South Korea will push to toughen criminal punishment for sex crimes against children and begin a government-led campaign to prevent sexual offenses this year, the gender equality ministry said Friday.The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family reported its policy direction for 2013 to President Park Geun-hye on Friday.During the policy briefing at the presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae, the ministry said it will seek to readjust the legal punishment being applied to sex crimes against children

North Korea has steadily raised the level of attacks directed at South Korean President Park Geun-hye as the country ratchets up tension following its third nuclear test, local observers said Friday.Observers in Seoul said the communist country is using quasi-government organizations like the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland to criticize the chief executive who took office on Feb. 25.The secretariat for the committee in charge of carrying out talks with the South issued

North Korea's missile sites have recently shown increased activities in the wake of the communist nation's threat to strike South Korea and the United States in response to their ongoing military drill involving nuclear-capable bombers, military sources in Seoul said Friday.The latest move comes after the North Korean military on Tuesday put its strategic rocket units on the highest level of combat readiness, threatening to strike targets in South Korea as well as U.S. bases in Hawaii and Guam.F

South Korean stocks traded 0.78 percent higher late Friday morning, buoyed by gains in brokerage houses and foodmakers, analysts said. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) soared 15.45 points to 2,008.97 as of 11:20 a.m.Leading brokerage firm Woori Investment & Securities Co. surged 3.5 percent, with local major foodmaker Nongshim climbing 3.8 percent. In contrast, autos and heavy industries trended in negative territory, with Hyundai Heavy Industries, the world's largest ship

South Korean stocks closed almost flat Thursday as investors were worried that the Cypriot bailout could set a bad precedent for other troubled eurozone nations, analysts said. The local currency fell against the U.S. dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 0.08 points to finish at 1,993.52. Trading volume was moderate at 355.0 million shares worth 3.38 trillion won (US$3.05 billion) with gainers outstripping losers 409 to 385."The Cypriot bailout has left open the possibil

South Korean stocks traded 0.3 percent lower late Thursday morning, led by losses in large-cap tech firms and banks, analysts said. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) shed 5.96 points to 1,987.48 as of 11:20 a.m.LG Electronics, South Korea's major home appliance maker, fell 1.5 percent, with the state-run Industrial Bank of Korea retreating 2 percent. In contrast, autos and utilities gained ground, with No. 1 player Hyundai Motor rising 0.5 percent and state-run electricity

South Korean stocks got off to a weak start Thursday as worries grew over a possible spillover effect of the Cyprus bailout that may hurt the troubled eurozone, analysts said. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) slipped1.55 points, or 0.08 percent, to 1,991.89 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Blue-chip exporters and financial companies drove down the shares, with tech heavyweight Samsung Electronics falling 0.3 percent and No. 1 lender by assets Woori Finance Holdings losi

성범죄가 일요일 새벽 시간대 20∼ 30대 여성을 상대로 가장 많이 일어난다는 조사결과가 나왔다.전북지방경찰청은 27일 최근 3년간 전북지역에서 발생한 성범죄를 분석한 결과 일요일이 16.1%로 성범죄 발생률이 가장 높았다. 시간대는 자정부터 오전 4시 사이가 39.4%로 가장 높았고 나이 대는 20∼30대 여 성이 28.7%로 전체의 3분의 1을 차지했다.경찰의 한 관계자는 “주택이나 원룸 등 밀폐된 공간에서는 반드시 잠금장치를 하고 가스 검침원이나 택배배달원 등은 신분을 확인한 뒤 문을 열어야 한다”면서 “심야나 새벽 시간에 외출을 자제해 달라”고 당부했다.성폭행 건수는 2012년도 총 약 2만2천 건으로 2007년도에 비해 62퍼센트 증가했다. (코리아헤럴드)<관련 영문 기사>Women more vulnerable to sex crime on Sunday Early Sunday morning is the time of the week when women in their 20s

Kim Jae-cheul offered to resign as the president and chief executive of South Korea's second largest television network MBC on Wednesday, one day after the board of the company's largest shareholder decided to sack him for abusing his power.The board of the Foundation of Broadcast Culture (FBC) passed a plan for the dismissal of the MBC president with majority support during an extraordinary session in Seoul on Thursday.The dismissal plan was awaiting final approval from the shareholders' meetin

South Korean stocks closed 0.49 percent higher Wednesday on the back of the government's envisioned measures to boost its economy, analysts said. The local currency fell against the U.S. dollar.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) advanced 9.74 points to 1993.44. Trading volume was moderate at 339 million shares worth 3.76 trillion won (US$3.39 billion), with decliners outnumbering gainers 406 to 296."The stock market gathered ground as investors' sentiment got a boost from th

South Korean stocks traded 0.42 percent higher late Wednesday morning, led by gains in autos and builders, analysts said.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) added 8.24 points to 1,991.94 as of 11:20 a.m.Carmakers drove up the market gain, with No. 1 industry player Hyundai Motor adding 1.59 percent and its smaller affiliate Kia Motors advancing 1.8 percent. Top auto parts maker Hyundai Mobis climbed 1.31 percent.Construction firms also gathered ground, with Hyundai Engineerin

A 16th-century war diary kept by famous Korean admiral Yi Sun-sin will be screened for addition to UNESCO's Memory of the World Register during a sub-panel meeting in June, officials said Wednesday.A preliminary decision on whether to include "Nanjung Ilgi" on the list will be made at the 11th meeting of the International Advisory Committee (IAC) scheduled for June 18-21 in Gwangju, South Korea's Cultural Heritage Administration said. The IAC is a committee of experts that pre-examines nominatio

South Korean stocks opened higher Wednesday following an overnight Wall Street rally fueled by growing anticipation of an economic recovery, analysts said.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) advanced 2.95 points, or 0.15 percent, to 1986.65 in the first 15 minutes of trading.Shares gained ground across the board, with chip giant SK hynix rising 0.17 percent and No. 1 carmaker Hyundai Motor adding 1.36 percent. Top steelmaker POSCO advanced 0.15 percent.U.S. stocks ended highe