The Korea Herald

World’s biggest emerald shines in Colombia

FashionJun 21, 2011

A 15,000-carats raw emerald which weights five pounds, is shown at the 'Minergemas 2011', an international mining and precious stones and metals in Bogota, Colombia, Friday, June 17, 2011. The emerald was found 12 years ago in Muzo, 75 kilometers north of Bogota, and is shown for the first time in Colombia, one of the world's largest emerald producers. (AP-Yonhap News)A massive uncut emerald on ex
44 dead in Russia plane crash: official

World NewsJun 21, 2011

MOSCOW, June 21, 2011 (AFP) - Forty-four people were killed and eight badly injured when a plane crashed onto a highway and burst into flames in northern Russia, narrowly missing an inhabited area, officials said Tuesday.The RussAir Tu-134 tried to stage an apparent emergency landing in poor weather conditions just before midnight on a motorway two kilometres (1.25miles) from its destination of Pe
Lee unveils plan to establish ‘Green Technology Center’

Social affairsJun 20, 2011

President Lee Myung-bak said Monday that South Korea will establish an international research center charged with developing environment-friendly “green” technologies in cooperation with leading research institutes from home and abroad.The establishment of the “Green Technology Center” is the latest in a series of projects that South Korea has pushed forward under Lee’s “green growth” campaign. La
Europe delays decision on Greek loans

World NewsJun 20, 2011

LUXEMBOURG (AP) -- Hours of talks between eurozone finance ministers on the imploding finances of Greece broke up early Monday morning without the ministers signing off on a vital installment of rescue loans needed to avoid bankruptcy next month.Greece will get the next 12 billion euros of its existing 110 billion euros bailout package in early July, but only if it manages to pass 28 billion euros
Heat wave to grip nation

Social affairsJun 20, 2011

The Korea Meteorological Administration issued a heat wave alert for Seoul and adjacent areas at noon Monday, advising people to refrain from going outdoors.The unusually early hot weather will subside no later than Wednesday when the country enters rainy season, or jangma. According to the weather agency, the mercury in Seoul as well as Suwon, Gyeonggi Province and Chuncheon, Gangwon Province ros
Cabinet, panel agree on more police freedom

PoliticsJun 20, 2011

Plan to keep prosecution’s control of police, allow police right to open criminal probesThe special parliamentary committee on judicial reform passed on Monday the revision bill of the criminal action law to allow the police to hold independent authority over investigations, largely upholding the Cabinet’s earlier decision.The bill will be handed over to the legislation and judiciary committee and
Court rules in favor of Hewlett-Packard domain rights

Social affairsJun 20, 2011

Korea’s Supreme Court ruled Monday that a U.S. decision to transfer the domain name “hpweb.com,” registered by a Korean national, to Hewlett-Packard Co. was appropriate. “The domain name ‘hpweb.com’ is confusingly similar to the HP mark. The plaintiff’s registering and perusal of the domain name amounts to cybersquatting under the U.S. federal law,” Judge Kim Ji-hyung said. A Korean surnamed Kim r
Seoul to discuss assets at N.K. resort this week

North KoreaJun 20, 2011

South Korea is likely to discuss with companies this week how to deal with North Korea’s request that Seoul promptly deal with the issue of disposing its assets in the North’s scenic mountain resort. The two Koreas had launched a joint tour project at the North’s Mount Geumgang in 1998 as a symbol of reconciliation. The tours, which had been one of impoverished Pyongyang’s main sources of income,
Call center opened for foreign wives

Social affairsJun 20, 2011

POSCO Chairman Chung Joon-yang (fourth from left), Rep. Kim Hye-seong (fifth from left) and Paik Hee-young (sixth from left), minister of gender equality and family affairs, applaud at the opening ceremony of Danuri Call Center on Monday in Seoul. (Yonhap News)A call center was opened Monday to help foreign wives adjust to life in Korea. According to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family Affa
Minister to visit New York on N.K., Ban

Foreign affairsJun 20, 2011

South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan will make a congratulatory speech on the reelection of Ban Ki-moon as the U.N. secretary-general in New York on Tuesday, after which he will hold talks with U.S. officials over North Korea’s nuclear standoff, the Seoul government said. Kim left for New York on Monday, four days ahead of his scheduled meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton,
Defense chiefs of S. Korea and Sweden to hold talks

DefenseJun 20, 2011

Defense chiefs of South Korea and Sweden will hold talks in Seoul on Tuesday to discuss ways to enhance bilateral military exchanges and cooperation in the defense industry, officials at the Ministry of National Defense said Monday.Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin and his Swedish counterpart Sten Tolgfors will also exchange views on issues concerning regional security and peace, officials said. Durin
GNP to kick off 2-week leadership race

PoliticsJun 20, 2011

Seven candidates have been confirmed for the Grand National Party leadership election on July 4 ― Reps. Park Jin, Nam Kyung-pil, Na Kyung-won, Yoo Seung-min, Hong Joon-pyo, Won Hee-ryeong and Kwon Young-se.The lineup of hopefuls to be party chair is dominated by relatively young lawmakers.Most are in their late 40s or early 50s. Even if 57-year-old Hong wins the vote, he may be considered a “young
Ministry makes sex offender’s identity public

Social affairsJun 20, 2011

The personal information of a sex offender has been made available to his neighbors for public safety, the Ministry of Justice said Monday. This is the first time public notification of this kind has been implemented in Korea after a relevant law came into effect on April 6. According to the ministry, the offender, identified as a 37-year-old man living in an adjacent area of Seoul, was sentenced
[Herald Interview] Seoul shares bus network secrets with world cities

Social affairsJun 20, 2011

Seoul’s eco-friendly bus policy is good inspiration for green efforts by major cities throughout the world, a ranking official of the city government said.“Central governments talk a lot about climate change. But we in the cities are acting,” said Jeong Yon-chan, Seoul City’s assistant mayor of environmental protection headquarters, who attended the C40 Large Cities Climate Summit held in Sao Paul
‘No need for tactical nukes on peninsula’

DefenseJun 20, 2011

USFK commander says timing of Seoul’s defense reform efforts is ‘right’U.S. Forces Korea commander Gen. Walter Sharp said Monday that tactical nuclear weapons do not need to be redeployed here, underscoring the U.S. security commitment to South Korea.With the North continuing to launch military provocations, some here have raised the need to station U.S. nuclear weapons here, all of which were wit