The Korea Herald

Park departs for Russia for G20 summit

Sept 4, 2013

South Korean President Park Geun-hye left for Russia on Wednesday for a summit of the world’s top 20 economies and a series of bilateral meetings with other leaders in what would be her debut in multilateral diplomacy.Russia’s second-largest city of Saint Petersburg is the first leg of Park’s two-nation trip that will take her to Vietnam for a state visit billed by officials as the kickoff of her “sales diplomacy” drive aimed at helping boost South Korea’s slumping economy.It is Park’s third ove
Court rejects injuction against film ‘Cheonan Project’

Sept 4, 2013

The lower court on Wednesday dismissed an injunction request against the release of a controversial film that puts into question North Korea’s responsibility for the sinking of a South Korean warship in 2010. The Uijeongbu District Court allowed the “Cheonan Project” to be shown to audiences from Thursday as scheduled. The “Cheonan Project” is a 75-minute documentary that raises questions as to whether the North Korean military was indeed at fault, as South Korean government officials strongly a
Over 600 children booked for violent crimes in 2011-12

Sept 4, 2013

More than 600 children aged between 10 and 13 were found to have been investigated for rape, arson or robbery in 2011 to 2012, according to the National Police Agency.The number of early teens booked for the three kinds of violent crimes was 322 in 2011 and 304 in 2012. Rape was the most common serious crime, accounting for 58 percent of cases, followed by arson and robbery at 32 percent and 10 percent, respectively. More than 21,800 other cases of teenage crimes, including theft and violence, w
Seoul to launch night bus service next week

Sept 4, 2013

Late night bus services running between midnight and 5 a.m. will operate on seven routes in Seoul beginning on Sept. 12, the city government said. “N Buses” will cover Hongdae, Jongno, Gangnam and other areas with many nighttime passengers while bus transfers will be available at Seoul Station, Dongdaemun, Jongno and Gangnam. During the three-month trial period on two routes from April, more than 220,000 citizens used the night bus and 88 percent of surveyed citizens approved of the route expans
Labor-business strife builds over wage rule

Sept 4, 2013

Top court set to hold open hearing over ordinary pay cases Thursday
Students turn to fortune-tellers for school success

Sept 4, 2013

Byun Mi-kyong sat quietly with her hands in her lap as she listened closely to every word the fortune-teller said about her daughter’s chances of getting into the right university.Dealing with intensely competitive college entrance exams has driven South Korean students to despair, and sometimes to suicide, as they fight for the few places in the best programs that are seen as the key to a successful career.Anxious parents have long sought hints from fortune-tellers about how well their children
Spy agency detains leftist lawmaker on rebellion plot charge

Sept 4, 2013

(URGENT) Spy agency detains leftist lawmaker on rebellion plot charge
More than 7,780 S. Koreans living with HIV

Sept 4, 2013

More than 7,780 South Koreans have been infected with HIV, the virus that causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), health authorities said Wednesday. The Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said 9,410 South Korean were diagnosed with HIV between 1985 and 2012. Among them, 1,622 people died. Last year, 808 South Korean men and 60 South Korean women were newly infected with HIV. The KCDC said 541 out of 868 HIV carriers became infected through sexual contact. The
Korean students erect comfort women statue

Sept 4, 2013

A statue of a girl symbolizing the victims of sexual slavery by the Japanese military during World War II will be unveiled at Seocho High School in Seoul on Thursday. A group of high school students erected the statue in the school compound Wednesday in a bid to raise awareness about Japanese imperialism. “On entering the school, you can see we have installed a camera to monitor Dokdo in real time and picture. The statue of the girl is another effort to help form a correct view of history,” said
Koreas exchange views on changing management rules for Gaeseong park

Sept 4, 2013

South and North Korea engaged in detailed negotiations Wednesday on ways to reform management rules of the suspended joint industrial park in the communist country, protect investments and strive for ways to internationalize the complex. The two sub-committee meetings that began in North Korea at 10a.m. come after both sides agreed on Aug. 14 to reopen the Gaeseong Industrial Complex in the North, and inked a deal last Thursday to create a new joint management committee.The joint committee, co
Warrants sought for construction firm executives over rigging scheme

Sept 4, 2013

Warrants have been sought for six incumbent and former executives of four local major builders on suspicions of colluding in the former Lee Myung-bak administration's highly controversial project to refurbish the country's four major rivers, prosecutors said Wednesday.The four -- Hyundai Construction & Engineering Co., GS Engineering & Construction Co., SK Engineering & Construction Co. and Samsung C&T Corp. -- allegedly colluded to win bids for the first phase of the mega-budget project, which
Ex-President Chun's son voices intention to pay fines

Sept 4, 2013

Former President Chun Doo-hwan's second son has expressed his intention to voluntarily pay the remainder of unpaid fines levied on his disgraced father convicted of taking bribes while in office in the 1980s, prosecution sources said Wednesday. Chun, a former Army general who seized power in a coup, was ordered by the Supreme Court in 1997 to return to state coffers some 220 billion won ($196.8 million) he was found to have illegally accumulated through bribery while in office as president from
Investigators grill Chun’s son over alleged tax evasion, land deal

Sept 3, 2013

Prosecutors investigating former President Chun Doo-hwan’s concealed assets on Tuesday grilled his son over allegations that he dodged a large sum of taxes in a shady real estate deal and purchased luxury residences abroad with his father’s slush fund.Chun’s second son, Jae-yong, was summoned by Seoul Central Prosecutors’ Office early in the morning as a key suspect for a suspicious land transaction with his uncle in 2006. Prosecutors believe that the younger Chun conspired with his uncle, Lee C
Australian corruption body urges joint efforts

Sept 3, 2013

There is now a growing level corruption occurring across borders, and international partnerships are essential in understanding and combating the serious and systemic crimes, according to the head of Australia’s corruption watchdog.“Anti-corruption agencies in various countries, like Australia and South Korea, to be in contact and to cooperate with other agencies are now very important. So we can learn from each other and understand things we have to work on,” Philip Moss, Integrity Commissioner
Asia-Pacific countries boost fight against graft

Sept 3, 2013

Anti-corruption officials from Asia and Pacific countries on Tuesday shared best practices and discussed ways to strengthen cooperation to fight bribery, influence-peddling and other irregularities Some 30 representatives from nine agencies participated in the two-day Anti-Corruption Agency Forum which began Monday. The seventh biennial conference was hosted by the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission of Korea.“Corruption has become a transnational issue with the economic globalization. A