The Korea Herald

Koreas agree to continue study on volcanic threat

North KoreaMar 29, 2011

The two Koreas agreed Tuesday to advance their joint study of volcanic threats from Mount Baekdu, providing room for the chance of official dialogue long-stalled amid high tensions.The sides did not agree on a date for the next round of talks, though the North suggested early April and the South said it would review the proposal, according to Yoo In-chang, the chief South Korean delegate.During th
Korea denies 14 citizens further stay in Libya

NationalMar 29, 2011

South Korea on Tuesday denied 14 citizens remaining in Libya further stay in the turmoil-laden nation, citing the lack of safety measures should the situation there worsen, the foreign ministry said.The decision came at an inter-agency meeting that the government convened to determine whether to allow those in Libya to continue to stay there after the government placed a travel ban on the country
Korea, China make little progress on N.K. uranium issue

NationalMar 29, 2011

Foreign ministers of South Korea and China made little progress in narrowing differences over how to deal with North Korea's uranium-based nuclear program, with Beijing sticking to its opposition to bring the issue to the U.N. Security Council, sources said.The nuclear issue was a key topic at the talks in Beijing between South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan and Chinese Foreign Minister Yan
Massive water pollution detected near livestock burial sites

NationalMar 29, 2011

A large number of underground water sources near livestock burial sites nationwide have shown high rates of organic contaminants, the Environment Ministry said Tuesday, raising concern over widespread environmental pollution caused by livestock disease and culling.The ministry and a state water research center said they have jointly examined water quality at about 3,000 underground water sources w
More places detect trace radiation

Social affairsMar 29, 2011

Amounts remain below permissible levels: agencyTraces of radioactive material are being detected across the nation following a widening nuclear crisis in Japan, but the minuscule amounts pose no health risk, officials said Tuesday. “Tiny doses of iodine 131 were detected at all 12 monitoring stations nationwide Monday. There were also traces of cesium 137 detected at the Chuncheon center,” Yun Cho
Visa rules eased for South Asians

Social affairsMar 29, 2011

The Justice Ministry will ease visa regulations for South Asian visitors, who have become a major group for the Korean tourist industry, according to officials Tuesday.Under regulations to come into effect next week, nationals from 11 major South Asian countries will be issued a double-entry visa, which allows them to freely revisit Korea within six months, in between or after transits to other co
Claim on Dokdo remains thorn in Japan ties

PoliticsMar 29, 2011

South Korea to ship instant rice, drinking water for quake victimsTokyo’s decision to restate its territorial claims on Korea’s easternmost islets in school textbooks is provoking Koreans once again, as Seoul continues to send aid supplies to its quake-stricken neighbor.Viewing the two as separate issues, the Seoul government plans to continue humanitarian aid to Japan while taking stern actions a
Broken heart burns like hot coffee, brain study of former lovers shows

ScienceMar 29, 2011

Heartache over lost love is similar to the physical pain of spilling hot coffee on your lap, scientists studying brain scans say. The sting of seeing photos of an ex-lover stimulated the same parts of the brain as intense heat applied to the arms of 40 people in a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The research builds on a 2010 study published in the journal Ps
Seoul not opposed to N.K. food aid: GNP’s Chung

North KoreaMar 29, 2011

WASHINGTON (Yonhap News) ― South Korea does not oppose providing humanitarian food aid to North Korea as the communist country suffers from severe food shortages due to a poor harvest last year, a senior South Korean lawmaker said Monday.Speaking to a forum here, Rep. Chung Mong-joon of the ruling Grand National Party said, “Nobody in South Korea opposes humanitarian aid to North Korea by South Ko
Prime minister to visit China next month

Foreign affairsMar 29, 2011

South Korean Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik will visit China next month for talks with his counterpart and other senior officials on ways to develop diplomatic and economic ties, Kim’s office said Tuesday.During the April 12-14 trip, Kim will hold talks with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and pay a visit to President Hu Jintao, the office said in a statement.Kim will also meet with Wu Bangguo, China’s t
Korea confirms delay of U.S. base relocation

DefenseMar 29, 2011

The planned relocation of most U.S. troops in South Korea to an expanded base south of Seoul will be completed by the end of 2016, the South’s Defense Ministry said Tuesday, confirming a widely expected four-year delay in the multi-billion dollar project. The Defense Ministry, in a statement, said South Korea and the U.S. have recently finalized a fresh agreement to relocate the U.S. military’s he
Medical fees W5.8m higher for obese men

Social affairsMar 29, 2011

The obese and smokers are likely to die before their peers, a state-run institute said Tuesday, stressing the importance of staying fit and smoke-free. The Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs said Tuesday that overweight people are likely to die 2.6 years before those of healthy weight, while smokers die 5.6 years earlier on average than non-smokers, based on analysis of the National Hea
Gender Ministry seeks to hire immigrant wife

Social affairsMar 29, 2011

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family Affairs is to recruit a female marriage immigrant in the first such move for a central government agency, officials said Tuesday. The hiring is hoped to bring diversity to the ministry’s policies and eventually into other departments, which are also pushing multiculturalism. The ministry made the announcement of a job opening for an assistant position for
Korean youth in bad shape

Social affairsMar 29, 2011

Sleeping five hours a night and only exercising when required to, Kwon Hye-won, like the majority of other female high-school students, was unhappy with her body.“I spent most of my time studying, so a lot of my peers and I weren’t happy with how we looked,” said the second year university student.Sadly, Kwon’s case is the majority here, according to a survey released Tuesday.The National Youth Po
Pakistanis flee Taliban to seek asylum in Korea

Social affairsMar 29, 2011

According to figures released Monday by the Seoul office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, 423 asylum seekers applied for refugee status here in 2010, nearly a third more than the year before.Although there is a global trend toward a decrease in asylum seekers, experts believe it is hard to say that it is having an effect here.They predict the number of refugee seekers will exceed 400 ap