A fire broke out at the nation’s biggest thermal power plant in Boryeong, South Chungcheong Province, on Thursday night. The blaze was put out completely in Friday morning. No one was killed or injured.The blaze started on a power cable in the basement of Unit 1. A total of 402 fire fighters and 30 fire trucks rushed to the site. The unit has stopped generating electricity. Unit 2’s operation was also halted due to planned maintenance work. The Boryeong power plant has four units, which supply 8

The government will deport two foreign activists for protesting the construction of a naval base in Gangjeong village on Jeju Island. The government will also deny entry to foreigners coming to the island for similar activities. According to the Ministry of Justice on Thursday, Angie Zelter, 61, from the United Kingdom, and Benjamain Monnet, 33, from France, will be deported for violating the Immigration Law. Local police referred the case to the prosecution for indictment but prosecutors decide

Five lawyers were appointed “legal advocates for child victims of sexual violence” at Seoul Central Prosecutors’ Office Friday. They will help underage victims from the initial investigation stage through the trial. The Ministry of Justice said that the revised law to protect children from sex crimes came into effect Friday and that the law offers more support for underage victims of sexual assault, especially boys. The legal advocacy system for child victims of sexual violence is new to Korea,

Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik on Friday ordered a thorough investigation into a recent electricity cut at a nuclear power plant, saying its safety cannot be compromised.The prime minister‘s remarks came days after the plant’s operator suspended operation of the Gori-1 reactor at the Gori Nuclear Power Plant in Busan, 450 kilometers south of Seoul. The reactor was found to have temporarily lost power during a safety inspection in early February, which was belatedly reported to a state safety commi

Teachers sought professional advice most for students’ behavioral and mental problems, according to data from a telephone counseling service for teachers released on Friday. Behavioral problems such as attention deficit disorder were the most frequently mentioned issues, accounting for 31 percent of inquiries. Mental problems such as depression were second with 24 percent, followed by suicide issues with 14 percent.The data is based on a total of 218 phone calls made by teachers to Seoul’s teach

Prosecutors have decided to reopen an investigation into an illegal surveillance scandal involving the Prime Minister's Office two years ago, following a recent allegation by one of the key suspects that the presidential office attempted a cover-up, a source at the prosecution said Friday. Seven off

Illegal immigrant workers face human rights violations during crackdown by immigration officers, a report said found.According to the report the Human Rights Commission of Korea released last week, about 30 percent of illegal immigrants said they experienced human rights violations when caught during raids. Over half of them said they weren’t informed about the future process and nor given interpretation assistance on the spot. The report is based on a survey conducted from July 20-29 in 2010. T

Prosecutors apprehended seven Korean-Americans, including two lawyers, on drug-related charges on Thursday.According to Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, a corporate lawyer, a native-speaking English teacher, and two others were indicted on charges of marijuana possession with intent to sell.The lawyer was found to have habitually smoked marijuana between January and August last year, and sold roughly 12 million won ($10,600) worth of the drug on 16 separate occasions, said prosecutors

Two universities in South Korea have been listed on a global top 100 league based on academic reputation. Seoul National University was placed in the 51st to 60th group, the same spot as last year, while Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, which was listed in the 91st to 100th band last year, moved up to the next highest group ― 81st to 90th ― according to the World Reputation rankings released by the Times Higher Education Supplement on Thursday. “It has been a year of stability

More women go on to university than men, while the number of elementary school students dropped by 34.2 percent in two decades, Statistics Korea said Thursday. According to its report of the 2011 census, about 75 percent of women went to universities or colleges, compared to 70.2 percent of men. In addition, about 75.8 percent of elementary school teachers were women, a steep rise from 51.6 percent in 1991. Due to the low birthrate, the number of elementary, middle and high school pupils dropped

Police officer files complaint against prosecutor for allegedly suppressing probeThe revised Criminal Procedure Act is once again heating up the tension between the nation’s police and prosecutors.This time, the two organizations are clashing over a complaint filed by a police officer against the prosecutor in charge of an investigation.On Jan. 20, an inspector at Miryang Police Station filed a complaint to the National Police Agency regarding a prosecutor, who was in charge of a case he was inv