BEIJING (AP) ― Chinese police are holding a South Korean Bible instructor and his wife following a raid on an underground Protestant church, an activist group said Wednesday, as the government pressures Christians worshipping outside the Communist-controlled church.The instructor, whose Chinese name was given as Jin Yongzhe, was detained Tuesday along with dozens of other Christians during a polic

Social Affairs May 12, 2011

Judges and prosecutors will be banned from taking cases for a year after retirement at courts where they worked in their last year.The new rule is part of a revised bill on lawyers approved by the Cabinet on Wednesday.The bill is applicable to military judicial officers and lawyers who serve the government as employees, as well as judges and prosecutors.Under the revised law, they are barred for a

Social Affairs May 11, 2011

Sohn Hak-kyu, chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party, said on Wednesday that he would object to a bill to ratify the free trade agreement with the United States.His remark, coupled with the Grand National Party floor leader Hwang Woo-yeah’s vow not to run in general elections next year if the ruling party railroads the bill, darkens the prospect for its smooth passage this year.“Damage i

Politics May 11, 2011

More than half of Seoul’s citizens believe they belong to society’s lower middle class, marking a slight increase from last year, a survey showed Wednesday.By political, economic and social status, a total of 51.3 percent said they fall under the category of “lower middle class,” while 23.2 percent said they belong to the upper middle class, according to the survey by the Seoul Metropolitan Govern

Social Affairs May 11, 2011

Senior watchdog official indicted for briberyThe Prime Minister’s Office launched a task force on Monday to revamp the Financial Supervisory Service, under fire for poor oversight of seven troubled savings banks and corruption among its staff.Rim Chae-min, chief of staff to Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik, and Kim Jun-kyung, professor of the Korea Development Institute School of Public Policy and Man

Social Affairs May 9, 2011

Nuclear safety authorities have approved the restart of the Gori-1 reactor in 24 days time, saying that their close inspection found no problems with the nation’s oldest reactor whose operation was halted due to a breakdown in one of its circuit breakers.They also called for emergency diesel generators and up-to-date hydrogen removal equipment to be installed at all of the nation’s 21 atomic power

Social Affairs May 6, 2011

The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission said Friday that its online portal on civil complaints and proposals, “e-People,” had won a United Nations Public Service Award.On June 23, U.N. Public Service Day on June 23, the U.N. honors creative and innovative administrative achievements every year.The commission had entered the “e-People system, knowledge management for people’s voice” in the

Social Affairs May 6, 2011

A Seoul court has granted refugee status to an Iranian who hoisted a banner reading “Free Iran” in a soccer stadium in 2009, as Iran was engulfed by anti-government demonstrations.The 28-year-old Iranian, whose name was not disclosed for safety reasons, was born to a Muslim family and grew up as a Muslim but decided to convert to Christianity at 16, inspired by his Christian teacher, Yonhap news a

Social Affairs May 5, 2011

Despite its reputation as one of the most closed nations in the world, North Korea is, at least partly, opening up to market economy conventions, evident in its effort to cultivate its specially designated economic zone.North Korea designated Raseon the country’s first free trade zone, as a “special city” in January 2010. The city, which borders both China and Russia, was dubbed a free trade zone

North Korea May 4, 2011

North Korea’s cyber warfare unit was back in the spotlight on Tuesday after South Korean prosecutors blamed the North for launching an online attack that crippled computer operations at one of Seoul’s biggest banks last month. Prosecutors pinpointed the North’s top intelligence agency, the Reconnaissance General Bureau, as the perpetrator of the attack that paralyzed the computer system of the Nat

North Korea May 4, 2011

Suicide remains the No. 1 cause of death among young people in South Korea in 2009, a report showed Tuesday, indicating they are under heavy stress from a competitive education environment and toughened job market conditions.According to the report by Statistics Korea, 15.3 out of every 100,000 people aged between 15 and 24 committed suicide in 2009, the highest ratio among all causes of death rep

Social Affairs May 3, 2011