Articles by Lee Hyun-jeong
Lee Hyun-jeong
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Seoul streets claim 10,000 cats’ lives
The majority of roadkill victims in Seoul City were found to be cats, a local lawmaker said Monday. According to a report by Rep. Lee No-keun of the ruling Saenuri Party, about 9,700 cats were killed on roads in the capital from 2012 to 2014, accounting for 81 percent of all roadkill.Same 12,000 animals were found dead on the roads over the three years, with about 10 animals being killed daily on average, the report said. Dogs were the second-most killed animals followed by wild animals, with 12
Social Affairs May 18, 2015
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Ex-Doosan head grilled over graft charges
A business tycoon was questioned by the prosecution Friday over suspicions that he offered kickbacks to a former senior presidential secretary in return for special favors for a school he owns. Park Yong-sung, the former head of Doosan Group and ex-chairman of Chung-Ang University in Seoul, is suspected of delivering about 100 million won ($92,000) worth of gifts and cash to Park Bum-hoon, who was then former President Lee Myung-bak’s top aide on education and culture. In return, the former Cheo
Social Affairs May 15, 2015
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Ex-comedian gets suspended jail term for assaulting wife
A Seoul lower court on Thursday sentenced a former comedian to six months in prison, suspended for two years, for assaulting his wife.Seoul Central District Court ruled that comedian-turned-clergyman Seo Se-won was guilty of domestic violence. Seo was suspected of pushing and dragging his former actress wife Seo Jung-hee to the ground and strangling her during a quarrel in the hallway of their apartment in southern Seoul last year. “The wife’s injury was not light at all and the accused has not
Social Affairs May 14, 2015
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Dutch architect to turn Seoul overpass into park
A renowned Dutch architect will be commissioned to turn an old, elevated road crossing in central Seoul into a park ― a project pushed by the city mayor despite resistance from local businesspeople.Seoul Metropolitan Government said Wednesday a design proposal by Dutch architect Winy Mass was picked as the blueprint for the “Seoul Station 7017 Project.” The project is aimed at transforming the decades-old overpass near Seoul Station into a public park, similar to High Line Park in New York City,
Social Affairs May 13, 2015
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Self-reliance of Seoul districts hits record low
The financial independence of districts in Seoul City hit a record low amid the escalating cost burden of public welfare measures, officials said Tuesday. According to Seoul Metropolitan Government, the self-reliance rate of 25 districts on average plummeted to 31.5 percent this year, reaching the lowest mark since the city started to draft and execute its own budget under an elected mayor in 1995.The self-reliance rate, which is the ratio of district offices’ own revenue sources such as local t
Social Affairs May 12, 2015
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Official nabbed in cash-for-visa extension deal
The prosecution has sought an arrest warrant against a Seoul-based immigration official who allegedly took kickbacks from foreign nationals in exchange for visa extensions, officials said Monday, marking the first such case.The Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office said that the 42-year-old official, identified only by his surname Kim is alleged to have issued or extended the visas for about 20 people in return for a total of 11 million won ($10,100) between February 2013 and December last
Social Affairs May 11, 2015
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Visa-free entry for travelers to Jeju via Gimpo
The Korean government said Sunday it would waive visas for foreign travelers planning to visit the southern resort island of Jejudo via Gimpo International Airport in Seoul, as part of its efforts to boost tourism.According to officials at the Justice Ministry, foreigners bound for Jejudo Island will be allowed to stay for five days without a tourist visa starting next month if they make a transfer at Gimpo in western Seoul. It is the seventh Korean airport designated as a visa-waiver airport fo
Social Affairs May 10, 2015
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Seoul approves Lotte reopening
Seoul City permitted the reopening of controversial facilities at Lotte World Tower, five months after they were suspended over a series of safety issues and accidents, officials said Thursday. The municipality lifted the suspension of a theater and aquarium at the skyscraper in Jamsil, southern Seoul, after confirming that the company’s safety measures were carried out well. The two facilities have been closed since December last year after a dozen safety problems prompted public concerns. A wa
Social Affairs May 7, 2015
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Seoul elderly outnumber youth: data
The number of elderly citizens in Seoul has surpassed that of young people for the first time since the city started compiling the data, sparking concerns over the fast-aging society. According to a report released by the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Thursday, the number of those aged 65 or older reached 1.24 million as of last month, about 5,000 more than the number of youth aged under 15. The aging index also hit a record high of 100.4 points, exceeding 100 points for the first time, the c
Social Affairs May 7, 2015
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Seoul City to tear down colonial building
Seoul City will tear down a building built during Japan’s colonial period as part of its project to mark the 70th anniversary of Korea’s liberation in August, officials said Wednesday.Seoul Metropolitan Government said it would demolish the annex of the former National Tax Service building near Deoksugung Palace in central Seoul. The annex, situated between the palace and the Seoul Metropolitan Council building, was built by Japan in 1937 in an alleged attempt to conceal the palace, experts said
Social Affairs May 6, 2015
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1 in 5 sixth graders overweight
One in 5 sixth graders in Seoul City was found to be overweight or obese, data showed Tuesday. According to Seoul Metropolitan Government, 20.4 percent of male and 19.5 percent of female students in sixth grade were either overweight or obese as of 2013. The average weight of boys was 45.5 kilograms with an average height of 150.5 centimeters. Girls recorded 43.7 kilograms with a height of 151.2 centimeters, it said. Those with a body mass index or BMI between 25 and 30 are defined as overweight
Social Affairs May 5, 2015
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Concerns rise over aged cab drivers
More than half of Seoul’s private cab drivers choose not to drive taxis at night, Seoul City said Monday, attributing the low rate of night-time driving to drivers’ age.The Seoul Metropolitan Government said that the average age of private taxi drivers was 60.4 as of this year. About 56 percent of the capital’s taxis are private, it said.Of them, about 31 percent of the drivers are over the age of 65, with 12 percent being 70 or older.While 35,000 of the private taxies are obligated to operate d
Social Affairs May 4, 2015
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Korea, China, Japan step up pollution fight
SHANGHAI ― Environment ministers from South Korea, China and Japan agreed Thursday to work together to better respond to yellow dust pollution form the Gobi Desert, which poses an increasing health threat in the region.The agreement drew attention as the Northeast Asian powers were teaming up to deal with environmental challenges, despite their thorny relations over historical and territorial disputes. They vowed to forecast the yellow dust route together, based on their own yellow dust predicti
Social Affairs April 30, 2015
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Seoul to host event on urban park project
Seoul City will open an overpass near the Seoul Station to the public next month as part of efforts to promote its controversial urban restoration scheme, dubbed Korea’s version of “High Line Park.”Seoul Metropolitan Government said a 1 kilometer-long section of the high-rise road in central Seoul will be opened to pedestrians on May 10 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. It is the second time the road has been opened to the public, with the first public event held in October last year.Inspired by High Line
Social Affairs April 27, 2015
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‘Single households to dominate Seoul by 2030’
The number of single households in Seoul City is projected to outpace those comprised of unmarried people and their parents by 2030, data showed Sunday. According to a report by Seoul Metropolitan Government, the number of single households in the capital accounted for 27 percent of the total this year, nearly an 11 percent jump since 2000. With the growing trend, the figure is estimated to reach 30.1 percent by 2030, it said. Meanwhile, the number of family groups of one child or unmarried adul
Social Affairs April 26, 2015
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