The Korea Herald

Overseas Koreans ready to vote for next president

The voter registration of overseas Koreans for the presidential election in December ended Saturday (local time) with the registration rate marking 9.7 percent, or nearly 220,000, according to the National Election Commission on Sunday. The figure is up from 5.6 percent, or around 120,000, in the general election in April.Registration was available at overseas commissions in 107 countries for around 2.2 million eligible voters. As the overseas electorate could play a critical role in the electio

Social Affairs Oct. 21, 2012

Prosecutors raid houses of President Lee’s brother and son

Investigators raided the offices and residences of President Lee Myung-bak’s son and eldest brother on Wednesday as part of a probe into suspicions over a now-scrapped project to build Lee’s retirement home. The raid came one day after the independent counsel team banned 10 people involved from traveling overseas. They included the president’s son Si-hyung, former presidential security service chief Kim In-jong, former presidential chief of staff Yim Tae-hee and former presidential secretary of

Social Affairs Oct. 17, 2012

Koreans’ charity donation increased 20% last year

Despite sagging economic conditions, Koreans’ donation for charity increased 20 percent in 2011 from 2009, according to a survey. The Beautiful Fund, a nonprofit organization, unveiled the result of its survey of 1,029 people conducted in June and July to look into Koreans’ charitable activities and attitudes.The average amount of yearly donation per person was 219,000 won ($198), up 20 percent from 182,000 won in 2009, according to research.The rate of participation in charity donation also sli

Social Affairs Oct. 17, 2012

Social worker helps single mothers and their babies

Nurses and baby sitters cradle crying babies at a clinic inside the Eastern Social Welfare Society, an adoption agency in Mapo, Seoul. They check each baby’s health before starting a journey to find a new family.At the end of each baby’s bed, a small tag shows their name, birth date and destination.Oh Ji-young, 40, who has been serving at the ESWS since 1995, is now helping single mothers stand on their own.Her dedication to single mothers, adopted babies and adoptive families earned her an awar

Oct. 17, 2012

Social worker helps single mothers and their babies

Investigators seek travel ban on president’s son, aides

Special prosecutors investigating the now-scrapped project for President Lee Myung-bak’s retirement home Tuesday asked the Justice Ministry to ban about 10 people involved from leaving the nation, including Lee’s son Si-hyung and former presidential chief of staff Yim Tae-hee. Lee Sang-eun, the eldest brother of the president, was not included on the list since he left the nation on Monday, raising suspicions of a tip-off. Si-hyung allegedly borrowed money from Sang-eun, the majority shareholder

Social Affairs Oct. 16, 2012

Suicide raises security questions

Police chief promises tightened security for government facilities after arson incidentPublic security authorities came under fire after a man snuck into the office and fell to his death Sunday.The police chief vowed on Monday to beef up security measures at government facilities. The Ministry of Public Administration and Security said it will install automatic recognition systems for all four gates of the government complex by the end of the year. “It is unavoidable for the police to be held ac

Social Affairs Oct. 15, 2012

Prosecutors raid Korea’s biggest drug company

Prosecutors raided Dong-A Pharmaceutical Wednesday as part of an investigation into suspicions that the largest drug company in Korea bribed hospital officials to purchase of its products. Investigators confiscated transaction records, accounting documents, and computer hard drives from the firm in Seoul.The investigative team was tipped off that the firm had provided illicit favors to officials at hospitals, clinics and drug stores through agencies. Dong-A Pharmaceutical was called an innovativ

Social Affairs Oct. 10, 2012

One in six sex offenders is 50 or older

One in six sex offenders is aged 50 or above, data from the Ministry of Justice shows.The number of sex offenders aged 50 and above marked 8,885 out of the total 51,876 convicted between 2010 and the first six months of this year, or 17.1 percent.The number has seen a steady increase, from 3,460 in 2010 to 3,834 in 2011.In the first half of this year, 1,591 seniors were charged for sexual crimes. Sex offenders in their 60s recorded 5.1 percent (805) of the total in 2010, 5.4 percent (887) in 201

Social Affairs Oct. 7, 2012

2 KOICA volunteers killed by lightning in Sri Lanka

Two members of the Korea International Cooperation Agency were killed and three others were injured after being struck by lightning in Sri Lanka on Saturday, local time. The state-run volunteer group said its five members were hit by lightning at around 5:30 p.m. in Haputale, a mountainous area in the central region of the nation. A man surnamed Kim, 22, and a woman surnamed Jang, 24, were killed.Three female workers were taken to a nearby hospital.The female members had joined the volunteer gro

Social Affairs Oct. 7, 2012

Canadian receives jail term for killing girlfriend

A lower court sentenced a Canadian national to five years in prison Thursday for killing his girlfriend in 2009. The 39-year-old man confessed earlier this year to drowning his girlfriend, surnamed Kim, then 21, in 2009 while they were taking a walk along the bank of the Han River in Yongsan. He had initially told police that Kim drowned while trying to get a tennis ball from the river. The police then closed the case. The man turned himself in in January saying to police that he had killed her

Social Affairs Oct. 4, 2012

Volunteer worker helps lonely elderly people in shanty town

Many elderly in ‘jjokbang’ left to die aloneAfter 15 years of volunteering, Hong In-sik is still passionate about helping elderly people living in jjokbang, or tiny rooms that can barely accommodate one person. Since last year Hong has been the president of a senior volunteer group organized by the Yeongdeungpo District Office in Seoul.The group of 195 people in their 50s or 60s helps each person in the rundown jjokbang town in Munrae-dong in the district. In summer the rooms with no proper vent

Oct. 3, 2012

Volunteer worker helps lonely elderly people in shanty town

Growing pain

1. What is growing pain?Growing pain refers to the intermittent and uncomfortable pain in the muscles of the lower limbs in children. It usually affects both legs and causes the greatest pain in the front of the thighs, calves, the back of the knees and sometimes the buttocks. The pain is usually localized to a deep part of the limb and does not affect the whole limb. In older children who can describe the pain in more detail, it is said to feel like spasms of the legs, or a tingling feeling. Ty

Technology Sept. 27, 2012

Group home helps mentally disabled live on their own

‘Everyone is born with the ability to survive’Mentally disabled people should be given opportunities to learn how to live independently and assimilate into society though it would pose a tough challenge, said Kim Soo-jin, director of the Seoul Group Home Support Center.“Society sometimes frets about letting mentally disabled people live alone. But everyone is born with the ability to survive and solve their own problems,” said Kim, 42, who has been working for 20 years on a program to encourage

Sept. 26, 2012

Group home helps mentally disabled live on their own

875 attempted suicides on Han River bridges since 2008

Nearly 900 people have attempted suicide on Han River bridges in the past four years, according to the fire authorities.Rep. Kang Ki-youn of the ruling Saenuri Party unveiled the data from Seoul Metropolitan Government and the National Emergency Management Agency that showed 875 people jumped off the bridges from August 2008 to August 2012.The Mapo Bridge recorded the highest number of suicide attempts, with 85 cases, followed by Hangang Bridge, with 71, and Seogang Bridge, with 52.The number of

Social Affairs Sept. 24, 2012

875 attempted suicides on Han River bridges since 2008

Labor group elects new leader

Moon Jin-guk, chief of the national taxi drivers’ union, was elected president of the Federation of Korean Trade Unions on Thursday.He replaces Lee Yonh-deuk who resigned last month over an internal feud regarding the labor umbrella group’s relations with political parties. Moon will serve until January 2014 when the term of the former chairman ends. Moon’s running mate Han Kwang-ho, FKTU executive vice president, was elected secretary-general. The duo were the sole candidates in the by-election

Social Affairs Sept. 20, 2012

Articles by Kim Young-won