Harvard professor urged to offer apology for 'comfort women' claims

A controversy surrounding a Harvard professor who wrote a journal article depicting victims of Japan’s wartime sexual slavery as voluntary prostitutes continues to escalate, with scholars, politicians and students demanding apologies and a retraction. 　 In the paper, titled “Contracting for sex in the Pacific War” and published online in the International Review of Law and Economics, Mark Ramseyer, Mitsubishi professor of Japanese legal studies at Harvard Law School, argued t

Foreign AffairsFeb. 21, 2021

[Newsmaker] NK defectors accuse unification minister of defamation

Four North Korean defectors in South Korea are filing a criminal defamation complaint against Unification Minister Lee In-young over remarks he made earlier this month questioning the reliability of defectors’ statements about human rights issues in the North. Mulmangcho, a Seoul-based nongovernmental group that supports North Korean defectors, said Sunday that four defectors would file a complaint with the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office on Monday afternoon over comments

North KoreaFeb. 21, 2021

NK uranium plant indicates ongoing operations throughout winter: US monitor

North Korea's main nuclear complex showed continued activity at its uranium enrichment facility throughout the winter, a US monitor said Sunday. In an experts' analysis of satellite imagery from January and February this year, the think tank, 38 North, said the movement of specialized vehicles and equipment near the uranium facility at Yongbyon indicates that the Uranium Enrichment Plant (UEP) has continued operations. Satellite imagery, however, showed no signs of activity at nuclear reactors

North KoreaFeb. 21, 2021

NK man caught on coastal CCTV cameras at least four times: sources

A North Korean man was caught on military surveillance cameras set up along the east coast at least four times after he swam ashore in the South, but border guards did nothing to stop him, an investigation has found. Military authorities have been looking into what went wrong with border security after the man was caught on Tuesday about 8 km away from the border inside a restricted area north of the Civilian Control Line in the eastern border town of Goseong. The man has expressed a desire to

North KoreaFeb. 21, 2021

New virus cases in 400s for 2nd day, potential upticks in infections in focus

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases stayed below 500 for the second straight day on Sunday, but health authorities remained vigilant about a potential flare-up in virus infections amid eased social distancing rules. The country reported 416 more COVID-19 cases, including 391 local infections, raising the total caseload to 86,992, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The country added four more deaths, raising the total to 1,557. The virus tally was lower

Social AffairsFeb. 21, 2021

Forest fire in Jeongseon contained, no casualties reported

JEONGSEON -- A wind-fed forest fire that broke out in the northeastern county of Jeongseon has been put out after 18 hours, authorities said Sunday. The fire, which broke out on Saturday, was put out as of 9:40 a.m. after affecting an estimated 12 hectares of mountain land, according to the Korea Forest Service. No casualties have been reported. The authorities have deployed 14 helicopters and 421 personnel from the Korea Forest Service, fire services and the military as part of mop-up efforts

Social AffairsFeb. 21, 2021

[Photo News] Tulips get ready for shipment as spring nears

As spring nears, tulips, one of the most popular flowers in the nation, are growing on a flower farm in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province.  The flower business in the area has been slow due to the cancellation of special events such as graduations amid the pandemic. But laborers are still busy at work. With the upcoming season offering new hope, they are preparing shipments of tulips. By Gha Hee-sun (lizka98@heraldcorp.com)

Social AffairsFeb. 20, 2021

NK paper stresses ‘economic principles’ and ‘scientific analysis’ in economic policy

North Korea’s official newspaper on Saturday stressed the importance of “economic principles” and “scientific analysis” as the country is striving to achieve a recently unveiled five-year economic development scheme. “Economic workers should stay away from such tendencies of ignoring economic principles and failing to concentrate and causing waste and confusion by not resorting to scientific analysis,” the Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the r

North KoreaFeb. 20, 2021

Joint efforts of S. Korea, Japan critical to denuclearization of N. Korea: State Dept.

Any US effort to denuclearize North Korea will not be as effective without the support and close cooperation of both South Korea and Japan, a US State Department official said Friday, highlighting the importance of the two US allies working together. Ned Price, press secretary at the State Department, also said three-way cooperation between the countries is important to promoting their shared values in the Indo-Pacific region. “We know that any approach to North Korea, one that puts den

Foreign AffairsFeb. 20, 2021

Anti-Asian crimes a disgrace to US, must be stopped: US lawmakers

A group of US lawmakers,including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, on Friday insisted on an immediate stop to racially motivated crimes, including those targeting Asian Americans, calling them a total disgrace to the country. The call comes amid a sharp increase in anti-Asian hate crimes. “I always say, ‘Our diversity is our strength, our unity is our power,’ and we have unity on this subject. So thank you for the opportunity to salute you, and this precedent to call attention to s

Foreign AffairsFeb. 20, 2021

Coronavirus cases fall below 500 amid resurgence concerns after eased distancing rules

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases fell back below 500 for the first time in four days on Saturday, but sporadic infections continued to be reported amid worries over a potential resurgence after the government eased social distancing rules earlier this week. The country reported 448 more COVID-19 cases, including 416 local infections, raising the total caseload to 86,576, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The latest caseload was down from the previous day's 56

Social AffairsFeb. 20, 2021

Search under way for fishing boat off eastern coast

POHANG -- The South Korean Coast Guard was searching for a fishing boat with six crew members aboard Friday after it made a distress call in choppy seas off the southeastern coast. The Pohang Coast Guard said it received a report at 6:49 p.m. that the 9.77-ton crab fishing boat was flooding in waters some 42 kilometers east of Gyeongju. Six crew members -- three South Koreans, two Vietnamese and one Korean-Chinese -- were aboard, officials said.   The Coast Guard and the Navy dispat

Social AffairsFeb. 19, 2021

200 old Japanese maps define Dokdo as Korean territory

As many as 200 ancient Japanese maps have been confirmed to mark Dokdo in the East Sea as Korean territory, a government-funded foundation here said Friday. 　 The Dokdo Foundation said it has secured the undisputed evidence to deny Tokyo‘s territorial claim to Dokdo after examining some 1,000 old maps owned by various local institutions, including the National Assembly Library, the Northeast Asian History Foundation and the National Map Museum run by the National Geographic Information Ins

Social AffairsFeb. 19, 2021

Coronavirus field inspections due at foreigner-dense workplaces

Quarantine authorities are to conduct intensive coronavirus field inspections at foreigner-dense areas and workplaces and other places deemed highly vulnerable to the pandemic, a government agency said Friday, after recent outbreaks of virus clusters at factories. According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters, about 1,000 places nationwide, including industrial plants, large-scale workplaces and construction sites, will be subject to such field inspections from Monday

Social AffairsFeb. 19, 2021

Hundreds of cafe, restaurant owners sue govt. over COVID-19 losses

More than 200 owners of cafes and restaurants sued the government on Friday over losses caused by COVID-19 business restrictions. The plaintiffs -- 170 cafe owners and 70 restaurant owners -- said they are seeking 1.2 billion won ($1.08 million) in compensation from the government. The lawsuit, which was filed with the Seoul Central District Court, is the second of its kind. The first one was lodged last month by a group of 358 coffee shop owners seeking 5 million won each. "Ever since t

Social AffairsFeb. 19, 2021

Supreme Court chief justice apologizes, but refuses to quit

Supreme Court Chief Justice Kim Myeong-su apologized again Friday for lying about his alleged role in the recent impeachment of a senior judge as he faces growing heat from opposition lawmakers to step down. "I give my deep apology for causing grave disappointment and concerns with my uncareful reply," the chief justice said in a post uploaded in the intranet for judges and court employees. This marks his second apology over the controversy after the first one issued early this mont

PoliticsFeb. 19, 2021

N. Korea appoints former trade minister as ambassador to China

North Korea has appointed a former trade minister as the new ambassador to China, the country's foreign ministry said Friday, in what appears to be aimed at strengthening economic ties with its closest ally. Ri Ryong-nam, 61, replaced Ji Jae-ryong, who has served as top envoy in Beijing since 2010, according to a posting on the official website of the ministry. Ri is known for his expertise on trade and the economy as he worked as trade minister in 2008 and as external economic affairs ministe

North KoreaFeb. 19, 2021

Gay couple sues state health insurer over canceled coverage

A gay couple has sued the state health insurer for canceling its coverage of one of the partners as a dependent, an activist group said Friday. So Seong-wook and his partner Kim Yong-min filed the administrative lawsuit against the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) with the Seoul Administrative Court on Thursday, according to the Korean Network for Partnership and Marriage Rights of LGBT. The NHIS first granted So coverage under Kim's employer-based health insurance program in February

Social AffairsFeb. 19, 2021

Kolon Life executives acquitted of falsifying data of gene therapy drug

Two Kolon Life Science executives were acquitted Friday of involvement in the company's allegedly fraudulent report on a key ingredient in its gene therapy drug. The Seoul Central District Court handed down the ruling to the drugmaker's two executives, surnamed Cho and Kim, who were indicted on charges that included fraud related to the company's suspected illegalities in the development and sales of Invossa, a cell and gene therapy for osteoarthritis. But the court separately ordered Cho, a s

Social AffairsFeb. 19, 2021

S. Korea makes final check on vaccine deployment plan in mock drill

South Korea carried out a final government-wide mock drill Friday for the planned transport of COVID-19 vaccines ahead of the beginning of the inoculation program next week, the defense ministry said. Earlier this month, health authorities and related agencies conducted the first mock drill at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, for the transport of the foreign-made Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. Friday's second and final rehearsal focused on transporting the AstraZeneca's vaccine, to be p

Social AffairsFeb. 19, 2021