The Korea Herald

Acquittals quadruple under liberal chief justice

Social affairsAug 21, 2011

The rate of acquittal, a source of conflict between the court and the prosecution, has quadrupled since Lee Yong-hoon took the bench as chief justice of the Supreme Court four years ago.The Supreme Prosecutor’s Office said Sunday that the annual acquittal rate at first trial was at 0.18 percent in 2
Korea introduces carbon tracking

Social affairsAug 21, 2011

Nation becomes third after U.S., Japan to run systemKorea has developed and put into operation its own system tracking how much carbon dioxide a country emits.With the greenhouse gas monitoring system up and running, Korea has become the third country after the United States and Japan to track how m
Children demand vote in education elections

Social affairsAug 21, 2011

A total of 72 school students from across the country gathered for a forum in Seoul last week and demanded the government grant students aged 13 and older voting rights in the election of educational superintendents. They also requested that relevant ministries standardize educational programs for e
S. Korea’s military on alert against hacking attempts: official

DefenseAug 21, 2011

South Korea’s military is on alert against hacking into its computer system, as a suspicious email is spreading among its personnel, an official said Friday.All military staff have been asked to take extra precautions when they open emails from a sender whose address is “navyojo@hanmail.net,” said t
Ballet becomes a dance to embrace life

Social affairsAug 21, 2011

Elegant piano tunes echo through a ballet studio in Gwacheon, a southern Seoul suburb, on a Sunday afternoon. Besides the pitter-patter of raindrops that occasionally beats through the classical piece, the air is still, the atmosphere almost solemn. Fourteen white ballet flats bend and flex as a gro
Politics on two wheels in Thailand’s capital

World NewsAug 21, 2011

BANGKOK (AFP) ― They zip through the traffic-choked streets of Bangkok, but the capital’s motorcycle taxis are more than just a means of transportation ― they are also a potent political force.Thailand’s motorbike taxi association president proudly displays a stylized portrait of his hero, fugitive
Happiness is: A life without money in rich Germany

World NewsAug 21, 2011

WILHELMSHAVEN, Germany (AFP) ― Sixty-nine-year-old German Heidemarie Schwermer never thought she could go so long without money, but what begun as a 12-month experiment became a unique lifestyle 15 years ago.With only a touch of makeup, a light pink cotton sweater and string of fake pearls, the eleg
Ssangyong E&C expands presence in Malaysia’s high-end housing

IndustryAug 21, 2011

Ssangyong Engineering and Construction Co., which has been focusing on luxury building projects in its overseas operations, is making headway in the growing market for luxury residential properties in Malaysia. Last week, the company announced that it won a $145 million contract to build two luxury
Hacking strikes Epson, Gabia

IndustryAug 21, 2011

Firms, government urged to step up efforts for better security oversightHackers have struck once again, this time at a local branch of a Japanese company to expose the personal information of up to 350,000 users amid rising concerns over hacking in the world’s most wired country. Epson Korea, the lo
Korea’s quality of life stagnant: report

Aug 21, 2011

The quality of life in Korea is one of the lowest among members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and G20 nations, a Korea Development Institute, report showed Sunday.According to the Ministry of Strategy and Finance, the KDI report on developing indexes for measurin
Hana’s KEB takeover set to shape up soon

Aug 21, 2011

Hana Financial Group Inc., South Korea’s No. 4 banking group, will be able to know whether it can buy Korea Exchange Bank as early as next month, when a Seoul court rules on a pending court case that has stalled the acquisition, sources said Sunday.Under a 4.41 trillion won ($4.07 billion) deal with
4 at Deutsche Bank indicted over stock manipulation

Aug 21, 2011

Four employees of Deutsche Bank AG and Deutsche Securities Korea have been indicted on charges of gaining unlawful profits by manipulating stock prices, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office said Sunday. Of the four, three work at Deutsche Bank’s Hong Kong branch including one executive.The
Gloomy outlook clouds Korea’s markets

Aug 21, 2011

With jittery investors struggling to glean any hint of reprieve from the deepening global financial woes, the outlook remains gloomy on international fronts, particularly Europe and the U.S., analysts said Sunday. “By now it is clear that a recession is imminent in the U.S. and Europe. A lot of inve
Gold prices in S. Korea continue to break record

Aug 21, 2011

Domestic gold prices set a fresh record high again on Saturday on increased demand for safer assets amid concerns over a slowdown in the U.S. economy and lingering debt problems in Europe, industry sources said.The retail price of 1 don (3.75 grams) of pure gold in the country stood at an all-time h
Household food spending grows fastest in 2nd quarter

Aug 21, 2011

South Korean household food expenditures grew at the fastest clip ever in the second quarter amid record-high spending on car fuel, stoked by runaway food and energy costs, data showed Sunday.Household spending on food and non-alcoholic beverages jumped 8.9 percent on-year to a monthly average of 32