The Korea Herald

Gender equality slightly improved last year: gov't report

Dec 27, 2012

South Korea's gender equality improved slightly last year, but the equality level deteriorated when it comes to safety due to the recent rise of heinous crimes against women, a government report showed Thursday.According to the 2012 report on Korea's gender equality by the Korean Women's Development Institute, the nation's equality index was 63.5 out of the full score of 100 for last year, up 0.3 points from 63.2 in 2010.The index measures gender equality in eight major categories: family, welfa
Prosecution demands six-month term for late Roh’s daughter

Dec 26, 2012

The prosecution on Wednesday demanded a six-month jail term for late President Roh Moo-hyun’s daughter on charges of violating the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act.Roh Jeong-yeon is alleged to have illicitly wired 1.3 billion won ($1.2 million) to a Korean-American lawyer in 2008 to purchase a high-end apartment in New Jersey without reporting the outbound money transaction to the state authorities.During a court hearing at the Seoul Central District Court, Roh’s attorney Kwak Sang-eon claimed
Social spending second lowest among OECD countries: report

Dec 26, 2012

The ratio of public social spending to the gross domestic product in Korea was the second lowest among OECD countries with 9.4 percent, a report showed on Wednesday.Mexico was the lowest with 8.2 percent while social spending amounted to 22.1 percent of GDP on average in the OECD area in 2009, OECD said in its recent report.Korea, however, experienced the fastest increase in real social spending between 2007 and 2012 at 37 percent, far exceeding the OECD average of 10 percent, it added.The repor
Innisfree tea recalled on bacterial test

Dec 26, 2012

A tea product from Innisfree, a South Korean cosmetics company, has been recalled, authorities said on Wednesday.“Cactus Tea” with the expiration date of Nov. 27, 2014, failed to pass the bacterial test, according to the Korea Food & Drug Administration. 　Innisfree, a popular cosmetics shops, is taking the product in question off the market voluntarily. The KFDA said consumers should take the purchased tea back to the shop. From news reports(khnews@heraldcorp.com) <관련 한글 기사>이니스프리 ‘백년초티’서 기준치 초과
S. Korea's welfare spending 2nd lowest among OECD nations: report

Dec 26, 2012

South Korea spends much less on public welfare than most other advanced countries compared to its gross domestic product (GDP), but the growth rate of its social expenditure far outpaces them, a report showed Wednesday.According to the report by the state-run Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, the ratio of South Korea's welfare spending to its GDP stood at 9.4 percent in 2009, the second lowest among 30 members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The
Police officer arrested in vault burglary

Dec 26, 2012

A police officer has been arrested on suspicion of helping to rob a post office vault earlier this month, police said Wednesday.The 44-year-old officer, identified only by his surname Kim, is suspected of colluding with a robbery suspect, surnamed Park, in stealing some 52 million won ($48,408) worth of cash from the vault in this southwestern port city on Dec. 8, they said.The Yeosu Police Station said they have placed Kim under emergency arrest after obtaining a confession from Park who was ap
Questions linger over Park’s pledges on education

Dec 25, 2012

Following is the fourth in a series of articles on President-elect Park Geun-hye’s key policies. ― Ed. Building a better education system is a quest for all governments, but the pressure is ever more intense and urgent for President-elect Park Geun-hye.Private education costs, added to swelling household debt, are weighing heavily on the whole economy. Mediocre classes are threatening to undermine national competitiveness. Cutthroat competition for academic excellence is driving stressed student
Police arrest runaway rape suspect

Dec 25, 2012

A man who escaped five days ago from a police station where he was being questioned for rape allegations has been arrested, local police said Tuesday.Noh Young-dae, 32, was found hiding in a residential building in Ansan, Gyeonggi Provice at 4:25 p.m., with his left hand still handcuffed, the police said. Noh, alleged of raping a woman at an Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province apartment earlier this month, had been apprehended for questioning on Dec. 17. He fled the Ilsan police station on Dec. 20 while of
Korean workers’ average age approaches 40

Dec 24, 2012

A rapidly graying population is changing the look of Korea’s labor force, with the average age of workers approaching 40, according to government data. Workers’ age averaged 39.6 in 2011, up from 36.5 in 2001, according to a report released Sunday by the Ministry of Employment and Labor. In 2001, young workers, aged 15-29, were the biggest demographic group in the labor pool, with their number coming to 4.27 million. This group has shrunk by 15.6 percent over the past decade to 3.6 million, whil
Mastermind of contract killing caught in U.S.

Dec 24, 2012

Korean and international police have recently caught in Los Angeles the suspected mastermind of a contract killing of a woman 16 years ago.The 56-year-old man, known to be a member of a Chinese gang operating in Los Angeles, is suspected of sending his henchmen to Seoul in 1996 to kill the woman. The husband of the then 45-year-old victim asked the man, identified by his surname Kim, to kill her while the couple was in the process of divorce, police said. The wife had requested 5 billion won ($4
Seoul considers action against illegal stem cell operations in Japan

Dec 24, 2012

The Ministry of Health and Welfare will consider taking legal action against a Korean biotech company involved in illegal stem cell operations of Korean patients in Japan and China, officials said on Monday.The move came after a Japanese newspaper reported on a dermatology clinic in Fukuoka administering stem cell injections to hundreds of Korean patients a month.About 500 patients a month were injected with manufactured stem cells in hospitals without approval in Korea, by a Seoul-based bio ven
Thousands of singles gather in Christmas Eve blind date

Dec 24, 2012

Braving the freezing cold and safety concerns, thousands of young singles gathered at a recreational park in central Seoul to find their Mr. and Ms. Rights on Christmas Eve.Korea’s largest outdoor blind date called “Solo Battle” was held in Yeouido Park, though there were fewer-than-expected participants amid the chilly weather. In the morning, the mercury hit minus 14 degrees Celsius, the lowest this winter. “I am looking forward to finding a date. I have a little hope that I can find the one
‘Private education costs for preschoolers surge’

Dec 24, 2012

Despite increased state support for child care, many parents are spending more money on private education for children under age 6, a report showed on Monday.According to research by the Korea Institute of Child Care and Education, the country’s private education market for preschool children is estimated to be 2.7 trillion won ($2.5 billion), which accounts for 0.2 percent of gross domestic product. Private education for infants includes “play schools” taught both in Korean and English, culture
Korea eyes 3,000 social enterprises by 2017: ministry

Dec 24, 2012

Five-year plans calls for expansion of support throughout business cycle
Mass blind date held on Christmas Eve

Dec 24, 2012

Braving the freezing cold and safety concerns, thousands of young singles gathered at a recreational park in central Seoul to find their Mr. and Ms. Rights on Christmas Eve.Korea’s largest outdoor blind date called “Solo Battle” was held in Yeouido Park though there were fewer-than-expected participants amid the chilly weather. In the morning the mercury hit minus 14 degrees Celsius, the lowest this winter. “I am looking forward to finding a date. I have a little hope that I can find the one am