Chey Tae-won, chairman of major South Korean conglomerate SK Group, has been summoned again for questioning over corruption allegations that have led to the successful impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye, company officials said Saturday. Chey Tae-won (Yonhap)Chey, 56, has been told to appear before the prosecutors' office at 2 p.m., according to the officials.Chey's summons comes shortly before the former president is set to be questioned by the prosecution.The SK chief, along with doz

Business March 18, 2017

South Korea is close to opening its first laboratory fully equipped for experiments with the deadliest of human viruses, such as Ebola.According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the country’s first biosafety level 4 (BL-4) lab is ready to open in Osong, a biotech complex in North Chungcheong Province. There are only a handful of such labs currently operating in the world, the center said. (123RF)At least 24 billion won ($21.2 million) has been injected for the new lab pro

Social Affairs March 16, 2017

Education officials said Wednesday they have asked police to protect children passing by the house of former President Park Geun-hye as protesters continue to gather there to rally against her dismissal.The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education made the request in a letter to Gangnam Police Station, saying it fears for the safety of children attending Samreung Elementary School, which is adjacent to Park's home, according to the officials. The school also made a similar request to the police an

Social Affairs March 15, 2017

The diplomatic tensions between South Korea and China over the deployment of a US missile defense system hasn't affected Winter Games cooperation between the two sides, a senior Olympic official here said Wednesday.Lee Hee-beom, president of the organizing committee for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games, said the South Korean host city and Beijing, which will stage the 2022 Winter Olympics, have remained cooperative despite the ongoing spat over the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense. Since Sou

Diplomatic Circuit March 15, 2017

Cheongnyangni 588, a once thriving red-light district in northeastern Seoul, is counting its remaining days. Following the district office’s redevelopment plan, announced in December, the removal of brothels resumed earlier this month. By 2020, four 65-story luxury residential-commercial complexes and a 42-story shopping mall are to be erected in the 41,586 square meters area, just five minutes’ walk from Cheongnyangni Station. The abandoned houses are left with shattered windows and large red l

Social Affairs March 15, 2017

South Koreans considered the level of trust in the country to be worse last year than 10 years ago, but expect things to improve in the next decade, a report showed Wednesday.According to a survey conducted by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, citizens rated their level of social trust at 3.8 points out of 10 in 2016. The survey was conducted on 3,667 adults in June-July last year. People hold a mass rally in downtown Seoul on March 11, a day after the Constitutional Court uphel

Social Affairs March 15, 2017

The sunken Sewol ferry may be brought to the surface of the water in early April, almost three years after it capsized with nearly 300 passengers onboard. The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said Tuesday that final preparations are currently under way to lift the wreckage of the 6,825-ton passenger ferry, which lies 40 meters down on the sea bed. Work is under way to raise the sunken Sewol ferry near waters off Jindo in South Jeolla Province. (Yonhap)“The salvage operation is making progress to

Social Affairs March 14, 2017

State prosecutors are expected to launch an investigation of former President Park Geun-hye, as the court’s decision Friday to expel her from office effectively cleared a key legal hurdle that had so far hindered their efforts.As a sitting president, Park formerly had immunity to being prosecuted.A special investigation unit, formed within the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, is currently reviewing some 100,000 pages of investigation records handed over to it by independent counsel Pa

Social Affairs March 12, 2017

South Koreans reacted with joy and anger as the nation’s former President Park Geun-hye was officially expelled from office in a historic court ruling Friday. While a majority of the public heaved a sigh of relief and expressed joy at the Constitutional Court’s decision to finalize the impeachment of the disgraced leader, a smaller group of staunch Park supporters vehemently protested. Two died of injuries while protesting. Park supporters shed tears (The Korea Herald)Even before dawn, the tensi

Social Affairs March 10, 2017

Following the Constitutional Court’s decision to confirm her opposition-led parliamentary impeachment, Park Geun-hye was immediately stripped of her status as president of South Korea. Now, she must vacate the Blue House as soon as possible.The court ruling also means no pension or other benefits for Park, the nation’s first president successfully impeached. (Yonhap)Under South Korean law, a former president, after his or her term in office, receives about 95 percent of his or her annual salary

Social Affairs March 10, 2017