No radioactive materials were found in rain that fell here over the weekend amid fears of radiation leaks from quake-hit Japan, the government said Tuesday. The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology said that sampling tests on rainwater collected from across the nation Sunday showed no traces of radioactive iodine or cesium. “There was no trace of either iodine-131 or cesium-137 in any of

Social Affairs March 22, 2011

The Seoul Metropolitan Government launched a global alliance Monday aimed at fostering the burgeoning convention industry along with six major cities abroad.The “Future Convention Cities Initiative” started last July along with four founding member cities ― Seoul, London, Sydney and Toronto.During Monday’s launch ceremony, San Francisco, Abu Dhabi and Durban, South Africa newly signed an agreement

Social Affairs March 21, 2011

Gangnam-gu Office will offer customized safety services to foreign residents in cooperation with district police stations, officials said Sunday. The district office said it will sign a memorandum of understanding with the Gangnam and Seocho police stations Tuesday. Foreign nationals who cannot speak Korean well have sometimes become easy targets for crimes here. So, as part of the MOU, a matching

Social Affairs March 20, 2011

Recent explosions at the stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in northeastern Japan will have no serious impact in Korea, experts said in a conference Thursday. The Korea Green Foundation, a leading environmental group here, held an academic conference on the impact of the deepening nuclear crisis in earthquake-hit Japan. “Considering the long distance from here and the radiation level is dilu

Social Affairs March 17, 2011

By Lee Ji-yoonFrail-looking grandmothers gathered again Wednesday in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul. They were former “comfort women,” who were forced to provide sex to the Japanese army during World War II. However, there were no chants denouncing the Japanese government, which has yet to issue an official apology to them.This time a silent tribute for 10 minutes was followed after a brie

Social Affairs March 16, 2011

Mother of a group member found dead with no traces of robbery: policeA conservative group that has flown anti-North Korea propaganda leaflets across the border said Friday that its senior member’s mother had been killed a day earlier, and possibly by terrorists.The group, Korea Parent Federation, cancelled its leaflet-sending event at Imjingak scheduled for Saturday, claiming she was likely to hav

Social Affairs March 11, 2011

Aluin, a Filipino immigrant worker, learns espresso coffee making at a center for foreign workers in Yangcheon, southwestern Seoul. “I attend the barista class every weekend. I’ll make a career in Seoul after completing the program, then set up my own coffee shop in my home country,” he said. Another immigrant worker, Tiron from Sri Lanka, lost his right leg in an industrial accident. It was also

Social Affairs March 10, 2011

Asian tourists have picked Seoul as their favorite destination for the third consecutive year, a recent survey found Wednesday. The survey, commissioned by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, questioned 3,200 people in China, Japan and Thailand and 600 others visiting Seoul last year.Of 1,050 Chinese surveyed, 16.4 percent picked Seoul as the city which they wanted to visit within a year, followed

Social Affairs March 9, 2011

New York-based elite academy Dwight School on Monday held a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of its Seoul branch, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said. The Dwight International School Seoul, a 29.2 billion won ($26 million) five-story school building, is expected to open in September next year within the Sangam Digital Media City, western Seoul. It will be the fourth overseas branch

Social Affairs March 8, 2011