[Newsmaker] UNESCO lists war diary, Saemaul archives

“Nanjung Ilgi,” or “War Diary,” by 16th-century naval hero Yi Sun-shin, and archives of Korea’s Saemaul Movement in the 1960s have been listed to the UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register, the Cultural Heritage Administration said Wednesday. Their inclusion brings the total number of South Korea’s heritage items on the UNESCO list to 11, the highest for an Asian country. The decision was made during the 11th session of the International Advisory Committee that opened in Gwangju on Tuesday when t

CultureJune 19, 2013

[Newsmaker] Korea marks second Yeonpyeong skirmish

South Korea marks the 11th anniversary of an inter-Korean naval skirmish this month to pay homage to six soldiers killed while safeguarding the Northern Limit Line, a de facto maritime border.Triggered by two North Korean patrol ships violating the NLL on June 29, 2002, the second Yeonpyeong Battle, named after a frontline island in the West Sea, left six seamen dead and 19 others wounded. South Korea’s warship Chamsuri-357 was sunk during the battle, which followed the first naval clash in the

DefenseJune 18, 2013

[Newsmaker] Return of ex-minister angers unions

Kim Dae-hwan was one of the most credited scholars among unionists and activists in the 1980s when they fought the dictatorial government and exploitive capitalists. Two decades later, the progressive labor economics expert turned into the trade unions’ public enemy No. 1. While serving as labor minister from 2004-06, he pushed for an ambitious social compromise aiming both to boost growth and protect labor rights. He demanded labor concessions on greater market flexibility and an improved barga

PoliticsJune 17, 2013

[Newsmaker] Reformist’s win in Iran boosts hopes

The election of Hassan Rowhani as Iran’s new president is raising cautious optimism for a diplomatic solution to the disputes over its suspected nuclear programs and improved ties with the U.S. and the West.During the campaign the 64-year-old moderate cleric pledged to seek “constructive interaction with the world.” “A new opportunity has been created ... for those who truly respect democracy, interaction and free dialogue,” he said in his first speech after his victory was confirmed Friday. He

World NewsJune 16, 2013

[Newsmaker] The human face to digital scandal

Edward Snowden, the whistleblower who exposed routine mass collection of communications records by the United States government, has resurfaced for the first time since Monday.Speaking to the South China Morning Post, he insisted that he was not in Hong Kong to avoid justice. “I would rather stay and fight the U.S. government in the courts, because I have faith in HK’s rule of law,” he said.He said this, though while effectively in hiding. His whereabouts has not been known since he checked out

Expat LivingJune 13, 2013

[Newsmaker] Progressive party leader highlights failings

Candid soul-searching by a progressive leader is reverberating around Korea’s political circles more usually criticized for defying public calls for reform. Rep. Sim Sang-jeung, chief of the minor opposition Progressive Justice Party, on Tuesday spoke out about the failings of progressive politics in her address to the parliament. The former union leader dedicated much of her 10-minute address to highlight her and colleagues’ radical views on North Korea and politics that were far removed from r

PoliticsJune 12, 2013

[Newsmaker] Cook strives to keep Apple innovative

U.S.-based tech giant Apple on Monday revealed its much-anticipated new mobile operating system, hinting that its innovative prowess had not died with its cofounder Steve Jobs.“IOS 7 is the biggest change to iOS since the introduction of iPhone,” the company’s CEO Tim Cook said at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco.Throughout the presentation, Cook repeatedly stressed the word “innovation,” as if to state that his company is still capable of producing groundbreaking produ

TechnologyJune 11, 2013

[Newsmaker] U.N. mulls cost-cutting measures

The United Nations will undergo large-scale restructuring amid international pressure to cut its spending, according to U.N. sources. The unprecedented move is widely interpreted as a sign of problems with its reforms.South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency, citing unnamed sources, reported Monday that the organization will eliminate at least 260 jobs. The initial job cut plans only target some 6,600 employees working at the U.N. headquarters in New York. The plan is expected to include the suspension

World NewsJune 10, 2013

[Newsmaker] Son wins gold at Asian Gymnastics

Gymnast Son Yeon-jae won three gold medals at the Asian Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, becoming the first South Korean to win gold at an international rhythmic gymnastic event.The 19-year-old began her winning streak by clinching the individual all-round final on Friday with 72.066 points in the multi-sport competition combining hoop, ball, clubs and ribbon. She outperfomed Rakhmatova Djamila of Uzbekistan with 70.599 points and Deng Senyue of China with 70.250, who t

More SportsJune 9, 2013

[Newsmaker] Obama taps Rice as national security adviser

United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice, who became a target of Republican vitriol over U.S. President Barack Obama’s handling of an attack on a U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, is moving into the post of White House National Security Adviser.President Obama announced a major reshuffling of his national security team on Wednesday, ushering out Tom Donilon, a cautious Washington insider, and elevating Rice, a longtime proponent for expanding the U.S. role in protecting human rights and pr

PoliticsJune 6, 2013

[Newsmaker] Inspection firm targeted in nuclear scandal

At the heart of the nuclear reactors’ shutdown and subsequent electricity shortage was a quality inspection company that neglected its role for the sake of its own interests.Earlier in the week, the prosecution summoned the head of Saehan TEP for allegedly forging the quality certificate papers on substandard signal cables used in the recently suspended nuclear reactors.A senior employee of JS Cable, too, was questioned on charges of supplying faulty parts and exerting pressure on Saehan TEP to

June 5, 2013

[Newsmaker] Park turns to last resort for PR chief

It was like deja vu on Monday when President Park Geun-hye turned to her long-time troubleshooter Lee Jung-hyun to fix the public relations mess at Cheong Wa Dae. Lee, 56, chief presidential political secretary, was named as her top public affairs aide, replacing Lee Nam-ki, who resigned last month to take responsibility for the sexual assault case involving then-spokesman Yoon Chang-jung.The move was to contain criticism toward the presidential office’s communications team, particularly over th

PoliticsJune 4, 2013

[Newsmaker] Former NIS chief accused of corruption

Won Sei-hoon, a former spy chief and long-time aide to former President Lee Myung-bak, is likely to face charges for personal corruption as well as his role in intelligence agents’ illegal intervention in politics. Prosecutors are investigating allegations that he received bribes from a private construction firm while he served as chief of the National Intelligence Service. During a raid of the agency, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office seized documents reportedly containing a list o

Social AffairsJune 3, 2013

[Newsmaker] U.S. Rep. speaks against N.K. repatriations

Republican Rep. Ed Royce, the head of the U.S. congressional panel on foreign affairs, lodged last week a strong protest against China for its recent repatriation of nine North Korean defectors.The chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee sent a letter to China’s President Xi Jinping expressing his concern over recent reports of the forced repatriation of North Koreans, some as young as 15, who now face extreme punishment in North Korea, his office said Friday.The North Koreans fled North

North KoreaJune 2, 2013

[Newsmaker] KCIJ makes waves with tax haven revelations

The Korea Center for Investigative Journalism, or Newstapa, is making waves with its revelations of high-profile Koreans who use tax havens to store their wealth.Founded in 2012 by a group of journalists, the KCIJ is an independent online media outlet that states its purpose as “delivering the truth to the public, and not using press releases distributed by those with power and money.”  Saying that they have judged that the revealed related information “serves the public’s right to know and the

Social AffairsMay 30, 2013

[Newsmaker] Governor closes public hospital

South Gyeongsang Province on Wednesday closed its main public medical center plagued by snowballing losses, bellicose unionists and heated political disputes. Governor Hong Joon-pyo pushed ahead with the plan to shut down Jinju Medical Center despite fierce opposition from the union, opposition parties and the central government.The former ruling party leader sparked a nationwide controversy when he warned that the government will shut down the country’s second-oldest public hospital unless its

Social AffairsMay 29, 2013

[Newsmaker] Miryang power-line towers a headache

The controversy over work on high-voltage transmission towers in Miryang, South Gyeongsang Province, continues with potential solutions running into further problems.Last week, Vice Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Han Jin-hyun said that the government and the ruling Saenuri Party will ensure that compensation promised by the Korea Electric Power Corporation is paid.The Ministry of Strategy and Finance, however, has taken the position that the compensation should be funded by KEPCO, as tho

Social AffairsMay 28, 2013

[Newsmaker] Moon writes Korean film history at Cannes

Korean director Moon Byoung-gon on Sunday won the Short Film Palme d’Or at Cannes International Film Festival, which ran May 15-26, for his film “Safe.” Moon is the first Korean to win the honor.“I am bewildered and didn’t know if I would win a prize,” the 30-year-old director was quoted as saying after the awards ceremony in France. “I am all the more happy to receive this award because I had no expectation that I’d win.”The 13-minute short is described as a grim portrait of a man addicted to g

FilmMay 27, 2013

[Newsmaker] Osaka mayor hurts Japan’s image, his future

Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto, once seen as the potential prime minister of Japan, has become a lightning rod for international criticism with his remorseless remarks about the victims of wartime sexual slavery.The 43-year-old, who co-chairs the nationalist Japan Restoration Party, earlier said frontline military brothels during World War II were necessary to give troops relief and maintain their discipline. He also suggested U.S. troops in Okinawa use adult establishments to help curb sex crimes.T

PoliticsMay 26, 2013

[Newsmaker] Lee takes helm of Woori Financial

The new leadership of Woori Financial Group, which is expected to take the initiative in privatizing the state-funded firm, will take over in the coming weeks.The group’s personnel affairs committee said Thursday that it nominated incumbent bank unit CEO Lee Soon-woo as the new chairman.At a news briefing, nominee Lee clarified that he would not always adhere to the past sale project of a block deal for the taxpayers’ money-injected financial group.He clarified that the group ― in coordination w

May 23, 2013