The Korea Herald

4 Korean civil servants injured by Chinese fishermen

Apr 30, 2012

Four South Korean civil servants were injured in an attack by Chinese fishermen illegally operating off the coast of South Jeolla Province on Monday.According to the local authorities, four civil servants tasked with controlling illegal fishing activities were attacked while attempting to board a Chinese fishing boat 45 miles west of the sland of Hong-do in Heuksan County at about 2:15 a.m.The inj
Seoul police chief to head Coast Guard

Apr 29, 2012

Seoul police chief Lee Kang-deok was named commissioner general of the Korea Coast Guard on Saturday. Lee has headed the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency since November last year. A close aide to President Lee Myung-bak, he was regarded the number one candidate for National Police Agency commissioner. But he was dropped in the wake of a scandal involving the government’s illicit surveillance of civilians.He formerly served as the presidential secretary of public safety and head of public order t
Anti-corruption agency ups transparency efforts

Apr 29, 2012

The Korean government pledged to foreign businesses to step up efforts to eradicate corruption and improve the environment for their investment. At a conference with foreign business leaders on Friday, Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission Chairwoman Kim Young-ran said that the agency’s efforts have led to a number of improvements regarding problems experienced by foreigners and that the commission is pushing for further institutional changes aimed at increasing the transparency of Korean
Court to decide on Choi’s arrest

Apr 29, 2012

Former KCC chairman’s heart surgery may delay detainmentThe court will decide on the arrest of former Korea Communications Commission chairman Choi See-joong on Monday, on charges of accepting bribes from a construction developer.The 75-year-old former broadcasting and telecom regulator with close ties to President Lee Myung-bak is suspected of having received 800 million won ($700,000) from his long-time friend some five years ago in return for leveraging his influence in getting a complex cons
Police: Wife kills husband with frying pan

Apr 29, 2012

A Russian man died after being hit on the head with a frying pan by his wife, who was "driven by jealousy," a local investigation committee said Saturday.Police said the man, 50, was hospitalized in the Urals city of Orenburg with acute cerebral circulatory problems and died the next day, RIA Novosti reported."The woman said she was driven by jealousy and hit her husband with a frying pan during a
Police use location tracing system in rescuing man from suicide

Apr 29, 2012

Police tracked the location of the phone of a man who attempted suicide and saved his life on Sunday. The man, who is in his 40s, drank pesticide at a fishing spot in Ansung, Gyeonggi province.Before the suicide attempt, the man made a phone call to his sister and said “I’m sorry.” The sister dialed 112, the state’s emergency hotline, to ask for help.Two officials from Ansung Provincial Police Age
BAI blames KORAIL for sloppy high-speed trains

Apr 27, 2012

The Board of Audit and Inspection said Friday that the state-run bullet train operator used flawed bullet trains on its Seoul-Sancheon route despite being aware of the risks. The state auditory body also spotted sloppy maintenance of parts, repairs, human resources training and overall safety measures, which it said led to a spike in accidents. “The number of high-speed train accidents soared by 116 percent a year after the Korea Railroad Corp. began its KTX-Sancheon operation,” the BAI said in
Unclear path for ‘East Sea’ name change

Apr 27, 2012

The International Hydrographic Conference wrapped up on Thursday without the adoption of “East Sea” as the name of the body of water between Korea and Japan. The International Hydrographic Organization will therefore continue to refer to the body of water as the Sea of Japan, as favored by the Japanese government. The government and civil society are expected to try and convince reluctant states over the next five years until the next meeting, observers said. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and
Police authorized to enter homes in domestic disturbances

Apr 27, 2012

Police will be authorized to enter premises following a report of a domestic disturbance without a search warrant in accordance with a new law taking effect next week. According to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, the law revision regarding domestic violence will take effect on May 2 after passing the National Assembly late last year.According to the ministry, the revision comes amid a public perception of domestic violence cases being simple marital disputes. The ministry also argues
Choi asked FSS chief to help developer

Apr 27, 2012

Key suspect Lee says he gave president’s confidant cash in shopping bagThe state financial regulatory chief has confirmed that former chief broadcasting regulator Choi See-joong asked him last year to “take good care of” issues concerning a business developer suspected of bribing Choi and others for favors.Prosecutors said Friday that they had already questioned officials from the Financial Supervisory Service to confirm the allegations involving its chief Kwon Hyouk-se.“We have confirmed the al
Childbirths in S. Korea rebound in Feb.

Apr 27, 2012

Childbirths in South Korea grew in February from a year earlier following five straight months of decline as the government encourages couples to have more babies, a report showed Friday. According to the report by Statistics Korea, the number of babies born in the cited month reached 46,000, up 6.3 percent, or about 2,400, from the same month a year earlier. The increase comes as Seoul is ac
Sound-sensitive security camera developed by KIST

Apr 26, 2012

Korean researchers have developed a new type of security camera capable of distinguishing sounds including human screams and explosions.When the camera detects a sound it turns toward the origin of the sound.Currently undergoing outdoor testing, the camera was developed by a team at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology, led by principal researcher Choi Jong-suk.“(The team) sped up the process of completing the technology due to the recent crimes that took place here,” Choi said. Choi al
Changwon hosts global civil service forum

Apr 26, 2012

Hundreds of officials from cities all over the world gathered in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province on Thursday to kick off one of the biggest international meetings on civil administration.The 12th International Congress of Educating Cities will discuss ways for the sustainable future of cities, and the ideas and policies required for such through the theme “Green Environment, Creative Education.”Changwon will be the first Asian city to host the event by the International Association of Educat
South Jeolla education chief arrested for bribery

Apr 26, 2012

Second liberal education superintendent to be hit by corruption chargessince 2010 electionsA new corruption scandal involving the South Jeolla education chief is dealing a blow to progressive educational circles. On Wednesday night, superintendent Chang Man-chai was arrested for allegedly receiving bribes and misappropriating public funds. Chang will be the second liberal educational superintendent charged with corruption, following Seoul superintendent Kwak No-hyun, who was recently convicted b
Prosecution suspends indictment of liberals

Apr 26, 2012

Prosecutors on Thursday suspended the indictment of Democratic United Party Rep. Chung Dong-young and popular TV host Kim Jae-dong, who are accused of violating election law by using Twitter to encourage voting during by-elections last October.Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office also cleared Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon of violating the political funding law. Prosecutors were unable to find evidence linking Park to the supporters’ association in question, or gathering funds as a candidate.(r