The Korea Herald

Naver top ad platform in Korea

IndustryMay 30, 2011

NHN Corp., Korea’s portal giant operating Naver and Hangame, proved itself a formidable advertising platform as its stake in the lucrative market reached 14 percent last year, a report showed Monday.According to the report by Digieco, a think tank affiliated with KT Corp., NHN’s ads sales topped 1.1 trillion won ($1.02 billion) last year, outstripping traditional leaders like newspapers and broadc
U.S. Army sprayed defoliant over DMZ in 1955: ex-soldier

Social affairsMay 30, 2011

Military forms joint team to investigate Camp Mercer siteA former South Korean soldier testified for the first time Monday that from its aircraft, the U.S. military sprayed a defoliant over the Demilitarized Zone in 1955 ― more than a decade earlier than news media recently reported.News reports have said that the U.S. military had sprayed Agent Orange south of the buffer zone dividing the two Kor
Floor leaders gear up for June session

PoliticsMay 30, 2011

The floor leaders of the ruling Grand National Party and the main opposition Democratic Party met to discuss contentious issues prior to the National Assembly’s June session starting Wednesday.Rep. Hwang Woo-yea, floor leader and acting party leader of the GNP, and Kim Jin-pyo of the DP on Monday sought agreement over pending problems, including the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement bill and a parli
P.M. calls for tight defense of West Sea islands

PoliticsMay 30, 2011

South Korea must maintain full alert at all times for any provocations by North Korea against its western border islands, Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik said Monday, while visiting the isolated regions that have been the target of North Korean attacks. South Korea’s Yeonpyeong Island, one of the five islands located near the western maritime border with the North, became the target of Pyongyang’s de
Ethics panel votes to ax lawmaker for sexual remarks

PoliticsMay 30, 2011

The parliamentary ethics committee has voted to expel Rep. Kang Yong-seok, a rookie lawmaker who was embroiled in a sexual harassment scandal after making controversial remarks last year about anchorwomen and women in general.Should the committee’s decision pass the regular session next month, Kang would become the first lawmaker ever dismissed for ethical reasons.The advisory body of the committe
Lee may change presidential aides in June

PoliticsMay 30, 2011

Chief of staff Yim will likely stay to prepare for inter-Korean summit: observersPresident Lee Myung-bak is expected to replace some of his secretaries in early June as new minister nominees take office and oust several top aides if necessary after the Grand National Party’s national convention on July 4.The National Assembly wrapped up confirmation hearings for the five new minister nominees last
President lauds Navy commandos for rescuing freighter from pirates

Social affairsMay 30, 2011

President Lee Myung-bak praised a contingent of Navy commandos as “heroes” of South Korea on Monday, lauding their daring raid in January to free a seized freighter from Somali pirates.The Cheonghae unit of naval commandos returned home Friday after completing a six-month anti-piracy mission in waters near Somalia that included a successful Jan. 21 operation to rescue the 21-member crew of the Sou
Two Marine Corps generals face arrest over false accusations

DefenseMay 30, 2011

Military prosecutors sought warrants on Friday to arrest two Marine Corps major generals on charges of making false accusations about their top commander, defense ministry officials said. The two major generals, identified only by their initials P and H, have been under an investigation since early this month for allegedly spreading false rumors about the Marine commander, Lt. Gen. Yoo Nak-joon. A
Soldiers under probe for posting pro-Pyongyang messages on Web

DefenseMay 30, 2011

South Korean military intelligence officials are investigating seven officers and soldiers for posting pro-Pyongyang messages on an online community that praises North Korea, military officials said Monday.About 70 military personnel were registered as members of the online community, called the “Cyber Command for Defense of Fellow Countrymen,” and seven of them posted pro-North Korea messages the
More than 110,000 Koreans suffer from defoliant ills

Social affairsMay 30, 2011

More than 110,000 Koreans have been suffering from the aftereffects of exposure to toxic defoliants, the Ministry of Veterans and Patriots Affairs said Sunday. The latest data, collected in March, has fanned public concern amid recent allegations that the U.S. Army buried a large amount of Agent Orange in one of its camps in southeastern Korea three decades ago. City officials take samples of und
Baby boomers face more time alone

Social affairsMay 30, 2011

Baby boomers are living without their children at home for significantly longer than their parents did, according to a state-run women’s research institute.The longer so-called empty nest period where husbands and wives live alone after their children leave home creates a financial burden for children who care for their parents. The Korean Women’s Development Institute said the average period that
Education key to familiarizing U.S. with Korea

CultureMay 30, 2011

King Sejong Institute, taekwondo classes in schools and LAPD Korean culture workshops well-received in L.A.LOS ANGELES ― “Maewoyo? (Is it spicy?) Anmaewoyo! (No, it is not spicy)” chanted around 80 students in King Sejong Institute Los Angeles’ Basic A Class this month, voices loud and clear. When they got the hang of the phrases, they were assigned to do a little dialogue at a Korean restaurant w
Economy to grow 4.3% this year: poll

IndustryMay 30, 2011

Korea’s economy will likely grow 4.3 percent this year, falling short of a 5 percent expansion forecast earlier by the government due to external uncertainties, a poll showed Monday.According to the survey of 32 experts by the Federation of Korean Industries, the economy will likely expand 4.4 percent in the second half of this year, with 38 percent of those surveyed citing global economic uncerta
Jobs at listed firms hit new high in 2010

IndustryMay 30, 2011

The number of jobs offered by South Korea’s listed companies soared to a record high last year as companies increased employment on the back of their strong earnings, data showed Monday.A total of 1.09 million people were hired by the 719 companies listed on the Seoul main stock index in 2010, up 10.8 percent from the previous year, according to the data by the Korea Listed Companies Association.
S-Oil to buy into poly-silicon producer

IndustryMay 30, 2011

S-Oil Corp., the country’s third largest refiner, announced Monday that it will acquire a third of Hankook Silicon Co.’s stakes as part of its drive to expand into the renewable energy business.S-Oil said that the deal, which will see the refiner gain 33.4 percent of Hankook Silicon for 265 billion won ($245 million), will be finalized next month.The company said the decision to buy into the compa