The Korea Herald

Calls growing for measures against suicide

Oct 4, 2011

Suicides cause up to 4.9 trillion won in socio-economic loss in 2009Is Korea becoming a “suicide republic?”Last year, a total of 15,413 Koreans committed suicide, equivalent to about 42.2 people taking their own lives every day, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare. In Statistics Korea’s
Lee orders steps to protect disabled from sex crimes

Oct 4, 2011

President Lee Myung-bak watched the local box-office sensation reconstructing the true story of teachers sexually abusing disabled students for years, and called for measures to prevent such crimes from happening again, his spokesman said.The film “Dogani,” whose English title is “The Crucible,” has
Na seeks to shake affluent image

Oct 4, 2011

[Profile]Seoul-born, SNU law graduate, former judge and No.2 female figure in GNPGNP candidate for Seoul mayor Na Kyung-won, 48, is one of the most well-known female figures not only in the conservative bloc but in politics generally.Born in Seoul in 1963 as the daughter of an affluent school board
Park Won-soon: Frustrated activist jumps into politics

Oct 4, 2011

[Profile]Legend in civil society has yet to prove mettle in established politics Park Won-soon won a key battle in his quest to become Seoul mayor, securing the unified candidacy of all liberal opposition forces on Monday. The independent candidate is leading in polls against Rep. Na Kyung-won, the
Sohn offers to resign over election defeat

Oct 4, 2011

GNP’s Park Geun-hye to offer Na her supportThe main opposition Democratic Party’s chairman Sohn Hak-kyu offered his resignation on Tuesday, as a civic activist Park Won-soon was selected as the liberal bloc’s unified candidate.Park won his ticket to the by-election race on Monday by receiving 52.15
‘Encourage suicidal persons to speak their minds’

Oct 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
Civic activist selected as liberal bloc’s sole candidate

Oct 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
GNP’s Na reaches out to voters

Oct 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
Lee calls on Koreans to have confidence in economy

Oct 3, 2011

President Lee Myung-bak on Monday urged Koreans to have confidence in the country’s economy, pointing to reassuring data such as foreign reserves of over $300 billion, a relatively low state deficit and this year’s estimated trade volume of $1 trillion.“I can assure you that the Korean economy is st
GNP’s Na focuses on neglected districts

Oct 3, 2011

By Bae Hyun-jungWhile the liberal bloc gathered to select a unified mayoral candidate on Monday, Rep. Na Kyung-won of the ruling Grand National Party focused on communicating directly with voters and promoting her policy blueprints.She pledged efforts to bridge the economic and cultural gap between
Ruling party considers charitable gift annuity

Oct 2, 2011

The government and the ruling party are reviewing the introduction of a charitable gift annuity program in which donors transfer cash or property to a charity in return for tax deductions and pension contributions.The Grand National Party’s policy committee is looking into both charitable gift annui
Opposition bloc to select unified candidate

Oct 2, 2011

GNP seeks to enlist Rep. Park Geun-hye to support standard-bearer NaThe opposition political bloc will choose a unified candidate on Monday for the upcoming Seoul mayoral by-election to boost their efforts to win in the major conservative-liberal showdown.After the candidate selection, its fight to
Lee calls for defense reform amid tensions with N. Korea

Oct 2, 2011

President Lee Myung-bak called Saturday for defense reform to build a stronger military amid lingering tensions with North Korea over its two deadly attacks on the South last year.The North’s attacks made it clear that “defense reform is an urgent task that cannot be delayed any longer,” Lee said in
Arrested Seoul education chief seeks bail

Oct 2, 2011

SEOUL, Oct. 2 (Yonhap) -- The Seoul education chief arrested for bribing his rival candidate to win an election has requested that a local court release him on bail, the court said Sunday.Kwak No-hyun, the elected superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, was detained on Sept. 10
President Lee calls for cultural exchange with Japan

Oct 1, 2011

President Lee Myung-bak called Saturday for cultural exchange with Japan as a way to forge a forward-looking partnership between the two neighbors.South Korea and Japan are key trading partners, though their relations have often been strained by historical disputes stemming from Japan's 1910-45 colo