Jeju Seogwipo police on Monday arrested a Korean man on suspicion of the murder of a Chinese woman, whose body was found deserted in a field on Jejudo Island last week. A herb picker found the body last Wednesday and the police have investigated the case targeting people who were acquainted with the victim, a 22-year-old Chinese who entered the country on Oct. 7, 2015 and overstayed her visa-free period in order to work.The police had circulated this leaflet to verify the victim's identity. (Yon

Social Affairs April 18, 2016

Lotte Card on Monday announced the launching of an adhesive sticker that can be used in making payments for public transportation rides. The Lotte Sticker Card is one-third the size of a common credit card and can be attached to the back of a mobile phone for convenient use.  (Yonhap)The sticker card can also be used at SPC Group affiliates such as Dunkin’ Donuts, Paris Baguette and 7-Eleven. Those who already have a Lotte credit card can get this sticker issued. However, those who do not must s

Social Affairs April 18, 2016

A married man who impersonated a single lawyer to swindle more than 20 million won ($17,000) from a woman was given two years in prison on Monday. Seoul’s northern district court said it had determined the 37-year-old swindler surnamed Kim to be guilty of deceit as he had neither the intention nor the ability to pay back what he had “borrowed.” This is a stock image from 123RF (123RF)Kim had impersonated a chief lawyer at an existing law firm by using fake name cards.He duped a 34-year-old woman

Social Affairs April 18, 2016

A man was found dead in a parked car with stab wounds on his chest on Sunday at around 7 p.m. According to the police, the man also had self-inflicted wounds on his neck and left wrist. (123RF)“The car had been locked from inside and there seems to be no signs of struggle, but we are investigating with all possibilities open as there is no suicide note.”The man had been reported as missing last Wednesday at Gyeonggi Province’s Gwangju Police station.The Rexton vehicle, owned by the deceased, was

Social Affairs April 18, 2016

A woman found murdered on Jejudo Island was confirmed by police on Sunday to be a 22-year-old from China. The victim, whose identity remains withheld, is reported to have arrived in Korea on Oct. 7, 2015 with a traveler’s visa, then overstayed the visa for work.  (Yonhap)The Seogwipo police said their inquiry in the case led to an informant who claimed acquaintance with the victim. Based on the man’s description of the woman and convincingly matching records of her entry to Korea, the police hav

Social Affairs April 18, 2016

A local court has rejected Korean Air Lines Co.'s injunction request seeking to prohibit its pilots from taking any labor action, saying there were no procedural problems with the voting process that gave the green light for a strike, company officials said Friday.The ruling was made by the Seoul Southern District Court on Thursday, apparently throwing weight behind labor unionists currently demanding a salary hike and better working conditions after negotiations broke down in February. Both hav

Industry April 15, 2016

When eating out at a restaurant in Yonggang-dong, Mapo-gu, check if there is a bin or a sack collecting bottle caps. Seoul Mapo-gu Yonggang-dong community center announced Friday that it will support the region’s low-income households by exchanging recyclable bottle caps for rice.  (123RF)According to the community center, last month’s trial run showed a stimulating outcome of 35,000 bottle cap collected within a month at bins placed at 50 or so participating restaurants. Every 500 bottle caps c

Social Affairs April 15, 2016

Seoul city will increase the number of real estate agencies for foreigners to 220, the city government announced Friday. Currently there are 175 real estate agencies in Seoul that are tested and certified by the city as “Global.” Among these, 131 are speak English, 29 Japanese, eight speak both English and Japanese and five speak Chinese. (123RF)These agencies are mainly clustered around Yongsan, Gangnam, Seocho, Songpa and Mapo areas, where the city’s foreign population tends to be denser. The

Expat Living April 15, 2016

"Descendants of the Sun," the just-closed sensational TV series, rewrote the history of commercial success for terrestrial networks' weeknight dramas.The KBS 2TV's mini-series secured a combined 12.2 billion won ($10.6 million) worth of advertisement deals, including virtual advertising and PPL, according to sources in the broadcasting industry.The sum is close to the show's total production cost of 13 billion won and more than double the number of MBC TV's 2014 hit drama "Pretty Woman."All 28 f

Industry April 15, 2016

Foreign currency deposits at banks jumped 13 percent in March from a month earlier due mainly to increased deposits by local companies, central bank data showed Friday. Outstanding foreign currency deposits held by local residents came to $60.6 billion last month, up $7.1 billion from the previous month, according to the data compiled by the Bank of Korea. Local residents include firms and foreign nationals who have stayed in the country for more than six months. The deposit figure excludes inte

April 15, 2016

Nippon Express Co., Japan's largest distribution service provider, dedicated an international logistics center in the free economic zone in the port city of Busan on Friday, paving the way for the company to strengthen its operations in Northeast Asia.The company held a ceremony with the Busan-Jinhae Free Economic Zone Authority to launch the center. Nippon Express injected 2.77 billion won ($2.4 million) into the project with work starting in August of last year. The facility has a floor area o

Industry April 15, 2016

South Korea attained its third-largest trade surplus in March and extended the surplus streak to 50 months, as imports again fell at a faster pace than exports, customs data showed Friday.The country's trade surplus came to $9.86 billion last month, up from a surplus of $7.07 in the previous month, according to the data from the Korea Customs Service.The March figure marked the 50th consecutive month of a trade surplus, with an 18.6-percent on-year jump from $8.34 billion a year earlier.It is al

April 15, 2016