Chung suspected of rigging matchA former professional football player on the list of suspects in a recent match-rigging scandal was found dead in a Seoul hotel Monday.According to police, Chung Jung-kwan, a former midfielder for Jeonbuk Hyundai in the K-League, hanged himself from the ceiling of a Gangnam Princess Hotel room.He left a four-page note in which he said: “I feel ashamed to be a part o

Social Affairs May 30, 2011

Baby boomers are living without their children at home for significantly longer than their parents did, according to a state-run women’s research institute.The longer so-called empty nest period where husbands and wives live alone after their children leave home creates a financial burden for children who care for their parents. The Korean Women’s Development Institute said the average period that

Social Affairs May 30, 2011

Four of the five Somali pirates taken alive on a South Korean carrier await their verdict Friday, possibly facing the death penalty or life imprisonment, after a week-long trial in Busan. The Busan District Court is expected to announce the verdict late Friday afternoon, after reviewing photos, interrogation material and witness examinations as evidence, officials said.Although charges of maritime

Social Affairs May 26, 2011

Amid confirmation that the U.S. military dumped toxic chemicals on Korean soil in 1978, a new testimony has surfaced, saying that orders were given to remove all supplies of dioxins in Korea around the same time.“I was given orders, probably general orders to all units as well, to remove all remaining supplies of dioxin from warehouses throughout all the 2nd Division,” said Larry Anderson, a forme

Social Affairs May 25, 2011

Smokers will be slapped with a 100,000 won ($91) fine if caught smoking at major squares in central Seoul starting next month.The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Tuesday it has designated Gwanghwamun, Cheonggye and Seoul Squares as no-smoking areas.The capital will dispatch patrol teams to the squares from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. They will use PDAs to issue tickets on the spot to those caught taking a

Social Affairs May 24, 2011

The government has strengthened measures against domestic violence, enabling police to take stronger emergency action to protect victims.The steps are designed to address the high rate of domestic violence here compared to other countries, officials said Tuesday.According to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, one out of every two households experiences some form of domestic abuse, emotion

Social Affairs May 24, 2011

A full-scale military air drill took flight over southwest Korea to improve the efficiency of joint operations by South Korean and U.S. air forces, according to military officials in Seoul on Monday.Some 59 aircrafts from both countries are to take part in the five-day Max Thunder drill, including Korea’s F-15K and KF-16 jets and HH-60P choppers, and U.S. F-16 jets as well as an airborne early war

Defense May 23, 2011

More than half of native English-speaking assistant teachers are in the three lowest grades of a nine-grade system determined by qualifications upon employment, according to the capital’s education office on Monday.According to the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, of the 1,215 assistant teachers, some 36 percent are given the second-lowest grade of G, which states that the teacher has at le

Social Affairs May 23, 2011

The government put on hold less than one percent of development projects after undergoing environmental impact assessments, according to Seoul’s Environment Ministry Sunday.The data highlights the strain between faster development and environmental consciousness. According to the ministry, environmental impact assessments prior to development have put a brake on less than five percent of projects

Social Affairs May 22, 2011

Prosecutors to charge 23-year-old with attempted murderIn a first of its kind, four of the five Somali pirates captured after a daring naval raid on a South Korean freighter in the Arabian Sea will go on jury trial Monday, according to court officials.Arai Mahomed, 23, who is suspected of shooting Captain Seok Hae-kyun at point-blank range, and three others will be publicly tried at the Busan Dist

Politics May 22, 2011