The ruling Democratic Party, the government and the presidential office agreed on Tuesday to increase the budget for earthquake relief in next year’s budget plans to support restoration efforts in the quake-stricken city of Pohang.They agreed during a high-level policy coordination meeting to cut the quake victims’ fees for health insurance, electricity and telecommunication as Pohang has been designated a special disaster zone.Other relief measures include providing tents, partitions, laundry s

The Korean Catholic Church began taking action against a move to decriminalize abortion as over 200,000 people signed an online petition to lift the ban on abortion.A Life Committee under the Archdiocese of Seoul held an emergency meeting early this month to take action against the possible decriminalization of abortion.The Life Committee, headed by Cardinal Yeom Soo-jung, put up a petition titled “We oppose lifting the ban on abortion” on the website of the presidential office last week, callin

Consumers have power. Companies know it. Just look at how quickly Keurig pulled its ads from Sean Hannity’s Fox News show over his coverage of Roy Moore’s alleged child molestation. Indeed, strategically spent big media money can take down talk show hosts, cut into the bank accounts of pro athletes and even elect an American president.Imagine if consumers demanded the same kind of accountability from the American corporations that are bankrolling Moscow’s information-warfare campaign against US

Jun Byung-hun, a former presidential secretary for political affairs, denied the bribery allegations against him as he arrived at the prosecutors’ office for questioning on Monday.Jun is suspected of receiving 330 million won ($300,000) in kickbacks from cable channel Lotte Homeshopping in 2015 in exchange for wielding influence to have the channel’s broadcasting license renewed. He resigned over the scandal Thursday.“Once again, I say clearly that I never took part in anything illegal. I will f

Six out of 10 respondents in a survey said they did not see the allegations raised by a journalist against the widow of late singer Kim Kwang-seok as defamation.In a survey conducted by Realmeter, 59.1 percent of 501 respondents said that TV journalist Lee Sang-ho’s suspicions that Seo Hae-soon may have murdered Kim and deliberately let their 16-year-old daughter die should not be seen as defamation. Some 18.9 percent said the allegations constituted defamation as they were groundless, and the r

The Lee family behind the Samsung empire was ranked second on Forbes’ list of Asia’s wealthiest families, losing the top spot to the Ambanis, the family which controls the Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries.According to the annual report by the US magazine, the South Korean family, which topped the list in 2015 and 2016, saw its wealth surge to a combined $40.8 billion this year but was overtaken by the Ambanis, which saw their shares in Reliance Industries soar, driven by gains in its tele

위험한 맹수를 모델로 삼아 그림을 그리는 남성이 있다.　해외 일러스트레이터 조지는 최근 미국 올랜도주의 한 악어 테마 파크를 방문했다. (출처=인스타그램)　그는 악어 앞에서 스케치북을 펼쳐들고 그림을 그리기 시작했다.　1분 남짓한 시간 만에 스케치를 완성한 조지는 순식간에 채색까지 끝마쳤다.　악어들은 얌전히 엎드려 모델의 역할을 훌륭히 해냈다. 　(khnews@heraldcorp.com)　

씹을수록 고소한 맛이 배가 되는 산낙지. (고든 램지 인스타그램)　한국인에게는 익숙한 별미지만, 외국인들로서는 매우 도전적인 음식이다.　세계적 명성을 얻은 셰프 고든 램지가 한국을 방문해 산낙지 시식에 도전했다.　램지는 자신의 인스타그램을 통해 산낙지와 육회 사진을 공개했다.　그는 “내 육회 안에 움직이는 무언가가 있다”는 글을 덧붙이며 기대감을 드러냈다.　광장 시장 위치 기록까지 잊지 않은 램지.　그는 사흘간 빽빽한 일정을 소화하고서 19일 출국했다. 　(khnews@heraldcorp.com)

영국에서 열린 케이크 경연 대회에서 중국인이 최초로 1위를 차지했다. 파티셰 조우 이에게 1위의 영예를 안겨준 작품은 중국 최초 여성 황제 측천무후의 젊은 시절을 재현한 케이크다. 측천무후의 눈썹 결까지 살린 케이크는 인물뿐만이 아니라 주변 소품에서도 믿을 수 없는 정교함을 선보인다. 조우는 이 케이크를 밀가루와 설탕으로만 만들었다면서 “이번 우승작이 세계에 널리 알려져 세계가 중국에 대해, 또 중국이 세계에 대해 더 많이 배우게 되길 바란다”고 밝혔다. (khnews@heraldcorp.com)