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China cuts 2016 growth target to 6.5-7%

Mar 6, 2016

China on Saturday cut its growth target for this year to a range of 6.5 to seven percent, as the world's second-largest economy faces a litany of challenges from overcapacity to weak trade.The country is a key driver of global growth but expansion fell last year to 6.9 percent, its slowest in a quarter of a century, and worries over its health have sent tremors through stock markets around the world.Premier Li Keqiang told the opening of the National People's Congress (NPC) parliament, the count
S. Korean Jang Ha-na picks up 2nd LPGA win of season in Singapore

More sportsMar 6, 2016

South Korean Jang Ha-na picked up her second LPGA Tour win of the season in Singapore on Sunday.Jang cruised to a four-stroke victory at HSBC Women's Champions at Sentosa Golf Club's Serapong Course, after a blistering final round of seven-under 65 took her to 19-under 269 for the tournament. Jang, who won the Coates Golf Championship last month for her maiden victory, is the first LPGA golfer to win twice in 2016, and took home US$225,000 in winner's check.Pornanong Phatlum of Thailand was alon
Between rate cut and pause, BOK to weigh options

Mar 6, 2016

Economists were evenly divided Sunday on whether the Bank of Korea would slash interest rates to a fresh low this week, ending an eight-month pause in the monetary easing cycle. 　But regardless of whether a rate cut is coming, many thought that Korea’s economy needs a shot in the arm now in order to avoid an export-led recession and keep the recovery momentum alive. 　“What Korea is witnessing now is the spillover of external shocks onto the domestic economy,” Hyundai Research Institute said in a
U.S. states split on primary voting

InternationalMar 6, 2016

WICHITA, Kansas (AP) -- Providing new evidence that there's no quick end in sight to the fractious Republican Party race for president, Ted Cruz and Donald Trump each captured two victories in a four-state round of primary voting. Bernie Sanders won Saturday in Nebraska and Kansas in the Democratic race, while front-runner Hillary Clinton took Louisiana, another divided verdict from the American people.Cruz, a Texas senator, claimed Kansas and Maine, and declared it "a manifestation of a real sh
[FEATURE] Lonely South Koreans become hoarders, die unattended

Social affairsMar 6, 2016

Kim Sae-byul has arguably one of the most unusual jobs in South Korea. His company, named “Bio Hazzard,” offers cleaning services after murders, suicides and unattended deaths in private homes. He is also often contacted by South Korean hoarders, who have inability to discard large quantities of objects -- including food garbage and animal feces -- that literally overwhelm the living areas of their properties. 　The cleanup specialist in his 40s cleans the homes of the loneliest, including hoarde
Immigrants’ children vulnerable to discrimination in South Korea: report

Social affairsMar 6, 2016

Children of foreign-born residents in South Korea suffer from racial discrimination and lack of access to social resources and opportunities as Korea has yet to pass a comprehensive antidiscrimination law, the latest research findings by the National Human Rights Commission of Korea showed. 　According to the report, children of undocumented immigrants were especially vulnerable to social isolation as well as lack of basic medical care. Children who were born overseas and moved to Korea as one of
South Koreans to gain access to dates’ criminal records

Social affairsMar 6, 2016

South Korean police announced Sunday plans to introduce legislation that would allow Koreans to browse their romantic partners’ criminal history, after discovering nearly 60 percent of Korean date abuse offenders arrested last month had previous convictions.　The National Police Agency launched its special one-month campaign to crack down on date abuse in early February. During the campaign period, 1,279 cases were reported from abuse survivors and witnesses nationwide, and 61 offenders were plac
Emergency medical units too crowded in South Korea

Social affairsMar 3, 2016

Park Myeong-eun (not her real name), an office worker in her 30s in Seoul, was devastated when her father abruptly collapsed and lost his consciousness back in 2012. She and her family took him to the nearest general hospital, where he was admitted to its emergency facility, which was packed with patients. Her father soon awoke, but he had to wait more than five hours to get an x-ray done. 　“It was really frustrating,” she told The Korea Herald. “We were just repeatedly told that we needed to wa
More South Korean single women freeze their eggs

Social affairsMar 2, 2016

Lee Soo-jin (not her real-name), a single woman in her mid-30s in Seoul, recently decided to freeze her eggs, should she later want to have a child. She’s not currently dating anyone and doesn’t have any plans to get married in the near future. 　“I have high professional ambitions, and I’m passionate about my work,” she said through a representative at the Cha Fertility Center, where she underwent the procedure. “Right now I’m not sure if I ever want to get married or have children. The procedur
More Korean male sex abuse victims seek help: report

Social affairsMar 2, 2016

The number of South Korean men who sought help at Sunflower Centers -- government-affiliated agencies for sexual violence survivors -- increased dramatically by 66 percent last year from the year before, the Gender Ministry announced Monday.　The Gender Ministry currently runs a total of 36 Sunflower Centers nationwide, providing services including medical and legal assistance to sex abuse victims. Notably, the number of male sex abuse victims aged 19 or above, who visited the centers for support
Zolpidem most frequently used date rape drug in Korea

Social affairsFeb 29, 2016

Zolpidem, a sedative often used for the treatment of insomnia, is the drug that is most frequently used by South Korean drug-facilitated sexual abuse offenders, according to a report released by the National Forensic Service on Monday.　The report was written after analyzing a total of 148 reported cases of drug-facilitated sexual assault that took place from 2006-2012. Among the cases, the largest number of them, at 31, involved using Zolpidem. When the drug is taken with a large amount of alcoh
South Korean men in 50s most lenient on violence:study

Social affairsFeb 25, 2016

In South Korea, older men with relatively low education levels are more lenient towards social violence, especially sexual harassment, while younger women with post-secondary education tend to be the most intolerant of violence, a study showed Thursday.　People respond differently to violence based on their gender, education levels and age, and young women in their 20s with university degrees are most sensitive to abuse including sexual violence, showed a report released by the Gender Ministry. 　
Higher number of approvals for drug clinical trials in South Korea

NationalFeb 25, 2016

A significantly higher number of South Korean drugs were approved for phase 3 clinical trials last year, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety announced Thursday.　Phase 3 clinical trials are the final testing of drugs on patients to assess efficacy and safety before they are distributed to the public.　The ministry said that the largest number of newly approved drugs were anticancer medicine. Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (Yonhap)　Clinical trials involving new drugs in Korea are commonly class
Zika sparks debate on South Korea’s abortion laws

Social affairsFeb 23, 2016

Debate is brewing over whether or not South Korea should loosen its abortion laws to allow the procedure for Zika-affected pregnant women should there be an outbreak of the virus in the country. 　The Zika virus, which is transmitted through an infected mosquito, has been claimed to be linked to cases of microcephaly, in which babies are born with abnormally small heads and underdeveloped brains. Earlier this month, the World Health Organization issued a worldwide warning that the virus is a glob
Gaeseong-based S. Korean firms call for gov't compensation

IndustryFeb 12, 2016

South Korean companies based in the North Korean border city of Gaeseong urged the government on Thursday to roll out follow-up measures to compensate damages caused by its earlier decision to indefinitely suspend the operation of the joint industrial park."We will ask the government to make compensations and roll out follow-up measures regarding the irresponsible decision," Jeong Gi-seob, who heads the Corporate Association of Gaeseong Industrial Complex said. "For now, we deeply resent the gov