The Korea Herald

Expat climbers work to conserve routes

For expat rock climbers, the unique beauty of Korean mountain ranges has a way of stealing their hearts.“The places I often go to have become very special to me. These are beautiful places packed with awesome memories,” said Les Timmerman, an expat who has been climbing here for over 4 years.However, as everlasting as the rock may seem, a lack of care or sense of responsibility can quickly ruin t

Expat Living Feb. 15, 2011

Cyber police to train ICC officials

Internet police in South Korea, one of the world’s most wired countries, will share experience and knowhow with the International Criminal Court, officials said Monday.The Cyber Terror Response Center, the National Police Agency’s Internet crime unit, plans to teach its investigative techniques to ICC investigators, as the Hague-based organization requested Seoul’s help. “The ICC expressed the nee

Social Affairs Feb. 14, 2011

Men decry Ewha’s women-only policy

Ewha Womans University Law School could be forced to accept male students, breaking the university’s 125-year tradition and raising question about its identity.The Constitutional Court held a public hearing last Thursday, over whether or not the law school’s women-only admissions policy is in violation of constitutional rights, after three male law students filed a petition against the private uni

Social Affairs Feb. 14, 2011

Most single parents do not receive child support

Less than half of single parents entitled to child support regularly receive payments from their former spouse, revealing the need for state intervention, according to government data Thursday.The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family surveyed 483 single parents legally entitled to receive child support over the course of three years. Women made up nearly 98 percent of the single parents in the s

Social Affairs Feb. 10, 2011

1 billion won found in department store ‘bombs’

Police discovered 1 billion won ($904,000) in suspicious cases originally thought to contain bombs at a department store in Seoul on Wednesday. At 9:02 a.m. the police received a 112 call reporting two suspicious looking cases that might contain explosive material from a storage facility employee. The Yeongdeungpo Police Station responded to the call on the tenth floor of a department store with s

Social Affairs Feb. 9, 2011

One-third of imprisoned N.K. defectors in for narcotics

More than a third of imprisoned North Korean defectors here were sentenced for drug trafficking, highlighting a lack of screening and reintegration policies for defectors, according to the Korean Institute of Criminology on Monday.Professor Jang Joon-oh, director of the International Center for Criminal Justice, said 17 of the 48 defectors incarcerated in the South were charged with trafficking op

Social Affairs Feb. 8, 2011

State watchdog pushes for education on human rights

Human rights education will be mandatory for officials and employees of public institutions in an effort to prevent the prevalence of civil rights violations, state human rights watchdog said Monday.The National Human Rights Commission of Korea plans to propose a bill regarding the education of civil liberties after they review the draft. “If the human rights education act is put into effect, it w

Social Affairs Feb. 7, 2011

South’s the right medicine for N.K. trio

Three brothers obtain Oriental medical doctor’s license in SouthSEONGNAM, Gyeonggi Province ― In a cozy and welcoming oriental clinic, a smile never leaves the doctor’s face as he runs about greeting the steady flow of patients, answering the ceaseless phone calls and treating those who trust his hands and herbal medicine.The 45-year-old doctor of Myohyangsan Oriental Medical Clinic gives a good i

Social Affairs Feb. 7, 2011

South’s the right medicine for N.K. trio

Korea to have warmer spell during Seollal exodus

Koreans all over the country are participating in the largest exodus of the year to spend the Lunar New Year holiday this week with loved ones, taking advantage of the mild temperatures.“I’m beyond the age of being excited about Seollal but it will be nice to see my relatives and we always have fun during the trip,” said Kwon Ji-won, a 26-year-old piano teacher in Seoul, headed for Gangneung, Gang

Social Affairs Feb. 1, 2011

Yongsan to grant scholarships to students from Vietnam

The Yongsan-gu office will be connecting students from its sister city in Vietnam with top universities within its district to help promote Korea’s image, officials said Monday.Starting this year, the central Seoul district will nominate an exemplary student each year from Qui Nhon City for a full scholarship at Sookmyung Women’s University and Dankook University.The city on Vietnam’s central sout

Social Affairs Jan. 31, 2011

Detective says killed mother for insurance

A 20-year veteran detective charged with killing his mother has confessed that the allegedly botched insurance fraud attempt was initially his suggestion, police said Sunday, in a case that is shaking the country’s faith in police,The suspect, surnamed Lee, initially said Saturday that the spinal insurance fraud was first conspired by his mother to cover the 20 million won ($17,930) personal debt

Social Affairs Jan. 30, 2011

Detective says killed mother for insurance

Travelers scramble to spend Seollal in the sun

Airlines are enjoying a sales boom in international flights as travelers take advantage of the five-day Lunar New Year holiday to escape the unrelenting cold spell in Korea, airport officials said Thursday.Incheon International Airport is expecting a five-year record of 588,900 passengers from Feb. 1-6 for the Seollal holiday, an increase of nearly 14 percent from last year’s 517,242.This year’s S

Social Affairs Jan. 27, 2011

Yonsei draws fire over bar plans

Yonsei University is drawing fire from within over a plan to open a campus bar, which would be the school’s first place to sell alcohol in its 120-year history.Officials at the International Campus of Yonsei University in Incheon, expected to open in spring, were concerned with the lack of entertainment facilities nearby where students can socialize and relieve stress, and proposed that a bar be o

Social Affairs Jan. 27, 2011

Groups look to enlist more volunteers

Scholars, volunteers and officials gathered at a forum in Seoul Tuesday to discuss the past, present and future of overseas volunteering, hoping to increase the efficiency of Korea’s aid.Participants at the World Friends Korea Forum reviewed the current situation for volunteers and organizations to seek the direction in which Korea is going as a provider of official development aid.World Friends K

Social Affairs Jan. 25, 2011

Parents seek new inquiry on Filipino woman’s death

The parents of a migrant Filipino wife are requesting a reinvestigation into her alleged suicide, believing that her mistreatment may have led to her death here, reports said.According to a Philippine daily, the father of 24-year-old Cathy Deocades requested earlier this month that an autopsy be performed on her body after it was returned to the Philippines. He hopes to reopen a thorough investiga

Social Affairs Jan. 24, 2011

Articles by Robert Lee