[Newsmaker] MBC chief faces music after disputes

Is he a martyr for the previous administration’s broadcasting policy or a tyrant facing the music for his authoritarianism?Kim Jae-chul, who resigned on Wednesday after being voted out as chief of the state-subsidized broadcasting network MBC on Tuesday by the board of the broadcaster’s majority shareholder, Foundation for Broadcast Culture, had been at the center of controversy from the day he took charge at MBC in February 2010. Kim’s appointment was labeled “Lee Myung-bak cronyism” as he had

CultureMarch 27, 2013

[Newsmaker] Scholar urges Tokyo to give up on Dokdo

Haruki Wada, a professor emeritus at Tokyo University, said in his new book that Japan should immediately renounce its claims of sovereignty over Dokdo.In his recently published book titled “How to Settle the Territorial Dispute in Northeast Asia,” the 75-year-old progressive scholar argued that Japan’s claim was immoral in light of Japan’s colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula from 1910-1945. “It is hard to find morality in Japan’s assertion that Korea’s control of Dokdo is an ‘illegal occupati

Foreign AffairsMarch 26, 2013

[Newsmaker] Former spy chief accused of political intervention

Won Se-hoon, former right-hand man to then-President Lee Myung-bak, faces a prosecution investigation just days after he resigned Thursday as chief of the National Intelligence Service. The prosecution banned him from leaving the country on Saturday pending an investigation into allegations that he directed his agents to carry out what critics call smear campaigns against opposition politicians and progressive activists.Won reportedly had planned on taking up a research post at Stanford Universi

PoliticsMarch 25, 2013

[Newsmaker] Defense chief faces another tough term

Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin faces another tough term with tasks ranging from deterring North Korea to preparing for major shifts in military structure and command system, and to boosting the morale of the armed forces. Cheong Wa Dae announced Friday that Kim would retain his post as controversy-laden Kim Byung-kwan withdrew his nomination for defense minister amid a series of allegations of misdeeds. Kim, 64, is the first defense chief to stay in office after a change of government. “While mai

DefenseMarch 24, 2013

[Newsmaker] First prosecutor nominated to head top court

Constitutional Court presidential nominee Park Han-chul is set to become the first public prosecutor to head the top court in Korean history. The current justice at the Constitutional Court was nominated by President Park Geun-hye on Thursday. Park’s nomination comes more than a month after former justice Lee Dong-heub stepped down as the nominee amid a series of allegations of wrongdoing.Park is a lifelong public prosecutor who rose to some of the highest posts within the prosecutors’ office.Pa

PoliticsMarch 21, 2013

[Newsmaker] Celebrity speaker accused of plagiarism

Celebrity instructor, cable TV host and education entrepreneur Kim Mi-kyung has become the latest in a string of public figures accused of plagiarism.The 48-year-old who hosts a talk show under her name at tvN is alleged to have copied at least four papers by others for the master’s degree she earned from Ewha Womans University in 2007.The university said that it was investigating the allegations that several paragraphs and footnotes in her paper are the same as other master’s degree theses publ

Social AffairsMarch 20, 2013

[Newsmaker] Blind trust rule turns ‘thorny’ for Park

President Park Geun-hye has aptly compared regulatory and business hurdles plaguing smaller firms to a “thorn under the nail.” It turns out that she has her own obstacles right under her nose. On Monday, Park’s nominee to head the Small and Medium Business Administration, Hwang Chul-joo, withdrew, citing a rule that compels high-level officials to dispose of any personal assets related to their duties.Hwang, who is the CEO of a venture company called Jusung Engineering, was considered one of Par

PoliticsMarch 19, 2013

[Newsmaker] FSS chief will let consumers request probes

Consumers will likely be entitled to call for the Financial Supervisory Service to conduct probes into financial firms such as commercial banks and insurance firms.Choi Soo-hyun, who took office as governor of the FSS on Monday, pledged to introduce consumer-initiated investigations in the financial market.The new chief regulator’s policy reflects his strong commitment to bolstering the protection of consumers, as the number of irregular business practices has continued to grow in the financial

March 18, 2013

[Newsmaker] Kim on track to 2nd Olympic title

Reigning figure skating champion Kim Yu-na of South Korea stepped closer to her Olympic goal in Sochi next year with a magical comeback victory at the world championships in Canada.The 23-year-old dominated the competition in London, Ontario, on Sunday to take the crown with a combined overall score of 218.31 points. She won the women’s short program with 69.97 points Friday, and the free skate with 148.34 points Sunday. Her championship title is also a boon to Korea, as it qualifies the country

More SportsMarch 17, 2013

[Newsmaker] IT expert named to Park’s key ministry

President Park Geun-hye chose a top communications technology expert as the new science minister nominee to fill the seat left by a controversial self-claimed patriot.Professor Choi Mun-kee of top science university KAIST was named on Thursday to head the ministry of Future Planning and Science, which will be newly established under Park’s government reorganization plan.By naming Choi, Park completed the nomination of 17 ministers. Presidential spokesman Yoon Chang-jung said Choi’s expertise was

IndustryMarch 14, 2013

[Newsmaker] Yongsan development plan hangs by a thread

The ambitious plan to redevelop Seoul’s Yongsan into a landmark international business district is heading toward collapse with its developer on the verge of bankruptcy, having defaulted on its business loan interest.In the worst-case scenario, the project failure may result in capital impairment of the state-run rail operator KORAIL and an unprecedented class action suits involving dozens of investor companies and thousands of victimized residents.Dream Hub announced its default status Wednesda

March 13, 2013

[Newsmaker] Galaxy S4: Will it justify the hype?

March 14 will be a big day for both Samsung and fans of the Galaxy lineup, as the Galaxy S4 is set for its first public appearance in New York City.The latest model will be unveiled less than a year after the previous S3 was launched. But the hype has built up so much since it was first rumored that Samsung would be releasing another model ― almost immediately after the S3 came out ― that, for some, the S4 may already seem old. Nevertheless, for those of us still scratching our heads about the s

TechnologyMarch 12, 2013

[Newsmaker] After Fukushima, Japan struggles to rebuild

The scene is a memory that will be etched into the minds of people worldwide for a generation. But for those who were there, it will take a generation more to recover.The world watched the catastrophe unfold as a 9.0-magnitude earthquake sent tsunamis up to 45 meters high toward Japan on March 11, 2011, drowning coastal towns and crippling the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl. The natural disaster left some 16,000 dead, 2,700 missing and 315,00

InternationalMarch 11, 2013

[Newsmaker] Ahn’s return signals greatest challenge yet

Generally popular but politically ambiguous, Ahn Cheol-soo was to return to South Korea on Monday after months of self-imposed exile from politics in the United States.If the circumstances were bad for the former professor when he left the country on Dec. 19, the day of the presidential election won by his former conservative rival Park Geun-hye, they are hardly more favorable now for the novice politician.Ahn will be running in the April 24 by-election in the constituency of Nowon-C of Seoul, a

PoliticsMarch 10, 2013

[Newsmaker] Retired NEC chief leads humble life

A mom-and-pop store is hardly a place where people would expect to see a person who once served in the highest court and headed the national election watchdog. Especially in a nation where high-ranking officials usually chase career paths promising prominent status, influence and hefty financial rewards.Kim Neung-hwan, a former Supreme Court justice and former chairman of the National Election Commission of Korea, who works at a convenience store owned by his wife, has come under the spotlight f

Social AffairsMarch 7, 2013

[Newsmaker] Chavez leaves uncertain legacy

He may have been a divisive figure, but late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has always been clear about how he wants to be remembered: a revolutionary standing up to the cruel and imperial United States and its cronies.As if to confirm this self-styled image, he told the Associated Press in 2007 that he admired the movie “Gladiator,” in which a lone fighter confronts an empire.Charismatic and populist, he took on Venezuela’s elite while retaining the propensity for impromptu marathon speeches

InternationalMarch 6, 2013

[Newsmaker] Ahn’s return challenges progressives

Former professor and presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo is once again creating a stir in the political arena with plans to run in the April 24 by-election and create a new party. Unlike Ahn’s presidential bid last year that dealt a heavy blow to President Park Geun-hye’s campaign, the former venture entrepreneur’s latest political ambition will likely spell trouble for the opposition. On Sunday, Ahn’s former campaign aid Rep. Song Ho-chang announced that Ahn would be returning to Korea on Marc

PoliticsMarch 5, 2013

[Newsmaker] Kim Jeong-hoon, patriot or scapegoat?

The obstacles were too many and the pressure was building up, fast. In the end, Kim Jeong-hoon admitted his defeat.Kim, yet another embattled nominee for the Park Geun-hye Cabinet, stepped down on Monday after being pummeled over his dual citizenship status.As head of Alcatel-Lucent’s Bell Labs and Corporate Strategy, Kim excelled in his field and touted extensive global ― if somewhat U.S.-oriented ― expertise. He certainly seemed to fit the bill for the new ministry created under Park to spearh

March 4, 2013

[Newsmaker] Ex-army chief to head intelligence service

President Park Geun-hye on Saturday added Nam Jae-joon, another retired general, to her national security and foreign policy staff, in an apparent show of her resolve to effectively deal with escalating North Korean threats.Nam, the former Army chief of staff, will be the first graduate of the Korea Military Academy in 12 years to lead the National Intelligence Service after the confirmation hearing process is completed at the National Assembly. Park’s picks for the top security and diplomacy po

PoliticsMarch 3, 2013

[Newsmaker] Pope's exit brings vain hopes for reform

Acknowledging the “rough seas” the Catholic Church has navigated in recent years, Pope Benedict XVI on Wednesday appeared in front of a crowd of more than 150,000 people at Vatican City to give the last public address of his papacy.“…There were moments, as there were throughout the history of the church, when the seas were rough and the wind blew against us and it seemed that the Lord was sleeping,” he told the crowd at St. Peter’s Square in Rome. As of Thursday evening, Joseph Ratzinger ceased

Foreign AffairsFeb. 28, 2013