The Korea Herald

Disgraced lawmaker dodges expulsion

PoliticsAug 31, 2011

A lawmaker who made sexist remarks dodged expulsion on Wednesday as the parliamentary ethics committee’s motion failed to meet the required quorum in the National Assembly on Wednesday.Only 111 out of the 297 lawmakers agreed to the bill, while 198 or two-thirds were required.Rep. Kang Yong-seok thu
Former speaker Kim won’t seek sixth term

PoliticsAug 31, 2011

Former parliamentary speaker Kim Hyeong-o of the Grand National Party announced that he will not enter candidacy in next year’s 19th general election.“I hope to contribute to the restoration of public trust on the party by remaining humble and low in the next parliamentary term,” Kim told reporters
Parties clash in session on U.S. FTA ratification

PoliticsAug 31, 2011

Parties once again clashed over the ratification of the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement bill during the parliamentary foreign affairs committee meeting on Wednesday, the last day of the August provisional session.The meeting was scheduled to end in the early afternoon but was extended due to the unc
Yu seen sending message of reconciliation to N.K.

North KoreaAug 31, 2011

Unification minister-nominee vows to work with flexibility on inter-Korean tiesPresident Lee Myung-bak appears to have expressed willingness to soften his hard-line stance toward North Korea by appointing a moderate diplomat as his next point man on Pyongyang, officials and analysts said Wednesday.
Doubts over direct election of education chiefs

Social affairsAug 31, 2011

Some fear backpedaling on education autonomy, others see elections wasting taxpayers’ moneyThe election corruption scandal involving Kwak No-hyun, Seoul’s education superintendent, has many Koreans questioning whether a direct popular vote is the best way to select education chiefs. The city’s first
Ministers renew call for activists to drop protests over naval base

Social affairsAug 31, 2011

The two ministers of defense and land, transport and maritime affairs on Tuesday renewed calls for civic groups to halt opposition to a strategic naval base being constructed on Jeju Island. They made a joint statement two days after a Jeju court accepted the petition the government and the Navy fil
SOS Public Relief Service expanded nationwide

Social affairsAug 31, 2011

The government will start expanding a crime prevention system nationwide this September as its pilot program has proved effective in safeguarding vulnerable people such as women and children, officials said Tuesday.The Ministry of Public Administration and Security and the National Police Agency hav
Chance to sell soaps for hope in Seoul

Aug 31, 2011

Organizers are being sought to help a social enterprise benefiting North Korean refugees. The Soap for Hope charity makes and sells all-natural soaps and plows the profits back into projects for North Koreans living here. Soaps made by North Korean refugees. (Soap for Hope)“The soap project wa
Free Korean classes from Seoul volunteers

Aug 31, 2011

Volunteers are set to teach foreigners the Korean language for free at a new season of classes in Seoul. Those interested in enrolling for the classes provided by Mannam volunteers can sign up at a registration day on Sept. 17 at 3 p.m. at Chongshin University, in Bangbae-dong, Seocho-gu, near Isu S
Welcome auction to improve life on Jeju

Aug 31, 2011

A charity auction is running on Jeju until Sept. 30 to raise cash for needy people on the island. The Jeju Furey Foundation is gathering funds for a grandmother and her two orphaned grandchildren by selling off household goods. The family receives 200,000 won a month in welfare and a little more fro
Cleanup on Daebu Island

Aug 31, 2011

Koreans and expats are being sought to help protect the environment on a Korean island.Volunteers will have the chance to help clean up a tidal flat on Daebu Island on Sept. 24. The conservation day organized by the Korea Marine Environment Management Corporation is to run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Volu
Campaign for better conditions for bears

Aug 31, 2011

Animal rights campaigners have visited a moon bear sanctuary in Korea to check on the animals’ living conditions there. Volunteers with the Bear Necessity Korea group visited Bear Tree Park in Chungchondong, a 90 minute drive from Seoul. The former Asiatic bear farm has been transformed into an anim
Seoul subway sit-in for free disabled services

Aug 31, 2011

People with disabilities are staging a protest to call for free personal care services in Seoul. Members of Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination have been holding a sit-in at City Hall Subway Station for the past 22 days and say they will not budge until they are granted the same free servic
Saving sight between classes

Aug 31, 2011

Teen runs 180-member charity group across 14 schools in free timeSometimes it is hard to get taken seriously as a teenager, said high school student Kim Soo-yeon, but she needs people to listen to her to help save others’ sight. The 16-year-old Seoul International School student and her team of 180
South Korea’s top 10 conglomerates cut philanthropy

Aug 31, 2011

South Korea’s top 10 conglomerates reduced the amount they gave in charitable donations, despite posting solid profit gains in recent years, the country’s financial watchdog said Tuesday.According to the Financial Supervisory Service, total donations made by the large family-owned businesses reached