The Korea Herald

F1 Korean Grand Prix bleeds red for third straight year

Nov 21, 2012

The only annual Formula One (F1) auto racing event in South Korea has bled red for the third straight year, race organizers said Wednesday.The organizing committee for the F1 Korean Grand Prix said this year‘s event resulted in an operating loss of 39.4 billion won ($36.4 million).The race has been held annually in Yeongam, South Jeolla Province, about 400 kilometers south of Seoul, since 2010.The organizers said this year’s race cost them 74.5 billion won. They made 35.1 billion won from ticket
High court halves compensation for families of ‘Inhyeokdang’ victims

Nov 21, 2012

Compensation for families of a group of pro-democracy activists who were falsely convicted of violating the anti-communist security law and executed in the mid-1970s has been sharply reduced by an appellate court, officials said Wednesday.In 1975, 25 anti-government demonstrators were indicted, including eight who were executed, for trying to rebuild a disbanded pro-communist group called “Inhyeokdang,” in violation of the anti-communist National Security Law.Almost three decades later, the Trut
Another assault on Korean in Australia raises alarm

Nov 20, 2012

Another Korean in Australia was seriously injured in an assault last month, raising concerns over the safety of Asian immigrants in the country.The 33-year-old Korean, identified only with his surname Kim, was attacked on Oct. 13 by four to five people near his residence in Sydney, according to Kim and Australian police. The attackers kicked Kim and struck his head with a golf club. The Korean ended up with two broken ribs and skull fractures, police said.“They were hiding behind a car and sudde
[Newsmaker] Kim case reveals ugly face of prosecution

Nov 20, 2012

Kim Kwang-jun, a senior prosecutor at Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office, was arrested Monday on suspicion of corruption in a case that is tainting the reputation of the prosecution. The 51-year-old is accused of a long list of wrongdoings, mostly bribery and influence-peddling. Among them is that he may have received nearly 900 million won ($826,000) from Cho Hee-pal, the mastermind of Korea’s biggest-ever pyramid scheme, and Eugene Group, a mid-sized conglomerate, in exchange for favors. Kim’s mod
Bus strike looms larger over parliamentary taxi bill

Nov 20, 2012

Bus drivers vowed Tuesday to begin a naitonwide strike later this week in protest against a bill that redefines taxis as a mode of mass transit and offers them compensation for losses.The debate over whether taxis are public transportation means heated up after a parliamentary committee last week unanimously passed the bill that effectively categorized taxis as a mode of mass transit.The bill has yet to be approved by a full parliamentary session.Expressing immediate opposition to the move, the
Threatened bus strike could cause public transport chaos

Nov 20, 2012

All city and inter-city buses nationwide could stop operating from Thursday morning if the National Assembly passes a revised act Wednesday that acknowledges taxis as a means of public transportation.“Five hundred bus operators and 100,000 bus drivers cannot but express anger toward ignorance of the political circles, who are only interested in garnering votes in the upcoming presidential election,” said the bus union through a statement released Monday. Around 48,000 city and inter-city busses
‘Human flesh’ pills from China contain human DNA

Nov 20, 2012

Human DNA, body and skin tissues were found in “human flesh” pills smuggled from China and illegally traded at local markets in Korea, health authorities said Tuesday.The Korea Food and Drug Agency said the pills being sold at a local market in Seoul contained a mix of human organs and skin tissues. Body parts of animals like cows, pigs and horses were not found in the genetic analysis of the tablets, officials said. They did not detect medical substances like steroids or bacteria such as salmon
Seoul City receives Guangzhou award for urban innovation

Nov 20, 2012

Seoul City said Monday that it received the Guangzhou International Award for Urban Innovation (the “Guangzhou Award”), an award co-hosted by Metropolis, Guangzhou Municipal Government and the United Cities and Local Governments. They received a trophy and prize money of $20,000 last Friday.Vancouver (Canada), Vienna (Austria), Kocaeli (Turkey) and Lilongwe (Malawi) have also received the award.UCLG is a local government organization established in 2004 with over 1,000 cities and 112 Local Gover
Painting depicting Saenuri presidential candidate stirs controversy

Nov 20, 2012

A painting depicting ruling Saenuri Party presidential hopeful Park Geun-hye giving birth to a baby who looks like her late father has fueled fresh controversy about freedom of expression and political exploitation of art ahead of the December election.The painting by Hong Sung-dam, a member of the country's progressive Minjung art movement, shows Park reclining in a hospital delivery room with her legs in stirrups, and expressing joy at having given birth to a baby boy wearing sunglasses.The wo
Number of Koreans studying overseas falls

Nov 19, 2012

The number of Koreans studying overseas fell this year for the first time in four years amid a prolonged economic slowdown, a report said Monday.As of April, students at foreign universities or short-term language courses dropped by nearly 9 percent from a year earlier to 239,213, according to the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.The report released by the Bank of Korea showed that some 154,000 students are pursuing degrees at overseas universities, a 6 percent drop from the previou
Bus unions warn of strike against new taxi rules

Nov 19, 2012

Bus operators across the country threatened to halt operations in protest of a National Assembly bill that acknowledges taxis as a means of public transport, which would increase state subsidies and allow them to use bus lanes. A federation of bus operators plans convene an emergency general meeting in Seoul Tuesday, gathering regional representatives from 17 major cities and provinces The move came after the Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs Committee at the National Assembly last Thursday u
Leaders of Korea, China bash Japan over history

Nov 19, 2012

PHNOM PENH (Yonhap News) ― President Lee Myung-bak and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao took a swipe at Japan Monday for failing to fully shed its wartime past as they met on the sidelines of a regional summit overshadowed by history and sovereignty spats among the three neighbors.The one-on-one meeting held on the margin of a regional summit in Phnom Penh highlighted tensions both South Korea and China have with Japan. Seoul and Tokyo have been at odds over Japan’s claims to South Korea’s easternmost
Policeman catches suicidal teen

Nov 19, 2012

A school girl, who was stressed over dating issues, threw herself from a building in an apparent suicide attempt, but survived with only minor injuries after a policeman caught her.Suwon Nambu Police Station said it received an emergency call from a 16-year-old girl saying she was about to kill herself at 10:30 a.m. Sunday. “I had a fight with my boyfriend. I’m going to fall to my death so contact him when I die,” the unnamed girl said.After tracing the call, police found the girl standing on a
WHO to disclose toxic tobacco ingredients

Nov 18, 2012

The World Health Organization, in collaboration with its member countries, will disclose toxic tobacco ingredients in a global move to scientifically assess the harmful effects of smoking. At an international conference on tobacco control held in Seoul, about 140 participating countries agreed to list the poisonous contents of tobacco that threaten not only the health of smokers but also those around them, officials said. The new measure will allow governments around the world share the list of
Korea has most road deaths in OECD

Nov 18, 2012

Korea recorded the highest rate of death by road accidents in 2010 among 29 OECD member nations, according to the Korea Transport Institute.At a seminar to promote better transportation and road safety on Friday, Seol Jae-hoon, a KTI official, said that 11.3 per 100,000 people died due to road accidents.Greece and the U.S. came second and third as they marked 11.1 and 10.6, respectively. Iceland recorded the lowest death rate with 2.5, followed by Sweden, 2.8, and the U.K., 3.1. Car accidents ov