The Korea Herald

9 areas likely to get extra disaster aid

Aug 3, 2011

Gyeonggi governor slams central government for ‘slow’ responseThe government and the ruling party seek to declare nine regions hard-hit by the recent torrential rains as special disaster areas eligible for financial and administrative aid, officials said Wednesday.Unprecedented downpours last week i
Court rejects man’s plea for big dog ban

Aug 3, 2011

Tower Palace, a high-rise luxury apartment block located at the heart of Seoul’s posh residential area of Dogok-dong, is known as an exclusive home to the rich and powerful. Yet, their closed lifestyle does not necessarily mean a friendly neighborhood.A Seoul court on Wednesday rejected an appe
9 rain-damaged areas to be declared special disaster zones

Aug 3, 2011

Nine areas hit the hardest by last week's heavy downpours are set to be declared special disaster zones, the home affairs minister said Wednesday, making them eligible for state relief funds."Twenty out of all the rain-damaged areas have been selected to receive aid toward reconstruction, and of the
Blast at POSCO kills 1, injures 2

Aug 2, 2011

An explosion inside a POSCO plant on Tuesday killed one worker and inured two others. Police and firefighters are investigating the cause of the blast at the company’s stainless steel plant in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province.A 28-year-old employee of the steelmaker’s affiliated company
Heavy downpours damage Dongdaemun gate

Aug 2, 2011

One of South Korea's most treasured relics was damaged during the heaviest downpours in decades last week, government officials said Tuesday.Some parts of the roof ridge of Dongdaemun (Great East Gate) chipped off due to the record-breaking rainfall that killed 62 and left thousands homeless in Seou
Members of progressive labor group face probe on espionage suspicions

Aug 2, 2011

South Korea's spy agency has sent summons to several members of a radical labor umbrella group over suspicions of their involvement in an alleged espionage case, sources said Tuesday.According to prosecution and labor group officials, the National Intelligence Service asked about 10 officials of the
Loan shark faces trial for massive spamming scheme

Aug 2, 2011

An illegal loan agent was indicted on charges of sending millions of spam messages to mobile phones to lure potential customers, prosecutors said Monday.The 34-year-old man, surnamed Kim, sent unwanted text messages to random cell phone users in violation of the local communications law, the Seoul C
HUFS chief probed over misuse of funds

Aug 2, 2011

Hankuk University of Foreign Studies President Park Chul has received a summons from prosecutors on suspicion that he may have misappropriated school funds for personal use.The Seoul Northern District Prosecutors’ Office issued the summons to Park last week but Park hasn’t responded, an official fro
Military academy professor indicted for taking kickbacks

Aug 2, 2011

Prosecutors have indicted a professor at a military academy on charges of receiving 20 million won ($19,020) in kickbacks from a local defense firm in return for business favors, officials said Tuesday.The 60-year-old professor at the Korea Military Academy, indentified only by his surname Kim, was
Who’s at fault for Umyeon landslide?

Aug 2, 2011

Investigation finds some earth began to cascade near military baseLocal officials are playing a blame game over who’s at fault for the deaths of 18 citizens last week by multiple landslides from Mount Umyeon in the southern tip of Seoul. Seoul municipality and the ward of Seocho, which have bee
Measures drawn up to deal with natural disasters

Aug 2, 2011

Rainfall will be measured hourly through water level gauges at river basins all across the country to increase flood control measures, amid the erratic weather patterns, according to the state’s weather agency Tuesday.The Korea Meteorological Administration is increasing efforts to give citizens and
A low-trust society

Aug 2, 2011

Koreans’ lack of faith in strangers, foreigners holds country backA 25-year-old man surnamed Choi beat and raped his girlfriend in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, in July last year after she demanded they break up. When he faced police investigation, Choi’s mother, 50, hurt his son with a ston
University chief summoned in graft probe

Aug 2, 2011

Prosecutors have summoned Park Chul, president of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, to investigate allegations that he may have misappropriated school funds.The summons was issued last week and Park has yet to respond, the Seoul Northern District Prosecutors’ Office said on Tuesday. Park, also c
Minimum wage for N. Koreans at joint complex rises 5%

Aug 1, 2011

The minimum wage for North Korean workers being hired by South Korean companies operating at the inter-Korean industrial park in the North’s border town of Kaesong rose by 5 percent this year, the same annual rate of increase since 2007, the Unification Ministry said Monday. Despite frequent cross-b
Drenched nation braces for more rain

Aug 1, 2011

The nation is expected to see more rainfall, adding salt to the wound for many still facing restoration work after severe flooding and landslides last week, according to the state’s weather agency Monday. Amid record rainfall, the southwestern provinces of North and South Jeolla, the southern island