South Korea will seek to make the visa process for Chinese tourists faster and more convenient in an effort to tap into the neighboring nation’s booming overseas tourism market, a presidential committee reported Wednesday.The Presidential Council on National Competitiveness reported the measure to President Lee Myung-bak, saying Chinese tourists are expected to overtake their Japanese counterparts in the near future as the No. 1 visitors to South Korea.The number of Chinese visitors nearly tripl

A senior in high school died of excessive bleeding while getting an abortion in her second trimester of pregnancy, police said Wednesday. The 17-year-old, only identified by her surname Lee, was rushed to a bigger hospital after her heart stopped beating but died of a massive hemorrhage caused by uterine perforation, a side effect that can occur during abortion procedures, according to the police.Lee was 23 weeks pregnant when she was undergoing the surgical abortion last Saturday.“The abortion

A total of 11 over-the-counter drugs including fever reducers and painkillers will be sold at 24-hour convenience stores around the country starting Thursday, officials at the Ministry of Health and Welfare said. The selected items are classified as first-aid remedies and will not require a doctor’s prescription for purchase, they said. Aimed at offering easier access to the public, the drugs will be sold at 115,338 convenience stores and 1,907 local health care centers in rural areas that have

Korea’s launch of space rocket to be further delayedSouth Korea’s planned launch of a space rocket will likely be further delayed, government officials said Wednesday, as the Russian replacement for a defective part in the Korea Space Launch Vehicle-1 (KSLV-1) is not expected to arrive here until the end of the week.The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and its Launch Preparation Committee earlier said the launch of the KSLV-1 would take place before Nov. 24.The replacement of the de

’Socialite Kelly is honorary consul of Korea’ Seoul officials on Wednesday confirmed that a U.S. woman in Tampa, Florida who is linked to the sudden resignation of CIA Director David Petraeus is an honorary consul of South Korea and she will be relieved from the symbolic post if she is found to be problematic. Harassment allegations by the Tampa socialite Jill Kelley led the FBI to uncover an extramarital affair between Petraeus, the former top commander in Iraq and Afghanistan who stepped down

Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik on Tuesday called on the prosecution and police to resolve their bitter feud over investigative powers or face government arbitration. The two sides have been at odds recently over a corruption case involving a senior prosecutor accused of taking bribes from a conman and a mid-sized conglomerate. Kim expressed regret to Justice Minister Kwon Jae-jin and Public Administration and Security Minister Maeng Hyung-kyu, who are in charge of supervising the respective agenci

South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan will visit the United Arab Emirates later this week to attend an annual forum on peace and security in the Middle East, a ministry official said Tuesday. At the invitation of UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan, Kim is to make a three-day visit to the UAE from Friday and will be the first Asian foreign minister to join the Sir Bani Yas Forum in Abu Dhabi, the official said. The forum is aimed at discussing pending issues for peace

The fees for foreigner registration and domestic residence registration for overseas Koreans are set to be doubled starting Jan.1.The Ministry of Justice on Tuesday made the public notice of legislation of the revised enforcement decrees on the Act on the Immigration and Legal Status of Overseas Koreans and the Immigration Control Act entailing the changes.Under the revised regulations, the foreigner registration fee will be raised to 20,000 won from the current 10,000 won. The fee for domestic

Police have caught a group of manufacturers of illegal breast implants which were filled with industrial silicone, normally used as a raw material for paint. The implants were sold below market price to more than 100 hospitals nationwide including some in Cheongdam-dong, a Gangnam district famous for plastic surgery in Korea, the Gyeonggi Provincial Police Agency said on Tuesday. There are some patients suffering from skin inflammation and bedsores since getting the implants, officers said. The

The independent counsel is considering charging President Lee Myung-bak’s son and several aides as the team wraps up its one-month inquiry into alleged irregularities in a canceled property deal.Lee Kwang-bum plans to announce the result of the investigation Wednesday after Lee refused extend the investigation period by an additional 15 days.Sources said Tuesday the special prosecutor is weighing indicting the president’s son Lee Si-hyung without detention. It may also file charges against sever