The Korea Herald

9 N.K. defectors arrive in S. Korea

North KoreaOct 4, 2011

Nine North Korean defectors who were spotted in a small boat off Japan’s west coast last month arrived in South Korea on Tuesday after Tokyo sent them on to their desired destination, a Foreign Ministry official in Seoul said. The defectors, including three children, were found drifting on the woode
Artist looking to establish creative space for Seoul expats

Oct 4, 2011

A Korea-based artist is seeking help to create an all-in-one art space in Seoul. Printmaker and painter Mike Stewart is raising funds to open a studio in the city’s Yongsan area to provide a venue for English language art classes, workshops, artists’ studios and networking events. Stewart hopes to o
North Korea plans to partially open landmark hotel next year

North KoreaOct 4, 2011

North Korea plans to partially open its landmark hotel next April to mark the centennial of the birth of Kim Il-sung, the country’s late founder, a source said Tuesday.The move comes as the North is working on the interiors of the 105-story Ryukyong Hotel, which has stood unfinished in downtown Pyon
Nation’s first N.K. studies dept. faces closure

Social affairsOct 4, 2011

Dongguk University is considering closing the department of North Korea studies, the oldest such department in the country, as part of restructuring, the student council of the university said Tuesday. According to the student body, they have been notified by the school management about the plan to
North Korea, U.S. set talks on war dead for Oct. 16-18 in Bangkok

North KoreaOct 4, 2011

North Korea and the United States have agreed to hold “working-level” talks on resuming recovery missions for the remains of American troops killed during the Korean War on Oct. 16-18 in Bangkok, a senior Seoul diplomat said Tuesday. The talks come amid a flurry of recent diplomatic efforts by South
‘Encourage suicidal persons to speak their minds’

PoliticsOct 4, 2011

“As Immanuel Kant put it, no one really wants to kill himself. Suicide is in any case a forced surrender of life,” according to Prof. Kim Jong-gab of Konkuk University’s Institute of Body Culture Study. “They seem to have voluntarily killed themselves but those who commit suicide must have been corn
9 N.K. defectors arrive in S. Korea

North KoreaOct 4, 2011

Nine North Korean defectors who were spotted in a small boat off Japan’s west coast last month arrived in South Korea on Tuesday after Tokyo sent them on to their desired destination, a Foreign Ministry official in Seoul said. The defectors, including three children, were found drifting on the woode
Overnight interrogations by prosecutors surge over 3 years

Social affairsOct 4, 2011

Despite an official order in 2006 to limit overnight interrogations by prosecutors in order to protect human rights, their frequency surged nearly 2.5-fold over the past three years, a report showed Tuesday. A total of 554 people were held overnight for questioning by prosecutors in 2010, up 151 per
Military to purchase 40 helicopters to support amphibious landing

DefenseOct 4, 2011

The military will purchase 40 new helicopters by 2023 to strengthen the Marine Corps’ amphibious landing capabilities, a ruling party lawmaker said Tuesday.Citing a parliamentary inspection report from the military, Rep. Chung Mi-kyung of the Grand National Party said that the helicopters specializi
Talks on gas pipeline project stalled

Foreign affairsOct 4, 2011

Korea, Russia far from rough draft, with possible N.K. shutdown of pipeline a thorny issueTalks on pumping Siberian gas through North Korea to South Korea are unlikely to see any immediate breakthroughs, according to the Korean company that signed a preliminary deal in 2008.Korea Gas Corp. and Russi
N. Korea, U.S. set talks on war dead for Oct. 16-18 in Bangkok

North KoreaOct 4, 2011

SEOUL, Oct. 4 (Yonhap) -- North Korea and the United States have agreed to hold "working-level" talks on resuming recovery missions for the remains of American troops killed during the Korean War on Oct. 16-18 in Bangkok, a senior Seoul diplomat said Tuesday. The talks come amid a flurry of recent d
Civic activist selected as liberal bloc’s sole candidate

PoliticsOct 3, 2011

Independent Park beats DP runner to vie against GNP’s Na Kyung-won in Seoul mayoral raceLawyer-turned-activist Park Won-soon was selected Monday as the unified liberal bloc candidate to compete against the Grand National Party’s Na Kyung-won in the Oct. 26 Seoul mayoral by-election.“Now we may be co
Korea to give disused destroyer to Colombia

DefenseOct 3, 2011

South Korea is seeking to give its decommissioned destroyer to Colombia for free to help boost its arms exports to the South American region, a government source said Sunday.“We are thinking of handing over to Colombia the 1,200-ton destroyer Gunsan, which was decommissioned on Sept. 29, in the firs
GNP’s Na reaches out to voters

PoliticsOct 3, 2011

Ruling party candidate says she will repay W4tr of city debts by 2014While the liberal bloc gathered to select a unified mayoral candidate on Monday, the Grand National Party’s Na Kyung-won focused on promoting policy, especially in districts where the ruling party’s support runs low.She pledged to
Number of mentally ill criminals to hit 2,000 this year

Social affairsOct 3, 2011

The number of mentally ill criminals who have committed felonies such as murder and is expected to rise to 2,000 this year, said a government report released on Monday. According to the report by the National Police Agency, 1879 mentally ill people were convicted of a crime in 2010. The report noted