SPEECH CONTEST -- The United Nations Project Office on Governance held its first speech contest -- "Let's Talk about SDGs" -- in Songdo, Incheon, on Friday, co-hosted with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and Incheon Metropolitan City. A total 68 teams of university and high school students applied for the contest to share their insight on the UN-backed Sustainable Development Goals, a set of 17 goals covering global issues to be achieved by 2030. Byun Jung-yoon from Pusan National Univer

Social Affairs Sept. 15, 2017

South Korean business operators of the now-shuttered joint industrial complex in North Korea’s border city of Kaesong are stuck in a limbo.Amid North Korea’s escalating military provocations and ensuing tougher international sanctions, hopes for a resumption of business have been dashed. However, the South Korean government is late in processing compensation for the business owners, in spite of the urgency that envelopes these firms.  Kaesong Industrial Complex, closed for nearly 18 months, is s

North Korea Sept. 14, 2017

The Korean government is looking into recent reports that its citizens were sighted among more than 1,000 wives and children of suspected Islamic State group fighters detained in Iraq.“We are currently working with the Iraqi government, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and International Committee of the Red Cross through our embassy in Iraq to look further into the matter,” the Foreign Ministry here said Tuesday.  A woman and a small child lie on the floor of a tent in a camp for di

Foreign Affairs Sept. 12, 2017

To celebrate the arrival of autumn, the Seoul Metropolitan Government launched a special map on Monday showing Seoul’s top 20 scenic spots to visit in fall.  (Seoul Metropolitan Government)The map points out 20 different venues encompassing the capital’s history for tourists and locals who are in the mood for some autumn adventure.“Re-creation of the old” is a theme that is shared among the sites and truly speaks out to those who desire to experience an intersection of old and new Seoul. The map

Social Affairs Sept. 11, 2017

South Korean authorities are closely watching for any military provocations from North Korea as the anniversary of the regime’s foundation approaches, the Unification Ministry said Thursday.  (Yonhap)“We are closely monitoring for any additional signs of provocations from North Korea (around Saturday),” a Unification Ministry official told The Korea Herald. Last year, Pyongyang launched missiles days before the Sept. 9 foundation day and conducted its fifth nuclear test on the day. The North con

North Korea Sept. 7, 2017

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un must be eliminated if North Korea’s threat to global security is to be resolved, an expert here said Wednesday. “Half of the reason behind the current crisis is because of Kim Jong-un’s explosive temper,” said Nam Sung-wook, a professor at Korea University’s department of unification and diplomacy and ex-South Korean spy agency official, during a Liberty Korea Party security meeting Wednesday.  Kim Jong-un (Yonhap)“The problem will not be resolved unless Kim Jong-

North Korea Sept. 6, 2017

South Korea will discuss with the United States deploying the “most powerful US tactical weapons” here, in response to North Korea’s sixth test of nuclear weapons, its chief security officer said Sunday. Chung Eui-yong, President Moon Jae-in’s top security adviser, also said the country would push for the “strongest sanctions” against the defiant regime led by dictator Kim Jong-un in order to “completely” isolate it. “President Moon Jae-in said the country would not allow North Korea to continue

Defense Sept. 3, 2017

A law promoting the protection and advancement of human rights for North Korean citizens and defectors came into force a year ago in South Korea, but it has not been implemented due to an apparent lack of political commitment. The North Korean Human Rights Act, which was passed by South Korea’s National Assembly in March 2016, calls for the establishment of a relevant foundation within the Unification Ministry, but the government here has been reportedly struggling with the task of appointing it

North Korea Sept. 3, 2017

North Korea’s latest nuclear test Sunday, which is presumed to be the most powerful of all conducted by the communist regime so far, sent tremors to South Korea, about 500 kilometers away from the explosion. The test was conducted at the North’s nuclear test site of Punggye-ri, some 460 kilometers from the South’s capital Seoul, at around 12:30 p.m., the South Korean Meteorological Administration said. It caused an artificial earthquake of magnitude 5.7. The US Geological Survey put the level of

North Korea Sept. 3, 2017

South Korea’s Unification Ministry said Thursday it will launch a research project that aims to overhaul and upgrade the operational guidelines of the now-suspended Kaesong Industrial Complex. “It is necessary to draw an expansive management plan of the Kaesong industrial complex by improving its operational guidelines, to prepare for a progress in the inter-Korean relationship,” a Unification Ministry official said Thursday. North Korean workers at Kaesong Industrial Complex. (Yonhap)The joint

North Korea Aug. 31, 2017

The US may launch a preventive strike against North Korea if Pyongyang succeeds in fielding an intercontinental ballistic missile, which would demand a choice between homeland defense and regional security, an expert said Wednesday. (Yonhap)North Korea carried out two ICBM tests this month alone, triggering speculation the communist state is nearing a full-blown nuclear weapons state. On Tuesday, it fired a Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, wh

North Korea Aug. 30, 2017

More than 3.7 million North Koreans now use mobile phones, a recent Korea Trade Investment Promotion Agency report shows. According to the report, North Korea’s cellphone users topped 3.7 million as of March, which amounts to 15 percent of the entire North Korean population.  People in Pyongyang use mobile phones (Yonhap)While Pyongyang’s mobile penetration rate comes to about 70 percent, figures in rural areas are less than 10 percent, the report said, indicating a wide financial gap among the

North Korea Aug. 29, 2017

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s wife Ri Sol-ju gave birth to a third child in February, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service said during a parliamentary intelligence briefing Tuesday. This photo, released by the North`s Korean Central Television on March 3, 2017, shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his wife Ri Sol-ju meeting students of the Red Flag Mangyongdae Revolutionary School in Pyongyang. (Yonhap)The gender and name of the baby are yet to be confirmed, added Seoul’s spy age

North Korea Aug. 29, 2017

Gyeonggi Province plans to give cash subsidies to young people working for small- and medium- enterprises as early as this year, in a bid to tackle chronic labor shortages in the SME sector as well as soaring youth unemployment. The plan, consisting of three sub-packages, is to benefit a total of 130,000 residents between the ages of 18 to 34, who work more than 36 hours a week for SMEs headquartered in the province.  Gyeonggi Province Gov. Nam Kyung-pil“The new policy will support the long-term

Social Affairs Aug. 28, 2017

As Korea edges towards the crisp, cool weather of fall, more city-dwellers seek the refuge of nature in urban forests. Although not as lush and large as national parks, they are ready to cater to those who crave fresh air and a break from their routine life. Here are the big three city forests in South Korea’s capital. Statues are seen at forests in Seoul.Seoul ForestSeoul Forest, near Ttukseom Station on Subway Line 2, is on a 595,000-square-meter plot of land that opened in 2005 and is made of

Social Affairs Aug. 25, 2017