The Korea Herald

Woman who bit off attacker’s tongue acted in self defense: court

Oct 23, 2012

A woman who bit off the tongue of a man has been cleared of assault, according to local authorities in Uijeongbu.The man had tried to force her to kiss him and the prosecutors said on Tuesday that she acted to defend herself.Uijeongbu District Prosecutors’ Office said it has decided not to indict the 23-year-old woman for inflicting a severe injury on the 54-year-old taxi driver, surnamed Lee, who is accused of attempting to rape her.“(The victims’) right to defend themselves needs to be recogni
Six nabbed for illegal sales of U.S. military equipment

Oct 22, 2012

Six South Koreans have been indicted after they allegedly bought and resold U.S. military equipment banned from circulation, police said Monday.The group, including a man surnamed Kim, is suspected of purchasing seven U.S. military items, such as night vision goggles and laser target designators, from an unidentified soldier stationed at a U.S. military base in Dongducheon, 40 km north of Seoul, in May of last year, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said. Kim then allegedly smuggled the piece
Min Byoung-chul promotes Sunfull movement at Korea TESOL conference

Oct 22, 2012

The Korea Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages hosted a forum on the Sunfull movement for a sound Internet culture as part of its international conference held at Sookmyung Women’s University over the weekend.More than 1,500 participants attended the two-day event organized by the country’s largest gathering of teachers of English to share their knowledge and improve language education, according to the organizer.The annual conference included lectures, workshops and seminars on te
Polish first lady to visit HUFS

Oct 22, 2012

Anna Komorowska, the first lady of Poland, will visit Hankuk University of Foreign Studies this Thursday to attend a conference on Polish studies.She will make a congratulatory address at the third International Polish Studies academic conference by the Three East Asian Nations’ Polish Studies Association (SPTK) to promote competition and cooperation among Polish departments in universities in Korea, Japan and China.Komorowska, who arrives in Korea on Tuesday, will dine with the conference staff
Personality sets Hanyang students apart

Oct 22, 2012

President Lim says Hanyang diversifying to lead new growth sectors
Songdo chosen for Green Climate Fund

Oct 21, 2012

A mammoth United Nations fund will set up its head office in Songdo, Incheon, next year, the fund’s board members decided Saturday, which officials here hope will greatly boost Korea’s international profile. Songdo, Incheon’s newly-developed urban district, beat Bonn in Germany and four other cities in the race to host the secretariat of the Green Climate Fund.The GCF is a new U.N. entity which will channel up to $100 billion a year by 2020 to help developing countries fight climate change. “Sin
KAIST power struggle in balance

Oct 21, 2012

Allegations of political pressure, a backdoor agreement and venomous accusations over the top post of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science are tainting the reputation of the nation’s top science and engineering university. Its controversial president Suh Nam-pyo is under growing pressure to quit early from all sides in and out of the school. He has been at odds with rank-and-file professors, the student association, the board of directors and the government due to his drive for radical reform
40% in business believe Korea is corrupt

Oct 21, 2012

Four in 10 domestic businesspeople believe that Korean society is corrupt, mostly due to the country’s political system.According to a survey of 700 Korean businesspeople and 250 from foreign-invested companies by the Anti-Corruption & Civil Rights Commission, almost 40 percent of Koreans also think public servants are corrupt. About 12 percent of foreigners said likewise.Civic groups were chosen by the majority from both the surveyed groups to be the “cleanest” organizations in the country.More
Chinese fisherman died of cardiac rupture

Oct 21, 2012

The death of a Chinese fisherman during a confrontation with Korean authorities last week was due to a rupture in his heart, the result of shock caused by being hit with rubber bullet, the state forensic agency said Saturday.Citing an interim autopsy result, the National Forensic Service said part of the left side of his ribs was fractured, and the upper tip of his heart was cut about 2mm. This cut was the result of shock, not from the broken bones, it explained.“There were no signs of a batteri
Overseas Koreans ready to vote for next president

Oct 21, 2012

The voter registration of overseas Koreans for the presidential election in December ended Saturday (local time) with the registration rate marking 9.7 percent, or nearly 220,000, according to the National Election Commission on Sunday. The figure is up from 5.6 percent, or around 120,000, in the general election in April.Registration was available at overseas commissions in 107 countries for around 2.2 million eligible voters. As the overseas electorate could play a critical role in the electio
Expo to showcase elevator technology, safety measures

Oct 21, 2012

The Korea Lift Safety Expo 2012 will kick off in Seoul Tuesday with a variety programs to showcase the latest technology and safety measuresDuring the four-day event, hosted by the Ministry of Public Administration and Security, visitors will be able to view mechanisms of an elevator, as well as its transformation over the years and possible direction in the future through the exhibits, according to the organizing committee.About 78 elevator companies and colleges will attend and exhibit various
CouchSurfing catching on as travellers’ new means of stay

Oct 21, 2012

Zarina Jani wanted to visit Korea from her native Malaysia on a limited budget. She wanted to learn about real Korean life, something that would be easier if she stayed with a Korean family. Jani did a search on Google and discovered CouchSurfing, an online community founded on the notion of travelers hosting other travelers for free. Jani contacted the Kim family from Yongin, 50 kilometers south of Seoul, through the site and stayed with them over the Chuseok (Harvest Moon) holiday in 2009.“Kor
S. Korea selected as host of GCF secretariat

Oct 20, 2012

SONGDO (Yonhap) -- South Korea was selected as a host country of the secretariat of the United Nations climate fund on Saturday, raising hopes that it will play a bigger role on the international stage in tackling global challenges stemming from climate change.After holding a three-day board meeting of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) here, South Korea's Songdo, west of Seoul, was selected to house its secretariat. The final approval will be made later this year in Qatar.The GCF is a U.N. fund launc
ICLEI East Asia base comes to Seoul

Oct 19, 2012

ICLEI (International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives) ― Local Governments for Sustainability, a leading association of cities and local governments in 84 countries to promote to sustainable, environment-friendly development, opened its East Asian headquarters in Seoul on Friday. The organization founded in 1990 brings together 1,220 cities and local governments from 84 countries. Korea’s 64 local governments are members.ICLEI plans to provide a place for communication and action with
Trailblazer for women shares experiences

Oct 19, 2012

The increasing presence of women is transforming many arenas of society including politics, one of the most enduring bastions of male dominance. Former Finnish president Tarja Halonen has been one of the trailblazers in shattering the glass ceiling in the political world. During her tenure, her approval rating peaked at over 80 percent in her country, earning her the nickname “Mother of Finland.”“The fact that there are more and more women in parliaments and governments and there are more women