A Justice Ministry committee this week ordered a man repeatedly convicted of sexually assaulting children to undergo chemical castration in the country’s first use of the punishment.The law authorizing forced medication of sex offenders aged 19 or above who victimized minors under 16 took effect last July.Though Korea became the first Asian country to legalize chemical castration of pedophiles, its judicial authorities still remain far detached from the public sense of due justice for sex offend

Two heavyweight politicians are engaged in a high-stakes legal battle, the result of which could inflict fatal damage on the political future of either one and might set the tone for this year’s presidential campaign.Rep. Park Geun-hye, the leading presidential hopeful of the ruling Saenuri Party, sued Rep. Park Jie-won, the floor leader of the main opposition Democratic United Party, for libel on Monday over his allegations of her involvement in a bribery scandal surrounding a suspended savings

The National Assembly has opened a new office building for its members. The plush building, which cost 220 billion won to build, is a reminder that lawmakers have learned nothing at all from the provincial governments that are mired in debt due to construction of luxurious office buildings. Of course, the new building won’t push the National Assembly into a debt crisis. It can finance it with taxpayers’ money. Yet if legislators use their budget authority to increase their own benefits and conve

North Korea has released an ambiguous statement, leaving many puzzling about its real intentions. The North’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday suggested that there would be no immediate nuclear weapons test, dismissing speculation that the communist country would test an atomic bomb soon to compensate for its botched long-range rocket launch last month.The ministry’s spokesman asserted that the North did not have a plan for a nuclear test from the beginning as its aim was to launch a scientific and t

An investigation into an alleged electoral fraud involving the United Progressive Party will now undoubtedly gain momentum, as prosecutors have secured the server used for the party’s data processing. The main targets are those accused of rigging an online vote conducted among party members to select candidates for their proportional representation list in the general election.The party succeeded in winning 13 seats in the 300-member National Assembly in the April 11 elections ― seven in distric

The government has already kicked off a campaign to lower room temperatures, even before summer has come. The nation has no option but to conserve energy if it is to avoid blackouts, given that demand for electricity, left unrestrained, is expected to exceed supply.But electricity is not the only form of energy that will be in short supply. A squeeze on oil supply is anticipated as Korea is under pressure from the United States and the European Union to suspend crude imports as early as this mon

The inaugural congress of the Association of Asian Constitutional Courts and Equivalent Institutions is being held in Seoul for five days this week.Institutions exercising constitutional jurisdiction in 10 Asian nations including Korea comprise the regional forum intended to promote democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights by enhancing cooperation and friendship.Representatives from the member institutions are joined by observers and guests from 20 other countries at the congress held u

Whether or not to introduce an open primary is becoming a key, and potentially divisive, issue in the ruling Saenuri Party’s race to nominate its candidate for the presidential election in December.The undisputed frontrunner, Rep. Park Geun-hye, has reacted negatively to mounting calls from her challengers to allow any registered voter to vote in its primary, regardless of party affiliation.Park’s competitors ― Gyeonggi Province Gov. Kim Moon-soo, former party leader Rep. Chung Mong-joon and sen

The insurance fraud in Changwon uncovered by the Financial Supervisory Service is both shocking and disturbing. It involved as many as 1,361 people, mostly residents of the South Gyeongsang Province city, who either posed as fake patients or exaggerated their illnesses. Collectively, they claimed 9.5 billion won from 33 insurance companies between 2007 and 2011.At the center of the scam ― the largest ever in terms of the number of people involved ― were three unconscionable hospitals in the city

The left-wing United Progressive Party is headed toward a train wreck as the widely denounced former mainstream faction has launched its own emergency leadership, challenging the one set up with the blessing of the party’s central committee.The new interim leadership is headed by Oh Byung-yoon, one of the six lawmakers-elect of the National Liberation faction, which until recently ran the party. The move demonstrated the faction’s determination to defend its two proportional lawmakers-elect ― Le

Money is leaving Korea for a safer haven, pulling down stocks and weakening the Korean currency ― spurred by the eurozone’s increasing exposure to the risk of a Greek exit. Moreover, growth is slowing in China, the largest market for Korean exports. Few would say, however, that the flight of capital is at a dangerous level. Still, it is serious enough for the Korean government to dust off its past contingency plans for a fresh look and prepare itself to draw up a new one should Greece leave the

Korea, China and Japan believe free trade among themselves will help promote prosperity for each of them. As such, they agreed on May 12 to start negotiations on a trilateral free trade agreement this year. Should the proposed trilateral accord be successfully negotiated, no bilateral accord would be needed. But free trade among the Northeast Asian countries is easier said than done because they are at different stages of industrialization. No wonder each of them is in pursuit of bilateral trade

The controversy surrounding the lawmakers-elect of the Unified Progressive Party boils down to two questions. One is whether the party’s proportional lawmakers-elect who were selected through fraud-ridden primaries should resign or not, while the other is if it is acceptable for North Korea sympathizers to become lawmakers.The first question is not so difficult to answer. A majority of party members and ordinary citizens outside the left-wing minority party rightly think that they should step do

President Lee Myung-bak’s visit to Myanmar earlier this week was significant as it signaled Korea’s willingness to help the Southeast Asian nation transition to democracy and achieve economic development.The landmark visit ― the first by a South Korean president in 29 years ― was also intended to give a message to North Korean leaders. What Lee wanted to say can be summed up as: “Look at Myanmar. If you open up, plenty of support will come your way.” Lee’s decision to visit Myanmar must have bee

New findings about the government office that conducted surveillance on private citizens critical of President Lee Myung-bak raise the possibility that Lee, his chief of staff, or both, received reports on the spying. Lee needs to make clear whether or not he was involved.A widening investigation into the case also bolsters the belief that Kwon Jae-jin should resign as justice minister because his retention of the post is thwarting a criminal investigation into the role he allegedly played in co