False health insurance claims in South Korea are expected to flirt with 600 billion won this year despite a crackdown on scammers, data showed Wednesday.According to the data by the National Health Insurance Service, medical providers' false and unfair insurance claims came to 545 billion won ($456 million) in the first 11 months of this year, compared with 594 billion won in 2015. At the current pace, the amount for all of 2016 is widely expected to reach nearly 600 billion won.  Experts said t

Social Affairs Dec. 21, 2016

South Korea's Navy on Wednesday conducted a maritime drill to defend the country's easternmost islets of Dokdo in the East Sea, officials said, as Japan has laid persistent claims to the sovereign territory.The Navy kicked off a biannual military exercise to guard Dokdo from unlawful intrusion by mobilizing its warships and maritime patrol planes, it said.If weather conditions permit, the Marine Corps is also expected to conduct a landing drill on the islets, it said.Since 1986, the South Korean

Defense Dec. 21, 2016

South Korea's top 100 large-cap companies have seen their surplus cash more than double over the past year as they are reluctant to invest amid the economy's prolonged sluggishness, data showed Wednesday.According to the data by market tracker CEO Score, the leading companies had a combined surplus cash flow of 55.2 trillion won ($46.2 billion) as of the end of September, up 118 percent from a year earlier.Cash flow refers to the cash that flows into and out of a company, while a surplus cash fl

Industry Dec. 21, 2016

Lotte Mart, a discount store chain operated by retailer Lotte Group, said Wednesday it has opened its 46th store in Indonesia in line with its global growth strategy. With floor space of 5,572 square meters, the Pramuka shop opened on the underground floor of a commercial-residential building in Jakarta with some 7,000 households.Lotte Mart's 16th retail outlet in Indonesia has a health and beauty section, as well as young children and fresh food corners, the company said.Lotte Mart also operate

Industry Dec. 21, 2016

Ford Sales & Service Korea, the local importer and distributor of Ford vehicles, will recall certain model year Ford Explorer SUVs sold here for a problem related to the cars' suspension, the transportation ministry said Wednesday.The recall affects 489 Explorer cars produced between Jan. 17 and May 31 of 2014, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.The ministry said the toe link in the rear suspension of the vehicle may not have been welded properly, possibly causing it

Mobility Dec. 21, 2016

A South Korean diplomat accused of sexually harassing two teenage girls in Chile returned home Tuesday to face investigation by the foreign ministry, a diplomatic source said.The embassy official in charge of cultural affairs was accused of making improper physical contact with a 14-year-old Chilean girl in September while teaching Korean. A Chilean broadcaster also aired on Sunday (local time) the scene of his sexual abuse of another female teen captured by a hidden camera early this month, spa

Social Affairs Dec. 20, 2016

South Korea is set to face record damage from the latest outbreak of avian influenza with more than 10 percent of all poultry here already slaughtered for infection or in preventive measures, a report suggested Tuesday.According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, over 19.9 million birds at 378 farms here have been destroyed or set to be culled as of Monday. The number accounts for more than 12 percent of the total 165.25 million poultry being raised here, according to the st

Dec. 20, 2016

The number of primary and secondary school students with the influenza virus has reached an all-time high, health authorities said Tuesday, while the country's education ministry is instructing schools to consider starting winter vacation earlier than scheduled in an effort to stop the spread of the contagious yet not deadly virus.The number of flu patients from elementary, middle and high schools per 1,000 came to 152.2 from Dec. 11-17, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Pre

Social Affairs Dec. 20, 2016

South Korea's unification ministry said Tuesday it is checking relevant information to verify whether President Park Geun-hye's 2005 letter sent to the former North Korean leader violated a law on inter-Korean exchanges.A local media outlet reported that in July 2005, Park, then head of the conservative party, sent a letter to then-North Korean leader Kim Jong-il on inter-Korean exchanges, sparking criticism that she may have been too submissive in her attitude toward Kim.In May 2002, Park visit

Politics Dec. 20, 2016

The number of cruise passengers visiting South Korea is expected to top 2.2 million this year, doubling from last year's tally, aided by an influx of Chinese travelers via cruise packages, a state-run tourism promotion agency said Tuesday. According to the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), 1.94 million cruise passengers had visited the country as of end-October, up 129 percent from a year earlier. If that pace continues, the total tally for 2016 will exceed 2.2 million.A large portion of the pas

Industry Dec. 20, 2016

Foreign direct investment pledged to South Korea's free economic zones is expected to reach a four-year high in 2016 on the government's efforts to attract more overseas investment, data showed Tuesday.Fresh FDI committed so far this year to the country's eight FEZs stood at $2.42 billion, soaring 66 percent from $1.46 billion tallied a year ago, according to the data compiled by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.The 2016 figure marked the highest since 2012 when it hit a record $2.56 b

Dec. 20, 2016

A former floor leader of the ruling Saenuri Party said Tuesday the political breakup will take some time as the ultimate goal of such a move is to strive for a "balanced conservatism" in the country and not independence itself."There's no need to leave the party, if Saenuri strives to become a true conservative party," said Rep. Yoo Seong-min, a leading member of Saenuri's dissenter group that has been at odds with President Park Geun-hye and her loyalists. On Monday, the dissenters group propos

Politics Dec. 20, 2016