Snow, icy roads and freezing cold are in store for the coming Lunar New Year holidays, as millions are expected to hit the road to spend the holidays with family in their hometowns. The eastern province of Gangwon will be blanked with snow throughout the weekend, while most parts of the country will remain dry with cloudy skies.The Korea Meteorological Administration has issued a heavy snow alert Friday for mountainous areas in Gangwon, predicting as much as 30 centimeters of snowfalls through S

For Song Inho, an architecture professor of the University of Seoul, the most propitious place in the capital is an area extending from the peak of Mount Inwang to its northern ridge. On the summit of the mountain behind the presidential office, he can get a clear aerial view of the ancient fortress wall that encircles Seoul.In the fortress wall, he also sees a thick layer of the 600-year history of the capital.Fascinated by the magnificent landscape, he wants to share the beauty of the cultural

A former Miss Korea and news anchor has filed a defamation lawsuit against several media outlets asking for more than half a billion won in compensation, said a local court.“They printed an article that defamed my name and personal life without giving me the right of reply,” said Han Sung-ju as quoted by the Seoul Central District Court on Thursday.The 37-year-old celebrity filed the suit against a sports news media outlet reporter and an internet news media outlet reporter for 300 million won (

Seoul educational superintendent Kwak No-hyun, on Friday signalled he would push for the implementation of a controversial plan to extend the human rights of students, resuming his drive for liberal educational reforms. “There is no reason to delay the proclamation of the bill, which was approved by the city council,” Kwak said on his first day at work after being released from arrest a day earlier. The Seoul Metropolitan Council had approved the bill that guarantees substantial liberties for st

JDC to complete first phase of investment plans for key projectsJeju Free International City Development Center will strengthen city infrastructure and develop future growth engines as part of its business plans for this year, according to its chairman Byon Jong-il.Byon said JDC would invest 139 billion won in its projects overall, allocating 59 percent in the first half of the year to help spur the local economy.He said JDC would expand key infrastructure in education, medical care and other ar

Community Chest of Korea has beat its collection goal this year, as the nation’s only charity established by statute recovers from earlier scandals.The CCK said it surpassed its two-month goal of 218 billion won ($191 million) with less than two weeks to go, an unexpected turn after it was marred in corruption scandals in 2010.The nationwide charity network said the “Hope 2012 Sharing Campaign” could now possibly reach an all-time high, breaking its 2010 record of 224.2 billion won.Outside its h

Kwak No-hyun, Seoul’s education chief who has been standing trial for buying a rival candidate out to win the election, was set free Thursday following a court decision. The Seoul Central District Court found him guilty of election law violations yet sentenced him to a fine of 30 million won, a much lighter punishment than the four-year prison term sought by the prosecutors. He was immediately released after four months of arrest. Kwak has been accused of bribing Park Myoung-gee, his rival in th