The Korea Herald

Korea, China to clamp down on voice phishing, fakes

Last year, a 31-year-old office worker surnamed Kim received a phone call from the post office that she had a parcel to receive but there were a few problems. Then suddenly the phone hung up. She then made a phone call to the post office to get her item, where a staff worker informed her that she had been duped by voice phishing scammers.“They make money by inducing you to make extra-expensive int

Social Affairs Jan. 25, 2011

Korea, China to clamp down on voice phishing, fakes

Seoul tourism promotion project on the rocks as budget shrinks

Programs for foreigners fall victim to council's anachronismThe spat between Seoul City government and city council is likely to ruin the administration’s efforts to promote local tourism, as many programs for foreigners have been downsized due to a budget shortage this year.The Seoul Metropolitan Government last week announced this year’s cultural experience programs for foreigners, under which i

Social Affairs Jan. 24, 2011

Seoul tourism promotion project on the rocks as budget shrinks

DP divided over tax, welfare

Are Koreans ready to pay more taxes in return for free school meals, nurseries and medical fees?How to finance “universal welfare” is now haunting the main opposition Democratic Party after it announced a slew of pledges for broader welfare benefits to attract voters in the 2012 general and presidential elections. Party members are facing off over how to finance the 16.4 trillion won ($14.7 billio

Politics Jan. 21, 2011

Timeline of Samho Jewelry hijacking, rescue

Jan. 15: Chemical freighter Samho Jewelry carrying 21 crewmembers including eight Koreans was captured by Somali pirates in the Arabian Sea between Oman and India. Jan. 16: South Korea's Cheonghae Unit dispatched 4,500-ton destroyer Choi Young to the scene. Jan. 18: South Korean troops fire at the Somali pirates as they attempt to hijack a Mongolian vessel. The shootout left three South Korean sol

Politics Jan. 21, 2011

Seoul Forest, Mount Nam to be linked by pathway

From as early as next year, Seoulites will be able to stroll from Seoul Forest in the east to the top of Mount Nam in the city center without breaking their stride.The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Thursday that its project to link the city’s landmark parks and mountains with footpaths has begun, and is due to be completed by next year. The 8.4-kilometer pathway will be named “Geotgoshippen G

Social Affairs Jan. 20, 2011

Korea to tighten measures to verify foreign degrees

The government will adopt stricter measures to verify overseas academic diplomas and tighten its monitoring of universities hiring staff with such qualifications. The state-run National Research Foundation of Korea will oversee verification while the Korea Education and Research Information Service will seek to display the full text of the thesis for all overseas degrees acquired by Koreans, the M

Social Affairs Jan. 20, 2011

GNP lawmakers seek to restrict speaker’s role

A group of reformist lawmakers in the ruling Grand National Party on Wednesday submitted a revision bill to curb the National Assembly speaker’s authority in calling for a vote on bills at his own discretion. The bill aiming to prevent the dominant party’s unilateral propulsion of parliamentary proceedings is expected to face opposition from the ruling camp, which has been criticized for passing several controversial bills by taking advantage of the system.Rep. Jungwook Hong submitted the bill o

Politics Jan. 19, 2011

GNP lawmakers seek to restrict speaker’s role

Arrest warrant sought for Taekwang CEO

The prosecution Wednesday filed an arrest warrant for Lee Ho-jin, chairman of Taekwang Group, over illegal transfer of wealth, creation of slush funds and breach of trust. The investigation is expected to serve as a warning to other conglomerates including Hanwha, the nation’s 13th-largest chaebol. According to the Seoul Western District Prosecutors’ Office, Lee has amassed a slush fund of more th

Social Affairs Jan. 19, 2011

Prison term sought for Gyeonggi superintendent

Prison term sought for Gyeonggi superintendent By Bae Ji-sookThe prosecution on Tuesday asked a local court to give a one year prison sentence to Gyeonggi educational superintendent Kim Sang-gon for violating the election law.His establishment of the foundation and distribution of a scholarship in his own name violates the election law prohibiting candidates from making public donations, the inves

Social Affairs Jan. 18, 2011

Will Supreme Court turn right?

Six Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court justices appointed under the Roh Moo-hyun administration are scheduled to retire this year and are likely to be replaced with conservative figures. The change of personnel is expected to create a stir within the judiciary, which has been accused of left-wing bias by the conservative administration and other politicians. A committee under the Supreme C

Social Affairs Jan. 18, 2011

Showbiz agent arrested for forced sex charges

Latest in cases victimizing aspiring entertainersAn entertainment agent was arrested Monday for coercing prostitution among aspiring celebrities to achieve sponsorship, the police said.According to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, a man identified as the family name of Lee was arrested for having raped two aspiring actresses and one singer several times between September 2007 and September la

Social Affairs Jan. 17, 2011

4 million Haiti children at risk

Children in Haiti are a chorus of more than four million voices, nearly half of the country’s total population. Each one of these voices speaks for a child whose life has been forever altered by the January 2010 earthquake and the cholera, hurricane, and civil unrest emergencies that further complicated humanitarian response.This chorus of voices shares common hopes and aspirations and calls out i

Social Affairs Jan. 17, 2011

GNP sues DP lawmakers over defamation

The ruling Grand National Party sued Rep. Lee Seok-hyun and Park Jie-won of the main opposition Democratic Party on Friday for making a false accusation that a son of GNP chairman Ahn Sang-soo received special favors in his admission to the nation’s top school. GNP leader Ahn Sang-soo (right) meets Lee Hoi-chang, leader of a small opposition party, on Friday. (Yonhap News)Despite Lee’s public apol

Social Affairs Jan. 14, 2011

Koreans face deportation from Philippines: report

Seven Koreans operating English training centers in the Philippines are likely to be deported for violating local immigration law, according to local media reports. The Seoul government has requested Manila for a humanitarian approach to the case, but observers say the Filipino authorities will adopt strict measures against to set an example. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade,

Social Affairs Jan. 14, 2011

Politicians fight to score with welfare

Welfare has emerged as a keyword for the 2012 presidential election as the main opposition Democratic Party finalized a package of “universal welfare” pledges as its central campaign strategy on Thursday. The move came weeks after Rep. Park Geun-hye, the leading presidential hopeful of the ruling Grand National Party by far, suggested what she called “tailored” welfare policies for Koreans: limiti

Social Affairs Jan. 13, 2011

Articles by 배지숙