The Korea Herald

Former President Lee’s office threatens libel suit against weekly

Jan 12, 2014

The office of former President Lee Myung-bak threatened to take legal action Sunday against a weekly over an article that alleged Lee laundered prize money he received from the United Arab Emirates.The office expressed deep regret and demanded Weekly Hankook take “appropriate steps” over its report uploaded on its website Saturday that said Lee laundered $500,000 through Nonghyup Bank, a local banking unit of state-run Nonghyup Financial Inc.“We have no choice but to take legal action unless rea
[Weekender] Korea, to go

Jan 10, 2014

Delivery service market is red carpet convenience for customers, red ocean competition for providers
[Weekender] Fast, cheap and convenient

Jan 10, 2014

Armed with GPS devices, smartphones, motorbike ‘quick service’ adapts to high-tech era
[Weekender] Safety is key for women customers

Jan 10, 2014

On a Saturday night, I felt a sudden urge for instant noodles, a pack of frozen dumplings, tofu and some other trivial groceries, but didn’t feel like going out ― it was freezing and around midnight, and the idea of having to get dressed for an outing was unbearable. I picked up the phone and called a delivery service. The operator asked a few questions ― my name, address and the items I wanted to purchase. She acknowledged that it was a busy weekend night and the delivery might run a little lat
[Weekender] Mobile food order apps seek to go mainstream

Jan 10, 2014

South Korean students, office workers, singles and especially those who find it frustrating to stand in queues see home-delivered food as a blessing. Only a couple of years ago, they used to reach for flyers to place an order. Now, things have become smarter. Suh Jeng-hoon, for instance, is a student who enjoys food delivery and uses mobile apps specializing in this to read reviews, browse menus, check restaurant locations and even place orders. Like Suh, a growing number of Korean consumers pre
Government to invest big in PyeongChang

Jan 10, 2014

The government said Friday it will designate the 2018 Winter Games host city of PyeongChang as a special district and launch a large-scale development project for the successful international event and for sustainable regional growth.During a meeting of the commission in charge of supporting the 2018 Olympics in South Korea’s alpine city of PyeongChang, some 180 kilometers east of Seoul, the government unveiled a comprehensive plan to develop the city and the surrounding areas in Gangwon Provinc
Getting angry won’t solve anything

Jan 10, 2014

Ignorance is biggest hurdle in fending off Japan’s territorial claim
Korea shivers on coldest day of season

Jan 9, 2014

A cold spell swept through the center of the country on Thursday, with the mercury dipping to the lowest levels reported this winter, according to the state weather agency. The first cold wave watches of the season were issued in central regions including Seoul and Incheon and Gyeonggi, Gangwon and North Chungcheong provinces, as the morning low reached minus 10.4 degrees Celsius in the morning, the Korea Meteorological Administration said.The cold snap will be the worst on Friday, when temperat
Brokers insist on naked checkups of prospective foreign brides

Jan 9, 2014

Disputes intensified on Thursday over a growing number of marriage brokers forcing foreign brides to take their clothes off under the guise of conducting interviews before they leave for Korea. According to civic groups and local reports, some brokers have compelled foreign brides to undress, while making excuses that they need to “check their virginity or to see whether they are pregnant.” Most foreign brides end up complying with “their ridiculous requests” to “make a good impression on the br
Arrest warrant sought for ex-KT CEO

Jan 9, 2014

The prosecution is seeking an arrest warrant for Lee Seok-chae, former CEO of telecom giant KT Corp. on suspicions of embezzlement and negligence. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office is reportedly planning to indict Lee along with other former and current executives of the telecom provider within the month. Lee is accused of inflicting damages of 10 billion won ($9.4 million) on the telecom behemoth in the process of launching new businesses and selling off real estate held by the com
[Photo News] New address system

Jan 9, 2014
Over 90% of SNS rumors can be filtered: report

Jan 9, 2014

A new technology that can draw a distinction between false rumors and truth on social networking services including Twitter has been developed in Korea, the world’s most wired country.A research team led by professor Cha Mee-young of Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology announced Thursday that it is now possible to filter out false rumors with over 90 percent accuracy. “Rumors characteristically spread through arbitrary users. There was a clearly discernible pattern in their use of
‘Pay-per-minute’ cafe appeals to Korean small-coffee shop owners

Jan 9, 2014

The “pay-per-minute” café in Europe may be the answer to Korean small coffee house owners who worry over customers overstaying, including job-seekers and students.Ziberflat recently brought this innovative business model to London from Russia, charging three pence per minute. The price is all-inclusive, with access to Wi-Fi and complimentary snacks including biscuits and coffee. Ziberflat comes from the Russian and German words for clock, as guests take an alarm clock from a cupboard on arrival.
[Uniquely Korean] Postpartum centers make life easy for new mothers

Jan 8, 2014

Despite high prices, nonmedical businesses thrive by offering hotel-like services to mothers
Prosecutors indict 3 for record personal data leak

Jan 8, 2014

Prosecutors have indicted an employee of a local credit rating firm on charges of leaking the personal data of more than 100 million credit card customers, officials said on Wednesday.They also indicted two other individuals on charges of purchasing the illegally obtained information.The largest-ever information leak raised concerns over apparent flaws in the data protection policies and mechanisms of the local credit card companies implicated in the case.The 39-year-old employee, surnamed Park,