The Korea Herald

China offers condolences to S. Korea over ferry disaster

Apr 17, 2014

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi sent his condolences to the victims of a ferry sinking in South Korea that left at least eight dead and about 288 of the 475 people aboard still missing, an official at the South Korean Embassy in Beijing said Thursday.In a statement sent to South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se on Wednesday night, Wang expressed "deep condolences to the victims of the sunken ferry," the official said on the condition of anonymity.Wang also offered that China would help the
[Ferry Disaster] Search continues as death toll from ferry disaster rises to 9

Apr 17, 2014

The search and rescue efforts for the passengers of the sunken ferry Sewol resumed early Thursday with 9 dead and 287 people still unaccounted for.As the search continues, the authorities deployed 171 ships, 29 aircraft and scores of divers from 6 a.m. Thursday. The rescuers are also considering injecting oxygen into the capsized ship to supply air to those who may be trapped inside. Although rescuers worked through the night, little progress was made in locating the missing. As of 10:16 a.m., t
[Ferry Disaster] U.S. offers condolences over Korean ferry sinking

Apr 17, 2014

(AP-Yonhap)The U.S. government expressed its condolences Wednesday to the families of those who were killed in the sinking of a South Korean ferry."We extend our deepest condolences to the loved ones of those who lost their lives on board the South Korea ferry, the Sewol,"Marie Harf, the State Department's deputy spokeswoman said at the start of a daily press briefing.She described the incident as a "terrible tragedy."The United States is ready to provide any assistance needed in the ongoing sea
Prosecutors raid POSCO unit in corruption probe

Apr 16, 2014

Prosecutors on Wednesday raided a subsidiary of South Korea’s leading steelmaker POSCO over corruption allegations involving its officials. A team of prosecutors obtained computer hard drives, account books and steel trading records from the offices of POSCO P&S in Gangnam, Seoul, to corroborate the charges, the prosecution said. “The raid is solely focused on POSCO P&S, and not the whole group,” an investigator told media on Wednesday.POSCO P&S officials said in a statement that they would full
[Newsmaker] Dispute flares on why game addict killed son

Apr 16, 2014

Experts divided on whether addiction had role in brutal murder
NHIS has better chance in tobacco suit: experts

Apr 16, 2014

The state health insurer’s lawsuit against three tobacco companies has a chance of success in the local court, experts said, even though Korea’s top court has previously ruled against individual claims against tobacco makers. The state-run National Health Insurance Service filed a lawsuit on Monday against KT&G, Philip Morris Korea and British American Tobacco Korea to seek an initial compensation of 54 billion won ($52 million) to recoup treatment costs for smoking-related diseases.Responses to
Ferry disaster leaves at least 10 dead, 286 missing

Apr 16, 2014

A ferry carrying 475 passengers and crew sank off the coast of Jindo Island in South Jeolla Province on Wednesday, leaving at least nine people dead and hundreds unaccounted for. The ferry, the 6,325-ton Sewol, began to sink at about 8:55 a.m. off the coast of Jindo on its way to Jejudo Island from Incheon. According to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, however, the Sewol began to drift in an unexpected direction from 8:52 a.m. Of the people on board, woman identified as 22-year-old Park Ji-
Photos of the ferry disaster off south coast

Apr 16, 2014

9 hours since the ferry ‘Sewol’ called out for help
Ferry disaster leaves three dead, 292 missing

Apr 16, 2014

A ferry carrying more than 450 passengers and crew sank off the coast of Jindo Island in South Jeolla Province on Wednesday, leaving at least three people dead and hundreds unaccounted for. The ferry, the 6,325-ton Sewol, began to sink at about 8:55 a.m. off the coast of Jindo on its way to Jejudo Island from Incheon. According to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, however, the Sewol began to drift in an unexpected direction from 8:52 a.m. 　Of the people on board, a woman identified as 22-yea
Two people dead, 290 missing in sunken ferry

Apr 16, 2014

A passenger ship carrying more than 470 people, mostly high school students, sank off South Korea's southern coast on Wednesday, leaving at least two people, including one student, dead and about 290 others missing.The government had earlier announced that 368 people were rescued, but officials later acknowledged there was an error in tallying up figures. More than 290 people still remain unaccounted for, they said.Only about 180 have been rescued so far, more than five hours after the accident,
Parents of students on sinking ferry gather to protest

Apr 16, 2014

(Yonhap)Around 250 parents of students on the Sewol ferry that sank off South Jeolla Province Wednesday staged a protest at Danwon High School, calling for specific information about their children’s safety. At the high school in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, the parents demanded a list of passengers who had been rescued, following mixed news reports about the rescue operations. The sunken ferry set off from Incheon, carrying 477 people including 324 students and 14 teachers on a school trip to Jeju
South Korea blocks Ashley Madison adultery website

Apr 16, 2014

South Korea has blocked the newly launched Korean version of the global adultery hook-up site Ashley Madison, saying Wednesday that it threatened family values in a country where marital infidelity is a crime.The Korean site of the Canada-based company -- slogan: "Life is short. Have an affair" -- went online in the middle of last month, garnering close to 50,000 subscribers in its first week.Under a 1953 statute that criminalises adultery, an unfaithful spouse in South Korea can receive a pris
Ferry accident leaves two dead, hundreds missing

Apr 16, 2014

A ferry carrying 459 passengers and crew sank off the coast of Jindo Island in South Jeolla Province on Wednesday, leaving at least two people dead and hundreds unaccounted for. The ferry, the 6,325-ton Sewol, began to sink at about 8:55 a.m. off the coast of Jindo on its way to Jejudo Island from Incheon. Of the 459 people on board, a woman identified as 22-year-old Park Ji-young, a staff worker for the ferry company, and Jung Cha-woong, a student at Danwon High School in Ansan, Gyeonggi Provin
Gaming addict confesses to smothering infant son: police

Apr 15, 2014

A 22-year-old Internet game addict confessed to killing his son by covering the toddler’s nose and mouth with his hands, police said Tuesday evening.According to investigators at East Daegu Police Station, the man, surnamed Jeong, said he smothered his 28-month-old son and abandoned the body. “I wanted to go to play (online) games but killed the boy because he didn’t go sleep,” he was quoted as saying by the police.“I was going to go to the Internet cafe after feeding him and putting him to slee
Lotte kickbacks used for political lobbying: report

Apr 15, 2014

Prosecutors are expected to widen the investigation into Lotte Homeshopping’s graft allegations after finding evidence the retailer received kickbacks from suppliers to lobby political officials, local media reported Tuesday.Executives of the country’s fifth-largest retailer, including former head Shin Heon, have been under probe for allegedly taking billions of won in cash in return for business favors, such as securing primetime spots on its home shopping channel. The Seoul Central District Pr