Prosecutor General Moon Moo-il on Tuesday apologized for the prosecution’s past abuses of power and human rights violations in connection with politically sensitive investigations, vowing to make the law enforcement body transparent and politically neutral. In a news conference, Moon said he “repents” the prosecution’s past failures to do its duty to protect people’s basic rights and fairly exercise its investigative powers. 　Moon admitted that the prosecution

Social Affairs June 25, 2019

The Seoul Metropolitan Government on Tuesday forcibly removed tents set up by a far-right minor party at Gwanghwamun Square in early May without a permit, only to have them reinstalled by the party amid fierce protests.　About 500 Seoul city officials and 400 contract demolition workers tore down the tents put up by Our Republican Party, formerly the Korean Patriots Party, on May 10 as part of its campaign calling for the release of former President Park Geun-hye, who is serving a 25-year jail te

Social Affairs June 25, 2019

The prosecution is closing in on Chung Tae-soo, the former head of the now-defunct Hanbo Group who absconded after being convicted of embezzlement, with his son’s extradition to South Korea on Saturday. The Supreme Prosecutors’ Office reportedly had identified Chung, who was believed to have died, as having been in Kyrgyzstan until recently, and pushed to have him extradited to Korea. It plans to release more information about him this week.  　Chung was sentenced to 15 years in

Social Affairs June 24, 2019

Reddish tap water was detected in apartment complexes in Seoul on Friday, amid growing concerns over contaminated water after reddish water was first reported in Incheon in late May. As of Friday afternoon, the Seoul Metropolitan Government recommended some 1,300 households and an elementary school in Mulle-dong in southwestern Seoul stop using tap water. The municipality has fingered aged water pipes as the cause of the murky water. Results of a detailed analysis are expected to come out in abo

Social Affairs June 21, 2019

South Korea’s human rights watchdog and refugee activists on Thursday called for better protection of the human rights of asylum seekers, taking issue with what they see as unfair practices in health insurance coverage and human rights violations at the airport.  Marking World Refugee Day, the activists raised concerns about a family of asylum seekers who are stranded at Incheon Airport after being denied entry to the country, and about other cases of mistreatment by immigration offic

Social Affairs June 20, 2019

Recalling his refugee application interview, Mohamad Sabry, who was formerly a member of the Muslim Brotherhood and is now in Korea on a humanitarian stay visa, said it was the beginning of “another part of a miserable life.”The 38-year-old Egyptian, who came to Korea in 2016 to flee persecution by the military regime that seized power in a coup, said records documenting his refugee application interview had been falsified.“I was verbally assaulted during my formal interview at

Social Affairs June 19, 2019

Incheon Mayor Park Nam-choon on Monday apologized for the city’s botched response to contaminated tap water and laid out a set of measures to tackle the problem. The cause of the reddish tap water was to be announced Tuesday.“I apologize that we did not have a crisis response manual for every case, we did not seek advice from experts and we did not have a response process in place,” Park said during the press conference. Incheon Metropolitan City will monitor the water qua

Social Affairs June 17, 2019

A parliamentary impasse appears set to continue, as rival political parties on Sunday failed to narrow differences on holding a parliamentary hearing on the country’s economic situation. In addition, an extraordinary session in June is likely to be held without the main opposition Liberty Korea Party. Floor leaders from the Liberty Korea Party, Democratic Party and minor opposition Bareunmirae Party held behind-the-scenes discussions to narrow their differences over the weekend,

Politics June 16, 2019

YG Entertainment’s Yang Hyun-suk faced allegations Thursday that he pressured a witness to change his testimony in an attempt to cover up iKON leader B.I’s alleged use of an illegal drug.  The witness filed a report Tuesday with the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission claiming the investigation into B.I’s alleged drug use was dismissed due to corrupt ties between police and YG, according to local media. B.I, 23, whose real name is Kim Han-bin, bought the hallucinog

Social Affairs June 13, 2019

The widow and eldest daughter of the late Korean Air Chairman Cho Yang-ho on Thursday received suspended prison terms for smuggling luxury goods into South Korea through company planes. 　The Incheon District Court sentenced Cho Hyun-ah, 45, the former Korean Air vice president, to eight months in prison suspended for two years. She must pay a fine of 4.8 million won ($4,060) and forfeit 63 million won. 　The late chairman’s wife, Lee Myung-hee, 70, was handed a six-month jail term susp

Social Affairs June 13, 2019

Eight out of 10 South Koreans put priority on economy over reunification with North Korea, a survey showed Friday, amid the government’s continued efforts to improve inter-Korean ties and a slowing economy.  Asked what problems they would choose to solve between economy and reunification, 77.1 percent of the respondents said they would choose economy over reunification with the North, according to a survey by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs.Some 7 percent of those su

Social Affairs June 7, 2019

Marking 100 days since he assumed the party leadership, main opposition Liberty Korea Party leader Hwang Kyo-ahn on Thursday vowed to reform the party. The previous day, Hwang warned against controversial remarks by party lawmakers and attended a meeting with a group of people in their 20s to 40s, in an apparent bid to expand the conservative party’s support base ahead of next year’s general election.  　“If we don’t reform and innovate the party ourselves, we ca

Politics June 6, 2019

Gangbyeonbuk-ro will be closed to traffic Sunday morning to make way for some 6,000 bicycles that will travel 21 kilometers through central Seoul and along the eight-lane expressway for the 2019 Seoul Bicycle Parade, Seoul City said Thursday. The 11th annual parade will be held from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., starting at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, then proceeding along Gangbyeonbuk-ro to end at the World Cup Park in northwestern Seoul, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government.  Gang

Social Affairs June 6, 2019

Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon participates in a ceremony to celebrate the launch of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s care and welfare brand Seoul Care at Seoul Metropolitan Seonam Hospital on Tuesday.  The hospital was established in 2011 to enhance public medical services in the southwestern part of Seoul. It is the first of 12 Seoul-run hospitals to change its signboard to reflect the Seoul Care brand. 　　

Social Affairs June 4, 2019

In May, Ahn Hyo-bin, a young professional living in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, received 250,000 won ($212) from the provincial government because he was 24 years old. Nothing else was required for him to claim the benefit. 　Ahn is one of the first recipients of the “Youth Basic Income” -- 1 million won given to every 24-year-old citizen of Gyeonggi Province over the course of a year. 　“It is not a lot of money, but it helps me feel more stable emotionally,” Ahn said, add

Social Affairs June 4, 2019