Former Supreme Court Chief Yang Sung-tae apologized Friday for “causing concerns” in regard to multiple allegations of abuse of judiciary power during the previous administration against him.Though he acknowledged that he was to blame for the public’s concerns, Yang said that those working under him had not acted improperly, implying at his innocence of the charges made against him. “I sincerely apologize to the public for causing concerns due to incidents during my term. I believe that I am sol

Social Affairs Jan. 11, 2019

Seoul residents ring in the new year by striking a gigantic 20-ton temple bell 33 times at Bosingak, a large bell pavilion at Jongno, central Seoul.Similar versions of the 3-meter-tall steel bell can be spotted at many Buddhist temples and landmarks here, such as the iconic N Seoul Tower.Won Gwang-sik, a master of traditional metalcraft, created the bell in Bosingak, after the original bell was sent to the National Museum of Korea for preservation in 1985.The original bell designated National Tr

Social Affairs Jan. 10, 2019

When looking down at Seoul up in the sky, the capital is filled with square-shaped apartment clusters and gray sky-high office buildings.South Korea’s rapid economic development centered on Seoul has made the country’s capital one of the most populous cities in the world, with skyrocketing housing prices.Over-the-top housing prices have become a major social problem here, amid widespread public outcry for the government to tackle the issue. Among various types of housing in the nation, apartment

Social Affairs Jan. 10, 2019

A Seoul court on Thursday slapped BMW Korea with a 14.5 billion-won ($12.9 million) fine and sentenced six workers to prison for violating the customs law and Clean Air Conservation Act.The German luxury carmaker was indicted in March last year for importing some 29,000 vehicles with falsified emissions documents since 2011. Prosecutors demanded a 30 billion-won fine for BMW Korea and up to 1 1/2 years in prison for six employees in November.“The government has mandated a strict authorization pr

Social Affairs Jan. 10, 2019

In the midst of heightened tensions between the country’s taxi union, information technology market players and the government over ride-sharing and ride-hailing services, a taxi driver surnamed Lim, 65, died early Thursday morning after setting himself on fire to protest the launch of Kakao’s carpool service, police said. Lim’s death is expected to further fuel conflict between the concerned parties, who have locked horns since a similar incident last month involving another taxi driver, 57, wh

Social Affairs Jan. 10, 2019

Rep. Ahn Min-seok of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea said Wednesday he has requested K-pop sensation BTS hold a concert in North Korea in September in celebration of the first anniversary of last year’s inter-Korean summit. Ahn currently leads the National Assembly Committee on Culture, Sports and Tourism and serves as head of the Democratic Party’s special committee on inter-Korean cultural and sports cooperation.Ahn has been pushing for BTS’ concert in North Korea since last September ami

Politics Jan. 9, 2019

Amid ongoing debate over the minimum wage hike, the Ministry of Employment and Labor on Monday laid out a rough draft of the revised minimum wage calculation method, which contains details about the composition of the committees in charge of deciding the annual hourly minimum wage.But the changes face escalating opposition from labor groups, which argue that the new process is less likely to reflect their position.“The minimum wage decision-making process has remained the same since 1988, while

Social Affairs Jan. 7, 2019

A growing number of politicians here are taking to YouTube to convey their opinions and gain loyalty, unfettered by physical and time constraints.With the platform rising as a battleground for conservative and liberal politicians here, Rhyu Si-min, a liberal politician-turned-writer, posted his first video Friday, aiming to rival that of conservative firebrand Hong Joon-pyo. In the first episode of the hourlong weekly series “Rhyu Si-min’s Alileo,” Rhyu was joined by Moon Chung-in, a special adv

Politics Jan. 6, 2019

The former official at the Ministry of Economy and Finance who accuses the Moon Jae-in administration of manipulating the issuance of treasury bonds for political reasons was found alive after going missing and admitted to a hospital in southwestern Seoul, police said Thursday. Shin Jae-min, 34, was found at a motel in southwestern Seoul at noon following searches of his house, where his cellphone was found along with three pages of suicide notes.  Police raid the house of Shin Jae-min, whistleb

Social Affairs Jan. 3, 2019

After commanding significant attention last year, green cars are set to expand their presence in the auto industry even further this year thanks to higher government subsidies and the plans of import carmakers to release new eco-friendly models.Green cars, often considered to offer good value for money while minimizing harm to the environment, are looking even more promising both in terms of stronger performance and sleeker designs. Kia Motors` Soul EV (Kia Motors)The number of eco-friendly cars

Mobility Jan. 2, 2019

Supreme Court Chief Justice Kim Meong-su on Monday reiterated that prosecutorial probes into allegations that top court justices abused their judicial authority were necessary in order to restore the right to a fair trial.Kim has been pushing for judicial reform in an effort to regain credibility and the right to a fair trial.“The difficulties the court is currently undergoing are unavoidable in giving back to citizens their right to a fair trial, free from outside interference,” Kim said during

Social Affairs Jan. 2, 2019

SsangYong Motor, the South Korean unit of Indian carmaker Mahindra & Mahindra, reinstated on Monday 71 employees and hired 34 new workers as a follow up measure of the September agreement ending a decadelong conflict between labor and management.“The decision to reinstate the workers was made to deal with the production of the long-body version of Rexton Sport and succeeding model of Korando C named C300 alongside reduced work hours,” the company said in a statement.In late September, four parti

Mobility Dec. 31, 2018

Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors, which combined form the world’s fifth-biggest carmaker, swept awards at the Korea New Car Assessment Program 2018, with Hyundai’s Nexo hydrogen fuel cell vehicle taking home three awards, the companies said Wednesday.At Korea NCAP, managed by the Transport Ministry, the Nexo sport utility vehicle took first in three categories -- midsize SUV, environmentally friendly car and child protection -- and dispelled worries that the hydrogen tank positioned at the back of t

Mobility Dec. 26, 2018

South Korea’s Transportation Ministry confirmed Monday the cause of BMW engine fires that sent jitters across the country this summer was the faulty exhaust gas recirculation cooler, and slapped an 11.2 billion won ($9.9 million) fine on the German carmaker for concealing and downplaying the defect. The investigation team consisting of government officials and auto professionals released the final result, including plans to file criminal charges against the German luxury automaker and for the ad

Mobility Dec. 24, 2018

GM Korea’s new research and development entity, dubbed GM Technical Center Korea, is expected to officially launch early next year, after its second-largest shareholder gave the green light despite strong opposition from its union, the company said Friday.The local unit of US auto giant General Motors said in an official notice that the “due date for the spinoff has been decided as Dec. 31 at a board meeting held on Dec. 18, and registration is slated for Jan. 2.”  (Yonhap)Roughly 3,000 workers

Mobility Dec. 21, 2018