The Air Force Academy and the Naval Academy are enjoying record field days in the number of applicants for next year’s class, posting an average expected admission rate of less than 4 percent for both male and female students contending to study at the two military academies.Last Saturday, 6,437 applicants sat down to take the Air Force Academy’s written exams with 5,284 men and 1,153 women competing for 159 and 16 spots, respectively. The expected average admission rate is 2.72 percent.The Nava

Seoul opened a one-stop job center for female marriage immigrants on Monday. The Western Women’s Development Center in southwestern Seoul, selected as the first career center for multicultural families, will offer consulting, job coaching and various courses such as computer technology and sales services.The center will be affiliated with 24 other women’s career centers and multicultural family support systems, sharing employment information and consulting services. Only marriage immigrant women

A former chief of the national tax agency on Monday denied charges that he took bribes from CJ Group in return for providing favors during a tax audit into the local food and entertainment conglomerate.Jeon Goon-pyo, who led the National Tax Service (NTS) from July 2006 to November 2007, has been accused by his former staff of receiving cash and expensive watches from CJ Group in late 2006."Accusations that I received US$300,000 in U.S. bills and a watch are absolutely not true," Jeon told Yonha

The investigation into illegality by CJ Group is expanding with former deputy chief of the National Tax Service Hur Byung-ik being detained on Saturday on charges of receiving a bribe from CJ chairman Lee Jay-hyun. Lee is currently in custody on multiple charges including tax evasion and embezzlement. Hur is suspected of having received money from CJ Group officials in return for shielding the conglomerate from the scrutiny of the tax authorities. Hur is denying that he was bribed by CJ Group, s

Debate is brewing over the recent call by a group of public bathhouse owners for the government to lower the age limit on young male children entering female bathhouses.The Korea Federation of Public Bathhouses said that it was looking to lodge a formal complaint with the Ministry of Health and Welfare for the revision of the rule.The move comes amid growing debate about the age at which young children should be allowed to enter the baths of the opposite sex.In Korea, all public baths are separa

The Supreme Prosecutors’ Office said Sunday it had prepared measures to curb rising retaliatory crimes in the country.The number of offenders who attacked their original victim again for reporting them reached 243 last year, a nearly twofold increase from 132 in 2011.A prosecutors’ survey found that 76 percent of the retaliatory offenses took place in the early stages of investigation or immediately after the suspect was released after questioning.The prosecution said that from now on, victims w

South Korea said Sunday it will extend a "final offer" for talks to North Korea to discuss thenormalization of a suspended inter-Korean industrial complex in the North's border town of Gaeseong.   The Gaeseong Industrial Complex has remained shuttered since early April as the North unilaterally withdrew its workers from South Korean companies there amid heightened tensions on the peninsula.   The two sides have held six rounds of negotiations to reopen the factory zone, but to no avail. Seoul ha

   Police said Saturday that they are continuing the search for a missing 46-year-old man who jumped off a bridge into the Han River the previous day as part of a publicity stunt to garner donations for a men's rights activist group.   Sung Jae-gi, head of the men's rights advocacy group, jumped off the Mapo Bridge into the river that bisects Seoul on Friday after posting a notice online about his intentions one day earlier.   Police and rescue workers have been searching for him, but he is stil

Three workers were killed and 12 others injured Friday when a water tank burst during a stress test at a polysilicon plant construction site inside Samsung Fine Chemicals, police said.Hospital officials said the death toll could rise as some of the injured were in critical condition.According to the police, the 1,300-ton water tank was being filled for the third day to detect any cracks or defects in it. The steel tank exploded when about 1,000 tons of water were injected.Investigators suspected

Police said Friday they were searching for a male rights activist who jumped off a bridge into the Han River in Seoul in an apparent attempt to carry out his open threat to commit suicide if he failed to raise funds for his financially troubled organization.Citing witnesses, police said Sung Jae-gi, 45, jumped off the Mapo Bridge in western Seoul shortly after 3 p.m.  Photographs soon appeared on Sung's Twitter showing him holding onto the outer side of the bridge, ready to jump. The photos also