The Korea Herald

Samsung, SNU top patient survey on health checkups

Social affairsAug 30, 2011

Samsung Medical Center and Seoul National University Hospital Healthcare System Gangnam Center in southern Seoul were selected as the best hospitals for medical checkups in a Korea Consumer Agency survey. The agency said Tuesday that in a poll of 450 consumers, both Samsung and SNU hospitals scored
Standoff escalates over Jeju naval base

Social affairsAug 30, 2011

Court accepts government petition to prohibit obstruction of constructionCalls are mounting for a referendum on the ongoing construction of a Jeju Island naval base just one week after Seoul City’s failed vote on free school meals, which saw the mayor’s resignation,Ever since the Defense Ministry na
Children start learning English by age 4: report

Social affairsAug 30, 2011

Children in and around Seoul start learning to speak English at an average age of 3.7 years, the Korea Institute of Child Care and Education said. Its latest survey of 1,200 elementary school first- and second-graders in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province, found that 92.7 percent received their first-ever
Judiciary pendulum set for conservative swing

Social affairsAug 30, 2011

The Aug. 18 announcement of the nominee for new Supreme Court chief justice came as a surprise to most reporters and judiciary members, who had been closely watching the selection process for the past weeks.Former Justice Yang Sung-tae was not considered to be on the shortlist, as he went on a trip
Medieval plague may be extinct

ScienceAug 30, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The version of plague that caused the Black Death in 14th century Europe may now be extinct, researchers report, but other deadly forms remain in circulation today.The plague that ravaged Europe wiped out nearly a third to two-thirds of the population according to various estimate
Lee to conduct minor Cabinet reshuffle Wednesday

PoliticsAug 30, 2011

SEOUL, Aug. 30 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Myung-bak will conduct a minor Cabinet reshuffle on Wednesday that may affect five ministries, including one in charge of North Korean affairs, presidential officials said Tuesday.The planned reshuffle is seen as Lee's latest attempt to revitalize his conserv
Teens involved in 1 in 10 cases of prostitution: report

Social affairsAug 30, 2011

Minors have accounted for one out of 10 prostitution cases, police said Tuesday, prompting calls for proper measures to discipline and protect youth.According to the data collected by the National Police Agency,1,184 adolescents aged 13-19 were caught for buying or selling sex in the first seven mon
College student dies in Busan PC room

Social affairsAug 30, 2011

A 27-year-old college student collapsed in a PC room in Busan after playing online games for seven consecutive hours.The student surnamed Kim was quickly taken to nearby hospital but was pronounced dead upon arrival.“I shook him when he fell forward while playing games but he was not conscious,” a m
'Kwak promised to pay off dropped candidate’

Social affairsAug 30, 2011

Prosecution secures statements from professor on agreed financial compensationPublic prosecutors investigating election corruption involving Seoul’s education chief Kwak No-hyun said Monday they had secured statements that Kwak had promised to pay off a rival candidate during last year’s election ca
Court issues injunction against protesters blocking construction on naval base

Social affairsAug 29, 2011

A regional court on Monday issued an injunction against angry protesters who for months have been blocking the construction of a major naval base on South korea's southern resort island of Jeju.South Korea's central government began building a naval base on Jeju's southern coast facing the South Chi
‘Kwak promised to pay off candidate’

Social affairsAug 29, 2011

Public prosecutors investigating election corruption involving Seoul’s education chief Kwak No-hyun said Monday they had secured statements that Kwak had promised to pay off a rival candidate during last year’s election campaign. According to sources at the Seoul Central Prosecutors’ Office, which l
South Korea eyes vote ban for pro-North Korea overseas residents

PoliticsAug 29, 2011

South Korea may ban overseas residents with pro-North Korea attitudes from taking part in national elections, officials said, a controversial move aimed at preventing Pyongyang from wielding influence over local politics. Starting from April next year, some 2.5 million Koreans living abroad will be
Kwak’s case keeps parties on edge

PoliticsAug 29, 2011

DP Joins call for resignation; Oct. 26 by-elections may include education chief The opposition camp faced an unexpected obstacle in gearing up for elections including for Seoul mayor, as calls for the city’s liberal education chief to resign over bribery allegations indicated his position may also b
Ministry draws up steps to raise transparency of pension fund

Social affairsAug 29, 2011

From next year, financial firms will be banned from all National Pension Service contracts for up to five years if caught lobbying the service to secure rights to manage portions of its fund, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said Monday.According to the guidelines unveiled by the ministry to stren
Key lobbyist of Busan savings bank scandal faces questioning

Social affairsAug 29, 2011

Prosecutors are interrogating Park Tae-gyu, a 71-year-old lobbyist who allegedly peddled his political and economic influence to save the nation’s largest savings bank from suspension earlier this year. All eyes are now on whether Park would name those who took bribes and other favors he had provide