Articles by Jo He-rim
Jo He-rim
herim@heraldcorp.com-
Ex-President Lee Myung-bak indicted on embezzlement, bribery
The prosecution on Wednesday indicted former President Lee Myung-bak on a series of charges involving tens of billions of won in embezzlement and bribery, making him the fourth Korean president to face criminal charges.The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office said they had indicted 76-year-old Lee on 16 charges, including violation of election law, tax evasion, abuse of power and leaking of government secrets.The former president, who served from 2008 to 2013, became the fourth president i
Politics April 9, 2018
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Park Geun-hye sentenced to 24 years in prison
Former President Park Geun-hye was sentenced to 24 years in prison and a fine of 18 billion won ($16.8 million) on Friday, over the massive corruption scandal that led to her ouster in March last year. The Seoul Central District Court convicted Park on 16 of 18 charges, which included abuse of power, coercion, bribery and the leaking of government secrets. Prosecutors had demanded 30 years in prison and a fine of 118.5 billion won. The ruling, which was first of its kind made by the lowest court
Social Affairs April 6, 2018
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Park unlikely to attend Friday's hearing
A Seoul court is to deliver its verdict Friday for former President Park Geun-hye over the massive corruption scandal that led to her ouster last year. The Seoul Central District Court is scheduled to start the sentencing hearing at 2:10 p.m. It will be the first ruling by the lowest court to be televised live. Last year, the Supreme Court amended the law to allow broadcasting of a trial if deemed necessary in the public’s interest. Park, 66, faces 18 charges including bribery, abuse of power an
Social Affairs April 5, 2018
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Government to increase day care services for elementary school students
President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday announced plans to increase public after-school day care services for children from 7 to 12 years of age to relieve the burdens of households where both parents work.In a policy presentation conference held in Kyungdong Elementary School in Seoul, Moon explained the plan to expand day care services to allow 200,000 more elementary school students to use the services by the end of 2022. President Moon Jae-in (Yonhap)“The government and the society should be resp
Social Affairs April 4, 2018
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Ahn declares bid to run for mayor
Ahn Cheol-soo, a former presidential candidate and former leader of an opposition party, announced Wednesday his bid to run in the Seoul mayoral election in June. Ahn is currently the recruitment chief of the center-right Bareunmirae Party, which has been struggling with low support ratings and difficulties finding competent candidates to run in the local and gubernatorial elections slated for June 13. Ahn Cheol-soo (Yonhap)“With the belief that South Korea will change when Seoul changes, I aim
Politics April 4, 2018
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Liberty Korea Party proposes constitutional amendment
The main opposition Liberty Korea Party on Tuesday announced its proposal for a constitutional amendment that seeks to redistribute presidential powers, hinting at a difficult negotiating process with the ruling party.The conservative party also outlined its preferred timeline to bring to the table an amendment bill at the National Assembly in June and put it to a national referendum by September.Floor leader Rep. Kim Sung-tae of main opposition Liberty Korea Party (Yonhap)The main opposition’s
Politics April 3, 2018
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[Video] Families demand state support for people with developmental disabilities
In front of the Hyoja community service center, just 200 meters away from the presidential office in Seoul, some 3,000 parents and volunteer workers took to the streets to demand support for people with developmental disabilities on Monday. During the rally organized by Korean Parents’ Network for People with Disabilities, 209 parents and activists also shaved their heads, in the hopes that their pleadings will be better heard and seen by the government.“We are parents who have to take care of o
Social Affairs April 2, 2018
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[Herald Interview] ‘Strong foundation of mother tongue important in learning English’
Korean parents’ emphasis on education, in particular their keen interest in early English language education, are well-known. Teaching children a foreign language while they are still learning their first language may raise concerns. However, Stacy Molnar, the head of the elementary school at St. Johnsbury Academy on Jeju Island, said it is crucial to build a foundation for children’s mother tongue in order for them to more effectively learn another language.St. Johnsbury Academy Jeju Elementary
Social Affairs April 2, 2018
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Blue House says possible to shut down far-right website Ilbe
Recent comments by the presidential office on the website Ilbe Storehouse indicate that it may be possible to abolish the website if the majority of its contents are unlawful. On Friday, presidential secretary for legal affairs Kim Hyung-yeon explained that the Korea Communications Commission could order the deletion or a halt to the distribution of illegal content, in response to an online petition calling for the abolishment of the website. “When more than 70 percent of the uploaded content is
Social Affairs March 26, 2018
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Warnings issued as dust level spikes
As fine dust reached its highest level for March -- rising three to four times higher than the average recorded since 2015 -- over the weekend, the Environment Ministry issued warnings and the government announced measures in response to the situation Sunday. The Ministry of Environment issued emergency pollution measures and convened an emergency situation room to monitor the air quality. It also asked local governments to take appropriate measures against the increase of fine dust in the atmos
Social Affairs March 25, 2018
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Blue House to submit constitutional revision bill
With Cheong Wa Dae set to table its constitutional amendment proposal Monday, parties are struggling to narrow their differences in an effort to come up with their own revision plan.The government’s proposal includes plans to change the current five-year single term presidency to a four-year term with the possibility of re-election. It will be discussed in a Cabinet meeting Monday morning before it is passed on to President Moon Jae-in for approval to be submitted to the National Assembly.The Li
Politics March 25, 2018
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[Breaking] Ex-President Lee arrested on corruption charges
The courts on Thursday issued an arrest warrant for former President Lee Myung-bak, who is suspected of a string of allegations including bribery, embezzlement and power abuse. Ex-President Lee Myung-bak waves to his supporters before being taken to a Seoul detention house on Thursday night. (Yonhap)The allegations against him include bribery of some 11 billion won ($10.3 million) from the state spy agency, individuals and conglomerates, such as Samsung. The former president, who was in office f
Social Affairs March 22, 2018
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[Herald Interview] Breaking stigma against 2-year vocational college
South Korea is well-known for its society’s great fervor toward education, but activists say that the country must break away from its relentless focus on credentials. More than 98 percent of the teenage population graduates from high school, and in 2017, 68.9 percent of those in the 18 to 21 age group advanced to college, according to the Education Ministry. The figures are among the highest in the OECD. Lee Ki-woo (Korean Council for University College Education)However, this fervor for educa
Social Affairs March 22, 2018
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Dwight School Seoul students perform at Carnegie Hall
Eighteen students from Dwight School Seoul joined 240 students from Dwight campuses around the world to perform at Carnegie Hall on Feb. 13, in honor of their Chancellor Stephen Spahn, the longest-serving head of school in the United States. Dubbed “A Sky Full of Music,” the largest concert in the school’s 146-year history featured several pieces of classic, jazz, traditional Korean and Chinese tunes with a celestial theme. All tickets were sold out at the Carnegie Hall’s iconic 2,800-seat Stern
Social Affairs March 22, 2018
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Moon’s constitutional amendment calls for four-year two term presidency
Cheong Wa Dae on Thursday revealed the final part of the government’s constitutional amendment bill that seeks to introduce a presidential system that allows two consecutive four-year terms.In addition, the proposed bill includes measures to distribute the power of the president and lower the voting age. Cho Guk, the senior presidential secretary for civil affairs (center), announces the government proposal on constitutional reform at Cheong Wa Dae on Thursday. (Yonhap)Cho Kuk, senior president
Politics March 22, 2018
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