The Korea Herald

Ex-media union chief cleared of embezzlement

Jun 22, 2012

The Supreme Court on Friday cleared Shin Hak-rim, former leader of the National Union of Media Workers, of embezzlement charges.The nation’s top court overturned an appellate court’s ruling that Shin having received 12 million won ($10,200) withdrawn from the union’s bank account to make up for loss of income between 2003 and 2007 was illegal.Justice Chon Soo-an said Shin suffered various disadvantages after being selected as the union leader and there had been internal agreement that Shin shoul
Korea eyes satellite sales to developing countries

Jun 22, 2012

Korea is in talks with developing countries to sell its commercial satellites and related technologies, the state-run space agency said. “We’re aiming to export our satellites as well as ground facilities starting this year,” Kim Seung-jo, president of Korea Aerospace Research Institute, told reporters on Thursday.“Countries in South America, Colombia in particular, have shown a great interest in buying our satellites,” he added. Although he admitted that the agency still has no firm contract,
Japanese rightist ‘terrorizes’ memorials to comfort women

Jun 22, 2012

A Japanese rightist provoked public outrage by placing a stake claiming Dokdo as Japanese territory beside a commemorative statue for Korean wartime sex slaves during Japanese colonial rule. The 90 centimeter-long wooden post erected Tuesday by Suzuki Nobuyuki, a former unsuccessful councilor candidate, claimed the islets as part of Japanese territory.He returned to his country and exhibited his “achievement” on his personal blog and YouTube. Local police said that after he took a picture with t
Science education support for developing countries

Jun 21, 2012

The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology announced Thursday that it will continue its support for science and technology education in developing countries.The ministry will carry out nine support projects in eight countries, including Nepal, Sri Lanka, Mongolia, Tanzania, Laos and Peru starting this year. The ministry also noted that it would provide a maximum of 100 million won ($86,000) for each project. A new laboratory for developing solar energy will be set up in Nepal and joint-re
Ex-gangster arrested for killing wife, other family for insurance

Jun 21, 2012

A former gangster has been arrested on suspicion of killing his wife, brother and brother-in-law in order to receive insurance money after disguising their deaths as accidents, police said Thursday.The 46-year-old man surnamed Park is also accused of trying to kill his lover's husband, who was left with a disability after two years in the hospital, according to police at the Seoul Metropolitan Pol
Pharmaceutical mogul’s son arrested for embezzlement

Jun 21, 2012

Kang Moon-seok, vice-chairman of Sooseok Trading and second son of Dong-A Pharmaceutical chairman Kang Shin-ho, was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of embezzlement and breach of duty. Officers at the Seoul Eastern Prosecutors Office said Thursday that the junior Kang is suspected of pocketing a total of 4.5 billion won ($3.8 million) from Digital Ocean, an online ad agency his company acquired, from June 2008 to last September. He is also accused of inflicting 2 billion won in damages to Digital
Seoul City plans solar panels

Jun 21, 2012

Seoul Metropolitan Government on Thursday unveiled a plan to install solar panels on around 10,000 buildings, schools and houses by 2014.The city aims to increase the use of photovoltaic energy to 320 megawatts of electricity by that year. Half of the energy will be generated from rooftops or idle facilities of public offices and schools, while the other half from private buildings and houses. The city will also make an online solar map that shows the expected generating capacity of the solar po
EIE Institute offers specialized courses to develop English speaking, writing

Jun 21, 2012

The EIE Institute, a nationwide English-language school in Korea, is offering a new type of English course specially designed for speaking and writing development.The private school chain together with the English Institute of Korea University has been developing the course for students ranging from elementary to high school levels since March this year.According to the EIE Institute, speaking and writing skills are becoming more important to students than ever as the government is planning to r
Experts to discuss new media impact on Asia Pacific

Jun 21, 2012

About 300 journalists and media experts from more than 100 news organizations in 25 countries will gather in central Seoul this weekend to discuss the impact of new media in the Asia Pacific region, the event organizer said.Kicking off on Friday, the East-West Center’s third International Media Conference will be held at Yonsei University through Sunday, under the theme, “Networked News: How new media is shaping stories in Asia and the Pacific,” said co-host EWC, a U.S. research and education or
Ex-aide indicted for cyber attack probe leak

Jun 21, 2012

Opposition calls for new probe claiming special prosecution failed to verify mastermindSpecial prosecutors investigating a cyber attack on the National Election Commission website during the Oct. 26 by-elections indicted on Thursday former presidential senior secretary for political affairs Kim Hyo-jae for leaking confidentiality regarding the probe to a prime suspect’s side. The main opposition party demanded a parliamentary investigation, claiming the prosecutors failed to narrow in on the mas
Naver CEO apologizes over ‘inappropriate’ cartoon post

Jun 21, 2012

Kim Sang-hun, CEO of NHN Corp, which runs South Korea’s leading portal website Naver, apologized Thursday for negligence in monitoring an online comic that contained sexual violence and inappropriate scenes.On Tuesday, a high school student uploaded an obscene post titled "Noise" on a cartoon section that allows amateur artists to share their user created content. The cartoon depicted a man kidnapping an elementary school student and sexually assaulting her with a comment saying “I don’t care if
Korean victims of sex trafficking in Japan receive renewed attention

Jun 21, 2012

“I’ve lost so much blood, I feel dizzy. It’s debt. They won’t listen.”A Korean female victim sent an urgent text message for help to an anti-trafficking group. The group revealed sex trafficing stories of the victim and others at a press conference in Tokyo Wednesday.The unnamed victim was malnourished and suffering from abdominal inflammation when she sent the distressed message to Polaris Project Japan’s hotline. The woman, who is in her twenties, had been forced into prostitution after she ha
Managers, owners of defunct savings banks siphoned off 1.2 trillion won

Jun 20, 2012

The prosecution on Wednesday confirmed that 1.282 trillion won ($1.1 billion) from four now-closed savings banks was misappropriated by management and major shareholders. The investigators have decided to confiscate 332.7 billion won and indict 25 key figures responsible for corruption in addition to the indicted chairmen of Solomon, Mirae Mutual, Hanju and Korea savings banks. According to the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, management at the banks arranged illegal loans as well as embezzled and a
Police arrest 6 for giving prostitutes meth

Jun 20, 2012

Police arrested six men and booked 18 others for injecting prostitutes with methamphetamine and taking it themselves on Wednesday. Those who were arrested met the prostitutes through dating websites between February 2011 and March 2012, Gyeonggi Provincial Police Agency said.They injected themsleves with methamphetamine and gave it to the women to enhance physical pleasure during sex.(The Korea Herald)<한글 기사>성매매 여성에게 히로뽕 투약한 일당 검거경기지방경찰청 마약수사대는 20일 성매매 여성에게 히로뽕을 투약한 혐의로 김모(35)씨 등 6명을 구속하고 태모(37)
SMEs vow to join nationwide effort to save energy

Jun 20, 2012

South Korea's small and medium enterprises (SMEs) pledged Wednesday to play an active role in cutting back on electricity use during the peak summer months.Members of the Korea Federation of Small and Medium Business, the Korea Federation of Retail Organizations and the Korean Women Entrepreneurs Association met in Seoul to give support to government-led efforts to cut back on electricity use.The