A private helicopter crashed in the low hills of Dongducheon, Gyeonggi Province, on Monday while transporting supplies for a steel power grid in the hills, the police said.   The police are working to find the exact site and cause of the crash in the city located some 40 kilometers north of the capital of Seoul.   They are also working to confirm the safety of a pilot and one other passenger ab

Social Affairs April 4, 2011

Nine out of 10 Koreans think the prices of everyday necessities have risen compared to three months ago, a survey said. Nielsen Company Korea, a research firm, said the results came from its survey conducted between Feb. 25 and March 4 this year, targeting 1,000 Internet users in major cities including Seoul, Gwangju and Busan. Local consumers thought meat prices had risen the most, followed by ag

April 4, 2011

   The Supreme Court overruled a lower court's decision to convict a suspect of attempted murder, saying that an earlier ruling unanimously approved by the jury cannot be dismissed without new compelling evidence, court officials said Monday.   The 48-year-old man, surnamed Moon, was indicted for attempting to kill a worker of his neighbor company with an ax in 2009, but the citizen jurors unanimo

Social Affairs April 4, 2011

   SK Engineering & Construction Co., a South Korean builder, said Monday that it has clinched a 140 billion won ($128.9 million) contract to build a subway section in downtown Singapore.    Under the deal with Singapore's Land Transport Authority, SK Engineering will build a 1.1-kilometer section of the 21-kilometer subway system by late 2016, the company said.    The builder said it will start w

Industry April 4, 2011

Korea’s leading English daily integrates English news and education for the first time in the nation with its news app for Apple’s iPhone users. The Korea Herald news app is the fastest way to get updated with real-time news and the smartest way to enhance one’s English level. It features useful, substantial English education contents in the e-study section. It provides short video lectures, audio

Technology April 3, 2011

   YEOSU -- The organizing committee for the 2012 Yeosu Expo will hold a meeting with representatives from the participating countries to explain details on its preparation for the international exhibition, it said Sunday.    The meeting is expected to bring together Vicente Gonzalez Loscertales, secretary general of the Paris-based Bureau of International Exhibitions (BIE), and some 250 represent

April 3, 2011

   The number of South Koreans remaining in Libya has been reduced to 60 as three construction workers and a resident left the turmoil-laden country by land to Tunisia, the foreign ministry said Sunday.   The 60 is comprised of 29 in the Libyan capital of Tripoli, 16 in the eastern city of Benghazi and 15 officials at the South Korean Embassy in Tripoli.   South Korea on Tuesday refused to allow 1

Foreign Affairs April 3, 2011

  North Korea on Sunday called South Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo as "an invariable territory indigenous to the Korean people yesterday, today and even in the future," lambasting Japan for authorizing a dozen new school textbooks renewing territorial claims to the islets last week.   In a commentary, the North's official Web site, Uriminzokkiri, made the remarks, adding that South Korea has

Foreign Affairs April 3, 2011

  South Korean companies should be prepared for fierce competition with Japanese rivals in India following New Delhi's signing of a free trade agreement with Tokyo, a local trade body said Sunday.   Japan and India signed a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA) in February, which, once implemented, will remove around 94 percent of import tariffs on both sides, according to a report b

Industry April 3, 2011

 South Korea plans to expand its bullet train network across the country in an effort to accelerate cross-country transportation and promote balanced regional development, the transportation ministry said Sunday.   Under the plans, major cities will be connected by the Korea Train Express (KTX) by 2020, making it possible for people to travel anywhere on the South Korean peninsula within one and a

Social Affairs April 3, 2011

   South Korean seafood exporters have won $7.14 million worth of export orders at North America's largest seafood event in the U.S. city of Boston, the government said Sunday.   The Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said eight companies attended the 2011 International Boston Seafood Show to highlight locally produced fresh, canned and ready-made products, and hold tasting eve

April 3, 2011

   Debts owed by the government, individuals and companies in South Korea reached a record high last year, data showed on Sunday, raising concerns that the high level of debts could derail the economy off the recovery track.   According to data compiled by the Bank of Korea, their interest-bearing debts reached 2,586 trillion won ($2.37 trillion) at the end of last year, up 7.4 percent from 2,408

April 3, 2011