Local courts have rejected arrest warrants for eight rail union leaders, court officials said Wednesday, in a blow to a police probe into the nation's longest rail strike.On Saturday, police requested warrants to formally detain eight executives of provincial offices of the state rail company's union. All are alleged to have played major roles in the recently-ended strike and are awaiting trial.But courts, including the Seoul Western District Court and the Daejeon District Court, turned down all

Social Affairs Jan. 8, 2014

Leaders of the ruling Saenuri Party on Wednesday called for debate on the issue of reinstating state history textbooks as an alternative to the private sector textbooks that have caused controversy over their alleged biased content.Controversy over the textbooks has grown in recent weeks as a number of high schools across the country have canceled their choice of a new history textbook under pressure from students, alumni and left-leaning civic groups.Opposition lawmakers and other critics have

Politics Jan. 8, 2014

South Korea saw its surplus in its health tourism account top $100 million last year, largely thanks to increased spending by overseas travelers seeking healthcare and medical services in the country, data showed on Wednesday.According to the data compiled by the Bank of Korea, the country's income from medical tourism reached $187 million in the first 11 months of last year, up 35.3 percent from $138 million a year earlier, marking the biggest tally since the central bank began to keep related

Jan. 8, 2014

South Korea may soon allow the use of any electronic devices during landing and takeoff if confirmed that the devices do not interfere with aircrafts' own communication and navigational systems, the government said Wednesday.The move, if realized, will allow passengers to use any electronic devices, including cellular phones, at any time during their flight. Smartphones, however, must be put on flight mode, which cuts off radio communication.The government has already formed a special task force

Industry Jan. 8, 2014

South Korea's tech giants kicked off a four-day battle at the U.S. Consumer Electronics Show to prove their prowess in curved and bendable displays.The CES, one of the world's biggest technology fairs, kicked off in Las Vegas on Tuesday and will run through Friday. Around 3,200 technology firms are participating in the annual event that first opened in 1967.South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co. and LG Electronics Inc. joined the much-awaited event to promote their achievements and technological

Technology Jan. 8, 2014

Two men have been arrested for allegedly smuggling and attempting to sell more than one kilogram of methamphetamine, prosecutors said Tuesday.The two, identified only by their surnames Jang and Park, were indicted and detained pending trial on charges of violating drug laws, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office said.Both had permanent residency in the United States before they were convicted and deported from the country for their involvement in narcotics violations and other crimes, th

Social Affairs Jan. 7, 2014

A federal judge on Monday overturned Chicago's ban on the sale of firearms, ruling that the ordinances aimed at reducing gun violence are unconstitutional.U.S. District Judge Edmond E. Chang said in his ruling that while the government has a duty to protect its citizens, it's also obligated to protect constitutional rights, including the right to keep and bear arms for self-defense. However, Chang said he would temporarily stay the effects of his ruling, meaning the ordinances can stand while th

World News Jan. 7, 2014

The second year of President Park Geun-hye's government will focus on laying the groundwork for innovation and improvement of the overall economic conditions that can be palpable to the people.To that end, President Park said during a news conference marking the new year that she will launch and successfully carry out the so-called three-year economic innovation plan this year and open the "era of people's happiness.""In order for people to feel the actual achievement, we will establish the thre

Politics Jan. 6, 2014

Ninety-three earthquakes of magnitude 2.0 or above hit the Korean Peninsula last year, the most since seismic monitoring began in 1978, the weather office said Monday.The figure is also more than double the annual average of 44.5 recorded since 1999 when the observation system was first digitalized.Also last year, 17 earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or above struck the peninsula, with 15 of them felt by people, the Korea Meteorological Administration said.By region, there were 52 quakes in the West

Social Affairs Jan. 6, 2014