The Korea Herald

Bills aim to strengthen status of Marine Corps

Jan 12, 2011

A ruling party lawmaker is planning to submit to parliament three revision bills this week that would offer more independence to the Marine Corps, which was merged into the Navy in 1973.The move comes as the need for the Marines’ independence from the Navy has been voiced following North Korea’s artillery attack on Yeonpyeong Island in November that killed two marines and two civilians. Rep. Chung
Repeated nomination failures plague Lee

Jan 12, 2011

Chung Tong-ki withdrew his nomination as the chairman of the Board of Audit and Inspection on Wednesday, becoming the eighth top official designate to step down during the Lee Myung-bak presidency.The repeated withdrawals indicate the remaining gap between the presidential office and the public in their expectations for senior office holders.The Lee administration made requests for parliamentary a
Chief auditor candidate gives up nomination

Jan 12, 2011

SEOUL, Jan. 12 (Yonhap) -- The president's pick for chief auditor gave up his nomination on Wednesday after being pounded for a nine-digit salary that he received from a law firm and his role in a prosecution probe that had implicated the president.Chung Tong-ki, a former senior prosecutor, stepped down 12 days after President Lee Myung-bak named him on Dec. 31 to head the Board of Audit and Inspe
Military minces words on reform

Jan 11, 2011

Generals are still too attached to decorations, outfitsWithdrawing the plan to detach the star-studded plates from military generals’ sedans has prompted concerns over whether the top brass’ reform drive is eroding.At the beginning of this year, the Army leadership asked generals to remove the plates ― a longtime symbol of their pride and authority ― displaying its strong resolve to revamp the mil
Top auditor nominee yet to make decision

Jan 11, 2011

President Lee Myung-bak’s chief state auditor nominee Chung Tong-ki said Tuesday he was preparing for the parliamentary confirmation hearing despite growing pressure from political parties to withdraw from his position. “I will do what I have to do,” Chung said in response to a reporter’s question on whether he was getting ready for next week’s confirmation hearing as he entered his office in Seou
Seoul to assist acquisitions of foreign firms

Jan 11, 2011

A presidential council said Tuesday it will support Korean businesses’ mergers and acquisitions of foreign companies as part of efforts to raise national competitiveness, benchmarking a Chinese policy. “We will seek to strengthen Korean companies’ global investment capabilities to encourage M&As of competent overseas firms, especially in the energy and resources sector,” Kang Man-soo, chief of the
GNP chief distances party from administration

Jan 11, 2011

The chairman of the ruling Grand National Party vowed Tuesday to pay more attention to public demand while backing government policies, a significant wording as his party remains at odds with President Lee Myung-bak over a controversial chief state auditor nominee.His party has and will continue to actively support policies by the conservative Lee government, but at the same time will “make the ut
Military academies may merge ceremonies

Jan 11, 2011

The Ministry of National Defense is seeking to hold a joint commission ceremony for all military academies, officials said Tuesday.The move is aimed at reducing the cost of holding all the ceremonies separately. It is also in line with military efforts to curtail administrative procedures and enhance interoperability among the Army, Navy and Air Force, the officials said.According to the plan unde
S. Korea, Japan agree to expand military ties after N.K. attacks

Jan 10, 2011

South Korean and Japanese defense ministers agreed to “expand and deepen” bilateral military cooperation during talks in Seoul on Monday, amid heightened tensions following a series of deadly North Korean attacks last year.Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin and his Japanese counterpart Toshimi Kitazawa also exchanged views on regional security issues including North Korean nuclear threats, the Ministry
Army marks dispatch of UAE contingent

Jan 10, 2011

The Army held a ceremony Monday marking the creation and dispatch of a South Korean contingent to the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday a two-year mission to help train the Middle East country’s special forces.The dispatch of the 130-strong contingent, named “Akh,” “brothers” in Arabic, follows the UAE’s request last August that South Korea help it nurture world-class special warfare troops.The Seou
S. Korea, Philippines agree to boost ties

Jan 10, 2011

Foreign ministers of South Korea and the Philippines agreed to strengthen economic and diplomatic ties between the two countries at a meeting in Seoul. Philippine Foreign Minister Alberto G. Romulo met his South Korean counterpart Kim Sung-hwan in Seoul on Monday to discuss, among other issues, ways to promote ties in the fields of trade and investment, agriculture and energy. President Lee Myung-
Lee vows support for youths’ startups

Jan 10, 2011

President Lee Myung-bak vowed Monday to provide more institutional support for younger people here seeking to launch their own startups in the knowledge-based sector, saying he hopes that South Korea will produce world-renowned business leaders like Mark Zuckerberg, an American computer scientist who founded the social networking service Facebook.“Mark Zuckerberg launched Facebook at the age of 20
N.K. has multiple motives behind dialogue overtures

Jan 9, 2011

Pyongyang’s overtures for dialogue with Seoul appear aimed at securing outside assistance to ease its economic travails and escape international isolation resulting from its belligerent behavior, experts here said on Sunday.Some also pointed out that the olive branch seems intended to show the U.S. that it is making due endeavors for the improvement of inter-Korean ties, a condition the U.S. has d
Former police chiefs to face summons

Jan 9, 2011

The prosecution is planning to summon two former top police officials early this week as part of its probe into an escalating bribery scandal regarding construction site catering contracts, sources said Sunday.The Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors’ Office will question former National Police Agency chief Kang Hee-rak as early as Monday on suspicion of receiving some 100 million won ($88,840) in k
Unification Ministry to start Web broadcast

Jan 9, 2011

The Unification Ministry is to start Internet broadcasts on issues relevant to the unification of the divided Korean Peninsula this year, a ministry official said. The project aims to help the public gain better understanding of unification issues and comes under a ministry goal this year to prepare for the rejoining of the two Koreas. The peninsula has remained divided since the end of the three-