[Newsmaker] Prosecution to question Park over NIS fund scandal

Prosecutors will question former President Park Geun-hye this week in a detention center as part of their investigation into allegations that the presidential office during her term had received illicit money from the spy agency.Four officials from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office will visit the detention center on Tuesday to interrogate the ousted chief executive over suspicions that the National Intelligence Service had offered her office a total of 4 billion won ($3.7 million) b

Social AffairsDec. 25, 2017

[Newsmaker] Prosecution to visit Park in jail for questioning

The prosecution plans to visit former President Park Geun-hye in jail for questioning over alleged bribery involving the state spy agency, as she refused to appear before the prosecutors’ office for questioning Friday. In a document sent to the Seoul Central Prosecutors’ Office on Thursday, Park said that she could not appear for questioning due to her frail health. Park, who is standing trial on corruption charges, has been in custody since March at the Seoul Detention Center. Park Geun-hye (Yo

Social AffairsDec. 22, 2017

[Newsmaker] South Korean police suicides on the rise

[Herald Interview] From writing speeding tickets to arresting criminal suspects to calming a knife-wielding drunken man, police officers deal with almost every emergency situation imaginable.YonhapThese everyday heroes, however, often end up with mental health problems as they serve and protect the public. In the past five years, as many as 100 law enforcement officers have killed themselves, 27 percent more than the 79 who died while on duty during the same period. Last year alone, 26 took thei

Social AffairsDec. 21, 2017

[Newsmaker] Success of PyeongChang Olympics hinges on KT

PYEONGCHANG, Gangwon Province – With 50 days until the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games, engineers at KT are working hard to ensure a flawless worldwide broadcast of the Olympics.It took 1,000 days for KT, an official telecommunications partner of the Olympics, to establish telecom networks for streaming and broadcasting the games. “In the worst case, if the network for game streaming has some errors, it’s the end of the world, and all games will be stopped,” said Lee Jong-dae, vice preside

TechnologyDec. 20, 2017

[Newsmaker] S. Korean FM to visit Tokyo as ‘comfort women’ issue looms

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha is scheduled to visit Japan on Tuesday with the issues of North Korea and Japan’s wartime sexual slavery of Korean women likely to loom over the entire stay. Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha (Yonhap)The two-day visit will include a meeting with her Japanese counterpart Taro Kono, Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said Sunday. “During the meeting to be held on Tuesday, the two ministers will exchange views on issues of mutual concern, such as South Korea-Japan relations, Nor

Foreign AffairsDec. 18, 2017

[Newsmaker] Ban on after-school English education faces backlash

Starting from March next year, elementary schools nationwide will be banned from running English education to first and second graders. The measure’s stated goal is to alleviate study burdens on young students by banning advanced learning. Currently, English is taught from third grade on.  　   But critics argue it would also lead to the loss of thousands of jobs of English instructors and eliminate low-income students’ access to affordable education.    “My son has received high quality English

Social AffairsDec. 15, 2017

[Newsmaker] Tillerson: Top US diplomat seeking balancing role in Trump administration

　　Surrounded by former generals, hawkish politicians and a hard-mouthed command-in-chief, US State Secretary Rex Tillerson has been trying to find a balance in the Trump administration’s approach to resolve a nuclear standoff with North Korea. 　While President Donald Trump and his security aides have warned about the North’s relentless nuclear ambition and floated the idea of a preventive strike against it, the US top diplomat has offered a softer line and called for a diplomatic solution. 　Desp

Foreign AffairsDec. 14, 2017

[Newsmaker] Main opposition plagued by corruption allegations

President Moon Jae-in’s ongoing campaign to right past wrongs has put the main opposition Liberty Korea Party on edge. From a first-term lawmaker to party heavyweights, over seven of its politicians have been investigated for corruption or are soon to face interrogation. The latest to come under scrutiny was five-term lawmaker Rep. Won Yoo-chul, who on Wednesday was questioned by the prosecution on the allegation of receiving hundreds of millions of won in illicit political funds from local busi

PoliticsDec. 13, 2017

[Newsmaker] Year of BTS? Group makes impact both in and out of Korea

For BTS, the year 2017 marked the year it became a global pop icon, smashing records and making milestone achievements locally and internationally. While it has always been among the popular K-pop groups, this year saw BTS solidifying its position as the clear frontrunner in the scene.The boy band‘s latest feat came on Monday when Billboard ranked BTS as No. 10 in its annual year-end top 10 artists list. The list was led by Ed Sheeran, trailed by Bruno Mars, Drake, Kendrick Lamar, The Weeknd, Th

PerformanceDec. 12, 2017

[Newsmaker] Trump nominates Victor Cha as ambassador to Seoul

The Donald Trump administration has nominated former White House official and Washington-based academic Victor Cha as the next US ambassador to South Korea and asked for Seoul’s approval, US sources said Sunday. According to sources in Washington, the request was recently delivered to the South Korean government in the form of an “agrement,” a formal request sent to the receiving state from the sending state before dispatching a diplomatic representative. The decision was made after an extensive

Foreign AffairsDec. 11, 2017

[Newsmaker] Why Koreans want to leave ‘Hell Joseon’

South Korea dazzles the world with exports of sensational K-pop music, cutting-edge smartphones and cars, but inside the country some people are seeking to flee what they call a “living hell” and restart their lives elsewhere.Many South Koreans, who have since their early years faced constant competition to get accepted into a prestigious university, secure a well-paid job and then get a promotion at work, say they have had enough. “I wake up at about 5:30 a.m. every morning, go to work and come

Social AffairsDec. 10, 2017

[Newsmaker] Shinsegae to implement 35-hour workweek ‘with no pay cut’

Korean retail giant Shinsegae decided to institute a 35-hour workweek to enhance employee’s working conditions, the company said Friday. The move marks the first time for a local conglomerate to implement such a short work week. Under the policy, all employees from Shinsaegae’s retail sectors are set to work seven hours a day from January. Working hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., but it could be flexible depending on the types of work. Shinsegae Group Vice Chairman Chung Yong-jin (Yonhap)The wag

IndustryDec. 8, 2017

[Newsmaker] Korea to crack down on Tumblr for failing to manage profane content

South Korea’s media regulator has set out to strengthen its watch on US-based microblogging website Tumblr which has been criticized for its passive attitude in stopping the circulation of profane and inappropriate content on its platform.　The Korea Communications Commission on Wednesday announced a new set of policies to curb the prolfieration of profane content on the web, citing plans to amend current communications law to ensure they can be applied equally to both Korean and foreign internet

TechnologyDec. 7, 2017

[Newsmaker] Korea’s last princess dies

Julia Mullock, ex-wife of Yi Gu, the last prince of the Korean Empire, passed away aged 94 late last month in a nursing home in Hawaii.The Ukrainian American was called Julia Lee in Korea after marrying Yi Gu in 1958 in New York where the two met while working at the firm of architect I. M. Pei. Julia Lee with her ex-husband Yi Gu, the last prince of the Korean Empire. (Yonhap)Yi Gu was the only child of Yi Eun (1897-1970), crown prince and seventh son of King Gojong of the Joseon dynasty. King

PeopleDec. 6, 2017

[Newsmaker] Singer’s 2011 expulsion from MBC sheds new light on blacklist scandal

The ongoing investigation into two previous governments‘ blacklist of cultural figures continues to unearth more dirt, with a recent revelation that Lee Myung-bak administration used one of its supporters as a scapegoat to hide its wrong-doings.A 2011 document of the National Intelligence Service, revealed recently by Kyunghyang Shinmun, a local daily, showed that MBC’s sacking of singer Kim Heung-gook that year was part of the conservative administration’s plan to extract left-leaning entertain

CultureDec. 5, 2017

[Newsmaker] SKT under investigation for tampering with Olympic broadcasting cable

SK Telecom is facing a police investigation for damaging cable ducts installed by its domestic rival KT for the broadcasting system of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics, which kicks off on Feb. 9. According to police and KT on Monday, four employees of SK Telecom and its contractor allegedly damaged three cable ducts installed underground in Daegwanryeong in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province, for use by the International Broadcasting Center, a temporary hub for broadcasters during the event. KT i

TechnologyDec. 4, 2017

[Newsmaker] US ITC opens probe into SK hynix over patent infringement

The US International Trade Commission will open an inspection into South Korean chipmaker SK hynix over an alleged breach of patents owned by the US memory module firm Netlist, according to the industry Sunday. The commission’s action comes about a month after it announced it was embarking on an investigation into Samsung Electronics in October. The USITC said Friday that it held a vote on whether to examine SK hynix’s memory modules and components -- including circuit boards containing DRAM int

IndustryDec. 3, 2017

[Newsmaker] NK’s PyeongChang participation looks bleak with figure-skating deadline miss

With just about 70 days ahead of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics, North Korea chose to indirectly forfeit by missing the deadline to send its qualified figure skating pairs team, a report said Friday.  (Yonhap)“North Korea’s Olympic Committee missed an Oct. 30 deadline to confirm it would send its qualified pairs figure skating team to the Winter Games,” NBC Sports said.In September, North Korean figure skaters Ryom Tae-ok and Kim Ju-sik grabbed their golden ticket to PyeongChang by finishi

North KoreaDec. 1, 2017

[Newsmaker] Amid rumors, GM Korea’s new CEO puts financial viability first

Amid persistent rumors of leaving South Korea, GM Korea’s new chief said Thursday he would focus on reviving the financial stability of the carmaker first by cutting down its costs and promoting sales next year. In his first meeting with Korea media, Kaher Kazem, president and CEO of GM Korea, said the carmaker will launch Equinox, a Chevrolet compact sports utility vehicle, next year to expand the carmaker‘s sales volume.Kaher Kazem, CEO and president of GM Korea, speaks at a press conference i

MobilityNov. 30, 2017

[Newsmaker] Park’s key aide Woo grilled over NIS scandal

Prosecutors on Wednesday summoned Woo Byung-woo, one of ex-President Park Geun-hye’s close aides, over his possible involvement in the national spy agency’s alleged illegal spying on civilians under the Park administration. Woo Byung-woo is surrounded by reporters as he stands in front of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office on Wednesday. YonhapWoo, who served as senior presidential secretary for judicial affairs from 2015-2016, is suspected to have exerted influence on the National In

Social AffairsNov. 29, 2017