The Korea Herald

Ramid chairman summoned over GNP vote-buying scandal

Jan 29, 2012

The prosecution has summoned Ramid Group chairman Moon Byong-wook to report to its office Monday to explain whether he provided money for National Assembly Speaker Park Hee-tae’s cash-for-vote scheme during the Grand National Party’s 2008 leadership race. It also summoned Park’s secretaries, Lee Bong-geon and Koh Myeong-jin, over allegations receiving bribes and distributing them. The summons came as investigators of Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office on Saturday raided the headquarters
Building trust key to ending school violence

Jan 29, 2012

Students, teachers stress more talk and caring atmosphere in schoolsThe following is the last of a series of articles on school violence brought into the public spotlight following recent student suicides. ― Ed.A Seoul-based middle school has seen the number of incidents of school violence fall from five to one last year as a result of a three-year effort to reach out to troubled students ― both bullies and those being bullied. It is a typical public school in Korea, under the same stressful sys
Police officer relieved of duty over stock manipulation scandal

Jan 29, 2012

A senior police officer has been temporarily relieved of his duty for his alleged links with a scandal-ridden company involved in a diamond mining project in Cameroon, officials said Saturday.The officer, whose name was not released, received 100,000 shares of CNK International in 2009 by investing
Prosecutors raid firm suspected of illegally funding parliamentary speaker

Jan 28, 2012

(Yonhap) -- Prosecutors have searched the headquarters of a tourist and leisure business suspected of having provided illegal funds to National Assembly Speaker Park Hee-tae to help him win a party leadership race in 2008, a prosecution official said Saturday. The raid on the headq
Ex-GNP lawmaker convicted again

Jan 27, 2012

A disgraced former ruling party lawmaker was sentenced to another suspended prison term on Friday for receiving illegal political funds from a troubled savings bank struggling to avoid regulatory penalties.The Seoul Central District Court sentenced Gong Sung-Jin, 59, to a six-month prison term, suspended for one year. The court also ordered the former lawmaker forfeit nearly 172 million won ($153,000) he received from Samhwa Mutual Savings Bank before the bank had its business suspended by the f
Energy ambassador loses post over stock scandal

Jan 27, 2012

Kim Eun-seok, the foreign ministry’s ambassador for energy and resources, was relieved of his post Friday over allegations that he played a key role in a stock manipulation scandal related to a diamond mining project in Cameroon, a ministry official said.The move came one day after the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) demanded Kim’s dismissal, saying the ambassador had contributed to driving up the stock prices of CNK International, a mineral development company involved in mining diamonds in
Lee calls for fundamental solution to school violence

Jan 27, 2012

President Lee Myung-bak called for rooting out school violence and exercising greater parental oversight during a meeting with education groups after a series of bullied students killed themselves in recent months.“Parents, schools and students should all unite in strength. It seems we haven’t paid attention to the problem of children so far.I was shocked a lot (by the recent cases). We were oblivious when victimized students and their parents were suffering,” Lee said at the start of the meetin
Police officer reprimanded over text message to Lee

Jan 27, 2012

A senior police officer has been reprimanded after he replied to President Lee Myung-bak’s New Year’s text message with a warning that he will judge the president on a recent law revision seen as limiting the investigative rights of the police. President Lee sent a thank-you message to all police officers last Saturday, a day before the Lunar New Year holiday, saying, “I am grateful for your hard work and the fulfillment of your responsibility while others are resting. Korea relies on you and tr
Movie triggers debate on justice system

Jan 27, 2012

Judges emphasize need to let public know facts in ‘crossbow terror’ caseA courtroom movie tracing the conviction of a professor for shooting a crossbow at a judge has sparked a fresh round of debate on the judiciary. The newly released film, “Unbowed,” depicts the trial and conviction of Kim Myung-ho, a mathematics professor dismissed from Sungkyunkwan University, who attacked Park Hong-woo, then a Seoul High Court judge, with a crossbow.The film, which drew more than 1 million viewers in the fi
Korea to expand support for hiring foreign workers

Jan 27, 2012

The government will expand financial support for small- and medium-sized enterprises that find it difficult to hire highly educated foreign workers due to budget constraints.The Prime Minister’s Office said Thursday that it finalized this year’s policies regarding foreigners in a meeting with the related committee of 14 ministers and seven civilians. The office said the government will raise the maximum subsidy for small and mid-sized companies that hire highly qualified foreigners from 10-20 mi
Frozen Han could be history: Seoul

Jan 27, 2012

Sledding and ice fishing on the Han River may become history as the river running through Seoul is less likely to freeze during winter due to climate change. The river froze over for as long as 80 days in the 1900s, but due to climate change the period was shortened to an average of 14.5 days in the 2000s, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said Friday in a report on the Han River history. This year, the river first froze on Jan. 14, a day later than usual and 12 days later than last year.Last ye
Senior police officer disciplined over reply to president's text message

Jan 27, 2012

SEOUL, Jan. 27 (Yonhap) -- A senior police officer has been disciplined after answering President Lee Myung-bak's holiday text message with a warning that he will "pass judgment" on the government's law revision seen as restricting investigative rights of the police.On Saturday, Lee sent a thank-you
Ministry seeks court injunction on student rights ordinance

Jan 26, 2012

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education and the Education Ministry clashed over the controversial ordinance on students’ rights on Thursday as the ministry sought legal action to prevent its implementation.As soon as the Seoul Metropolitan Government proclaimed the ordinance in the name of SMOE chief Kwak No-hyun on Thursday morning, the education ministry filed a suit with the Supreme Court. “We will support schools to effectively implement the ordinance so that every student’s dignity and r
Auditors demand sacking of energy envoy

Jan 26, 2012

Prosecution raids office of CNK International over stock scandalThe state watchdog on Thursday demanded the Foreign Ministry sack Kim Eun-seok, the ministry’s ambassador for energy and resources, for his role in pumping up the stock price of CNK International in 2010 by releasing an exaggerated press release.The Board of Audit and Inspection said its council of commissioners held a meeting earlier in the morning and decided to punish Kim and other government officials who engaged in insider trad
Branksome Hall Asia to hold admissions info session on Feb. 8

Jan 26, 2012

Branksome Hall Asia, the first overseas campus of a premier all-girls independent school in North America, will hold an admissions information session at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 8, in the Orchid Room at Grand Intercontinental Seoul Parnas Hotel.According to the school’s PR representative KPR on Thursday, Branksome Hall Asia, which opens in Jeju Global Education city in October, is accepting boys and girls for preschool to grade 3, and only girls for grades 4 through 12. For its foundation year