A controversial government plan to introduce electronic personal identification cards is unlikely to be realized as scheduled in 2013, faced with strong opposition from those fearing human rights infringements and a waste of taxpayers’ money.A related government bill has yet to be submitted to a parliamentary committee for deliberation although a committee session was held recently, the Ministry o

Social Affairs June 23, 2011

BEIJING (Yonhap News) ― North Korea has recently created a special police task force and bought large amounts of anti-riot gear from China in an apparent attempt to cope with any possible riots in the North, a source said Tuesday.The communist North purchased tear gas, helmets and shields through Chinese merchants in China’s northeastern city of Shenyang in recent months, the source said.The North

North Korea June 21, 2011

The financial health of provincial governments is getting worse due to stagnant local tax revenues and increasing welfare demand, the home affairs ministry said Tuesday.The average ratio for measuring their financial independence from the state was 51.9 percent as of this year, 5.3 percentage points lower than seven years ago, the Ministry of Public Administration and Security said in a statement.

Social Affairs June 21, 2011

President Lee Myung-bak met with religious leaders Monday, a week after South Korea’s largest Buddhist sect announced that it was normalizing relations with the government after half a year of standoff over a budget dispute.It marked the first time that Lee has met with Ven. Jaseung, head of the Buddhist sect Jogye Order, in more than a year. Jogye’s relations with the government have been tense a

Politics June 13, 2011

A North Korean vessel suspected of carrying banned items recently sailed back home from international waters after fearing it would be searched if it docked at a foreign port, sources said Sunday.It was not clear where the ship was headed or what it was carrying, but the vessel returned home at the end of last month after drifting in international waters near Southeast Asia, the government sources

North Korea June 12, 2011

The ruling Grand National Party is reportedly pushing to further expand the scope of compulsory education to include children aged three to four, officials said Sunday, amid controversy over its populist policy approach to college tuition fee cuts.“Expansion of childcare support is the next policy goal following the reduction of college education expenses. The party will push to gradually expand s

Politics June 12, 2011

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon blasted political parties for their proposed welfare policies Sunday, calling them populist ploys ahead of elections.He also warned against unconditional welfare policies, saying that they would erode the growth potential of the country. “Expanded welfare would cause tax hikes, and then ordinary people will suffer,” he said in an interview with the Yonhap news agency. “The p

Social Affairs June 12, 2011

The following is the Independence Day message of Luis T. Cruz, Philippine ambassador to South Korea, on the 113th anniversary of Philippine independence. ― Ed.We celebrate this year the 113th anniversary of the Declaration of Philippine Independence and the founding of a state that would one day redefine the notion of a revolution. We recall, with gratitude, the men and women upon whose conviction

Foreign Affairs June 12, 2011

WASHINGTON (Yonhap News) ― The U.S. House of Representatives will consider a bipartisan bill on reinforcing sanctions on North Korea, along with Iran and Syria, for their proliferation activities, a senior congresswoman said Tuesday.The bill, co-drafted by Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Florida), who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Rep. Brad Sherman (D-California) calls for the expans

North Korea June 8, 2011