The Korea Herald

[Newsmaker] Korea’s jury system: Is it working?

Oct 30, 2013

Korea introduced a jury system six years ago as part of reforms to make court proceedings fair, transparent and more in tune with common sense. But the system has come under scrutiny following the separate jury acquittals in less than a week of progressive political satirists Ju Jin-u and Kim Eo-jun, and poet Ahn Do-hyun.They all were accused of spreading false information about President Park Geun-hye and her family members and charged with defamation.The verdicts troubled conservatives includi
Civic groups may sue YBM over TOEIC fees

Oct 30, 2013

Two civic organizations are reviewing plans to sue for compensation as early as next week against YBM Korea TOEIC Commission for taking excessive cancellation fees and charging extra during a special application period.The Youth Community Union and the People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy argued that YBM should refund all past English proficiency test applicants who were forced to pay too much due to these provisions. According to the YBM website, applicants who cancel their entrance
Elementary school teacher suspected of sex with 12-year-old

Oct 30, 2013

The Chungbuk Provincial Police Agency said Wednesday that it has forwarded the case of a 30-year-old elementary school teacher to the prosecutors on suspicion of statutory rape.“We will investigate further to see if there are any additional offenses, after which we will apply for an arrest warrant,” an official from the agency said. The suspect allegedly had sex with a 12-year-old elementary school student.The official added that the accused has willingly complied with the investigation and ther
Court approves change in ex-spymaster's indictment

Oct 30, 2013

A Seoul court on Wednesday accepted state prosecutors' request to press additional charges against a former national intelligence chief accused of meddling in last year's presidential election.Won Sei-hoon, who headed the National Intelligence Service (NIS) under former President Lee Myung-bak, was indicted in May on charges of leading an online smear campaign to sway public opinion ahead of the Dec. 19 poll in favor of the then ruling party candidate Park Geun-hye.A team of state prosecutors in
Korea plans to start telemedicine in 2015

Oct 29, 2013

The Ministry of Health and Welfare said Tuesday that it will push ahead with telemedicine despite resistance from doctors as part of its effort to improve the medical welfare of the public and curb medical costs.Telemedicine refers to the use of information-communication technologies for the delivery of clinical care. It can help people consult with and get prescriptions from doctors without having to travel to hospitals.The ministry on Tuesday filed a public notification of a new bill to introd
Working moms’ conditions worsening: poll

Oct 29, 2013

About 73 percent of working mothers in Korea are experiencing difficulty in balancing career and family despite government efforts to support women in the workplace, a poll showed Monday.According to a survey of 1,000 women in their 30s and 40s conducted by the Women’s Intercultural Network, the Misery Index for working moms reached 3.33 points on a scale of zero to five, up 0.29 points from last year. A reading closer to 5 indicates higher levels of stress. The organization analyzed the data by
Substitute holiday system to take effect next year

Oct 29, 2013

The substitute holiday system that designates the working day immediately following public holidays that fall on Saturday or Sunday will be introduced next year.At Monday’s Cabinet meeting presided by Prime Minister Chung Hong-won, the revision on the regulation regarding state organizations’ holidays was approved, paving the road to the introduction of the system drawn up by the government and the ruling Saenuri Party. Under the system, the three-day Chuseok and Lunar New Year holidays will be
Prosecution vows to charge Chun’s son with tax evasion

Oct 29, 2013

Prosecutors vowed Tuesday to charge a son of disgraced former President Chun Doo-hwan with tax evasion in a 2006 land deal, saying they would swiftly wrap up the investigation into the case.Chun Jae-yong, the second of the former president’s three sons, faces charges of colluding with his uncle to dodge up to 6 billion won ($5.66 million) in transfer taxes in the process of selling a plot of land in December 2006.The uncle, Lee Chang-seok, is currently on trial on charges of evading the taxes.On
5 Korean men sentenced for killing wealthy businessman in the Philippines

Oct 29, 2013

Five South Korean men were sentenced to lengthy prison terms on Tuesday for jointly taking part in the murder of a wealthy South Korean businessman in the Philippines, the country's top court said.The Supreme Court of Korea upheld an appellate court's 17-year prison term for a 35-year-old man, surnamed Yoon, while also confirming the roughly 15-year terms for the three other men, all in their early 30's, over the murder case in August of last year.One more man -- surnamed Song, age 42 -- was als
Pregnancy test kits available at convenience stores

Oct 28, 2013

Pregnancy test kits will be available at convenience stores and supermarkets, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety announced on Monday.The ministry said that under a revised law, pregnancy test kits have been reclassified as medical equipment, and can thus be distributed and sold at authorized stores, including convenience stores and large supermarkets. The revised act will go into effect next year after a trial period starting Nov. 13, the ministry said.By Chung Joo-won (joowonc@heraldcorp.com)
74 percent of Koreans cremated after death last year: Health Ministry

Oct 28, 2013

Cremation has become a common form of funeral in Korea with a growing number of people choosing the process over traditional burial rites.Out of the 267,221 Koreans who died last year, 197,717, or 74 percent, were cremated, a fourfold increase from 18.4 percent 20 years ago, according to a report released by the Ministry of Health and Welfare released on Monday.By gender, the rate of men cremated last year was 77.2 percent while that of women marked 70.1 percent. It was the first time that the c
Cancer-causing material in S. Korean jeans in dispute

Oct 28, 2013

A South Korean apparel maker said on Monday it will request another test on the results that showed its jeans contain three times more cancer-causing substances than the average.　　According to data released by the Consumers Union of Korea, a pair of jeans from Basic House Co. had 88.8 milligrams of a cancer-inducing material called arylamine per kilogram of fabric, which was used in the dyeing process. The figure far exceeds the maximum limit set at 30 mg per kg. The company, however, said the s
Embassy official in London to be punished over intern interview

Oct 28, 2013

The Foreign Ministry plans to penalize an official at its embassy in London for asking inappropriate questions during an internship interview last week. The secretary-level official dispatched from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism reportedly asked some applicants how they would respond if they were to face the kind of sexual abuse that former Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Yoon Chang-jung was allegedly involved in.The embassy official said he intended to test their judgment. “We have instruc
[Photo News] Fall walk

Oct 27, 2013
Woman dies after cosmetic surgery

Oct 27, 2013

A 22-year-old woman who had been in a coma for nine days after a cosmetic surgery procedure died Saturday, police in Busan said.The college student only identified by her last name Kim received facial bone contouring surgery for more than five and a half hours on Oct. 7. She was found unconscious by a nurse in the hospital’s recovery room that evening and immediately moved to a nearby general hospital.Investigators said they found no wounds other than those from the cosmetic surgery. An investig