A major collision was averted Wednesday, as the police temporarily delayed their operation to arrest the head of the nation’s second-largest umbrella labor union taking sanctuary at a Buddhist temple to evade arrest on charges of leading illegal rallies.Police were on standby to force their way into the Jogyesa Buddhist Temple in central Seoul at around 4 p.m. to arrest Han Sang-kyun, the head of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, on charges of leading a series of what they labeled as ill

Social Affairs Dec. 9, 2015

Three Indonesian migrants who were illegally residing in Korea have been deported on suspicion of supporting an international terrorist group affiliated with al-Qaida, South Korea’s spy agency said Tuesday. The government deported a 32-year-old Indonesian man from South Korea on Dec. 1 and two others whose identities were withheld on Nov. 24 for violating the Immigration Control Act, the National Intelligence Service said. This undated file image posted on a militant website on Jan. 14 shows fig

Social Affairs Dec. 8, 2015

On Saturday afternoon, tens of thousands of protestors peacefully marched through central Seoul under police protection in the second massive rally held in three weeks against government policies, defying concerns over violent confrontation between demonstrators and the police.Thousands of protesters, many wearing masks, hold a rally Saturday at Seoul Plaza in downtown Seoul opposing the government’s reinstatement of state history textbooks and labor reform measures. Police estimated 14,000 peop

Social Affairs Dec. 6, 2015

The government announced Thursday it would hold off on plans to abolish the state-run bar exam until 2021, as controversy persists over the current law school system that was originally introduced to widen the pool of legal professionals. But the decision was scorned by both proponents and opponents of the bar exam, who said it would only extend confusion in the judiciary sector.The Ministry of Justice said it would delay scrapping the bar exam, initially set to be abolished in 2017, citing publ

Social Affairs Dec. 3, 2015

South Koreans are among the least motivated workers in the world, which might be linked to the “brain drain” that hampers the nation’s competitiveness, according to a report by a Swiss business institute. The World Talent Report 2015 by the Institute for Management Development said South Korea came in at 54th among 61 economies across the world in terms of its employees’ motivation at work. Asia’s fourth-largest economy also saw a serious outflow of local talents, landing at 18th among the surve

Social Affairs Nov. 26, 2015

Prosecutors said Tuesday they would charge 200 professors for copyright violations next month, suspecting them of changing the covers of existing books by other people and publishing them in their own names.The Uijeongbu District Prosecutors’ Office called in 200 professors from 50 universities for questioning over the past three months. As most of the accused, including well-known lecturers, admitted to the charges, they will be indicted next month, prosecutors said.  (Yonhap)The prosecution ra

Social Affairs Nov. 24, 2015

A former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was summoned for questioning Tuesday in connection with alleged corruption surrounding a government deal to buy maritime helicopters from an Anglo-Italian company. Newly retired Adm. Choi Yoon-hee, 62, appeared for questioning at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office on Tuesday morning, saying on his way in that he would sincerely answer the questions during the investigation. Choi Yoon-hee appears at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’

Social Affairs Nov. 24, 2015

With risks and challenges faced by refugees across the world having become one of the greatest global issues today, the status and conditions of asylum seekers in South Korea have also been highlighted. The Korea Herald is publishing a series of articles shedding light on refugees in Korea, their hardships, the systematic fallout, the country’s own history and ways to go forward. The following is the fifth installment. ― Ed.Until asylum seeker Samuel (not his real name) spent several grueling mo

Social Affairs Nov. 23, 2015

In the aftermath of the antigovernment rally held more than a week ago in central Seoul, controversy is escalating over the use of water cannons and bus barricades by police, with rival parties scrambling to present bills to prevent violence at rallies.The police and progressive civic groups have locked horns over who should be held accountable for the collapse of Baek Nam-gi, a 69-year-old farmer who was knocked down by a water cannon blast in the Nov. 14 rally and has remained unconscious as o

Social Affairs Nov. 23, 2015

 A lesbian was elected Thursday as the student body president of Korea’s most prestigious university, the first time someone from a sexual minority has held such a post. 　Kim Bo-mi, 23, the sole candidate for Seoul National University’s 58th student council election, won 86.8 percent of the vote in the election, according to the university’s election committee. 　The voter turnout in the vote held Monday to Thursday was 53.3 percent, with only 11.2 percent voting against Kim, 0.1 percent abstaini

Social Affairs Nov. 20, 2015

In the wake of last week’s deadly attacks in Paris and the arrest of an Indonesian migrant here on Wednesday over alleged links with an international terrorist group, Muslims and experts here expressed concerns over the potential spread of anti-Islamic sentiment.The police arrested the 32-year-old Indonesian migrant worker suspected of supporting international terrorist group Nusra Front, an affiliate of al-Qaida. The NIS also announced that it had found 10 South Koreans who publicly expressed s

Social Affairs Nov. 19, 2015