Most Popular
-
1
Controversy rekindled over when to name criminals, suspects
-
2
Seoul transit pass for travelers to be available starting July
-
3
Hybe-Ador CEO conflict gets messier
-
4
Battery makers ramp up efforts to diversify graphite supply chain
-
5
Prosecutors to summon pastor who allegedly gave Dior bag to first lady
-
6
‘Monk’ DJ spreading Buddhism goes global
-
7
[LLG] Unseen inheritance: Trauma of transnational adoption 'trickles down' to adoptees' children
-
8
Court's ruling set to shape path of medical school expansion
-
9
[KH Explains] Hyundai Motor’s plan for new landmark keeps hitting bumps
-
10
Loans of self-employed swell 50% in four years
-
Top court acquits 2 businessmen of espionage charges
The nation's top court has acquitted two men of charges they attempted to hand over military intelligence to the North Korean spy agency, court records showed Friday.The two men, aged 59 and 78 and both involved in business with North Korea, were indicted in June 2012 on charges of trying to hand over military secrets on equipment capable of disrupting global positioning system (GPS) signals. They were also accused of trying to provide details of other high-tech military equipment.The arrest at
April 8, 2016
-
Police apologizes amid criticism over open letter to rape victim
The police on Thursday issued an apology for causing “unintended trouble” amid mounting criticism over an open letter to Aidre Mattner, an Australian who had taken issue with its misconduct and slipshod investigation in a rape case. Yongsan Police Station published a post on its Facebook page in both Korean and English at around 2 p.m., expressing regret over the “unintended troubles” caused by its public letter. (Facebook)“We do apologize the fact that we caused some unintended troubles resul
April 7, 2016
-
Mixed-race adoptees seek to reunite families through DNA bank
An American non-profit organization has started to build a DNA database to help reconnect Korean adoptees with their birth families, but the task remains a daunting one as few people in Korea have heard about it, organization officials said Thursday.325Kamra was launched in September after a group of mixed-race adoptees found their own families through DNA testing and realized it could be a game-changer for adoptees wanting similar closure in their lives.So far, the group has only been able to t
April 7, 2016
-
Abortion not violation of dignity: Seoul court
A firefighter’s appeal for nullification of his suspension was upheld by the Seoul Administrative Court, Thursday. The man had been given a month’s suspension by his fire station after it was made known that he and his girlfriend had two abortions. The man has been a firefighter for 10 years, and had been common-law married since 2014 with a woman he had met online following his divorce. Court reports say the woman became pregnant four months into their cohabitation, but the man decided they cou
April 7, 2016
-
Appeals court orders Dongwha Pharm to pay penalty for illegal rebates
An appeals court on Thursday dismissed a suit filed by Dongwha Pharm Co., one of South Korea's major drug makers, asking for the cancellation of fines slapped on the company for giving billions of won in kickbacks to local hospitals.The drug maker filed the suit against the Fair Trade Commission after it handed down a fine of 898 million won to Dongwha Pharma in 2014 for bribing over 900 hospitals from 2010 to 2011.It was the largest rebate scandal since a law regulating such practices first too
April 7, 2016
-
Park calls for thorough investigation into senior prosecutor over stock purchase
The presidential office on Thursday called for a thorough investigation into a senior prosecutor who has come under public scrutiny for the way he accumulated personal wealth.Jin Kyung-joon offered to quit five days ago, when it was discovered that he pocketed millions of dollars by selling stocks of Nexon Corp., a local online game developer.A presidential official said it's important to shed light on whether Jin may have broken the law when he bought and sold the stocks.Another official also s
April 7, 2016
-
S. Korea declares war on excessive sugar intake
The government here on Thursday announced an unprecedented campaign to reduce sugar consumption by its people, designating sugar as the main culprit behind the rising rates of obesity, diabetes and other chronic diseases in Korean society.In the initial five-year phase of the anti-sugar campaign, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety will make an intensive effort to keep the intake of sugar from processed foods, except for milk, below 10 percent of people's daily total energy.For instance, an adu
April 7, 2016
-
Court orders gov't to cancel dismissal of acquitted energy ambassador
An appeals court on Thursday ordered the government to cancel its dismissal of a former energy and resources ambassador who was acquitted of the charge of manipulating stock prices.Overruling a lower court's decision, the Seoul High Court ruled in favor of Kim Eun-seok, who had been indicted on charges of colluding with a mine developer to reap massive profits from a stock price rigging scam linked to a diamond mining project in Cameroon.Ok Deok-gyun, the former head of CNK International, was fo
April 7, 2016
-
Ministry to bolster security after break-in
The government vowed Thursday to overhaul the entire security system at government complexes in the wake of multiple break-ins by a civilian last month.The Interior Ministry announced it will fortify security levels by forming four separate task forces -- for security management, security personnel, computer security and service measures -- joined by private security experts. It also immediately blocked entrances at the basement floor of the Seoul Government Complex in central Seoul that are con
April 7, 2016
-
Migrant workers call for end to government crackdown
A migrant workers advocacy group called for an end to the government’s “inhumane” crackdown on unregistered foreign workers in Seoul on Thursday, following the government’s announcement to reduce the rate of illegal migrants to below 10 percent by 2018. An association of some 60 lawyers, foreigners and labor rights groups urged the government to revise the Employment Permit System to curb illegal migration in a press conference held in front of the immigration building in western Seoul. Migrant
April 7, 2016
-
Ministry to toughen watch on enrollments at international schools
YonhapInternational schools in South Korea will face suspensions in enrollment if they are caught illegally admitting Korean students four times, the Education Ministry said Thursday.The Education Ministry released revised regulations aimed to strengthen the control of illegal admissions at international schools here. There are currently 43 schools and three international kindergartens nationwide.This is the first time the government has specified punishments against schools in cases of illegal
April 7, 2016
-
Air Jordan, fashion reawaken ghosts of Japanese imperialism
“It’s gotta be the shoes!” exclaimed director Spike Lee in the hit Air Jordan shoe commercial of the 1990s, images of which were soon branded into the minds of sports fans around the world.Since then, basketball legend Michael Jordan’s sneakers have transcended sports gear to become symbols of pop culture and must-have items for anyone striving to “be like Mike.”Former NBA superstar Michael Jordan / MCTBut the shoes have become a social hot potato in Korea, as the design of the recently released
April 7, 2016
-
Korea declares war on sugar
South Korea on Thursday released a set of measures to reduce its citizens’ sugar consumption, after a recent government study revealed almost half of young Koreans aged 3-29 are eating too much sugar, leaving them vulnerable to a number of health conditions, including obesity and diabetes. “Our goal is to make sure every citizen’s sugar consumption only makes up 10 percent of their daily calorie intake,” said an official from South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. “For example, if an in
April 7, 2016
-
Soldier found guilty of molesting fellow soldier
A senior soldier was handed down a sentence of eight months in prison for assaulting and molesting a junior soldier of the same sex. The 23-year-old soldier surnamed Kwon was initially given a suspended sentence, but the Daejeon High Court reversed the decision Thursday and slapped Kwon with eight months in prison with two years of probation. (123RF)Kwon will also receive 40 hours of sex education and carry out 80 hours of volunteer work. According to the court, Kwon threatened his victim with
April 7, 2016
-
Number of marriages sinks to 12-yr low in 2015: report
The number of South Koreans getting married dropped to a 12-year low in 2015, a government report showed Thursday, partly on a steady decline in the number of people in the marriage age group.In 2015, the number of marriages came to about 302,800, the lowest since 302,500 tallied in 2002, according to Statistics Korea.The annual figure represents a 0.9-percent drop from a year before, with 2015 marking the fourth consecutive year the number decreased.A drop in the number of marriages spells a pr
April 7, 2016
-
Professor accused of assaulting colleague
A 50-year-old professor was booked on Thursday for assaulting a coworker. (123RF)The Cheongju Heungdeok Police said that the professor had pushed and tripped a 36-year-old employee at his workplace, a college hospital.The victim had to undergo medical treatment for two weeks. In the police investigation, the professor testified that he and the victim have had a strained relationship ever since they had a row over personal matters a long time ago. He had grown angry when the victim had ignored
April 7, 2016
-
Man, 2 high school girls found dead in motel
A 36-year-old office worker and two high school girls were found dead in a motel room in Seoul’s Yeongdeungpo-gu, Wednesday. The police had arrived at the scene after the motel keeper reported the three had not left the room long after checkout time. (Yonhap)Evidence suggesting suicide was found inside the room. According to the police investigation, the three had entered the motel at 9:30 a.m. together, before which they had never met. The police suspect they met through an online site, and ar
April 7, 2016
-
Former KORAIL chief arrested over corruption in urban development project
Prosecutors on Thursday formally arrested a former chief of South Korea's rail operator on suspicions of bribery in connection to a now-scrapped urban development plan in Seoul.The Seoul Central District Court issued a warrant to arrest Huh Joon-young, who led the Korea Railroad Corp. from 2009 to 2011, noting there are considerable reasons to believe he committed the crimes and could possibly destroy evidence.The 63-year-old is accused of receiving some 20 million won of illegal political funds
April 7, 2016
-
Man allegedly sells out wife as prostitute
A man who allegedly told his wife to sleep with another man to extort money out of the latter will be tried on charges of false accusation. Seoul’s Northern District Prosecutor’s Office said on Thursday that the 26-year-old man, who is mildly impaired, directed his 25-year-old wife, who has a second-degree mental disability and an IQ of 45, to seduce strangers on the streets. They had been living on government subsidies at the time.(123RF)Following the husband’s orders, the wife had taken a ma
April 7, 2016
-
Awareness of animal rights grows in Korea
This is the first installment in a series of articles that look at South Korea’s pet culture and industry. –Ed.Stay-at-home mother Cho Young-ai has endured painful treatments to fight cancer for the past three years, but luckily two companion animals have given her a great deal of emotional support and strength to survive. “When I was ill and isolated in a rural area, I felt relieved to see my dogs wagging their tails as if everything was going to be just fine,” the 51-year-old told The Korea He
April 6, 2016