The government is drawing up a new bill to evaluate and restore the ecosystems of rivers or streams amid allegations that the former government’s massive river cleanup and development project has damaged the aquatic environment.The Ministry of Environment said Monday that it plans to establish a legal framework within the year for systematic and comprehensive measures to redress the ecosystem when deemed seriously damaged.The plan has drawn attention as it is in line with the new administration’

Social Affairs March 18, 2013

Seoul City is recruiting new members for Global Seoul-Mate, a program that introduces the city to the world through social networking. Anyone who has a good command of English, Japanese, or Chinese regardless of their current country of residence can participate in the program. Those with an established presence on SNS channels such as Facebook, Twitter, and other social networks are preferred. Last year 211 people joined the program and the city will pick 150 this year.The activities will inclu

Social Affairs March 15, 2013

A Supreme Court trial is to be streamed online for the first time in Korea to enhance public trust and transparency in the court proceedings. Korean courts sometimes came under fire for what is perceived as its opaque and unfair judgments. Scheduled for next Thursday, the trial will be presided over by the chief justice, and at least two-thirds of the 13 Supreme Court justices will be seated.This kind of trial is held when the cases are important enough to set a precedent for other cases down th

Social Affairs March 14, 2013

Seoul City plans to form a public fund to compensate foreign travelers overcharged by stores and taxi drivers beginning as early as June, city officials said Tuesday. The city government is studying detailed rules including the amount, criteria and method of payment. The city is considering raising funds of 200 million won ($183,000) to 300 million won in cooperation with tourism organizations.Mayor Park Won-soon recently directed city officials to come up with measures to prevent rip-off practi

Social Affairs March 12, 2013

A joint government investigation team looking into illegal kickbacks said Sunday that it booked more than 100 doctors on charges of receiving bribes from Donga Pharmaceutical Co., the largest pharmaceutical firm in the nation.The bribery case involving an unprecedented number of doctors prosecuted is based on a fledgling law that bans both giving and receiving kickbacks in the medical and drug fields. Doctors and drug makers have long been alleged to have close and secretive ties. The joint team

Social Affairs March 10, 2013

Police said Wednesday they launched an investigation into allegations that some officials in the Korea Freedom Federation, the nation’s largest anti-communist civic organization, misappropriated government subsidies and donations for personal use and other purposes. A report said Wednesday that around 470 million won ($434,000) of 1.4 billion won pro­vided by the government was not spent as intended in 2011.For example, 57 million won of a 100 million won budget for a KFF project was used instea

Social Affairs March 6, 2013

Seoul will host the headquarters of CITYNET, an international organization of Asia-Pacific cities for sustainable development this month, an official said. CITYNET is a regional network of local authorities committed to improving the sustainability of human settlements. The secretariat office will relocate from Yokohama to Seoul with the opening ceremony scheduled for March 26, and Mayor Park Won-soon will take office as president in November, he said.“Holding a general council in early November

Social Affairs March 5, 2013

Seoul City will grant financial aid to foreign investment firms in the “new growth engine” industries that helped to create jobs last year, the city government said Sunday. Foreign firms that established their branches or made investments in Seoul within five years of application and hired more than 10 new employees in 2012 are eligible for the support.The rate of foreign investment should be at least 30 percent to receive the benefits worth up to 200 million won ($180,000).Firms that have provi

Social Affairs March 3, 2013

The Supreme Court on Monday upheld a lower court ruling that Microsoft was not liable to pay damages to a Korean firm for its tie-in sales.Digito.com, a Korean software company that mainly provides an instant messenger service, filed a lawsuit in 2007 against Microsoft and its Korean branch for abusing its market dominance and bundling its MSN Messenger, an online messenger program, with its computer operating system Windows.The Korean firm requested 10 billion won ($9.2 million) in damages. “Ev

Social Affairs Feb. 25, 2013