A man who feigned food poisoning to dodge restaurant bills was arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of blackmail.Busan Saha Police said Park, 47, had eaten without paying at 12 restaurants using similar tricks.In the latest occasion, Park ordered a 40,000 won ($35) worth of food at a restaurant in Saha-gu, Busan, at around 8 p.m. on July 13. After finishing the food, Park refused to pay, claiming the dishes he had were not delicious. stock image(123rf)Police say Park caused a disturbance for 30 mi

Social Affairs Sept. 21, 2016

More than half of South Korean men and women in their 20s and 30s prefer to spend time alone, a recent survey by an online job search portal revealed.The survey, which targeted 1,593 male and female users of the portal Saramin between the ages 20 and 30, showed that 53 percent replied positive to the question asking whether they preferred spending time alone. (123RF)Over 73 percent of the respondents choosing to be alone said they were satisfied with life, which was higher than 64 percent from t

Social Affairs Sept. 20, 2016

Some photos taken 20 years ago on Chuseok, traditional thanksgiving holiday in South Korea, were released from The Korea Herald’s archive on Monday. Taken in the year 1996, the images capture the festive mood of the people waiting to board their homebound trains and buses from Seoul Station and Express Bus Terminal.[Photos from The Korea Herald archive]This year’s Chuseok stretches over a rare five-day weekend from Wednesday to Sunday, Sept 14-18.Traditionally, during this time, families gather

Social Affairs Sept. 12, 2016

South Korea's National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun will leave for the United States on Monday to strengthen cooperation between the legislatures of the two countries in promoting peace on the Korean Peninsula and beyond, his office said.Chung is to be accompanied by the floor leaders of the ruling Saenuri Party, the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea and the People's Party -- Chung Jin-suk, Woo Sang-ho and Park Jie-won, respectively.It is the first time that a parliamentary chief has trav

Foreign Affairs Sept. 12, 2016

The first woman in Korea to stand trial on charges of raping her husband was found to be not guilty Friday by the Seoul Central District Court. Prosecutors had sought seven years in prison for the 41-year-old woman surnamed Shim. In the first day of trial Friday, the court determined it was “difficult to accept that the defendant had forcefully performed intercourse against the will of the plaintiff.” (Yonhap)The court, based on evidence presented, concluded that while the husband had not entire

Social Affairs Sept. 11, 2016

President Park Geun-hye on Wednesday called for closer cooperation with Japan in countering North Korea's provocations and bringing about its denuclearization, saying the communist state's evolving nuclear and missile programs pose a "serious" threat to both countries. South Korean President Park Geun-hye shakes hands with her Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe ahead of a bilateral summit in the Laotian capital of Vientiane on Wednesday. (Yonhap)During a bilateral summit with Park, Japanese Prime M

Foreign Affairs Sept. 7, 2016

President Park Geun-hye arrived in Laos on Tuesday to attend a series of summits with the leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), where she is expected to call for stronger international unity against North Korea's nuclear and missile programs.Her four-day visit to the Laotian capital of Vientiane comes amid Pyongyang's continued provocations, including Monday's launch of three mid-range ballistic missiles. It is the third and last leg of her three-nation trip that also to

Foreign Affairs Sept. 6, 2016

President Park Geun-hye on Tuesday will hold a summit with her US counterpart Barack Obama in Vientiane to discuss an array of issues, including North Korea's continued provocations, her office Cheong Wa Dae said.The summit will be held in the afternoon -- hours after Park arrives in the Laotian capital to attend a series of summits with the leaders of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Cheong Wa Dae said. Their talks were arranged amid Pyongyang's continued provocations, incl

Foreign Affairs Sept. 6, 2016

A 24-year-old alleged rapist who also attempted a kidnapping was summoned to Uijeongbu District Court, Monday, for an investigation to determine the validity of his warrant.The accused, surnamed Choi, was caught Sunday in a car chase after attempting to abduct the teenage victim.In the police interrogation that followed, he reportedly admitted to committing rape “due to a failure to suppress libido.”(Yonhap)As for the attempted abduction after the rape, he claimed he “wanted to take the victim t

Social Affairs Sept. 5, 2016

A 5-year-old autistic boy was found dead in a lake in Seoul Olympic Park one day after disappearing from a children’s play cafe in the park on Saturday. Internet users have lashed out at the lack of security cameras in the park. According to the Seoul Songpa Police Sunday, the boy was reported missing around 2:20 p.m. on Saturday by his mother who had accompanied him to the kids’ cafe. The mother realized the boy was missing 30 minutes after she last saw him. The last record of him, recorded on

Social Affairs Sept. 5, 2016