A man who lost his daughter in South Korea's April ferry sinking has been hospitalized after being on hunger strike for more than a month, his spokesman said Friday.Kim Young-oh, whose daughter died in the capsized ferry, the Sewol, had been fasting for 40 days to demand an independent probe into the disaster.On Friday morning, he was sent to a hospital in northeastern Seoul from the site of his protest in Gwanghwamun Square in the city center, Yoo Kyung-geun, the spokesman for the victims'famil

Social Affairs Aug. 22, 2014

Two American missionaries who contracted Ebola while treating patients in Liberia have left hospital after making a full recovery, doctors said on Thursday, as authorities in the west African nation struggled to deal with their dead.Doctors Kent Brantly, 33, and Nancy Writebol, 60, caught the disease in Monrovia in the midst of an outbreak that has killed 1,350 people since March in Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone.The pair were given experimental drugs before being airlifted back to th

World News Aug. 22, 2014

North Korea is expected to complete the expansion of a long-range rocket launch site on the country's west coast by this fall, a report said Thursday, in a move that will allow the regime to fire bigger rockets with heavier payloads.The website 38 North, run by the U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, made the assessment based on recent satellite imagery of what the North calls the Sohae Satellite Launching Station, according to an Associated Press repo

North Korea Aug. 22, 2014

Three of five sitting lawmakers accused of taking bribes have been detained to face further questioning, court officials said Friday, hours before the National Assembly was called into session at midnight. Reps. Kim Jae-yun of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD) and Cho Hyun-ryong and Park Sang-eun of the ruling Saenuri Party were put behind bars after a Seoul court issued warrants for their detention on Thursday night. The Seoul Central District Court, however, dismis

Social Affairs Aug. 22, 2014

A Seoul appellate court on Thursday reduced the suspended prison term of the founder of one of the world's largest Christian churches for embezzling church funds, partly overturning a lower court ruling.In a lower court ruling earlier this year, Rev. Cho Yong-gi, the founder and pastor emeritus of Yoido Full Gospel Church in Seoul, was sentenced to three years in prison with a five-year stay of execution.In its ruling on Thursday, the Seoul High Court sentenced the pastor to two years and six mo

Social Affairs Aug. 21, 2014

An opposition lawmaker accused of taking bribes appeared before a Seoul court Thursday to attend a hearing to review the legality of his arrest.Rep. Kim Jae-yun of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD) showed up at the Seoul Central District Court at around 2 p.m. after the prosecution, in an unprecedented move, vowed to forcibly detain him. "I have sincerely prepared to attend a court hearing from the beginning," Kim told reporters before entering a court building. Kim,

Social Affairs Aug. 21, 2014

Prosecutors on Thursday sought a 15-year prison term for the head of financially troubled Tong Yang Group charged with fraudulently issuing and selling financial products, inflicting losses on nearly 40,000 individual investors.Chairman Hyun Jae-hyun is standing trial on charges of orchestrating the issuance of fraudulent corporate bonds and commercial paper (CP) worth some 1.33 trillion won (US$1.22 billion) under the names of the group's affiliates between February and September of last year,

Social Affairs Aug. 21, 2014

South Korean researchers said Thursday they have uncovered dozens of artifacts used in Buddhist ceremonies nearly a millenium ago, as they begin to unravel the mystery behind an ancient shrine where they were discovered.The 77 artifacts include a vajra, a type of club with ribbed spherical heads, bells and censers thought to be from the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), or possibly even earlier.Researchers at the Seoul Institute of Cultural Heritage were wrapping up an archaeological field survey on D

Culture Aug. 21, 2014

The number of newly established firms in South Korea soared to a new high in July as retirees opted to start their own businesses, central bank data showed Thursday.A total of 8,129 companies were established last month, compared with 7,133 in June, according to the Bank of Korea. The July figure is the highest since the central bank began compiling the data in January 1998."A continued rise in the number of baby boomers opening their businesses and an increase in the number of working days last

Industry Aug. 21, 2014

Sales of the boxy compact Soul, now dubbed the "popemobile," jumped around the time of Pope Francis' visit to Korea earlier this month after his ride throughout the country in the tiny vehicle was broadcast worldwide, the car's maker Kia Motors Corp. said Thursday.The daily average number of orders received for the second-generation Soul for the nine days since Aug. 11 came to 32.5 units, up 62.5 percent from the previous average of 20 cars for all of July, according to Kia officials. The nine-d

Industry Aug. 21, 2014

South Korea's top mobile carriers were fined 58.41 billion won (US$57.15 million) by the telecom authority on Thursday for continuing to pay illegal subsidies to win new clients.The Korea Communications Commission (KCC) said two of the three carriers being punished -- SK Telecom Co. and LG Uplus Corp. -- will also be banned from signing on new customers for one week starting at the end of this month. KT Corp. was excluded from the suspension.SK Telecom, the biggest carrier, was ordered to pay a

Technology Aug. 21, 2014

Violence erupted in an Ebola quarantine zone in Liberia's capital Wednesday when soldiers opened fire and used tear gas on crowds as they evacuated a state official and her family.Four residents were injured in the clashes that flared in Monrovia's West Point slum which has been contained as part of new security measures aimed at containing the deadly virus.The crackdown in Liberia comes as authorities around the world scramble to stem the worst-ever outbreak of Ebola, which has killed more than

World News Aug. 21, 2014

Thailand's junta-picked national assembly on Thursday chose coup leader General Prayut Chan-O-Cha as prime minister in a one-horse race that entrenched the military's hold on power.Prayut, who ousted an elected government in a bloodless coup on May 22, was backed by 191 members of the 197-strong assembly, with three abstentions and three voters absent.No assembly member opposed the selection of the army chief, who was the sole candidate for the post.His appointment must be approved by King Bhumi

World News Aug. 21, 2014

Prosecutors said Thursday they will forcibly detain five sitting lawmakers, who are suspected of taking bribes, for further questioning. The move comes as the five -- Reps. Cho Hyun-ryong, Park Sang-eun of the ruling Saenuri Party, and Kim Jae-yun, Shin Hak-yong and Shin Geh-ryeun of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy -- have decided not to appear at court hearings scheduled later in the day. District courts were scheduled to hold hearings to review the legality of the arres

Social Affairs Aug. 21, 2014