The Korea Herald

Korea all out to contain FMD fallout

Officials hurry to curb contamination from burials, aid meat importsAn investigation into more than 4,000 burial sites for animals slaughtered in the fight against foot-and-mouth disease will scrutinize the burials’ impact on the environment and soil, the ruling Grand National Party and the administration decided Thursday. They also decided to exempt quota tariffs on imported pork and powdered mil

Politics Feb. 10, 2011

GNP in feud over science belt, airport

President Lee Myung-bak is facing fierce opposition from members of his own Grand National Party over plans for the controversial Science Business Belt and a new hub airport for the southeast region. Since more than 16 million swing votes may come down to these location selections, some GNP members poised to run in next year’s general elections have openly denounced Lee’s plans, reflecting feuds w

Social Affairs Feb. 9, 2011

Half of foreign spouses identify as liberal

A foreign resident asks a question during the annual town meeting at Seoul City Hall on Dec. 17. (Seoul City)About half of foreign spouses here consider themselves progressive and are willing to participate in political activities such as voting, a study showed Tuesday. For her master’s degree at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Ariun Shukertei surveyed 670 foreign-born people who have either

Social Affairs Feb. 9, 2011

Half of foreign spouses identify as liberal

Concerns rise that cull may cause disaster

Minister Lee says reckless burial of infected livestock may result in widespread contaminationThe reckless burial of cattle in an attempt to prevent the further spread of foot-and-mouth disease could trigger a massive environmental disaster, Environment Minister Lee Maan-ee said. The minister called for a thorough examination of the effect of the burials on the surrounding soil and environment to

Social Affairs Feb. 8, 2011

Concerns rise that cull may cause disaster

Smoking to be banned at three Seoul plazas

Smoking will be prohibited at three main squares in central Seoul from March and those who break the ban will be fined 100,000 won ($94) from June after a three-month grace period.Under the city administration’s ordinance putting stricter regulations on outdoor smoking, the no-smoking public areas will be expanded to 23 parks by September and 295 bus stops on central lanes by the end of the year.

Social Affairs Feb. 6, 2011

Police crack down on wild graduation parties

Streaking, carousal as well as egging and flouring other students have long been practiced among middle and high school students after their graduation ceremonies. But the police will crack down on such rituals this year by sending officers to the neighborhoods of 844 schools nationwide for 10 days from Tuesday, when most graduation ceremonies are to take place. More than 47,000 police officers an

Social Affairs Feb. 6, 2011

Jobless insurance claims decline

The number of people seeking unemployment insurance claims has steadily declined for the past two months, possibly blueprinting a better job market for 2011, the Ministry of Employment and Labor said Tuesday. The number of new claimants for unemployment insurance stood at about 130,000 in January, down 6.5 percent from a year earlier. The figure was 82,000 in December, a 12.8 percent decrease from

Social Affairs Feb. 1, 2011

Civic groups to push for vote to rescind free school meals

An association of 150 conservative civic groups Monday filed a petition with the Seoul Metropolitan Government to collect signatures from citizens to hold a plebiscite vote on the controversial free school meal ordinance passed by the city council twice last year. “Free school meals and other splurging welfare policies are just tools of populism by populists. If the system goes around for more tha

Social Affairs Jan. 31, 2011

Civic groups to push for vote to rescind free school meals

Hallyu stars fuel Seoul City’s website boom

More than 50 million people worldwide visited Seoul City’s international promotion websites last year, with hallyu entertainers the major reason for the boom. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the number of visitors to nine of its websites run in Japanese, English and Chinese marked 5,057,465 last year, about 15 times that of its official Korean site (www.seoul.go.kr). The lion’s sha

Social Affairs Jan. 31, 2011

Pirates to face food, climate and language barriers

Life behind the bars for the Somali pirates transferred to Korea will be tough: they are expected to struggle with lack of heat, plus food and language barriers. Since it is the first time Korean investigators have dealt with suspects of this type, the police are on alert for emergencies that could hinder a smooth investigation process.According to the Busan Coast Guard, who will conduct the initi

Social Affairs Jan. 30, 2011

Wounded captain needs more surgery

Seok, 58, survives operation following Samho Jewelry rescue mission Surgery on the seriously wounded captain Seok Hae-kyun of the Samho Jewelry was showing neither optimistic nor pessimistic results, doctors at Ajou University Hospital said Sunday. Hospital chief Ryu Hee-sug, said the captain’s three-and-half-hour operation was tough. Seok Hae-kyun, the wounded captain of the Samho Jewelry, is tak

Social Affairs Jan. 30, 2011

Five Somali pirates arrested for sea robbery

A local court Sunday issued arrest warrants for five Somali pirates who hijacked a Korean ship in the Arabian Sea and wounded its captain, leaving him in critical condition. This is the first time foreigners have been called into court over piracy. If convicted, they could spend more than five years behind bars. If proved to have shot the Korean captain at close range, those responsible could be g

Social Affairs Jan. 30, 2011

Five Somali pirates arrested for sea robbery

Gov. Lee, Rep. Suh lose jobs on conviction

Lee Kwang-jae, governor of Gangwon Province, was stripped of his position Thursday as the Supreme Court upheld a lower court’s sentence. Lee was earlier sentenced to a one-year prison term and a forfeit order of 114 million won ($102,000) for having received kickbacks from Park Yeon-cha, CEO of shoemaking company, Taekwang Industry.The term will also deprive Lee, who was an aide of the late Presid

Social Affairs Jan. 28, 2011

Gov. Lee, Rep. Suh lose jobs on conviction

N.K. rights monitor’s budget cut by third

In an apparent dampening of the government’s zeal to tackle human rights abuses in North Korea, the National Human Rights Commission’s budget for the area was slashed by one-third this year, officials said Wednesday. According to the independent organization, the budget allotted for the North Korea human rights section is 200 million won ($17,800), down from last year’s 331 million won. The commis

Social Affairs Jan. 26, 2011

Parents pay W200,000 a kid for English study

Korean parents are spending up to 200,000 won ($178) per child on private English education each month, a survey showed on Tuesday. But most are willing to pay this or more for their children’s sakes, indicating that families prioritize English education in their budgets, according to Yoon’s English School, one of the nation’s largest English education franchises. The private English educator surv

Social Affairs Jan. 25, 2011

Articles by 배지숙