More effective measures needed to tamp down soaring utility bills and inflation

Soaring energy bills, led by gas and electricity, are hitting South Korean households, already saddled with rising interest rates and stubbornly high inflation that erode into disposable income amid few signs of an economic recovery. The latest energy price figures released Sunday by the Korean Statistical Information Service shows how big increases have been made for the prices of essential utilities such as gas and electricity in a year -- and is an indicator of how painful it is for Koreans t

Cho, protected by opposition, found guilty; Now party going all out to defend its leader

The prison sentence given to former Justice Minister Cho Kuk is founded on a court judgment that those who undermine the fairness of our society should be punished severely. The court sentenced him to two years in jail. The ruling came three years and two months after he was indicted for forging his daughter's credentials to facilitate her admission into a medical school and abusing his power when he was senior presidential secretary for civil affairs. Cho strongly denied the charges, but t