The Korea Herald

Gov't to expand welfare benefits for low-wage workers

PoliticsSept 9, 2011

The government and the ruling party agreed Friday to expand welfare benefits for low-wage workers in small workplaces and set guidelines banning discrimination against temporary workers as part of efforts to increase job stability, party officials said.The agreement came at a meeting among the Grand
Seoul gov't to reduce working hours for pregnant employees

Social affairsSept 9, 2011

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Friday it will reduce the working hours of its pregnant employees by one hour to give them more time for prenatal care.The move comes as South Korea is struggling to raise its low birthrate through diverse incentives.Pregnant female employees will be able to wo
Nearly seven out of 10 S. Koreans cremated

Social affairsSept 9, 2011

Nearly seven out of every 10 South Koreans were cremated in 2010, the government said Friday, pointing to a rapid change in people's views on the practice.According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, out of the 255,403 South Koreans who died last year, 172,276, or 67.5 percent, were cremated, mo
Lee says gas project may proceed 'faster than expected'

PoliticsSept 9, 2011

　President Lee Myung-bak on Thursday said the purported project to pipe Russian gas through North Korea into South Korea could take shape "faster than expected" as it would benefit all three countries.　"A time will come for the three parties -- South and North Korea as well as Russia -- to discuss (
Data of 800,000 Samsung Card holders may have been leaked

Social affairsSept 8, 2011

Samsung Card Co., South Korea's leading card firm, is suspected of having come under an online security breach that could have leaked about 800,000 customers' personal data, sources said Thursday. Samsung Card has asked the police to investigate an employee regarding the suspected leakag
Parties eye current and former P.M.s for mayoral race

PoliticsSept 8, 2011

Parties, still shaken by the aftermath of Ahn Cheol-soo dropping his bid to run for Seoul mayor, are racking their brains seeking a competitive candidate for next month’s Seoul mayoral by-election.The ruling Grand National Party and the main opposition Democratic Party turned their eyes to incumbent
Korea expands college tuition subsidies

Social affairsSept 8, 2011

The government and the ruling party agreed Thursday to set aside 1.5 trillion won ($1.3 billion) in next year’s budget to help ease the heavy college tuition burden.The agreement came at a meeting among the Grand National Party and the finance and education ministries. The money will be used to set
Sherman says ‘carrots and sticks’ needed in U.S. foreign policy

Foreign affairsSept 8, 2011

WASHINGTON (Yonhap News) ― Wendy Sherman, nominated to become the State Department’s third highest-ranking official, on Wednesday emphasized that the U.S. should use the full range of foreign policy tools including a variety of “sticks and carrots” in dealing with North Korea’s nuclear program and o
Park begins moves for presidential bid

PoliticsSept 8, 2011

Park Geun-hye, former chairwoman of the Grand National Party, is decking out for her second presidential bid after she was beaten in opinion polls by a professor who merely hinted at running for Seoul mayor.People close to Park said the four-term lawmaker was scheduled to open an office outside the
N. Korean dropout rate falls in S. Korean schools

North KoreaSept 8, 2011

The dropout rate of North Korean defectors in South Korean schools has gradually declined over the last few years, an education institute said Thursday, a sign that efforts to help support North Korean students paid off.The dropout rate for North Korean students in primary, middle and high schools s
Opposition leader calls for change in labor policy

PoliticsSept 8, 2011

An opposition leader Thursday called on the government to focus its economic policies on improving working conditions and creating more jobs as part of efforts to move toward a welfare state. “To become a fair welfare state, (the government) should change the policy focus to make a people-centered e
Seoul to offer talks to Japan over sex slaves

Foreign affairsSept 8, 2011

Korea considers setting up arbitration committee if Tokyo turns down proposalFollowing a recent court ruling calling for specific measures to settle the issue, South Korea said it will propose talks with Japan over a proper apology and compensation for Korean women forced into sexual slavery during
Ex-Pigeon CEO accuses chairman of assault

Social affairsSept 8, 2011

Pigeon, the nation’s largest fabric conditioner maker, has been rocked by an assault involving one of its former CEOs and its autocratic chairman. While the ex-CEO blamed the chairman as the culprit and revealed the dirty laundry of the closed corporation, the management is keeping tight-lipped abou
Paju sues Ewha University for cancelling campus plan

Social affairsSept 8, 2011

The Paju city government on Wednesday filed a damages suit against the nation’s most prestigious women’s university over its withdrawal of plans to build a campus in the region. According to the suit filed with the Euijeongbu District Court against Ewha Womans University, the municipal government is
Colleges still counting cost of blacklisting

Social affairsSept 8, 2011

The aftereffects from the blacklisting of 43 universities for bad management continued to hit the university community.Seoul-based Sangmyung University President Lee Hyung-cheon stepped down, while Kundong University in North Gyeongsang Province faces a sharp reduction in freshmen enrollment.Sangmyu