The Korea Herald

Prosecution indicts Hanwha chairman for embezzlement

Social affairsJan 30, 2011

The prosecution on Sunday indicted Kim Seung-yeon, chairman of Hanwha Group, on suspicion of embezzlement and misappropriation that it said have caused large damage to the business conglomerate. The indictment wrapped up the prosecution's 137-day probe into allegations that Kim kept tens of billions of won in slush funds to evade taxes. Also on the list of the prosecutors' indictment are 10 Ha
Wounded captain of rescued S. Korean freighter arrives home

Social affairsJan 30, 2011

The seriously wounded captain of a South Korean freighter freed from Somali pirates was flown home from Oman Saturday for treatment, about a week after he survived shooting during a commando operation to rescue the vessel.The 58-year-pld captain was immediatey taken to Ajou Hospital in Suwon. (Yonhap News)A special ambulance jet carrying Seok Hae-kyun landed at a military airport, south of Seoul,
Looting engulfs Cairo, other Egyptian cities

InternationalJan 30, 2011

CAIRO (AP) _ Cairo residents boarded up homes and set up neighborhood watches of citizens armed with guns, clubs and knives Saturday as looting and violence engulfed the capital.Egyptian anti-government protesters stand atop an Egyptian army tank during a protest in Tahrir square in Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, Jan. 29, 2011. (Yonhap-AP)With the police having disappeared from the streets, the army expa
S. Korea claims third place with win over Uzbekistan

SoccerJan 29, 2011

South Korea claimed its back-to-back third place at the Asian Cup after edging past Uzbekistan 3-2 in Doha, Qatar, early Saturday, Korean time.At Al-Sadd Stadium, two young guns, 21-year-old Koo Ja-cheol and 19-year-old Ji Dong-won, scored all three South Korean goals in the first half.Koo gave South Korea a 1-0 lead with his Asian Cup-leading fifth goal in the 17th minute, striking it past Uzbek
Wounded captain of rescued S. Korean freighter heads home

Social affairsJan 29, 2011

The seriously wounded captain of a rescued South Korean freighter headed home from Oman aboard a special ambulance jet on Saturday, about a week after he survived shooting from Somali pirates in a commando operation to free the vessel.The 58-year-old Seok Hae-kyun was shot three times by pirates during the Jan. 21 operation in which South Korean commandos rescued the freighter Samho Jewelry. He wa
‘I am here to make a difference for those who have no voice’

PeopleJan 29, 2011

Hip-hop artist Emmanuel Jal, a former child solider, raps for peace in SudanHONG KONG ― Barely 10, he was conscripted to kill anyone he saw ― any man, woman or child. For many years he saw homes burn down, men being beaten to death, hundreds of rolling dead bodies being pecked by vultures and fought hard against unbearable hunger that reached a point where human flesh smelled like meat ― all too m
‘Somali pirates are the most sought after groom among Somali women’

PoliticsJan 28, 2011

Those who are considered elite in Somalia join a gang of pirates, and pirates are the most sought after groom among Somali women, according to a source in Seoul. As pirates get ransoms of $2million on average, according to a BBC report in 2008, the rewards which pirate gang members receive, can exceed the average annual income of a developed country, the source said. The Financial Times reported t
Foot-and-mouth risk looms for Asia, FAO says

WorldJan 28, 2011

The worst outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Asia for at least 50 years may get more severe as Lunar New Year holidays spark a surge in travel, threatening to spread the virus that has decimated South Korea’s livestock. The magnitude of the outbreak is “unlike anything that we’ve seen for at least half a century,” Juan Lubroth, chief veterinary officer at the United Nations’ Food and Agricultur
Samsung posts highest sales of 154 trillion won in 2010

IndustryJan 28, 2011

Samsung Electronics announced Friday that its total sales and operating profit for last year climbed to a record high, reaching more than 154 trillion won ($138.2 billion) and 17 trillion won, respectively, buoyed by increased sales of memory chips and mobiles.The country’s top electronics manufacturer said it posted 154.63 trillion won in total sales and 17.3 trillion won in operating profit, sur
Bindaetteok, beyond its Seollal roots

Food&BeverageJan 28, 2011

In the quiet of a weekday afternoon ― when the cold spins out a strange, solemn silence ― several patrons rush into a small restaurant called Yeolcha Jip. The chill enters with them, curling up and dissipating into the warm space. Huddling up on the narrow wooden benches, they barely glance at the menu on the wall as they order bindaetteok (Korean mung bean pancakes). Chef Yoon Hyun-soo gets up fr
So you want to be a filmmaker?

FilmJan 28, 2011

Bill Pryor is living proof that a career in film (as it used to be called) can flourish far away from the coasts.For almost 50 years, Pryor, 68, has specialized in “industrials,” promotional and training films made for corporate clients. The Texas native was studying journalism at the University of Oklahoma when he began to dabble in film.He worked for a few years in St. Louis before joining Kansa
Gov. Lee, Rep. Suh lose jobs on conviction

Social affairsJan 28, 2011

Lee Kwang-jae, governor of Gangwon Province, was stripped of his position Thursday as the Supreme Court upheld a lower court’s sentence. Lee was earlier sentenced to a one-year prison term and a forfeit order of 114 million won ($102,000) for having received kickbacks from Park Yeon-cha, CEO of shoemaking company, Taekwang Industry.The term will also deprive Lee, who was an aide of the late Presid
Kim can’t wait to get back on ice

More sportsJan 28, 2011

South Korean figure skater Kim Yu-na said Friday she is on the right track for the world championships in March and is looking forward to returning to the ice.In an e-mail interview with her Seoul-based agency, All That Sports, Kim said she’s been gearing up for the championships by building up her strength and focusing on her new programs.“There’s plenty of time left until the competition,” Kim s
Kang leads at Torrey, Woods five adrift

GolfJan 28, 2011

LA JOLLA, California (AFP) ― All eyes were on Tiger Woods, but it was South Korean Kang Sung-hoon, playing his second U.S. PGA Tour event, who topped the leaderboard on Thursday after the first round of the Farmers Insurance Open.Woods launched his 2011 campaign with a bogey-free three-under par 69 on Torrey Pines’ North Course.That left him five behind Kang, who notched six birdies and an eagle i
Eximbank raises 40b yen via bond issuance

Jan 28, 2011

The state-run Export-Import Bank of Korea said Friday it has raised 40 billion Japanese yen ($484 million) by selling bonds in Japan to provide trade finance.The so-called “Uridashi” bonds mature in four years and carry a fixed interest rate of 1.05 percent, the bank said in a statement.Uridashi bonds are debts denominated in a non-Japanese foreign currency sold directly to Japanese retail investo