The Ministry of Health and Welfare on Thursday advised infants and minors to avoid mobile phone use due to health risks.It recommended that they use Bluetooth, hands-free or other non-contact devices if use was necessary to minimize exposure to possibly harmful radio waves.A couple of weeks ago, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, an affiliate of the World Health Organization, classif

Officials employed as law firm advisors after retiring from mid- and high-level government posts will be forced to disclose their advice fees, the Justice Ministry announced Thursday.The move is part of efforts to stamp out inappropriate financial and political privileges enjoyed by former public servants. Under revised regulations announced by the Ministry of Justice, former officials will also h

As students vowed to stage a candlelight protest on Friday calling for tuition cuts, the main opposition Democratic Party on Thursday announced its three-stage plan toward that goal.“We will first restore the scholarship system for the low-income bracket, which the ruling party ruled out last year through budget reduction,” said Rep. Park Young-sun, the party’s policy chairperson.“The next steps w

Lawmakers increasingly oppose plan to shut Central Investigation DepartmentA parliamentary committee’s move to abolish the prosecution’s core investigation unit faced an obstacle as the majority of ruling party lawmakers opposed the plan, after Cheong Wa Dae urged the party to consider the matter prudently.The Grand National Party held a general meeting on Thursday to discuss whether to close down

Concerns are mounting over the safety of the four-river refurbishment sites as well as the burial pits for slaughtered animals as the country enters into its rainy season Friday. Whether the government-led projects, both blamed for being ineffectual and reckless, cansustain the large amount of hheavyrainfall is drawing attention. According to the Korea Water Resources Corporation, an agency in cha

Korean investigators on Thursday pinned down three possible causes for last year’s failed launch of Korea’s first space rocket, saying that there might have been problems with both the upper and lower parts of the two-stage rocket.The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology also said that the Seoul and Moscow governments would form a new 30-person civilian probe team within the month to iden

The government will provide 150 billion won ($138 million) in support of developing the hydrogen reduction steel-making method, the Ministry of Knowledge Economy revealed Thursday.The funds, which the ministry estimates will cover 54 percent of development costs, will be provided from 2012 if the studies under way now show the project to be feasible, the ministry said. In hydrogen reduction steel

Diageo Korea, the local unit of the U.K.-based drinks group, said it will hold the regional final of its international bartending competition in Seoul on June 21. Since January, about 200 Koreans have been vying for a ticket to the annual World Class 2011 slated for July 11-14 in New Delhi, India, the host said. The final will bring together 10 qualifiers from four heats. The local contestants wil

Korea Electric Power Corp. said on Thursday it plans to award a prize to two Seoul National University scholars for their achievement in the local energy industry. Kim Tai-yoo and Park Jong-keun became the first winners for the KEPCO Research Grand Prix, which the state-run utility launched this year to commemorate the 50th anniversary of its foundation. Kim was selected for “his outstanding resea

SK Telecom said Thursday it signed an agreement with Nautilus Hyosung Inc. to work together on the mobile carrier’s smart finance business project.The country’s leading mobile carrier said that it formed a partnership with Korea’ top automatic teller machine company to build smart branches.Smart branch is a mini branch service that uses SKT’s information and communication technology to offer vario