The Korea Herald

Rights watchdog opposes U.S.-style plea bargaining

Apr 1, 2011

South Korea’s human rights watchdog said Friday it is against the government’s move to adopt a U.S.-style plea bargain system. The proposed system would allow prosecutors to either drop an indictmen...
Fines help cut April Fool’s prank emergency calls

Apr 1, 2011

The penalty system has cut the number of false fire alarm calls made on April Fool’s Day, according to the National Emergency Management Agency. A total of 98 prank calls were made on last year’s Ap...
Korea pension fund to expand portfolio

Apr 1, 2011

Minister Chin says that fund will also seek long-term partnership with companies The investment of the 340-trillion-won ($300 billion) national pension fund will be diversified into emerging markets...
25% of Seoul households single-person

Apr 1, 2011

Almost one in four households in Seoul consisted of just one person last year, the city’s census found Thursday. Single-person households jumped from 4.5 percent in 1980 to 23.8 percent in 2010, acc...
‘Gangwon Province residents smoke, drink the most’

Apr 1, 2011

Adult males in Gangwon Province showed the highest smoking and drinking rates while those in the Jeolla provinces stayed the most sober and smoke-free, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Preve...
Ministry to help foreign spouses find work

Mar 31, 2011

The Ministry of Employment and Labor will help foreign spouses here find jobs through a set of programs in April. During the month, the candidates can receive subsidies for job training fees up to 3...
Student suicides call KAIST competitive policy into question

Mar 31, 2011

A student of KAIST was found dead Tuesday in a suspected suicide, the third this year at the nation’s top university in science and technology, raising questions about the competitive environment the...
Buckle up or pay up on expressways

Mar 31, 2011

Starting in April, all vehicle passengers on expressways here will be required to wear seatbelts, said the National Police Agency on Thursday. Under a revised traffic law, drivers on expressways inc...
Court upholds ban on gays in military

Mar 31, 2011

The Constitutional Court ruled the law which penalizes homosexual relations in the army as being in accord with the Constitution. “The corresponding clause may be regarded neither ambiguous, nor unn...
Heliport renovation on Dokdo under way to counter Japan's territorial claims: sources

Mar 31, 2011

South Korea has already begun work to renovate a heliport on its easternmost islets of Dokdo in an effort to reinforce the country's sovereignty over the territory amid Japan's continued attempts to ...
Is your smartphone bad for your relationship?

Mar 31, 2011

(iPhone 4 /Yonhap News) Smartphones, with more than 10 millions users in South Korea, are changing the dating culture of people in their 20s and 30s, a survey conducted by marriage consulting agency...
All passengers on motorways required to wear seat belts

Mar 31, 2011

A compulsory seat belt-wearing law for all passengers on motorways nationwide will take effect on Friday, the National Police Agency (NPA) said Thursday. Under the new law, all passengers of vehicle...
English contest offers Asians scholarships

Mar 30, 2011

Cambridge University’s English language department has launched a competition to find the best young Cambridge English speaker in Asia. Open to 18- to 25-year-olds, winning candidates will be awarde...
Civic groups slam Japanese textbooks

Mar 30, 2011

Civic groups Wednesday expressed disappointment with Japan’s adoption of textbooks that claim its sovereignty over Korea’s easternmost islets of Dokdo. “Educating young students would be the importa...
Treating demons and diseases of defectors

Mar 30, 2011

Counseling facility offers N.K. refugees a place free from judgment and prejudice It is nearly 10 minutes until new-patient registration closes, but people continue to file into the counseling cente...