Articles by Kim Da-sol
Kim Da-sol
ddd@heraldcorp.com-
Drug components in Busan wastewater rise in summer: study
Traces of narcotics found in wastewater in Busan, a coastal city with several beaches that are very popular among South Koreans, show a notable increase during the peak summer vacation season, according to a study released Friday. Pictured above is Haeundae Beach, the most famous beach in a southeastern coastal city of Busan, South Gyeongsang Province. (Yonhap)According to a team led by Oh Jeong-eun, a professor of environmental engineering at Pusan National University, at least seven kinds of
Social Affairs Aug. 4, 2017
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Nudist club’s online membership rises after crackdown
The number of people who have joined or applied to join the online cafe of a controversial nudist club in North Chungcheong Province has increased after a battle with local residents increased awareness of it. Screen capture of the official homepage of the resort used for the gatherings of a private naturists’ club in Jecheon, North Chungcheong Province.A local media reported Thursday that at least 66 people joined the online cafe for the naturists’ club this week, with 12 more waiting to be acc
Social Affairs Aug. 3, 2017
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Jeju braces for typhoon Noru
A powerful typhoon moving up from the waters south of Jeju Island, is expected to bring heavy rains and strong winds to southern parts of South Korea over the weekend, Korea’s weather agency said Thursday. (Yonhap)Typhoon Noru, packing gusts of up to 176 kilometers per hour, is not projected to make landfall on the peninsula, instead heading east to Japan. As of Thursday, the typhoon was moving toward Seogwipo on Jeju Island from 730 kilometers east of Japan’s Okinawa Island, the Korea Meteorol
Social Affairs Aug. 3, 2017
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Seoul City to provide free nutritional supplements to elderly, homeless
Seoul City announced Thursday that it will provide free nutritional supplements to some 1,000 elderly, underprivileged and homeless people every month. The city decided to expand the program in partnership with social enterprise Vitamin Angels, after a two-month pilot that ended in July. Starting this month and for over the next two years, nutritional supplements worth 100 million won ($88,700) will be given to residents living in shanty towns in old districts such as Dongja-dong in Yongsan-gu a
Social Affairs Aug. 3, 2017
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Controversial nudist resort faces crackdown
A nudist facility on private property in a rural village in Jecheon, North Chungcheong Province, faces a crackdown after villagers staged a protest calling for its permanent closure, sparking public controversy in South Korea’s traditionally conservative society. On the main road leading to a nudist resort in Jecheon, North Chungcheong Province, graffiti written by villagers reads “Go away you nudists.” (Yonhap)Public nudity is illegal here, but naturists are free to gather in their birthday su
Social Affairs Aug. 2, 2017
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Seoul City to inject W80b to reduce emissions from aged diesel cars
The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Wednesday its plan to inject a total of 80 billion won ($70 million) by the year-end to reduce the number of old diesel cars to fight air pollution in the metropolitan area.The city government’s plan is in line with the government’s effort to reduce the emissions from diesel engine cars, blamed as a major source of fine dust. (Yonhap)With the money, the city will subsidize the early scrapping of old diesel cars, installation of exhaust reduction device
Social Affairs Aug. 2, 2017
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Seoul City to probe alleged oil spill at ex-US base
Seoul City said Tuesday that it will begin analyzing soil and groundwater in areas near the US military base in central Seoul over alleged oil leaks, following the kickoff of the US 8th Army’s relocation. The investigation is set to begin this month in a joint effort with Rep. Song Ok-joo of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea. It will focus on determining whether soil and groundwater have been polluted, the city said. Samples for analysis will be extracted from six of nine sites around the mil
Social Affairs Aug. 1, 2017
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Activists, authorities clash over KM-53 bear
The freedom of the Asian black bear tagged KM-53 is fueling discord between environmental activists and the government over the bear restoration project.An Asian black bear is captured earlier this month at Sudosan in Gimcheon, North Gyeongsang Province. (The Species Restoration Technology Institute)The bear in question was released into the mountainous Jirisan for species restoration, but was found 80 kilometers away, raising concerns of both human safety and habitat protection.In 2004, the Min
Social Affairs July 30, 2017
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Seoul to financially support dating abuse victims
The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Wednesday that it will provide legal and financial support to victims of date crimes, in an effort to respond to the rising number of cases. “We are planning to provide financial support to 20 to 50 victims during the second half of this year, and will gradually increase the number of recipients from next year,” said Bae Hyun-sook, women policy division manager at the Seoul Metropolitan Government. Starting from the end of July, the city government wil
Social Affairs July 26, 2017
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Government to refurbish underused parks near four major rivers
The government will inspect and refurbish some 300 underused riverside parks and sports facilities built along the country’s four major rivers, turning some of them back into farmland. One of the underused riverside park built in 2008. (Yonhap) The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said Wednesday it would inspect 297 riverside parks created in 2008 under the four rivers development project, which was conceived and pushed by former President Lee Myung-bak. The 22 trillion won ($19.6
Social Affairs July 26, 2017
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Dance in the rain in Seoul’s rain festival this week
When was the last time that you got soaked in the rain without worrying about acid rain or toxic pollutants in the air? The Seoul Metropolitan Government will be holding a festival that allows the chance to play in the rain from Thursday to Saturday at Seoul Plaza. The event uses recycled and chlorinated rainwater. There will be a swimming pool with slides, as well as programs and activities including a water gun fight. A special booth will provide participants a chance to experience national di
Social Affairs July 25, 2017
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Ministry bans recreational use of ‘laughing gas’
The Ministry of Environment said Tuesday that it designated nitrous oxide, also known as “laughing gas” which is used to fill “happy balloons,” as a type of hallucinogen, banning its use for recreational purposes. (Instagram capture)Nitrous oxide has been used as a party drug by some young partygoers, or at clubs, as it gives a feeling of euphoria and relaxation.Under a new rule approved at a Cabinet meeting Tuesday, the sale, inhalation or abuse of nitrous oxide as a party drug is punishable by
Social Affairs July 25, 2017
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Fine dust falls 15% after coal plant closures: ministry
Airborne fine dust particles decreased by 15.4 percent in June after the government halted the operation of aged coal-burning power plants in South Chungcheong Province, the Environment Ministry said Tuesday. Kim Beob-jeong, chief of the air quality policy division at the Environment Ministry speaks during a press briefing in Sejong on Tuesday. (Yonhap)As part of the Moon Jae-in administration’s efforts to tackle the nation’s worsening air pollution, the government has shut down eight plants age
Social Affairs July 25, 2017
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Korea pushes to revise missile guidelines to load up to 1 ton of warheads
The South Korean government is pushing to revise the missile guidelines developed with the United States to double the maximum weight of warheads on Seoul's ballistic missiles from the current 500 kilograms to counter growing threats from the North, sources said Monday.The Seoul government proposed the revision in line with the Seoul-Washington summit last month, and is known to be planning to begin talks regarding the issue during the annual Security Consultative Meeting and the Korea-US Integr
Defense July 24, 2017
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Philippines' Duterte vows unrelenting drug war
MANILA (AFP) -- Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte vowed Monday to press on with his drug war that has claimed thousands of lives, as he urged lawmakers to endorse "eye-for-an-eye" death penalties.Duterte devoted large chunks of his annual State of the Nation Address to pushing his law-and-order policies that have made him hugely popular with many Filipinos but have been condemned by human rights groups and other critics."No matter how long it takes, the fight against illegal drugs will contin
World News July 24, 2017
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