The government issued an alert against the rapidly spreading hand-foot-and-mouth disease on Saturday, asking nurseries, kindergartens and medical facilities to take extra care to prevent the infection of children. According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the HFMD diagnosis rate marked 21.1 per every 1,000 outpatients last week, marking a sharp increase from 9.8 per 1,000

Six out of 10 workers feel they are loners in the office, according to a survey.In research conducted by Saramin, a local online recruitment website, about 58.3 percent respondents experienced the feeling of being alone.They said they feel like "the odd one out" most when they don’t have colleagues they feel they can have in-depth talks with. Other answers included; “Nobody helps me with work,” “I

When he decided to run his own business a few years ago, Bryan Hale, a former English teacher at a local middle school, had no idea about the business culture here. What helped him a lot, he said, was the business start-up program offered by the Seoul Global Center, a support center for foreign residents. “The center offered me the education I need to understand the Korean business culture; not to

Seoul City will hold its first plebiscite vote in August on the controversial free school meal ordinance, which was approved last year by the city council.The plebiscite vote, introduced in Korea in 2004, has been carried out three times to make important policy decisions in other regions. But the Seoul referendum will be the first one to have been demanded by citizens. The Commission for Anti-Wel

Seoul National University may waive tuition fees for students from low-income families from the fall semester, an official said Thursday. Of the 16,325 undergraduate students at the school, some 1,700 to 2,000 are expected to benefit from the new measure. “(The school) is considering offering a full scholarship to students from low-income households in the bottom 50 percent of the income bracket,”

Just 44 items to be taken from pharmacy controlThe Ministry of Health and Welfare’s attempt to permit sales of over-the-counter drugs, including cough drops, pain killers and digestion pills, was crushed Wednesday as representatives of pharmacists, doctors, consumers and the administration failed to reach an agreement. Instead, the group agreed to allow a total of 44 items including the energy dri

A businessman and friend of President Lee Myung-bak received a prison sentence on Thursday for taking kickbacks in return for using his influence to help a troubled company.Chun Shin-il, chairman of Sejoong Namo Tour agency, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison and a forfeit of 3.2 billion won (US$2.96 million) for influence-peddling."The jail term was inevitable since we need to eradic

Members of organized crime outfit “Bookmoonpa” were arrested for violations of the Act on Punishment of Violence etc., according to Gyeonggi Provincial Police Agency.The mob’s vice-leader, surnamed Choi, and 15 other members were detained, while another 74 were booked without detention.The group was organized in Suwon in 1983 by their leader, surnamed Kim, who is now abroad. Therefore, Choi is bel

The health ministry said Wednesday that it will allow 44 over-the-counter (OTC) pharmaceutical products to be sold not only at licensed drug stores, but also at supermarkets, convenience stores and any other retail outlet.The measure is expected to go into effect as early as August, considering the time needed for administrative procedures to revise related regulations and for preparations by phar

Chinese tourists emerging as biggest spendersDespite recent unfavorable conditions including North Korea’s bombardment on Yeongpyeong Island, the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, an earthquake and radiation fears in Japan, Seoul City sees a slight increase in the number of foreign visitors to the capital this year.According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Wednesday, the number of foreig