Police said Monday they began talks with New Zealand authorities to extradite a Korean man suspected of killing his three family members, caught in Auckland after fleeing there.  A 35-year-old Korean national identified only by his surname Kim (right), appeared at Auckland’s North Shore District Court for a hearing on his theft charge Sunday. YonhapThe man -- a 35-year-old Korean national with residency in New Zealand -- is under police custody in Auckland for theft he allegedly committed in 201

Social Affairs Oct. 30, 2017

South Korea’s first and only hospital dedicated for children with developmental disorders will hold its official opening Friday, amid hopes for better care of some 20,000 young affected patients across the nation.  Seoul Children Hospital’s Samsung Development Center in Seocho-gu, Seoul. The Seoul Metropolitan GovernmentTentatively named Seoul Children Hospital’s Samsung Development Center, the hospital project was initiated by the city government in 2013 in partnership with Samsung Group and no

Social Affairs Oct. 26, 2017

Seoul Animal Care Center will open Saturday, providing one-stop services from medical treatments to adoption and education programs, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government.  Seoul Animal Care CenterThe first of its kind in the country, the center aims to manage abandoned pets in the city and provide education to owners on animal protection and training for misbehaving pets. The city government partnered with experts of veterinary medicine from Konkuk University and Seoul National Univers

Social Affairs Oct. 26, 2017

South Korea is moving to strengthen measures to increase liabilities of dog owners and address safety concerns, after several high-profile dog bite cases raised public alarm recently.  YonhapRep. Kim Tae-nyeon, chief policymaker of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, said Tuesday that his party will push to revise the Animal Protection Act to punish owners in pet attack cases. He also spoke of the possible addition of clauses calling for mandatory education for owners and the training of misbe

Social Affairs Oct. 24, 2017

The Seoul Metropolitan Government on Monday unveiled a 1.3 trillion won ($1.15 billion) project to build a mammoth underground public transit terminal in Gangnam by 2023 to alleviate road traffic in Seoul’s most congested area.  An artist’s rending of the mammoth underground facility to be built in Gangnam. Seoul Metropolitan Government.Spanning 160,000 square meters of space across six basement floors, the Yeongdong-daero transit terminal is to be the single largest multifunctional underground

Social Affairs Oct. 23, 2017

South Korea chose to complete the construction of two nuclear reactors on Friday in a symbolic decision between stability and a drastic change in economy and environment. Construction of Shin Kori nuclear reactors No. 5 and 6 have been suspended since June 27 at 29.5 percent completion under the new Moon Jae-in administration’s nuclear phase-out drive. About 1.6 trillion won ($1.4 billion) had already been spent on the project.“We hereby announce our decision to recommend to the government the r

Social Affairs Oct. 20, 2017

With the final decision on the construction of the Shin Kori No. 5 and 6 nuclear reactors expected Friday, a survey showed Thursday that the Korean public is still split on the issue by a thin margin. YonhapAccording to the poll conducted by Realmeter on 526 people on Wednesday, 43.2 percent supported resumption of the construction, while 43.8 percent said they would like to see the project aborted altogether. Construction of the Shin Kori No. 5 and 6 reactors, located in the southeastern city o

Social Affairs Oct. 19, 2017

South Korea’s energy industry is at a crossroads, with the decision on the fate of two nuclear reactors already under construction due Friday. But more than arguing over how fast the country’s energy policy should shift, the country must focus more on finding the right energy mix, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s secretary-general.  OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria. YonhapSouth Korea is about to see a “very drastic and accelerated changing of energy cos

Social Affairs Oct. 19, 2017

Thirty-nine mayors from across the globe will gather in Seoul for a forum to discuss sustainable city development plans on Thursday.From left: Secretary-General of OECD Angel Gurria, Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon and Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy Christiana Figueres (Kim Da-sol/The Korea Herald)The OECD Champion Mayors for Inclusive Growth conference will also have Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon and Secretary-General of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Angel Gu

Social Affairs Oct. 18, 2017

Starting from 2021, South Korea will require diesel vehicles to receive mandatory nitrogen oxide examinations as part of its plan to reduce emissions and improve air quality here, the Environment Ministry said Wednesday.  YonhapAccording to the new rule, small and midsized diesel vehicles that are manufactured from January 2018 onward and registered in metropolitan areas including Seoul, Incheon and 15 cities in Gyeonggi Province will be required to go through a test to see if they meet the regu

Social Affairs Oct. 18, 2017

An independent committee reviewing President Moon Jae-in’s proposal to abort the construction of two nuclear reactors will announce its final decision on Friday.  Shin Kori No. 5 and 6 in a southeastern city of Ulsan. YonhapConstruction of Shin Kori No. 5 and 6 reactors, located in a southeastern city of Ulsan, was halted at about 28 percent completion in July, amid the Moon administration’s drive to turn energy policy away from nuclear power toward renewables. The government, by forming the com

Social Affairs Oct. 17, 2017

Last month, the owner of a pit bull terrier that savagely attacked a woman resulting in amputations was sentenced to 18 months in jail.The 70-something woman had her right leg and some of her left hand fingers amputated after her neighbor’s pet dog broke from its leash and attacked her in December last year in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. An 18-month prison term for the dog owner may appear out of proportion to the near-fatal attack that the victim suffered. But in South Korea, where pet owners te

Social Affairs Oct. 16, 2017

A 2.7 magnitude earthquake was detected Friday near a nuclear test site in North Korea, which the Korean weather authorities assessed to be natural. YonhapAccording to the Korea Meteorological Administration, the quake originated some 10 kilometers away from where the communist regime conducted its sixth and largest nuclear detonation. It was detected at 1:41 a.m. Friday in the northwest region of Gilju in North Hamkyung Province from a depth of about 3 kilometers underground. The US Geological

Social Affairs Oct. 13, 2017

Another “Statue of a Girl of Peace” built to remember victims of Japanese wartime sexual slavery will be unveiled in New York this week. A girl statue symbolizing victims of Japan's sexual slavery during World War II. YonhapThe fourth of its kind in the United States, the statue has been installed inside the Museum of Korean American Heritage in Manhattan, and is set to open Friday, US time.“Through the establishment of the statue, Koreans living abroad will also be able to look back on the sorr

Social Affairs Oct. 13, 2017

Over 70 million livestock have been culled since 2011, as South Korea has battled foot-and-mouth disease, bird flu and other animal epidemics. This resulted in approximately 2.4 trillion won ($2.1 billion) of taxpayers’ money being spent on compensation to affected farms and the costs of culling, a lawmaker revealed Wednesday.  Quarantine officials conduct measures to contain outbreaks of animal epidemics. YonhapAccording to data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs released

Social Affairs Oct. 11, 2017