At least eight people were killed and four were missing after torrential rains hit southern parts of South Korea over the weekend, emergency officials said Sunday. Since Friday, as much as 40 centimeters of rain has fallen in South Gyeongsang and Jeolla provinces, leaving tens of thousands of hectares of farmland submerged and nearly 90 homes flooded. On Sunday, two old women, aged 92 and 86, were

The government has taken the first steps of creating an exclusive agency to take oversee the nation’s policies on immigration and multiculturalism, officials said Sunday. The Ministry of Strategy and Finance gave public notice of a bid to analyze foreign immigration agencies and study measures to attract a talented workforce from abroad. The ministry plans to streamline immigration policy over the

Defense minister orders full-scale inspection of all military unitsAlthough his son will not join the military for another 10 years, Moon Young-sook is already apprehensive that his boy could suffer the “appalling” human rights abuses said to be widespread there.“I feel more worried than before as it is said that such abuses are still taking place in many units, not in just a few. When we heard of

Prosecutors are investigating 11 people on charges of establishing an anti-state organization under a directive from North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party, officials said Sunday.Among them was a member of the Korea Higher Education Research Institute, which spearheaded a nationwide campaign to halve college tuitions, triggering criticism that the probe aims to stifle voices against a government poli

The number of South Korean nationals who left their home country for the purpose of permanent residence in foreign nations dropped to a record low last year, as the nation’s economy continues to improve, a report showed Sunday. A total of 899 people left South Korea to emigrate in 2010, down 22 percent from the previous year, according to the report by the Foreign Ministry. It marked the first tim

A Korean volunteering group was caught allegedly selling fake prizes in the name of U.S. President Barack Obama.Twenty-nine people including lawyers, businessmen and students were swindled, according to Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Friday.The police’s international division booked the 52-year-old leader surnamed Park and six others on charges of fraud.Park told police that he planned the fraud

The capital is hoping to ride the wave of PyeongChang’s successful 2018 Winter Olympics bid to attract more foreign tourists, officials said Sunday.The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to expand its sale of tourist packages to the U.S. and Middle East on top of the current eight Asian countries including China, Taiwan and Malaysia.The Seoul City tourism packages are made by domestic tour compan

Bribery, sex crimes and drunk driving made up the lion’s share of offenses for teachers receiving stiff disciplinary action, according to the education ministry on Sunday.The results are from a report by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, which studied all 2,649 heavy penalty cases between 2007 and June 30 of last year. Heavy penalties include expulsion, dismissal and suspension. A

In an effort to combat the growing globalization of the illegal narcotics trade, the Supreme Prosecutors Office announced on Sunday its plans to strengthen joint investigations and construct an information system.Prosecutors will increase its efforts to stop foreign drugs from entering the country by beefing up monitoring at airports and harbors, while also conducting joint investigations with all

LG Electronics’ Cinema 3-D TV was certified as full HD in 3-D mode by VDE, one of Europe’s largest technical and scientific international associations, the Seoul-based company said on Sunday. “This latest certification proves beyond all doubt that LG’s Cinema 3-D TVs, which already provide the most comfortable 3-D viewing experience, deliver 3-D in full HD,” said Havis Kwon, President and CEO of L