Students lead lessons for planet’s future

Daejayon fosters environmental leaders to fight against climate changeStudent Jung Su-jin hopes to be an English translator when she graduates, but on top of her studies, the 23-year-old spends up to 30 hours a week working to safeguard the planet’s future.She is one of more than 2,100 Daejayon members devoted to protecting the planet through the Korea-based environmental NGO. With groups all over the country, and now across the globe, Daejayon students are talking to everyone from environment m

April 4, 2012

Gabon president agrees green action with Korean groups

The Gabonese president agreed to take joint action with a Korean organization against climate change during his visit to Seoul. International We Love U Foundation chairwoman Zahng Gil-jah met Gabonese President Ali-Ben Bongo Ondimba during his visit to Korea to attend the Seoul Nuclear Security Summit. The central west African nation and the organization signed an agreement on climate change with WeLoveU, a Korea-based global welfare organization, at a green campus environmental seminar at Olymp

March 28, 2012

Shuffleboard for North Korean kids

A shuffleboard tournament is to be held at a Bundang bar this Friday to raise cash for North Korean kids. The awareness and fund-raising event is being held at Travelers Bar and Grill to support the charity Love North Korean Children. The event has been organized by cyclists who are set to bike the Balkans this May in a bid to raise $10,000 for the charity that funds bakeries feeding North Korean kids. Four Americans are set to bike in a giant loop though 13 Eastern European countries from Turke

March 28, 2012

Savior of trafficked women wins POSCO prize

Cambodian survivor of sexual slavery tells how helping others healed her heartThe first woman Somaly Mam rescued from prostitution has stayed in her heart for years, inspiring her to help others.“I came back from work and I saw a woman who had been beaten in the street,” the Cambodian refuge founder recalled. “She was very skinny with all the blood coming out. I thought: ‘What are the people doing to her?’ I didn’t think of HIV, AIDS or anything ― I just ran over to her. I took her in my arms. I

March 28, 2012

New settlers receive some Sport Relief

The British Embassy and Lush Korea staff have walked through Seoul to raise charity cash as part of the U.K.’s Sport Relief initiative. About 60 people from the embassy and U.K.-based company walked a mile from the Cheonggye Plaza to raise money for “Woori House.” The shelter helps new settlers from North Korea who are aged 20 or below, and have no other family members living in South Korea. Sport Relief is a joint initiative by the U.K. charity organization Comic Relief and the BBC. The sportin

March 21, 2012

Czech envoy donates books to HUFS

The Czech Ambassador has donated more than 300 books relating to his country to a Korean University. Ambassador Jaroslav Olsa Jr. presented the books to Hankuk University of Foreign Studies last week. The donated books are either authored by Czech writers or about the Czech Republic’s culture and history. The texts are mainly published in the Czech language, but Olsa also presented books on his country’s history, politics, literature, art and culture translated into English and Korean. He also d

March 21, 2012

Foreigners’ flea market for charity

Seoul City’s first foreigners’ flea market of 2012 is to be held on March 31. The event organized by the Seoul Global Center aims to help expats here to connect with Seoul citizens in different ways.The center holds the Foreigners’ Flea Market on the last Saturday of every month from March to October each year.Stall vendors must be foreigners, though Korean citizens may participate as vendors when accompanied by foreigners. Taking part is free of charge, but people may voluntarily donate a perce

March 21, 2012

Koreans help bathe Nepali village in light

Koreans have brought warmth and light to a remote Nepali village by installing solar power, as well as the country’s first ondol heating system. The mountain community of Thingan used to plunge into darkness at sundown. But now village residents are enjoying brighter, warmer nights thanks to photovoltaic technology installed as part of the 10 million-rupee ($125,200) project. A 26-person expedition, including professors and students from three Korean universities, visited the village in Nepal’s

March 21, 2012

Disabled gamer seeks return to Korea

Marathon StarCraft tourney on to fund amputee’s e-sports research hereA disabled gamer has launched a 56-hour StarCraft tournament in a bid to raise enough cash to play again in Korea. Matthew Fink spent the last three months here as part of a world tour to learn more about online gaming, but the American quadruple amputee must now raise thousands of dollars to continue his trip. The StarCraft II player, who goes by “LookNoHands” when playing the real-time strategy game, won a $25,000 travel sti

March 21, 2012

Kim Hye-ja’s Bangladeshi son enters graduate school in Korea

Veteran actress Kim Hye-ja had reason to be proud earlier this month as one of her sponsored children from Bangladesh began graduate studies in Korea.This undated photo shows James Rana Baidaya, one of sponsored children by Korean actress Kim Hye-ja, posing for a photo at Kyunghee University in Yong

March 19, 2012

North Korean rights info event in Seoul

A documentary promoting North Korean human rights will be screened at an information session at a Seoul university on March 21. Justice for North Korea is to co-host the “3-2-1 Action! for North Korea” event along with Korea University’s Graduate School of International Studies Student Council. The event is being held to share information on North Korean refugee issues. The documentary “On the Border” will be screened to show the struggles of North Korean defectors, followed by a Q&A forum. The

March 14, 2012