The Korea Herald

N. Korea opening up toward Western media for better ties

North KoreaJul 21, 2011

‘Chance of North’s News analysis communication with S. Korean media slim’North Korea’s recent gesture to open its doors wider to Western media indicates the reclusive state’s dilemma of wanting to escape international isolation while keeping its people marooned, analysts and officials here say. North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency recently signed agreements with the New York-based Ass
Power bloggers face tax probe

TechnologyJul 21, 2011

NTS faces legal roadblock to getting portals to offer info about bloggersThe National Tax Service said Thursday it has requested that the country’s major Internet portals provide the personal information of some 1,300 power bloggers on concerns they might be evading taxes. “Early this week, we have asked five to six blog operators including Naver, Daum and SK Communications to offer information ab
GNP, Cabinet agree to form joint body on public welfare

PoliticsJul 21, 2011

The government and the ruling Grand National Party will form a joint consultative body to decide on welfare and financial support in next year’s budget.GNP chairman Rep. Hong Joon-pyo, Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik and Presidential Chief of Staff Yim Tae-hee reached the agreement at a large-scale government-ruling party conference at the National Assembly on Thursday, the party spokesperson said.“T
Hong’s privatization pitch stirs controversy

PoliticsJul 21, 2011

GNP leader proposes public offering of bailed out firms’ shares without premiumRecently elected Grand National Party leader Hong Joon-pyo has proposed privatizing government bailed-out companies through a public offering of discounted shares with no management premium, prompting further populist controversy.If the so-called “citizen shares” are sold to low-income earners, some 6 million people are
Lee names new vice ministers for agriculture, environment

PoliticsJul 21, 2011

President Lee Myung-bak named technocrats as the new vice ministers for agriculture and environment Thursday in a minor reshuffle that also affected three other vice ministerial posts.Lee also named actor-turned-former culture minister Yu In-chon as his special adviser.Lee Sang-kil, a senior agriculture ministry official, was tapped as the ministry’s first vice minister, while Yoon Jong-soo of the
Inter-Korean dialogue still needed ahead of nuclear talks: China

Foreign affairsJul 21, 2011

BALI (Yonhap News) ― The foreign ministers of South Korea and China reaffirmed their joint stance that improvement in inter-Korean relations is a prerequisite to moving toward reopening multinational talks on North Korea’s nuclear program, officials said Thursday. South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan (left) shakes hands with his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi ahead of their meeting on the
Coffee chains to drop disposable paper cups

Social affairsJul 21, 2011

Three major coffee chains, Hollys Coffee, Caffe bene and Angel-in-us Coffee, will serve their coffee only in mugs inside their coffee houses from Aug.1, the environment ministry said Thursday.Hollys Coffee will use only mugs in about 300 franchisee cafes nationwide, excluding expressway service areas or airports. Caffe bene will use mugs in its 314 shops in stages until 2012. It will test the wate
Card gives green shoppers cash rewards

Social affairsJul 21, 2011

Get a “Green Card” and receive rewards every time you buy eco-friendly products or use public transportation. The Ministry of Environment announced Thursday the launch of Green Card which allows environmentally minded customers to receive up to 200,000 won ($191) a year in cash rewards for green consumption and energy-saving activities. It was developed in cooperation with local payment service pr
NIS agents detained in China on spying charges

Foreign affairsJul 21, 2011

Two South Korean intelligence officials have been detained by Chinese authorities for 11 months for information-gathering activities related to North Korea, South Korean media reported Thursday. According to multiple news reports, citing unnamed diplomatic sources, two agents belonging to the National Intelligence Service were arrested by Chinese Ministry of State Security last August in Shenyang
‘World food supply faces tough future’

Foreign affairsJul 21, 2011

The world’s population will hit 7 billion people later this year, the U.N. estimates. With this, comes the challenge of feeding a population that has increased by 40 percent in just over 20 years.Just this week, the U.N. declared a famine in parts of Somalia with neighboring countries also affected by the worse drought to hit the horn of Africa in 60 years.To find ways to respond to the greater ne
Supermarkets struggle with drug supply

Social affairsJul 21, 2011

Wary of response from pharmacists, drug firms hesitant to distributeThe sale of over-the-counter drugs in stores without pharmacies, first permitted on Wednesday afternoon, got off to a rocky start. “I wasn’t informed of any drugs to be stored today,” said a part-time worker of a Family Mart, the nation’s largest convenience store franchise, in Gangnam, southern Seoul, on Thursday morning. The sto
Pastor helps N. Koreans grow food

North KoreaJul 21, 2011

Kim Seon-man is more than a pastor working to spread the gospel.He has also been working as an agricultural advisor to North Korea for more than a decade. It started in July 2000, when the North’s Geumgangsan Tourist Region, only recently opened to South Korean tourists, had the need for an agricultural expert to teach the locals how to grow vegetables to satisfy the palates of their Southern visi
Asia takes on the best in mixed martial arts

World NewsJul 21, 2011

MACAU (AFP) ― It has taken time and a few false starts but Asia, the spiritual and physical home of martial arts, now seems ready to take on the best in the world of modern mixed combat. Bae Myung-ho posing with the championship beltWhen Bae Myung-ho raised the Legend Fighting Championship welterweight title belt last Saturday night he showed it briefly to his fans and then the South Korean mixed
S. Koreans’ education fever infects Seoul’s ethnic Chinese schools

World NewsJul 21, 2011

As classes are about to end at Hanseong Chinese Primary School in downtown Seoul, parents line up outside to pick up their children. Most are Chinese parents but some are Korean mothers.English is by far the language that most Korean parents want their children to learn. But their focus is shifting, albeit slowly, to the Chinese language as China has emerged as the world’s second largest economy.“
SKT sets up new social enterprise in Seoul

IndustryJul 21, 2011

SK Telecom said Thursday it established a social enterprise called Happy ICT Foundation in southwestern Seoul, together with another social enterprise affiliated with the group.The new social enterprise will support the information technology infrastructure of other social enterprises that require assistance. Affordable IT service solutions and consulting services will be provided and shared with