Part of the money South Korea pays annually for US troops to be stationed here is not being used, reflecting a gap between the cost-sharing agreement and the actual required costs, a lawmaker said Thursday. According to data from the Ministry of Defense revealed by Rep. Kim Jong-dae of the Justice Party, the defense costs allotted for construction related to US Forces Korea that was not used and rolled over to the following year amounted to 328 billion won in 2016. The balance includes the accru

Politics Oct. 26, 2017

Less than 350 people received treatment for sexual perversion last year, as public concerns continue amid a steady increase in sex crimes, a lawmaker pointed out Thursday. According to government data revealed by Rep. In Jae-keun of the Democratic Party of Korea, only 326 people were treated last year for disorders of sexual preference such as exhibitionism, voyeurism and pedophilia. (Yonhap)At the same time the number of sex crimes rose to 29,414 last year, up 18.4 percent from 2013.The greates

Politics Oct. 26, 2017

National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun chose Kim Kyo-heung, a former lawmaker and his current chief secretary, as the next secretary-general. He will succeed Rep. Woo Yoon-keun, who was formally appointed Wednesday as the ambassador to Russia. “Kim has played an important role in drawing out cooperation among political parties, regularizing the meetings among floor leaders of the political parties and the speaker,” Chung explained. “He worked to run the parliament productively and efficiently

Politics Oct. 25, 2017

North Korea is still using the Volvo cars they imported 43 years ago without paying, Voice of America reported citing the Swedish government on Wednesday. “While it is difficult to find the Volvo cars on Pyongyang roads, one model, ‘Volvo 144’ can be spotted in rural cities, often as taxis,” Swedish Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Katarina Roslund has been quoted as saying by the VOA’s Korean Service.  (Yonhap)She also said Sweden did not get any payment over the 1,000 Volvo 144 that the North orde

North Korea Oct. 25, 2017

A quick nip and tuck while in transit through Incheon, South Korea -- the “world’s capital of plastic surgery”? The idea might have looked brilliant to the operator of Incheon Airport, the country’s main gateway, looking to add a unique, new feature to its soon-to-be completed passenger terminal. However, doctors and medical professionals seem to think otherwise. Transfer terminal in Incheon International Airport. (Yonhap)According to data from Incheon International Airport Corp. released by Rep

Social Affairs Oct. 24, 2017

A search for the remains of civilians killed during the 1980 Gwangju Democratization Movement is gaining momentum, with an excavation at a former prison site set to begin on Oct. 30.The May 18 Memorial Foundation announced Monday that the restricted area where the old Gwangju Prison was located will be excavated to search for the remains of those still unaccounted for after the uprising, which was crushed by the military junta of Chun Doo-hwan. The May 18 Memorial Foundation members announce the

Politics Oct. 23, 2017

North Korea may be mass producing biological weapons in a research lab that studies agricultural chemicals, Pyongyang Bio-Technical Institute, a US media outlet reported Saturday, citing an academic report.Radio Free Asia cited a report released by Belfer Center of Harvard University’s Kennedy School in October, which says the communist state already has biological weapons and its industrial facilities are able to produce such weapons.  This photo shows Kim Jong-un looking around the Pyongyang B

North Korea Oct. 22, 2017

A North Korean defector and ex-convict who fled from a mental hospital was caught Wednesday, after 78 days on the run, police said Thursday.According to Naju Police Station, the man surnamed Yoo was caught in Namdong-gu of Incheon on Wednesday.  (Yonhap)After serving a jail term for the attempted murder of his half brother, he had been ordered by a court to 10 years of medical treatment for delusions. He escaped from the hospital in Naju on Aug. 1, breaking the electric anklet he had been ordere

Politics Oct. 19, 2017

It would be best for the minor opposition People’s Party to merge with the splinter conservative Bareun Party in terms of public support, a poll showed Wednesday.According to a poll by Hankook Research, 19.7 percent of 1,000 respondents said they would support the People’s Party if it joined the Bareun Party, showing a higher figure than the sum of the approval rates each party garnered. People's Party (Yonhap)If it merged with the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, the approval rate reached only

Politics Oct. 18, 2017

The conservative main opposition Liberty Korea Party is moving to sever ties with former President Park Geun-hye, with a disciplinary committee expected to open this week. In their attempt to reform the party, Chairman Hong Joon-pyo and other members have long called for Park to take responsibility for the party’s struggles following the massive corruption scandal that led to her ouster in March.  Liberty Korea Party Chairman Hong Joon-pyo (Yonhap)Several members have confirmed the party is wait

Politics Oct. 18, 2017

Kim Ho-sung (Sungshin University)Sungshin University appointed Kim Ho-sung, a professor of media communications, as its 10th president, the school said Monday, filling a vacancy in the top office that lasted nearly eight months. Kim was chosen by the university’s board of directors Friday to succeed Shim Hwa-jin who was removed from office after she was found guilty of embezzlement in February. The new president formerly led a professors’ association, which called for Shim’s ouster. “I will stay

Social Affairs Oct. 17, 2017

Fostering future talent for the new era of the “fourth industrial revolution” is a top priority for Gyeonggi Gov. Nam Kyung-pil. In his pursuit of future-oriented education, the governor has pushed for the renewal of an existing English immersion institute in the province into a new education center, dubbed “Change Up Campus.”“Change Up is a new brand that carries the values of evolution and revolution,” Gov. Nam said Sunday at the opening ceremony in Paju, Gyeonggi Province. “The new campus wil

Social Affairs Oct. 17, 2017

Internal discord within the minor conservative opposition Bareun Party is intensifying, as a chasm in the party deepens over the idea of a merger with the main opposition Liberty Korea Party. While some Bareun Party lawmakers hope to establish a bilateral panel to push for the merger, others say such a move would be a fatal mistake. At a party meeting Monday, Bareun Party members failed to reach a consensus in creating a special committee to prepare for unity within the conservatives.  The actin

Politics Oct. 16, 2017

Clashes among political parties across the aisle are expected to continue entering the second week of a 20-day parliamentary audit, as they blame each other for disturbing the smooth operation of the audit sessions. The related parliamentary committees on national defense and education, culture, sports and tourism, are expected to discuss the allegations involving the Lee Myung-bak administration and immediate successor Park Geun-hye, accused of using government offices and the national spy agen

Politics Oct. 15, 2017

North Korea imported $666 million worth of luxury items last year, which takes up 17.9 percent of the year’s total imports, a lawmaker here said Thursday. According to data from the Chinese Customs revealed by Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun of the Liberty Korea Party, the communist state’s imports of luxury goods increased by $59 million, or 9.8 percent, from 2015.The luxury goods included upmarket electronics, cars, leather products and watches.  Kim Jong-un (center) (Yonhap)Electronics made up the bigges

North Korea Oct. 12, 2017