Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley agreed Thursday to increase investment and trade opportunities between Seoul and Maryland, city officials said Friday.The two leaders signed a memorandum of understanding Thursday when Oh visited Maryland. The state is well known for its bio cluster of about 500 institutions, the largest of its kind in the U.S. Oh has emphasized the bio

Social Affairs April 22, 2011

Regulator assures glitch is minor, no radiation dangersThe government will order a safety inspection of the Gori-1 reactor, which was temporarily shut down following a technical glitch last week, officials said Thursday. “It is a welcome decision, risking financial loss,” said Kim Chang-kyung, second vice minister of education, science and technology, in a news conference on Thursday. “The reactor

Social Affairs April 21, 2011

New schools or those that consider reconstruction will be required to build “see-through” fences that can be seen through in order to protect students from sexual and other violent crimes, officials said Thursday. In a meeting with school facility officials nationwide on Thursday, the Ministry of Education, Technology and Science asked schools to install 1.8-meter-high transparent fences. “The mea

Social Affairs April 21, 2011

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon hinted at his bid for the presidency next year on an official visit to the U.S. this week. “Korea is facing a very critical moment now. Considering the flexible political environment, I feel a strong responsibility (for the presidency),” Oh said Monday after delivering a lecture at Harvard University. It was the first time the mayor has made public his intention to run for t

Social Affairs April 20, 2011

Seoul National University will launch a think tank in May to work out a long-term strategy for the nation’s research and development sector, the school said Tuesday. Starting with the organization of its members, the tentatively named “Future R&D Committee” plans to hold the first meeting next month. The nation’s R&D policy has thus far been planned by government offices or research institutes aff

Social Affairs April 19, 2011

Seoul City said Tuesday that it will create art performance venues in 50 spots around the city for artists and citizens to show off their artistic talent.The “Open Art Theater” project will start on May 22, with “talent donations” by professional and amateur artists. Those who participate in the project will be given some financial support for their performances.A total of 50 locations were select

Social Affairs April 19, 2011

Donations for disaster relief in Japan surpassed 55 billion won amid an exceptional outpouring of sympathy toward Korea’s closest neighbor.According to major charities on Monday, the total donations made here amounted to about 55.6 billion won ($51 million) one month after the deadly earthquake and tsunami devastated Japan’s northeastern coast on March 11. The Korean Red Cross collected 39.2 billi

Social Affairs April 18, 2011

The state human rights watchdog said Sunday that it has started an investigation into the punitive tuition system at Korea Institute of Science and Technology following recent student suicides at the school. The minority New Progress Party filed a petition with the National Human Rights Commission on April 8, claiming that the tuition system, under which students pay different amounts of fees base

Social Affairs April 17, 2011

Seoul City on Sunday launched a mobile clinic to offer free medical checkups for foreign residents here, officials said. The traveling clinic provides medical inspections including for blood sugar, liver and kidney functions and hepatitis.People who are found to suffer from any illness will be guided on medical institutions where they can receive treatment free of charge.Starting with Itaewon on A

Social Affairs April 17, 2011

BEIJING/SANYA -- South Korean Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik met with Chinese President Hu Jintao on a southern Chinese island Thursday for discussions on boosting their countries' bilateral relationship, Kim's office said.Kim, who arrived in Beijing on Tuesday, flew to Hainan Island to attend the Boao Forum for Asia, an annual regional economic forum that kicked off Thursday.During his meeting with

Defense April 14, 2011

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon on Thursday declared a “paradigm shift” in the city’s housing development strategy, which has seen standardized apartment complexes dominate the city over the past 40 years.“Seoul City will discontinue its ‘new town projects,’ in which existing buildings are demolished to build new apartment complexes. Instead, we will adopt a new development style that puts more emphasis on

Social Affairs April 14, 2011