Four repairmen working at the Emart in Tanhyeon of Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province, were found dead early Saturday morning.They are assumed to have suffocated by refrigerant while examining and fixing  a large refrigerating device of the air conditioning system at the shopping mall's basement. According to a witness, identified as Lee, the victims- 58-year-old Park Ki-soon, 22 year-old Hwang Sun-won, 37-

A talk between representatives of workers and management to set the mandatory minimum wage broke down on Friday due to an unbridgeable price gap, dimming prospects of reaching an early agreement.The Minimum Wage Council, in which representatives of the government, labor and corporate management jointly set the wage level, managed to hold a last-ditch meeting on Thursday to determine the new minimu

The government plans to allow foreigners visiting the country aboard cruises to disembark here without a visa for short stays as part of efforts to attract foreign tourists.The Justice Ministry on Friday announced its proposal to ease the visa rule for foreigners arriving in Korea on cruise ships. The ministry also inserted a clause in the revised bill to help long-term foreign residents adapt to

As the law allowing multiple unions in a single workplace took effect Friday, three companies reported the establishment of their second labor unions. Semiconductor manufacturer named KEC Corp. in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, filed a report that a new union consisting of 13 employees had been formed in addition to the existing 140-person union which is a member of the Korean Confederation of T

Korean workers’ loyalty to their company has been decreasing, a recent survey showed.In a poll conducted by Incruit, a local online recruitment website, employees only gave 4.6 points out of 10 on average when asked about their rate of commitment to their companies.The rate averaged 6.4 points three years ago, Incruit said.The loyalty tended to be lower among younger employees. Those in their 20s

SEOUL, June 30 (Yonhap) -- A pilot for a local budget carrier was caught earlier this month trying to board a plane under the influence of alcohol, industry sources said Thursday, the second such case since May.The captain of Eastar Jet's flight ZE203 bound for the southern resort island of Jeju on June 10 failed a spot alcohol test before boarding at Gimpo International Airport in Seoul, accordin

A 39-year-old man was jailed for 10 months Thursday for secretly videotaping women who were taking part in a belly-dancing class.The man identified only by his surname Lim videotaped the group on seven occasions in March from the rooftop of a nearby building in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province.Clad in tank tops, the women were dancing in a studio in a building next to where the man was taping, the court

Foreigners expecting to reside in Korea for longer than three months will be required to register their biometrics upon entry, the Justice Ministry announced on Thursday.Starting Friday, foreigners planning to stay in Korea for 91 days or longer will have to register all 10 fingerprints and scans of their facial structures at their port of entry. The new biometrics collection system is part of a r

Representatives of employers and employees have failed to reach an agreement in negotiating the minimum wage for next year. An additional meeting was to take place Thursday, the deadline for the accord, but compromise was unlikely between employers calling for a 30 won raise from this year’s 4,320 won ($4) per hour and workers demanding a 1,000 won hike. They were expected to vote on the third par

All public facilities in Seoul will be seismically retrofitted by 2026, said officials Thursday, in a move taking its cue from March’s devastating earthquake in Japan.The “Program to Raise Seoul’s Seismic Performance” by the Seoul Metropolitan Government is designed to ensure that the city’s infrastructure and buildings will be earthquake resistant.All public facilities found to fall below a certa

A man who allegedly stole female underwear has been arrested, the Daejeon Jungbu Police Station reported.The accused, identified by the surname Jung, broke into houses while the occupants were away to search for lingerie. Jung has stolen 641 items in 102 incidents since last August.An official from police told reporters that the 45-year-old thief served several months of jail time four years ago f

South Korean senior prosecutors expressed their intent to resign on Wednesday in apparent opposition to a move that would empower police to open investigations.Senior Prosecutor Hong Man-pyo offered his resignation amid deepening tension surrounding the revision of the criminal procedure code.Four other prosecutors offered their resignations in a collective move later in the day.The resignations c