Eight out of 10 South Koreans think the society they live in is "unfair," with the perception most deeply rooted among the younger generation, a poll showed Thursday. According to a latest report by Nielson Korea, 80.1 percent of 1,000 respondents surveyed answered that they regard society as "being not fair." The result was based on a poll of local residents aged from 19 to 70, which was carried out between Feb. 17-23, the local unit of the global research firm said. (123RF)Notably, the percept

Social Affairs March 9, 2017

South Korean banks reduced the volume of non-performing loans last year through strict risk management, government data showed Thursday.The ratio of loans classified as "substandard or below" came to 1.42 percent at the end of the year, down 0.38 percentage point from 2015, according to preliminary data compiled by the Financial Supervisory Service. This file photo shows a bank worker taking care of a customer. (Yonhap)The amount of such bad loans decreased by 5.4 trillion won to 24.6 trillion w

March 9, 2017

National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun on Thursday said South Korea should seek to normalize state affairs after the Constitutional Court delivers its final ruling on the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye later this week.The court is set to determine the fate of Park on Friday, who was impeached by parliament in December over a corruption scandal.If the court upholds the impeachment, Park will be removed from office permanently. In case of the opposite decision, she will immediately retur

Politics March 9, 2017

Mnet 힙합 서바이벌 '고등래퍼'의 가사 자막이 논란이다. 지난 3일 방송된 서울 강동 최종대표 선발전에서 3명의 고등학생이 부른 노래 자막이 잘못 방송된 것이다.(사진=Mnet 고등래퍼 영상 캡쳐)여자 고등학생의 부분을 "Dancing and dancing and I'm raping and raping uh"라고 자막을 내보냈다.'Raping'은 성폭행한다는 의미를 가지고 있다. 제작진의 실수로 발생한 일이다. 실제로 '나는 랩을 한다' 라는 의미의 'Rapping'이라는 단어대신 사용한 것이다. 논란이 일고 난후 제작진은 이내 방송 실수를 인정하고 사과의 말을 전했다.코리아헤럴드 지예은 인턴기자 (yeeunjie@heraldcorp.com)

한국어판 March 9, 2017

A legal adviser to the International Criminal Court argued the leader of North Korea can be referred to the world judicial body if found to be behind the killing of his estranged half brother, a US broadcaster reported Thursday. North Korea is widely believed to have orchestrated the killing of Kim Jong-nam, the half brother of the rogue regime's leader Kim Jong-un, last month in Malaysia by agents using deadly VX nerve agent. N. Korea leader Kim Jong-un (Yonhap)"That could be something that may

North Korea March 9, 2017

Chinese airlines are cutting back flights bound for South Korea's popular resort island of Jeju, as Beijing banned the selling of tour packages to the country in retaliation over the deployment of a US missile defense system, industry sources said Thursday. Chinese and South Korean carriers are planning to operate 22 routes between China and Jeju Island, off the southern tip of the Korean peninsula, with a total of 1,254 flights from March 1 to 28, according to the Jeju unit of the Korea Airport

Industry March 9, 2017

The culture ministry said Thursday it will enact a bill aimed at protecting artists from political oppression or censorship as part of measures to prevent any future blacklisting of artists critical of the government.Any act that violates artistic freedom and discriminates against artists for political reasons will be strictly punished under the law that will be proposed in the first half of this year, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said. The plan came after the former presidential

Politics March 9, 2017

A former CEO of cash-strapped Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. who is already standing trial has additionally been charged with cooking the shipyard's books for years 2008 and 2009, prosecutors said Thursday.Nam Sang-tae, who led the company from 2006 to 2012, is accused of inflating the shipbuilder's management performance in order to extend his term, according to the prosecutors.This file photo taken on June 27, 2016, shows Nam Sang-tae, who headed Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engi

Industry March 9, 2017

South Korea's household loans extended by local banks rose 10.3 percent in February from a year earlier due to increased mortgages, central bank data showed Thursday.Outstanding household loans from local lenders came to 710.9 trillion won ($615.6 billion) as of end-February, compared to 644.2 trillion won from a year earlier, according to the data from the Bank of Korea.Various household loans provided by a Korean bank (Yonhap)Compared to January, the amount rose by 2.9 trillion won. Mortgages

March 9, 2017

The money supply in South Korea jumped 6.9 percent in January from a year earlier, the central bank said Thursday.The nation's "M2" totaled 2,412.6 trillion won ($2.09 trillion) in January, compared with 2,264.6 trillion won a year earlier, the Bank of Korea said in a statement.Stacks of ten thousand won bills. (Yonhap)Month-on-month, the money supply gained 0.1 percent, the statement said.M2 is a measure of the money supply counting the currency in circulation, including bank debentures and dep

March 9, 2017

South Korea's major religious groups on Thursday urged the nation to respect the Constitutional Court's verdict, due on Friday, on the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye and stand united regardless of the outcome.The Constitutional Court will deliver its ruling on Park, who was impeached by parliament in December for allegedly letting her confidante meddle in state affairs and colluding with her to extort millions of dollars from conglomerates. If the court upholds the impeachment, Park will

Politics March 9, 2017

South Korea's military said Thursday the joint annual exercises with the United States will continue as planned one day after China requested a halt. On Wednesday, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi proposed that North Korea suspend its nuclear and missile activities in return for a halt in the war drills by Seoul and Washington. Defense ministry spokesman Moon Sang-gyun (Yonhap)In response, Moon Sang-gyun, spokesman for South Korea's defense ministry, said in a press briefing, "The joint exercise

Defense March 9, 2017

One day before a court ruling on President Park Geun-hye's impeachment, opposition parties on Thursday urged her to make sure that she will accept whatever decision the court may make.The Constitutional Court is set to determine the fate of Park on Friday, who was impeached by parliament in December over a corruption scandal. If the court upholds the impeachment, Park will be removed from office permanently. South Korea's Seoul-based Constitutional Court (Yonhap)"It is the final role of Park to

Politics March 9, 2017

It seems as though “High School Rapper,” Mnet’s audition show that pits the country’s top teenage rappers against each other, just can’t catch a break from controversy.First, it was allegations that a contestant had solicited prostitution, followed by accusations of bullying by another. The latest? An innocent yet cringe-inducing production gaffe was aired last week that should embarrass Mnet and its parent company CJ E&M, a South Korean entertainment behemoth and self-professed evangelist of K-

Television March 9, 2017

The son of Kim Jong-nam, the recently assassinated half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, may be the next target, Japanese news reports quoted a former high-level North Korean diplomat as saying Thursday."Behind it all, there's Kim Jong-un's desire to solidify his legitimacy as the leader," Japanese new outlets quoted Thae Yong-ho, previously minister at the North Korean Embassy in London, as having said in a meeting with Japanese correspondents in Seoul a day earlier. Thae Yong-ho (Yo

North Korea March 9, 2017