South Korea's finance minister has said the government is considering levying taxes on the clergy as part of an effort to ensure equitable taxation.In a interview aired by a local cable TV network on Monday, Bahk Jae-wan said the government is weighing the option of whether to discuss levying taxes

City hospitals have received the highest marks while road maintenance and sports facilities scored low in a citizen satisfaction survey for city services, city officials said Monday. According to the annual poll by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, city hospitals received the highest score of 86.1, thanks to staff kindness, clean facilities and convenience. Road and sports facility maintenance scored 57.5 and 56.6 points for lack of safety and accessibility, respetively. Most of the sports faci

State University of New York opened its Korea campus in Songdo, Incheon on Monday, which is the first branch campus of the U.S. university in Korea. “We are proud that after a long relationship with Korea we constructed this partnership,” said SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher at a meeting with Education Minister Lee Ju-ho on Monday morning before the opening ceremony.“We have had a rough start in embarking on the project, but I look forward to a great outcome. More elite schools are also flocking t

High living costs, lack of classes in English and language barriers citedStudying abroad was once an essential university experience for Korean students, but the tables have turned with some 100,000 foreign students now seeking higher education here.But as universities fight to lure foreign students to their universities as a way to globalize their own students, schools are coming up short in accommodating their needs.Earlier this month the Korea International Students Support Association brough

The Korea Coast Guard announced Monday that it deployed an additional CN-235 aircraft to patrol the southwestern coastal waters of Korea.The plane will be operated by the Yeosu-based aviation unit of the Korea Coast Guard’s South Regional Headquarters. The coastguard currently operates six CN-235 aircraft. The aircraft are currently divided equally between the coastguard units covering the western and southern waters.The Korea Coast Guard plans to deploy two CN-235 planes for each of Korea’s thr

Less than a week before the Seoul Nuclear Security Summit, city officials are asking for the public’s cooperation in keeping its streets traffic-free for the hundreds of delegates moving within the city, officials said Monday.Seoul Metropolitan Government is asking drivers to leave their cars at home on March 26 and 27 and use public transportation during the gathering of leaders of 53 countries and four international organizations.Seoul City officials want drivers who absolutely must drive to l

Prosecutors to grill witness who says Cheong Wa Dae tried to cover up illegal spying on civilianThe prosecutors investigating the scandal involving the Prime Minister’s Office’s illegal surveillance of a civilian will summon Jang Jin-su on Tuesday.Jang, a former civil servant convicted of destroying evidence regarding the matter, is at the center of growing controversy surrounding Cheong Wa Dae officials’ alleged attempt to cover up the incident.Jang, who previously disclosed a recording of a co

The Korea Herald on Oct. 20, 2011 reprinted a Yonhap News article titled "Orion Group chairman sentenced to prison over slush funds." In the article, Yonhap News reported that Hong Song-won, head of Gallery Seomi, was sentenced to a suspended two-and-a-half-year jail term for helping Orion Chairman

More allegations surfaced over the weekend further suggesting the Presidential Office’s involvement in an illegal surveillance scandal, as the prosecution banned a former presidential aide from traveling aboard, reopening its probe into the 2010 case. It was claimed Saturday that Yim Tae-hee, chief of staff to President Lee Myung-bak, had given money to family members of two former officials indicted in the scandal. According to multiple news reports, Yim delivered an unknown amount of cash to t

Resident’s registration numbers banned for age approval; filtering software to be distributedThe government has strengthened measures to prevent teenagers from easy access to pornographic websites and adult content on mobile phones. The measures came at the national policy meeting presided over by the prime minister on Friday.Social security numbers will be disabled when they are used to get the age approval needed to view adult content on the Internet from August. Social security numbers have b