Most Popular
-
1
Hyundai Motor eyes 80,000 jobs, W68tr investment at home by 2026
-
2
Seoul bus drivers go on general strike, cause morning rush hour delays
-
3
Korea enters full election mode
-
4
Official campaigning kicks off for April 10 elections
-
5
Dialogue hopes fade as doctors pick hard-liner as new head
-
6
Coupang pledges W3tr to expand Rocket Delivery nationwide by 2027
-
7
[Election Battlefield] Political novice to face off star politician in ‘swing district’
-
8
Immigrant woman stabbed to death by Korean husband
-
9
[Herald Interview] Son Suk-ku chooses to be swayed by others in navigating life
-
10
Seoul’s bus union prepares for strike
-
[Weekender] Garden within doors
Amid the hustle and bustle of city life, indoor gardening connects city dwellers to nature, provides them a respite from the digital lifestyle for a moment and makes a fine hobby. And it does not have to be expensive. For Kim Ji-hyon, a 29-year-old office worker, growing a small garden on a windowsill at home has become a crucial part of her life over the past year. (MCT)“When I water the plants and take care of them, it gives my brain a time-out from stressful office life,” said Kim, who visits
Jan. 13, 2017
-
Safety of breast implants under review after silicone gel found in breast milk
South Korea said Friday that it will reinvestigate the safety of breast implant products, after a woman who received breast augmentation claimed to have found in her breast milk what appears to be silicone gel. According to the Ministry of Food and Drug safety, the woman who received breast enlargement surgery in 2011 had the implant removed after she found that her breastmilk contained a thick, transparent gel-like substance. She had by then breastfed her infant baby for nearly three months. He
Jan. 13, 2017
-
[Eye Interview] ‘Children have right to play’
ANDONG, North Gyeongsang Province -- Many say South Korea is a republic of convenience stores, describing the country’s some 30,000 24-hour retailers as being ubiquitous in almost every corner of Korean towns. Yet few realize that this country of 50 million has over 60,000 playgrounds for children, twice the number of convenience stores. Despite being in abundant supply, Korean playgrounds have major problems, according to playground designer Pyun Hae-moon. They are almost identical, risk-free t
Jan. 13, 2017
-
[Weekender] Indoor plants as natural air purifiers
Amid all the talk about the danger of airborne ultrafine particles, Shin Gi-bbeum opted to bring indoors some plants that are known to purify the air, instead of purchasing costly air-purifying machines.“Why invest in electronic air purifiers when you can have houseplants at home to clean and filter the air naturally and inexpensively?” said the 53-year-old housewife.“Beyond air quality, looking at green plants just make me feel better,” she said, adding growing plants is her way of fighting str
Jan. 13, 2017
-
Porpoises biggest victims of incidental catches, poaching among whales
Seven out of 10 aquatic mammals accidentally caught in nets or poached in South Korea are finless porpoises, designated as a maritime mammal to be conserved by the government last year, with the number of such victims reaching some 1,300 on average annually, the coast guard here said Thursday.According to the Ulsan Maritime Security Police, a total of 9,710 whales were trapped in nets or illegally captured inside the South Korean waters between 2011-15. (Yonhap)Of the total, porpoises took for
Jan. 12, 2017
-
Private education expenditure soars amid low consumer spending
South Korean households’ private education spending is growing much faster than their disposable income, statistics showed Thursday, posing a key challenge to the country’s efforts to revive the economy through domestic consumption. According to a recent survey published by Statistics Korea, the average monthly spending on private education by city-dwelling families of two or more people stood at 226,575 won ($191) in the third quarter of last year, a 6 percent increase compared to 2015. The inc
Jan. 12, 2017
-
Court upholds 30-year jail term for Gangnam murder suspect
An appeals court on Thursday confirmed a 30-year jail term for a man accused of stabbing to death a 22-year-old woman near one of the country's busiest subway stations in Seoul that sparked nationwide shock and protests. Gangnam Station (Yonhap)The Seoul High Court upheld a lower court's decision and convicted the man, surnamed Kim, of stabbing the victim, whose identity was withheld, multiple times in a bathroom in a building near Gangnam Station in May last year. The victim was a complete stra
Jan. 12, 2017
-
Bodyguard questioned at Park impeachment trial
A bodyguard for President Park Geun-hye appeared at the Constitutional Court Thursday to face questioning over an influence-peddling scandal involving Park and her friend.Lee Young-sun, an employee of the presidential security service, was summoned to testify at the fourth hearing of Park's impeachment trial following revelations he ran errands for the friend, Choi Soon-sil.He refused to answer most questions by the parliamentary impeachment panel, but admitted to regularly visiting a dressmaker
Jan. 12, 2017
-
[Photo News] Ex-director of culture testifies for investigators
BAD PERSON? -- Roh Tae-kang, a former director of the Culture Ministry, enters the special prosecutor’s office in Daechi-dong, southern Seoul on Wednesday to testify as a witness. Roh left officialdom after President Park Geun-hye singled him out as a “bad person” in 2014. He, then in charge of the ministry’s sports policy division, had led an investigation into the country‘s equestrian competitions after a complaint made by Choi Soon-sil, Park‘s friend. Choi’s daughter, Chung Yoo-ra, later beca
Jan. 11, 2017
-
Samsung heir summoned as suspect in bribery probe
A special investigation team looking into an influence-peddling scandal centered on President Park Geun-hye and her longtime friend has summoned Samsung's heir apparent over allegations the group gave undue financial support to the confidante in return for business-related favors, its spokesman said Wednesday. Lee Jae-yong, vice chairman of Samsung Electronics Co., was called in to undergo questioning as a suspect on charges of bribery on Thursday at 9:30 a.m., spokesman Lee Kyu-chul told a regu
Jan. 11, 2017
-
South Korea may water down bans on free meals and gifts
South Korea may ease a controversial ban on free meals and gifts imposed last year on public servants, teachers and journalists, in a bid to prop up the struggling economy. The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission on Wednesday hinted at a possible revision to the anti-graft law that came into effect in September amid controversy over its strict regulations. “We should view the law flexibly, given the state of the society and the economy,” the commission chief, Sung Young-hoon, said at
Jan. 11, 2017
-
Choi withdraws testimony; An challenges validity of evidence
Choi Soon-sil, who is at the center of the President Park Geun-hye scandal, withdrew the testimony she gave at a prosecutorial investigation, denying all charges brought against her, during her trial in Seoul on Wednesday. At the same court, An Chong-bum, Park’s former aide suspected of being an accomplice to Park and Choi in their alleged crimes, challenged the validity of key evidence: his handwritten memos. “During the investigation, Choi was forced to make confessions. We contest the volunt
Jan. 11, 2017
-
2 minor party lawmakers acquitted of illicit political funds allegations
Two lawmakers of a minor opposition party were acquitted Wednesday of receiving illicit political funds in a high-profile scandal that had led to the resignation of its leaders. The Seoul Western District Court found Reps. Park Sun-sook and Kim Su-min of the People's Party not guilty of the suspicions, citing a lack of evidence. The two were indicted in August on charges of receiving some 216 million won ($197,000) of rebates from two local firms that were in charge of the party's public rela
Jan. 11, 2017
-
2 dead, 4 missing after fishing boat collides with 23,000-ton vessel
POHANG (Yonhap) -- A fishing boat on Tuesday collided with a merchant ship off South Korea's southeastern coast, leaving two dead and four others missing, Coast Guard officials said. The 74-ton local fishing boat was carrying seven crewmen when it collided with the 23,269-ton bulk carrier Inspiration Lake in waters some 22 miles off the southeastern port city of Pohang at around 2 p.m., officials said. Three of the fishermen -- two Koreans and one Vietnamese -- were rescued, but two of th
Jan. 10, 2017
-
Case goes cold on disfigured body found in Incheon
A month has passed since the discovery of a disfigured female body in Incheon, but the investigation is not moving any forward, heightening the possibility of it becoming a cold case. According to Samsan Police, as of Tuesday 32 days have passed since a cleaning man reported the badly decayed body found inside an abandoned burlap bag near the stream Gulpocheon in Galsan-dong, Bupyeong-gu, Incheon. All that has been found in the ensuing investigation are the possible cause of the woman’s death
Jan. 10, 2017
-
More than 6,000 native Koreans join Catholic priesthood: conference
More than 6,000 native Koreans have joined the Roman Catholic priesthood so far, according to local Catholic officials Tuesday.The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea said in its newly published 2017 directory that the number of ordained priests stood at 6,021 as of Sept. 30, 2016.A priest ordination at a Catholic church in the Cheongju Diocese (Yonhap)The list includes Father Andrea Kim, the first native Korean Catholic priest and martyr, better known by his birthname Kim Dae-geon, all the wa
Jan. 10, 2017
-
Investigators secure tablet PC used by woman at center of scandal
A special investigation team looking into a massive corruption scandal surrounding President Park Geun-hye and her friend has secured a tablet PC used by the confidante that has evidence related to financial support Samsung gave to her company, its spokesman said Tuesday.Chang Si-ho, niece of Park's jailed friend Choi Soon-sil, has voluntarily submitted the tablet, spokesman Lee Kyu-chul said."On the tablet PC, there were a number of emails related to the establishment of Core Sports Internation
Jan. 10, 2017
-
Court dismisses Park’s explanation on missing 7 hours as ‘insufficient’
On the day the ferry Sewol sank, President Park Geun-hye began work at 9 a.m. at her home office due to her poor physical condition, and received reports via telephone, fax or documents delivered by hand. She spoke with her national security adviser on the phone for a total of seven times about the ferry accident, according to a 19-page document submitted by her lawyers for her impeachment trial Tuesday. However, the document detailing the president’s actions on April 16, 2014 was dismissed by t
Jan. 10, 2017
-
Ministry to offer cash for couples who get married
The Ministry of Strategy and Finance announced Tuesday its plans to give tax incentives to couples who marry in the next three years.Under the proposed revision to the Restriction of Special Taxation Act, the Korean government will deduct 1 million won ($830) tax for double-income couples who marry between 2017 and end of 2019. To be eligible, each married person has to be contributing to the national economy through some form of work. A single-income couple will receive half the incentive. (Yon
Jan. 10, 2017
-
Another court rules in favor of conscientious objector
A local court acquitted a South Korean man, who refused to fulfill the country’s mandatory military service due to religious reasons, of draft dodging in yet another ruling in favor of conscientious objectors.The Jeonju District Court found a 23-year-old Jehovah's Witness, surnamed Park, not guilty saying his refusal constitutes a "conscientious freedom."“His refusal to serve in the military based on his conscientious choice is a justifiable reason,” the court said in the verdict. The ruling com
Jan. 10, 2017