The Korea Herald

Ex-British PM criticized for charging party guests

Jun 23, 2011

Tony Blair (MCT)Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair is being criticized for charging £10 ($16) per student joining his son’s end-of-term party at his mansion, the Daily Mail reported.For safety and the privacy of their son, Blair banned parents from driving into their estate, the report said.As an alternative, they reserved coaches to escort the party goers from the school to Buckinghamshire,
China puts ‘Arirang’ on Chinese heritage list

Foreign affairsJun 23, 2011

"Arirang' is played at the music concert in Yeonpyeong Island. (Yonhap News)The Chinese government is claiming to have developed some of Korea’s cultural heritage.Often causing discord by claiming to be the originators of foreign culture, China this time listed Korean folk song “Arirang” in the third list of their National Intangible Cultural Assets.“Arirang” is a Korean folk song sung by Koreans
World’s millionaires rose by 8.3% last year, Merrill Lynch says

Jun 23, 2011

Global millionaires’ ranks rose by 8.3 percent last year as the Asia-Pacific region overtook Europe for the first time, according to a report by Capgemini SA and Merrill Lynch Global Wealth Management. The number of individuals with at least $1 million of investable assets increased to 10.9 million after markets rebounded following the financial crisis, according to the 15th annual World Wealth Re
Pororo on North Korea sanction list

PeopleJun 23, 2011

A popular children’s cartoon jointly produced by the two Koreas is to be banned by the U.S. government.The iconic penguin Pororo will be banned as the North Korea-based animation company Samchunlee participated in the project.The U.S. government announced on Monday that not only would goods made in the North be banned for import, but also other products involving North Korean input.Pororo, a show
Thousands of yoga lovers take on Times Square

HealthJun 23, 2011

Yoga enthusiasts practice yoga during the "Solstice in Times Square" event at Times Square in New York, the United States, June 21, 2011. (Xinhua-Yonhap News)Thousands of yoga enthusiasts filled part of New York’s Times Square to participate in a massive yoga exercise called “Mind over Madness,” U.K. newspaper the Daily Mail reported. The event was held on the solstice, which marks the longest day
Magnitude-6.7 quake hits Japan

World NewsJun 23, 2011

In this Saturday, March 19, 2011 file picture, evacuees from Futaba, a town near the tsunami-crippled Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant in Fukushima Prefecture, arrive at their new evacuation shelter at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, near Tokyo. (AP-Yonhap News)NEW YORK (AP) – A magnitude-6.7 earthquake rattled northeast Japan on Thursday morning, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.It was the
S. Korea gets int'l support to build 2nd research base in Antarctic

ScienceJun 22, 2011

A plan to build South Korea's second research station in the Antarctic has gained approval from the international community, paving the way for its construction in 2014, the foreign ministry here said Wednesday.The support came at a meeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina, among member nations of the Antarctic Treaty System, the ministry said in a statement. Of the 33 member states, 16 nations, includi
PyeongChang to hold Olympic bid presentation in Togo

SportsJun 22, 2011

PyeongChang, a South Korean candidate for the 2018 Winter Olympics, will hold a bid presentation before International Olympic Committee (IOC) officials next week in Togo, its bidding committee said Wednesday.The committee said PyeongChang's two rivals, Munich in Germany and Annecy in France, will also present at the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) General Assembly next
N. Korea pushing to sign double taxation avoidance deal with China

North KoreaJun 22, 2011

North Korea is pressing to ink a deal with China to prevent double taxation, a pro-Pyongyang newspaper said Wednesday, signaling an apparent bid to attract investment from its key ally and the world's No. 2 economy.The isolated country has already signed similar accords with Egypt and 11 other countries and negotiations are under way with other countries, the Chosun Sinbo reported, citing a North
Officials lie low under corruption watch

PoliticsJun 22, 2011

Public servants refrain from drinking, dining out, golfingThese days, the staff cafeteria of the Financial Supervisory Service is jam-packed with its employees.They are reluctant to eat out for fear they could also be accused of corruption, as officialdom sees a spate of scandals.“More and more of us opt to eat at the cafeteria on the 20th floor rather than going outside. Since corruption allegati
Brazil identifies uncontacted tribe

World NewsJun 22, 2011

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) ― The Brazilian government confirmed this week the existence of an uncontacted tribe in a southwestern area of the Amazon rain forest.Three large clearings in the area had been identified by satellite, but the population’s existence was only verified after airplane expeditions in April gathered more data, the National Indian Foundation said in a news release Monday.The governme
Seoul to crack down on international cartels: FTC chief

Jun 22, 2011

Watchdog’s move comes as price-fixing, collusive wrongdoings on increaseThe Fair Trade Commission will step up efforts to crack down on international cartels, promising stern punishment for those engaged in unfair trade practices or abusing their market dominance, commission chief Kim Dong-soo said Wednesday. “A typical example of foul play in the market economy is cartels, the No. 1 enemy of the
Seoul launches annual global student forum

Social affairsJun 22, 2011

The fourth Seoul International Student Forum will kick off on Friday, with 84 members from 32 different countries attending, the Seoul Global Center, a city-run support center for foreign residents, said Wednesday. The program, launched in 2008, is aimed at reflecting the ideas and proposals of international students studying in Seoul to better serve foreign residents and visitors here. After hold
Heavy rain expected throughout this week

Social affairsJun 22, 2011

The rainy season officially started Wednesday, with up to 150 milliliters of rainfall expected to hit the central part of the peninsula through Thursday. The state weather agency forecast that the country would be under the rainy spell until the end of July, with up to 20 percent more precipitation than previous years. Over the weekend, typhoon Meari, which is heading north from the Philippines, i
Critics say public officials’ conduct code is unrealistic

Social affairsJun 22, 2011

Attention is being drawn to the code of conduct for civil servants as a recent string of corruption cases involving public officials has upset the public, seriously tarnishimg the government’s vision of a “fair society.”Critics argue that while the intention of the code that prohibits officials from receiving expensive meals and other pricy entertainment services from people they meet on official