George Mason University Korea launched the Peace and Conflict Studies Center Asia and hosted an annual symposium on peace on the Korean Peninsula at its Incheon Global Campus, the university said Thursday.Sponsored by the UniKorea Foundation, the Incheon Free Economic Zone and the Korea Association of Military Studies, the annual international symposium brought together some 200 scholars, experts and government officials.Titled “The Korean Peninsula and the Vision of Peace: From Division t

Social Affairs Oct. 24, 2019

South Korea is expected to see a high level of particulate pollution, leading the government to take preliminary anti-dust measures for the first time this autumn and launch a monthlong crackdown on diesel car emissions Monday. Preliminary reduction measures -- proactive measures to prevent air pollution from getting worse the next day -- went into effect from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday in Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province as levels of PM2.5 -- ultrafine airborne particles smaller than 2.5 micro

Social Affairs Oct. 21, 2019

Last month, a 29-year-old Thai man who was working in Korea illegally was found unconscious in the mountains near a factory in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province, after a crackdown by immigration authorities. 　Video footage shows a gray van stopping in front of the factory. As officers get out of the van, migrant workers shout, “Officers are here for a crackdown,” and then scramble to escape. The Thai man was found some 100 meters away from the factory and was transferred to a hospita

Social Affairs Oct. 21, 2019

Two Chinese dragnet trawlers were caught illegally fishing in the West Sea under South Korean jurisdiction on Saturday and are being brought to the country for legal action, the Korean Coast Guard said Sunday.  The Taean Maritime Police Station of the Korea Coast Guard said that it had seized two 40-ton Chinese fishing boats that illegally caught a total of 400 kilograms of cod, squid and Korean cero while guarding the exclusive economic zone in the West Sea.The crew members violently resis

Social Affairs Oct. 20, 2019

Japanese clothing brand Uniqlo stopped airing a controversial advertisement that has been criticized here for mocking victims coerced into Japan’s wartime sexual enslavement and labor, the company said Sunday, amid growing outrage among Korean customers. The 15-second advertisement features 97-year-old style icon Iris Apfel and 13-year-old fashion designer Kheris Rogers in conversation. In the ad, Rogers asks Apfel how she dressed when she was her age. Apfel responds, “I can&rsq

Social Affairs Oct. 20, 2019

A ruling Democratic Party lawmaker plans to submit a special bill on reviewing university admissions of lawmakers’ children early this week.  The move comes amid public uproar over fairness in university admissions triggered by allegations that the daughter of former Justice Minister Cho Kuk enjoyed extra privileges. The bill, which Rep. Park Chan-dae of the Democratic Party will be submitted this week, stipulates the creation of a 13-member special investigation committee. The Nation

Social Affairs Oct. 20, 2019

South Korea’s top court on Thursday confirmed a suspended sentence for Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin for his involvement in a corruption scandal that removed former President Park Geun-hye from power in 2017.The Supreme Court upheld a lower court’s ruling that sentenced Shin to 2 1/2 years, suspended for four years, on charges including bribery, dereliction of duty and embezzlement. 　Lotte Group said in a statement it will do its best to become a trusted company by contributing

Social Affairs Oct. 17, 2019

A private foundation aimed at supporting Asian victims forced into labor during Japan’s colonial rule of Korea will be launched as early as this year amid frayed relations between Seoul and Tokyo. “It is against social justice to neglect forced labor victims who unfairly suffered,” Son Bong-ho, who heads the preparatory committee for the foundation, said at a press conference in central Seoul on Wednesday. Tentatively named the “Asia Peace Future Foundation,” t

Social Affairs Oct. 16, 2019

The parliamentary audit of the Justice Ministry, held Tuesday without the minister, was dominated by political wrangling over Justice Minister Cho Kuk’s resignation the previous day over corruption allegations surrounding his family. The audit proceeded with Vice Justice Minister Kim O-su taking the place of Cho, who stepped down 35 days after he was appointed amid strong resistance from the opposition parties. The opposition bloc denounced Cho as “irresponsible” and demanded a

Politics Oct. 15, 2019

Scandal-stricken Justice Minister Cho Kuk stepped down from his post Monday amid an ongoing investigation into corruption allegations involving his family, 35 days after he was appointed despite strong objections from the opposition bloc. President Moon Jae-in accepted his resignation. During his meeting with senior aides on Monday afternoon, Moon reiterated his determination to push for the overhaul of the prosecution and expressed regret at having caused “conflicts” among Koreans.　

Social Affairs Oct. 14, 2019

Conservative civic groups critical of the Moon Jae-in administration took to the streets in central Seoul on Wednesday demanding the resignation of the president and arrest of scandal-stricken Justice Minister Cho Kuk. Organized by conservative organizations -- particularly Protestant and veterans groups -- hundreds of thousands of people, mostly in their 50s to 70s, flocked to the 10-lane boulevards between the gates of Gwanghwamun and Sungnyemun in the afternoon.The participants denounced the

Social Affairs Oct. 9, 2019

Embattled Justice Minister Cho Kuk laid out measures to reform the prosecution Tuesday, proposing to curb its power for direct probes and better protect human rights during investigations. Cho, whose family is under investigation over corruption allegations, made the announcement during his first press briefing since taking office last month, stressing the public’s call for prosecution reforms.The reform measures came as Cho’s wife, Chung Kyung-shim, was summoned for questioning for

Social Affairs Oct. 8, 2019

While South Korea has vowed to phase out fossil fuels and turn to clean energy to combat climate change and air pollution, it is supporting coal-fired power plants elsewhere -- like in Indonesia.The government is virtually contributing to environmental damage as well as corruption in Indonesia by financially supporting Korean companies that are building coal-fired power plants there, according to an environmental activist. 　“The land has been contaminated so much that we cannot plant fruit

Social Affairs Oct. 7, 2019

Chung Kyung-shim, the wife of scandal-ridden Justice Minister Cho Kuk, returned home near midnight Saturday after spending 15 hours at the prosecutor’s office for questioning over allegations she committed academic fraud and made a shady investment.Chung, a professor at Dongyang University, returned home around 11:55 p.m. on Saturday night after the second round of questioning, and she will be summoned again for questioning at a later date, the Seoul Central Prosecutors’ Office said

Social Affairs Oct. 6, 2019

Tens of thousands of citizens took to the streets of southern Seoul on Saturday to condemn prosecutors for what they called their politically motivated investigation of scandal-ridden Justice Minister Cho Kuk and to demand prosecution reform. 　Row upon row of seated participants, most of whom were not affiliated with a political party or campaign organization, filled Seocho-daero and Banpo-daero -- the boulevards stretching from intersection of the Seoul Central Prosecutor’s Office toward

Social Affairs Oct. 5, 2019