The Korea Herald

Striking rail workers taken into custody in police raid

Dec 22, 2013

More than 100 striking railway workers were taken into custody Sunday after the police forced their way into a union office with tear gas to round them up for questioning. Some 600 police officers were deployed to raid the headquarters of a militant labor umbrella group, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), in central Seoul around 11 a.m. to arrest union leaders of the state-run Korea Railroad Corp. (KORAIL) who have been defying summons by prosecutors. The unionists fought b
Samil Pharm to stand trial over massive illegal 'rebates'

Dec 22, 2013

Mid-sized drug manufacturer Samil Pharm Co. has been charged with offering massive illegal kickbacks to doctors and hospitals, state prosecutors said Sunday. The pharmaceutical company is suspected of giving what in the industry is known as "rebates" worth some 3.25 billion won ($3.1 million) to a total of 1,132 doctors and officials from 894 hospitals across the country in exchange for prescribing its products, they said. Wrapping up an intensive eight-month probe, prosecutors said they ha
Seoul issues ultrafine dust advisory, asks people to stay indoors

Dec 21, 2013

South Korea's capital city has issued its third ultrafine dust advisory this month on Saturday, advising people to stay indoors. The measure was taken after Seoul's atmospheric concentration levels of "particulate matter-2.5" pollutants stood at 69 micrograms per cubic meter as of 10 a.m. after hitting 62 micrograms in 8 a.m. Seoul issues an advisory if the pollutant levels stay above the 60 micrograms per cubic meter for more than two consecutive hours.The alert is lifted after concentratio
South Korean expats protest election meddling by government bodies

Dec 21, 2013

South Koreans living abroad in such places as Paris and Berlin have held candle light vigils this week to protest the meddling of last year's presidential election by government bodies, sources said Saturday. Organizers of the rallies that took place in Paris and Berlin said dozens of protesters showed up on or near the one-year anniversary of the Dec. 19 election to denounce namely the National Intelligence Service, the country's spy agency, and the defense ministry's psychological warfare un
Safety concerns grow over working holiday program

Dec 21, 2013

　Concerns are rising over young Koreans taking part in a working holiday program in Australia after two students were murdered within a one-month span. 　Kim Min-tae, a 20-something student, was found dead Thursday in the eastern coast city of Brisbane. He was last seen Monday before leaving home to exchange about 15,000 Australian dollars ($13,300) into South Korean won through a classified advertisements website. 　Kim, who had been preparing to return home in a few weeks, was apparently attract
Ruptured oil pipeline causes small oil spill in Han River

Dec 21, 2013

A defunct pipeline near the Han ruptured early Saturday morning, causing a small oil leak in the river that flows through South Korea's capital city, fire department officials said, adding that the spill has been contained. Authorities estimated that likely 0.5 liters of oil have escaped into the water when workers from a local garbage disposal company accidentally damaged the pipe at around 4:20 a.m. while they were collecting trash at the southern end of Seongsu Bridge. The leak caused a one-
Warm hearts still in short supply

Dec 20, 2013

Donations increasing quickly in Korea, but calls growing for greater tax benefits and social recognition of rich givers
Seoul court hands N. Korean ‘re-defector’ prison term

Dec 20, 2013

A Seoul court on Friday sentenced a North Korean defector with South Korean citizenship to three years and six months in prison for making an illegal trip to Pyongyang.Kim Kwang-ho was found guilty of illegally entering North Korea, handing over confidential information to the communist regime and carrying out propaganda activities to praise Pyongyang, in breach of Seoul’s anti-communist National Security Law.Kim first entered South Korea in November 2009 along with his fiancee via Laos and Thai
Police nab rail walkout leader

Dec 20, 2013

Police detained another union leader of the state-run rail operator on Friday as part of their investigation into an ongoing controversial strike by thousands of unionized workers, which the government calls illegal. With a court-issued warrant, police detained the union leader of the state-run Korea Railroad Corp., only identified by his surname Koh, in Daejeon, 150 kilometers south of Seoul, after days of tracking him down.More than 6,500 unionized KORAIL workers walked off the job for the 12t
Deaths raise safety concerns over working holidays in Australia

Dec 20, 2013

The Foreign Ministry’s working holiday visa program is under fire after two South Koreans were apparently murdered within a one-month span in Australia.Kim Min-tae, a 20-something student, was found dead on Thursday in the suburbs of Brisbane. He was last seen on Monday and reportedly on his way to exchange more than 10,000 Australian dollars ($8,869) into South Korean won while preparing to return home in a few weeks.Seoul’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that Australian police officials were holdi
[Photo News] Winter break

Dec 20, 2013
Ex-lawmaker protests against ‘illegal electioneering’ of former president

Dec 20, 2013

Former opposition lawmaker Chung Bong-ju held a demonstration outside former President Lee Myung-bak’s office in Gangnam, Seoul, Friday, to protest against Lee’s alleged involvement in last year’s presidential election.Through a sign titled “How are you doing?” Chung asked, “What was the topic of the 100 minute conversation between two of you on Sept. 2, 2012, ahead of the presidential election?” The “two of you” seems to refer to President Park Geun-hye and Lee.The demonstration appears to be a
landmark wage ruling

Dec 20, 2013

Hyundai Motor Co. and its sister company Kia Motors Corp. are scrambling to come up with an effective legal strategy in ongoing court cases with their unions over wage guidelines that are likely to have far-reaching implications for the entire business community.The two Hyundai Motor Group flagship companies are in the middle of two legal battles over how much bonus payments should be counted as ordinary wages. The factor became all important after the Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that bonus
One more rail strike leader nabbed by police

Dec 20, 2013

Police arrested another union leader of the state-run rail operator on Friday as part of their investigation into an ongoing controversial strike by thousands of unionized workers, which the government calls illegal. With a court-issued warrant, police arrested the union leader of the state-run Korea Railroad Corp. (KORAIL), only identified by his surname Koh, in Daejeon, 150 kilometers south of Seoul, after days of tracking him down.More than 6,500 unionized KORAIL workers walked off the job fo
Hyundai Motor workers ordered to pay record W9b in strike damages

Dec 19, 2013

The Ulsan District Court on Thursday ordered part-time workers at Hyundai Motor Co. to pay the company a record 9 billion won ($8.5 million) in financial damages resulting from their illegal strike.The court statement ordered 22 of the 27 accused union workers to pay the 10-digit figure to the nation’s top automobile maker for conducting an illegal strike in one of the company’s factories in Ulsan. According to Hyundai Motor officials, over 200 part-time workers began a strike demanding the moto