The Korea Herald

State secrets believed leaked to Chinese mistress

Mar 8, 2011

Three S. Korean diplomats in Shanghai alleged to have given informationSuspicions of an espionage scheme are snowballing as at least three former South Korean diplomats are believed to have leaked confidential government information to a Chinese woman they had affairs with in Shanghai. The data thought to be leaked to the Chinese woman surnamed Deng includes visa records, documents on the Foreign
Seoul to bolster cyber security

Mar 8, 2011

Seoul plans to expand the scope of its cyber security efforts and recruit more security staff following recent denial-of-service attacks on government and financial institutions.The Seoul Metropolitan Government’s u-Total Security Center will grow to include its data center in an effort to stay ahead of increasingly professional and intelligent cyber threats, officials said Tuesday.The data center
Automated immigration system to be expanded

Mar 8, 2011

South Korea will expand the use of an automated immigration system at international airports and seaports nationwide in the first half of this year in a bid to make traveling more convenient for foreign tourists, the Ministry of Justice said Tuesday.Justice Minister Lee Kwi-nam unveiled the plan while meeting with chiefs of the culture ministry, state tourism agencies and Incheon International Air
Korean university libraries trail behind America’s

Mar 8, 2011

Korean university libraries’ stock of books is dismal compared to their U.S. counterparts, questioning the basic foundation of academia here, according to research released Tuesday.Korea’s largest university library falls only slightly ahead of the institute ranked 39th among North American universities. A 2010 study by the Korea Education & Research Information Service placed Seoul National Unive
Hospital staff levels lag OECD average

Mar 8, 2011

Korea has more hospitals than the OECD average, but they are staffed below the normal rate, raising concerns over the quality of the country’s medical services. According to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, there are 81,681 medical facilities nationwide, including hospitals, clinics, public healthcare centers, maternity nursing care centers, dentists, pharmacies and Oriental med
N.Y. school starts work on building Seoul branch

Mar 8, 2011

New York-based elite academy Dwight School on Monday held a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of its Seoul branch, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said. The Dwight International School Seoul, a 29.2 billion won ($26 million) five-story school building, is expected to open in September next year within the Sangam Digital Media City, western Seoul. It will be the fourth overseas branch
Suicide attempts in Han River on the rise

Mar 8, 2011

Seoul citizens mulling suicide last year increasingly chose to go to Han River bridges instead of subway stations, traditionally common locations for suicides, after most stations set up screen doors on their platforms to prevent possible accidents and suicide attempts, a police report said Tuesday.Suicide attempts on Han River bridges rose by 30 percent from 83 in 2009 to 108 last year, the Nati
Actor Hyun Bin joined Marines Monday

Mar 7, 2011

Actor Hyun Bin (Yonhap News)　Actor Hyun Bin joined the Marines on Monday for his military service in South Korea. “I have received great attention and love in the year 2010 and now I have been ordered by my country (to serve in the military). I will return the love you have given me in two years and I will spend those two years well,” Hyun said in the farewell message to his fans gathered in fron
Controversy escalates over plan to pick law school graduates as prosecutors

Mar 7, 2011

A group of lawyers gathered in front of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office in Seoul on Monday, denouncing a plan to recruit prosecutors from law school graduates based on school headmasters’ recommendations and interviews only. “Selecting prosecutors, one of the most prestigious occupations in the nation, without objective criteria is unacceptable. People with personal connections such as good family
Police may reopen probe into suicide of actress Jang

Mar 7, 2011

The police said Monday they will determine whether to reopen the investigation into the case of a rookie actress who committed suicide after confirming the authenticity of her posthumous letters disclosed by broadcaster SBS on Sunday.According to the more than 50 diary-like letters allegedly written by Jang Ja-yeon, she had been forced to attend drinking parties and offer sexual favors to 31 indiv
Zombie computers in DDoS attack begin to destroy own hard drives

Mar 7, 2011

Sixty-two hard disc drive destructions were reported as of Sunday among an estimated 34,000 zombie computers mobilized to carry out massive cyber attacks on the web sites of South Korea's key government agencies and financial institutions on Friday and Saturday, government officials said.The web sites of about 30 government agencies and financial institutions came under a so-called "distributed de
Korean students less happy than Asian peers

Mar 7, 2011

Survey shows youths here have higher sense of gender equality than in China, Japan (The Korea Herald)Korean students were less happy than their peers in China and Japan, while they had the highest sense of gender equality, a three-nation survey found Sunday. According to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, the survey ― the third of its kind ― questioned on Oct. 4, 597 middle and high schoo
Jasmine revolutions have hints of Korea’s past

Mar 6, 2011

For many expatriates from Arab countries residing in Korea, “excited” and “happy” are the words they use to describe their feelings about the recent regime changes in Egypt and Tunisia.“In the beginning, I was very worried about the prospect of this revolution,” said Tawaded, who did not give her last name, a student from Tunisia, who is studying at Dongkuk University in Seoul.“But finally I was r
Obtaining spouse visa to get tougher

Mar 6, 2011

The application process for the F-2 spouse visa will have stricter rules from Monday, the Ministry of Justice said Sunday. The latest revision to the immigration law came after several cases of abuse and fraud in international marriages.In July last year, a 20-year-old Vietnamese bride was murdered by her Korean husband, just eight days after arriving in Korea. Her husband had a history of mental
Mom charged after son found in oven

Mar 6, 2011

JACKSON, Mississippi (AP) ― A Mississippi mother was arrested Wednesday in the death of her 3-year-old son after authorities said they found the child’s burned body in an oven.Washington County Coroner Methel Johnson said police found Tristan Robinson’s body inside the electric oven at his mother’s apartment shortly after midnight. Johnson said the child had been burned in the oven, but an autopsy