Prosecutors summoned a former chief of Daehong Communications Inc., Lotte's advertisement affiliate, on Wednesday for questioning over the alleged creation of a slush fund, as they widened their probe into the country's fifth-largest conglomerate.The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office said it summoned Choi Jong-won over suspicions the ad firm funneled more than 1 billion won ($880,000) into a slush fund by faking deals or exaggerating unit prices.The 58-year-old is also accused of siphon

Companies July 27, 2016

A man who allowed his drunk girlfriend to drive was arrested for abetting driving under the influence, Busan Yeonje Police said Wednesday.According to the police, the two 28-year-olds each drank two bottles of soju on July 9 before attempting to drive back home.  (123RF)The man, surnamed Kim, wanted his girlfriend, surnamed Han, to drive as she was purportedly the more experienced driver.Kim had only been issued his driver’s license in April. Police arrested Han on charges of driving under the i

Social Affairs July 27, 2016

A woman who accidentally threw away a box containing 20 million won ($17,600) retrieved the cash after 10 hours of ruckus in South Jeolla Province, according to local media Tuesday. KBS TV news reported that the woman, in her 50s, had withdrawn the money to buy threads for her cotton gloves business. She hid the cash in a nondescript paper box only to absentmindedly throw it out along with the trash on Sunday. (SBS News capture)After belatedly realizing what she had done, the woman ran back to t

Social Affairs July 27, 2016

A Korean spa in the Cheongok-dong neighborhood of Donghae, Gangwon Province, caught fire at around 5:10 a.m. on Wednesday. Eighty people were evacuated from the building safely without any casualties. (YTN News YouTube capture)The fire reportedly stemmed from a kiln and was contained within 30 minutes. The police and the 119 Korean emergency service are currently investigating the exact cause of the fire and the scope of the property damage. By Lim Jeong-yeo (kaylalim@heraldcorp.com)

Social Affairs July 27, 2016

The founder of leading online game maker Nexon Co. is South Korea's richest man among 50 self-made entrepreneurs ranging in age from the 30s to 50s, data showed Wednesday.Kim Jung-ju, the chairman of Nexon's holding firm NXC Corp., holds stock assets worth 2.87 trillion won ($2.5 billion), according to the data compiled by CEOSCORE, a website that tracks conglomerates, financial firms and state-run companies.Kim was summoned by prosecutors for the second time last week over his alleged involveme

Companies July 27, 2016

The average height of Korean women is now 20 centimeters taller than 100 years ago, according to a study published by Imperial College, London, on Monday. Korean women and Iranian men showed the highest growth in average height among 200 nationalities, between 1914 and 2014, said the paper by Elio Riboli and James Bentham. (YouTube capture)A century ago, South Korean women had an average height of 1.42 m, but their average height is now 1.62 m.　North Korean women’s average height was 1.49 m in 1

Technology July 26, 2016

A 51-year-old man was arrested for swindling a large sum of money from a rich widower whom he deceived with a false rapport. Daegu Jungbu Police said on Tuesday that the man, surnamed Seo, had approached the 77 year-old victim with intention to take her money.  (123RF)He addressed the victim as “mother,” brought her gifts and took her to the hospital when she needed. The victim had children but her ties with them had grown weak since her husband passed away. In January 2014, Seo borrowed 100 mil

Social Affairs July 26, 2016

12-year-old Korean boy has won first place in a 16-nation drone racing tournament in Shanghai, KT Corporation said Tuesday. According to KT, Kim Min-chan participated in the competition as a member of KT’s drone racing team “GiGA5” and recorded a score of 55 seconds 56.(KT Corporation)Another player from GiGA5, 17-year-old Son Young-rok, took second place with 1 minute 12 seconds 10 record. The first Asia Cup Shanghai took place on July 23 and 24 with 128 players from China, Japan, Korea and 13

Technology July 26, 2016

A 66th anniversary memorial for the victims of No Gun Ri Massacre took place Tuesday at the No Gun Ri Peace Park. No Gun Ri Massacre refers to the deaths of more than 150 South Korean refugees during the Korean War between July 26 and July 29 in 1950 by U.S. soldiers, who failed to discern that they were shooting at civilians. 　The massacre was named after the region, Nogun-ri, of Hwanggan-myeon, Yeongdong-gun, in North Chungcheong Province.  (Yeongdong-gun)The Korean government in 2005 gathered

Social Affairs July 26, 2016

Dunkin’ Donuts shops in Korea will provide a 50 percent discount off most drinks between Tuesday and Thursday to mark “jungbok” -- the second hottest day during summer here according to the lunar calendar.  (Dunkin' Donuts)Coffee is not included. Customers can download discount coupons from the HappyPoint mobile app. The discount is limited to one drink per person. Each person can make two purchases within the event period.The same promotion will run from Aug. 15 to 17 during “malbok,” the third

Industry July 26, 2016

U.S. National Security Adviser Susan Rice and Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi held talks in Beijing and agreed on the "shared goal of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," the White House said Monday.Rice's visit to China drew attention as it came amid heightened tensions between the two countries after an international tribunal rejected China's territorial claims to most of the South China Sea in a victory for the Philippines and other Southeast Asian nations locked in maritime dispute

Foreign Affairs July 26, 2016

A man crashed his car into the head office of game firm Nexon on Sunday at around 7 a.m., claiming the company had “ruined his life.”　The impact of the car shattered the glass door of the office, but there were no casualties. (Online community)Gyeonggi Bundang Police said Monday that they are reviewing an arrest warrant for the 33-year-old Chinese national surnamed Lee. Lee is in Korea on a three-month visitor permit. The car he drove belonged to his older brother, who lives here.Lee admitted to

Social Affairs July 25, 2016