The Korea Herald

Do we need so many public NETs?

Aug 15, 2011

As Gyeonggi Province cuts foreign teacher numbers ... A native English teacher at the National Institute for International Education in Seoul. (Yonhap News)The future of NETs in KoreaThere are currently about 30,000 native English teachers in South Korea, a majority of whom work at private scho
Readers’ voice

Aug 15, 2011

On teacher numbers ...Even if non-native speakers of English are relatively good at teaching conversational English, it’s very difficult to teach culture, slang, idioms, customs, etc. When I taught at a public middle school, the non-native conversation teacher taught mostly in Korean. The only diffe
One last chance

More sportsAug 15, 2011

London 2012: Veteran handball player continues to chase Olympic dreamSome dreams die hard, and for national handball player Yoon Kyung-shin that dream is winning an Olympic medal. It’s a dream that he has held for the past two decades. Yoon, 38, is undoubtedly one of South Korea’s best ever handball
Air of Seoul getting cleaner

Social affairsAug 15, 2011

Thanks to recent green initiatives, the air of Seoul and its adjacent areas have become cleaner than ever, the Ministry of Environment said Monday. According to authorities, the fine dust density of Seoul was 49 micrograms per cubic meter last year, passing the domestic air quality standard of 50 mi
83-year-old woman gets breast implants

HealthAug 15, 2011

83-year-old woman gets breast implantsAn 83-year-old American woman had a breast implant surgery last month to improve her appearance, the New York Times reported.Marie Kolstad, from California, has four children, 13 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.“Physically, I’m in a good health, and I j
S. Korea to deploy powerful anti-sub missile this month

DefenseAug 15, 2011

A Korean-made powerful anti-submarine missile is expected to be deployed on one of the Navy’s Aegis-equipped destroyers later this month in a move to bolster its maritime defense capabilities.Dubbed a “submarine killer,” the Hongsangeo missile with a range of 30 kilometers is regarded as one of Sout
Luxury brands sold more despite economic woes

IndustryAug 15, 2011

The demand for luxury goods is heating up among deep-pocketed Korean shoppers despite lingering global economic uncertainties, as shown in the sales data from global luxury brands. Sales of Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Hermes, Prada and Gucci in Korea jumped 17 percent to 78.4 billion won ($72.5 million)
'Women spend 5 hours gossiping per day'

Social affairsAug 15, 2011

The average woman spends around five hours gossiping every day, the Daily Mail reported, citing a study. (Yonhap News)Women natter for around 298 minutes every day -- the equivalent of more than one third of their waking hours, it said.The survey was commissioned to mark FirstCape Cafi Collection’s
Full text of President Lee Myung-bak's address

PoliticsAug 15, 2011

President Lee Myung-bak's address for on the 66th anniversary of liberation(Yonhap News)Fellow citizens, decorated patriots who fought for the nation’s independence, distinguished guests from home and abroad, our brethren in the North and seven million compatriots residing overseas,I join all Korean
Lee calls for ethical, responsible market economy

PoliticsAug 15, 2011

President Lee Myung-bak on Monday urged Japan to teach history as it was to the young generation, while championing “ecosystemic” development as Korea’s new path for growth that creates jobs, reduces income gaps and preserves the environment. President Lee Myung-bak (Yonhap News)“Japan has a respons
6 dead, 1 arrested in knife attack on British isle

World NewsAug 15, 2011

LONDON (AP) -- A man was arrested Sunday on suspicion of fatally stabbing six people, including two young children, on the British island of Jersey, police said.Neighbors said the mass killing, inside an apartment in the capital of St. Helier, involved members of the same family.The victims, all Jer
Strange planet is blacker than coal

ScienceAug 15, 2011

PARIS (AFP) -- A planet orbiting a distant star is darker than coal, reflecting less than one percent of the sunlight falling on it, according to a paper published on Thursday.The strange world, TrES-2b, is a gas giant the size of Jupiter, rather than a solid, rocky body like Earth or Mars, ast
Rapper could face charges tied to flash mob calls

Aug 15, 2011

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Los Angeles County prosecutors will decide this week whether to press charges against The Game, after a tweet from the rapper's account incited a telephone flash mob that overwhelmed the emergency phone system at a sheriff's station.Sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said Sunday
Court orders SK Communications to pay compensation for info leakage

Social affairsAug 15, 2011

A South Korean court ordered on Sunday the operator of the country's third most-visited Internet portal to pay out compensation to a user whose information was leaked during last month's massive hacking attack.Two popular Web sites operated by SK Communications Co. were hacked in late July, causing
Seoul mayor’s exit a twist in 2012 race

PoliticsAug 14, 2011

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon’s promise not to run for president to avoid political conflict over a controversial city plan is anticipated to bring about subtle changes in the political landscape ahead of next year’s elections, officials and analysts say.In an apparent attempt to end speculation he is push