term basis has nearly doubled from 630,000 to come in at over 1.45 million at the end of 2012.Along with the number of foreigners choosing to stay in Korea long term, the number of those choosing to become naturalized citizens has also increased dramatically. In 2002, about 2,980 foreigners
May 1, 2013
-
‘Koreans and immigrants are all part of multicultural society’
As the country’s expat population grows, so has the number of naturalized Koreans and foreign residents rising to prominence in various fields. However, none have risen quite as high or as fast within Korean society as Rep. Jasmine Lee of the ruling Saenuri Party.Lee, who is originally from the Philippines, became a naturalized citizen in 1998, three years after she married her late husband Lee Dong-ho. Since then, Lee has held a variety jobs ranging from television presenter and film actress to
May 1, 2013
-
Native English teacher head count continues decline
This is the first in a two-part follow-up series to one which was published in the Expat Living section on March 6 and 13 and covered the ongoing native English teacher phaseouts in certain regions nationwide. This series further assesses the native English teacher program as well as the Teaching English in English initiative for Korean teachers of English in primary and secondary public schools. Intern reporters Choi In-jeong, Lee Sang-ju and Suh Hye-rim contributed to this series. ― Ed.The num
May 1, 2013
-
‘Addiction bill’ spells trouble for game industry
A recently proposed bill that defined online video games as an addictive substance and put it in the same category with drugs and gambling is arousing backlash from the video game industry.Lawmakers on Tuesday proposed a bill aimed to deal with problems caused by the four so-called major addictive substances: drugs, alcohol, gambling and online games. The move is in line with the Park Geun-hye administration’s policy to tackle social problems brought on by addiction.“In the light of increasing a
May 1, 2013
-
S. Korean court grants refugee status to Ugandan lesbian
A South Korean court has granted refugee status to an Ugandan woman who claims she cannot return home for fear of being persecuted for her sexual orientation, officials said Wednesday.The 27-year-old Ugandan woman, whose name remains undisclosed, fled to South Korea in 2011 after her family members were killed by neighbors because she was a lesbian.She soon petitioned the Seoul government for refugee status but the justice ministry rejected her application, saying she did not meet the criteria o
May 1, 2013
-
Chinese tourists flock to Korean university for good luck
A South Korean university has become a new destination for Chinese tourists who believe a myth that taking a photo at the school will bring them fortune. As over 100,000 Chinese are expected to visit Korea during the Labor Day holiday, April 27-May 5, tourist buses are busy shuttling a large flock of Taiwanese and Chinese to the Ewha Womans University area.Among Chinese tourists, a rumor has been circulated that those who take a picture at the university will gain nobility and wealth. The rumor
April 30, 2013
-
Prosecution raids spy agency
The prosecution raided the National Intelligence Service Tuesday as part of its widening probe into the agency’s alleged politicking in the presidential election last year. It was the second time in history for the top spy agency to undergo a search and seizure.The prosecution’s move came a day after former NIS chief Won Sei-hoon was questioned for more than 14 hours for his alleged role in the scandal.A team of 25 prosecutors reportedly seized relevant documents, digital files, and hard disks f
April 30, 2013
-
Bakery firm CEO slaps hotel manager with wallet
Public outcry shook social networks on Tuesday over an incident in which a CEO allegedly hit and verbally abused a front door manager at a major hotel in Seoul after a quarrel over a parking space. According to reports in the local press, the CEO of a well-known bakery company on Friday parked his car in the first-floor VIP space of the hotel that is originally reserved for public officials and lawmakers. The CEO reportedly obtained the hotel’s approval to use the parking lot in advance but, con
April 30, 2013
-
Seoul City publishes new food guide for travelers
Seoul City government has published a new food and restaurant guide in three foreign languages for travelers visiting the city, officials said Tuesday.The booklet named “Soul Food of Seoul” recommends representative Korean dishes and the 10 must-visit restaurants in the city and is available in English, Chinese and Japanese. It introduces various dining places on popular food streets such as Shindang-dong Tteokboggi (rice cake with spicy sauce) Alley, Hamheung Naengmyun (cold noodle) street and
April 30, 2013
-
Anti-corruption body to toughen law on bribery
Korea is strengthening anti-bribery rules to improve transparency in business, the head of the government’s anti-corruption agency said in a meeting with foreign business leaders Tuesday.Anti-corruption and Civil Rights Commission Chairman Lee Sung-bo said the agency was pushing for new anti-corruption rules to root out illegal solicitation of public officials.“There are already the anti-corruption law and the Public Service Ethics Act against illegal solicitation, but the current rules have lim
April 30, 2013
-
Lawmakers band together to advance Korean wave
About 40 lawmakers on Monday launched a study group aimed at sustaining and expanding hallyu. At its inaugural meeting at the National Assembly, the participants pledged their commitment to maturing the Korean cultural wave. “The group will try to contribute to developing hallyu by working closely with the entire cultural sector,” said Rep. Park Byeong-seug from the Democratic United Party at the meeting. He co-chairs the group with Rep. Choung Byoung-gug from the Saenuri Party. During the sess
April 29, 2013
-
Professor calls foreign student a ‘low animal’
A Korean professor has been captured on film scolding two Indonesian exchange students, calling one “not human” and “a low animal.”The online video shows the professor at Gyeongsang National University in Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province, berating two female students from Indonesia for not attending his classes, as well as threatening to call the police and cancel their master’s degrees. Noting one section of the video that skips, some YouTube users commented that the footage may have been edite
April 29, 2013
-
Prosecution questions former spy agency chief
Prosecutors questioned former National Intelligence Service chief Won Sei-hoon Monday as part of a probe into the national spy agency’s alleged attempt to intervene in the 2012 presidential election. “The investigation is currently underway. He will likely be summoned several more times,” said an official at Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office.The Democratic United Party, which first raised the allegation of illegal political intervention before the presidential election last December, fi
April 29, 2013
-
Lawyers accuse NIS of fabricating spy charge
A group of lawyers accused the National Intelligence Service of fabricating a pro-North Korea espionage charge against a Chinese-Korean man. In February the former Seoul City employee identified by his surname Yoo was indicted for handing information on around 200 North Korean defectors to Pyongyang agents. The Lawyers for a Democratic Society said Saturday that NIS agents threatened and coaxed his sister to make false confessions about her brother’s espionage activities. “Yoo’s sister made the
April 28, 2013