The first trial hearing of Woo Byung-woo, former President Park Geun-hye’s chief secretary for civil affairs, began Friday, over allegations that he abetted the corruption that led to the president’s impeachment. 　Woo, a former prosecutor, appeared at the Seoul Central District Court at around 1:50 p.m. to attend the hearing, marking his first public appearance since being indicted in April over charges including abuse of power and obstruction of justice. Woo Byung-woo (Yonhap)Dubbed the “empero

Social Affairs June 16, 2017

A heat warning was issued for many parts of South Korea on Friday, with midday highs soaring to 32-33 degrees Celsius in Seoul and other cities. Along with the heat wave came a high concentration of ozone, prompting authorities to advise the old and weak to stay indoors. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, heat wave alerts were issued at 11 a.m. for Seoul and several other cities, which were expanded to the entire Gyeonggi Province and many cities in Gyeongsang, Jeolla and Chun

Social Affairs June 16, 2017

Newly minted Ewha Womans University President Kim Hei-sook on Thursday vowed open communication and inclusive leadership, seeking to rebuild the elite school after months of internal and external troubles that led to the arrest of several school officials, including her predecessor. “Opposite views and conflicts are natural in human society, and I believe we can settle conflicts through dialogue,” the 61-year-old philosophy professor said at her first press conference since her inauguration at t

Social Affairs June 15, 2017

The number of subscribers to the national pension scheme will peak next year and begin to shrink from 2019, due to the aging of the population, according to a new projection. The state-run National Pension Service said that the subscriber tally will reach its highest at 21.93 million next year from this year’s 21.89 million. In 2019, the figure is expected to fall to 21.91 million. By 2021, the number will be down to 21.7 million.(123RF)The number of pensioners, on the other hand, is forecast to

Social Affairs June 14, 2017

Police plan to seek an arrest warrant for a man who allegedly cut a safety rope anchored to the top of a high-rise building to keep the dangling painter from falling, police said Tuesday. The worker fell to his death.(123RF)The incident occurred Thursday at around 8 a.m. at a 15-story apartment building in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, while workers, hanging on harnesses, were painting the building. Yangsan Police nabbed the suspect, a 41-year-old resident, on Monday. According to their in

Social Affairs June 13, 2017

Education Minister nominee Kim Sang-gon on Monday stressed equal opportunities for students, signaling a liberal turn in the nation’s education policy. “I will do my best to improve the welfare of children in the education sector, where no individual will be treated differently, in line with the Moon Jae-in administration’s philosophy of ‘one’s child is everyone’s child,’ Kim said in a press release Monday. It was his first public message since being tapped as the nation’s education chief and de

Social Affairs June 12, 2017

The Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology has topped the “Asia-Pacific region’s Most Innovative Universities” list for advanced science. Located in Daejeon, Seoul and Busan, South Korea’s top science and engineering university has come in first on the list two years in a row, according to an announcement Thursday released by Reuters in partnership with research firm Clarivate Analytics.Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology in Daejeon (Photo courtesy of KAIST)Key criteria

Social Affairs June 11, 2017

More than half of adults in South Korea do not brush their teeth after lunch, a survey revealed Friday. According to the data, released by the Ministry of Health and Welfare on the country’s oral health day, 51.7 percent of people aged 19 and older who participated in the annual Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey said they skip brushing their teeth after lunch. (123rf)Only 16.6 percent said they had their teeth cleaned by a dentist in 2015. The ministry said it aims to increa

Social Affairs June 9, 2017

(사진=김소연/코리아헤럴드)진행자: 박세환, Paul Kerry1. 탈북민 ‘대북송금’ 사기 피해 늘어난다기사요약: ‘탈북민 3만명 시대’에 대북송금 브로커들로 인해 피해를 입는 이들이 늘어나고 있다. 북한에 남겨진 가족에게 송금을 하려는 탈북민들 중 일부가 브로커 사기로 인해 송금액 전체를 날리거나 상당수를 수수료 등의 명목으로 빼앗기는 등 피해 대책 마련이 시급해 보인다.아이튠즈(아이폰): https://itunes.apple.com/kr/podcast/koliaheleoldeu-paskaeseuteu/id686406253?mt=2 팟빵 (안드로이드): http://www.podbbang.com/ch/6638Defectors struggle to feed families in North.[1] A few months after fleeing her destitute homeland for a more decent life south of the border, Park receiv

Podcast June 8, 2017

Incheon National University is launching a dual master’s degree program in public health in partnership with the University of Siena of Italy and the International Vaccine Institute, the school announced Thursday. To help address the growing demand for experts in biotechnology and clinical development, the school will offer a joint executive master’s course in public health, with an initial enrollment of around 20 this year, it said.  University of Siena President Francesco Frati (second from le

Social Affairs June 8, 2017

President Moon Jae-in reaffirmed Wednesday his election pledge to hire at least 19,000 firefighters over his five-year term and to improve their adverse working conditions, during a visit to a local fire station in Seoul. Starting from this year, 1,500 new firefighters will be recruited to address a chronic shortage of manpower in the field, said Moon.  President Moon Jae-in listens as a female firefighter speaks during a visit to Yonsan Fire Station in central Seoul on Wednesday. (Yonhap)“Firef

Social Affairs June 7, 2017

Two high-ranking officials of the Ministry of Justice and the prosecution are to be removed from office following an internal probe of their dubious cash offerings to underlings.A joint inspection team, comprising officials from the Justice Ministry and the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, asked their respective organizations for the disciplinary dismissals of Lee Young-ryeol, former chief of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, and Ahn Tae-geun, ex-deputy minister for criminal affairs, f

Social Affairs June 7, 2017

A few months after fleeing her destitute homeland for a more decent life south of the border, Park received a tempting offer from a fellow defector: She could transfer money to her family in the North for a commission fee. 　Haunted by memories of her three starved children and old mother living in Hyesan in the country’s far north Ryanggang Province, the 44-year-old defector eagerly handed over 20 million won ($17,900) to a broker -- only to find out a month later not a single penny had reached

North Korea June 6, 2017

From natural disasters or ducklings trying to cross an expressway to locked doors at home, firefighters are being called to handle just about every “emergency” one can imagine. These everyday heroes, however, have long been among the groups most neglected by policymakers in South Korea. Career firefighters, despite facing life-threatening dangers in the line of duty, have suffered a chronic shortage of manpower, budget and, perhaps most importantly, a collective sense of being valued. But finall

Social Affairs June 6, 2017

Signs of a resurgence of bird flu are rapidly spreading across South Korea, triggering concerns over yet another possible round of the massive slaughter of poultry and ensuing hikes in egg prices. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs confirmed Monday that small flocks of farm chickens on the southern island of Jeju have tested positive for the highly pathogenic H5N8 virus. The agency also said it will raise the bird flu alert to the highest level.The announcement came in response

Social Affairs June 5, 2017