Articles by Jo He-rim
Jo He-rim
herim@heraldcorp.com-
Kindergarten to be demolished after accident in Seoul; no injuries
A kindergarten building in Seoul tilted Thursday night around 11:22 p.m. after the collapse of a retaining wall at a nearby construction site. The building was empty, and no one was injured. According to local fire authorities and the Dongjak District Office, the accident at Sangdo Public Kindergarten occurred because construction of a nearby housing complex caused the ground to sink. (Yonhap)The outer walls and pillars sustained damage, and experts warned that the kindergarten was at risk of co
Social Affairs Sept. 7, 2018
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Prosecutors seek 20-year jail term for ex-President Lee Myung-bak
Prosecutors on Thursday demanded 20 years in jail for former President Lee Myung-bak over a series of corruption charges including bribery and embezzlement. Along with the jail term, the prosecutors also sought a 15 billion won ($13.4 million) fine and forfeiture of 11.1 billion won, in the last hearing, which began at the Seoul Central District Court at 2 p.m.“Heavy punishment is inevitable, as the magnitude of the corruption cases appears to be unprecedented,” the prosecutors said. “Lee damage
Politics Sept. 6, 2018
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Seoul education office under fire for ‘hospital in return for special school’ deal
Parents of disabled children denounced the Seoul Education Office on Wednesday for making a deal to obtain the support of residents of the Gangseo district in Seoul for the establishment of a special school in the area. On Tuesday, Cho Hee-yeon, superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Education Office, Rep. Kim Sung-tae of the Liberty Korea Party representing the district and a representative of Gangseo residents who initially opposed the facility held a press conference to announce their agree
Social Affairs Sept. 5, 2018
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Korean Red Cross delivers 2,144 hygiene kits for victims of Laos dam collapse
Korean Red Cross said Tuesday it sent an additional 2,144 hygiene kits for those affected by a dam collapse that occurred in late July in Laos.The relief goods are to be delivered by Korean Air to Danang, Vietnam. From there, they will be transported on land to the site of the incident by the Lao Red Cross and International Committee of the Red Cross in Laos, the Korean organization said. Hygiene kits prepared by the Korean Red Cross (Korean Red Cross)The kits include detergents for washing and
Foreign Affairs Sept. 4, 2018
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Sinkhole accident evacuees refuse to return home
Hundreds of apartment residents who were evacuated after a large sinkhole appeared in the Geumcheon District in Seoul have refused to return to their homes amid concerns that their apartment buildings might collapse. When a parking area of an apartment complex in Gasan-dong partially sank Friday, some 200 people from 76 households were evacuated from their homes. (Yonhap)The sinking of the land occurred as the embankment installed for a nearby construction site collapsed amid unprecedented down
Social Affairs Sept. 3, 2018
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Panel proposes stronger labor rights for part-time lecturers
SEJONG -- Labor conditions for about 80,000 part-time lecturers in South Korea are expected to improve as a result of a policy proposal agreed upon Monday by instructors, universities and the government. At a media conference at the Ministry of Education, a consultative panel tasked with improving the treatment of part-time lecturers announced a proposal that would mandate universities to hire part-time lecturers for at least a year and to allow reappointments for up to three years.Lee Yong-woo,
Social Affairs Sept. 3, 2018
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Ministry to provide W4.6b to prevent children from being left alone on buses
The Education Ministry announced Sunday that it will provide 4.6 billion won ($4.1 million) to public schools for the installment of safety devices to prevent young children from accidentally being left alone on school buses According to the ministry, it will provide 300,000 won each for the 15,000 school buses of public kindergartens, elementary and special schools across the nation to install safety devices in the vehicles. (Yonhap)Several young children here have died or suffered harm after b
Social Affairs Sept. 2, 2018
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[Newsmaker] 17.7 cases of spycam crimes occurred daily last year: lawmaker
An average of 17.7 cases of “molka” -- using hidden cameras to take pictures or videos for sexual purposes -- were reported per day last year, a lawmaker said Sunday.According to the data Rep. Park Kyung-mee of ruling Democratic Party of Korea received from the National Police Agency, a total of 6,465 cases molka crimes were reported in 2017, showing an increase of 1,280 cases from the year before.(Yonhap)While the numbers continue to increase, only 1,720 of the 4,499 molka suspects identified b
Social Affairs Sept. 2, 2018
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[Weekender] Homemade dosirak, a healthy alternative with bragging rights
A neatly rolled omelet, half-cut cherry tomatoes and sprouts salad, fried cubes of meat and tofu in a packed meal, or “dosirak” in Korean, show off the delicate culinary skills of the cook. As one-person households increase and people prefer quicker meals, the variety of ready-to-eat meals has become more diverse than ever. However, some still prefer the old way, packing their lunchboxes at home for themselves and for their loved ones. (On the courtesy of instagram user @ciny_diet)For Ciny, an
Food Aug. 30, 2018
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Torrential rain to move down peninsula
The state weather agency forecast Thursday the torrential rain that swept across the upper part of the Korean Peninsula would move down to the Chungcheong and Jeolla regions. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, up to 150 millimeters of rain is expected in the Chungcheong and Jeolla Provinces from Thursday to Friday. The weather agency issued an alert warning of heavy rain in the regions. (Yonhap)For Seoul and the metropolitan areas, up to 50 mm of rain is expected through the
Social Affairs Aug. 30, 2018
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1 killed, 2 injured in sudden downpour in Seoul
The state weather agency forecast more rain accompanied by strong wind and lightning throughout Wednesday and Thursday, following heavy rains that pounded several parts of the country Tuesday.A 49 –year-old man was killed and two others injured in flash flooding caused by an unexpected downpour that hit Seoul, police said Wednesday.The flash flood occurred on the Jungnangcheon, a tributary to the Han River that flows through northeastern Seoul. Police restricted entry to the Dongbu Expressway, w
Social Affairs Aug. 29, 2018
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Sales of caffeinated drinks to be banned at schools
Sales of all caffeinated beverages will be prohibited in all elementary, middle and high schools from next month. According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, a revised law will go into effect on Sept. 14 banning the sales of all coffee and caffeinated products -- typically available for adults and teachers -- in schools. (Yonhap)Schools are already prohibited from selling soda pop, fruit juice and dairy products if they contain caffeine. But selling other coffee drinks via vending machin
Social Affairs Aug. 29, 2018
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Investigators conclude Gov. Kim colluded in opinion-rigging
South Gyeongsang Province Gov. Kim Kyoung-soo, a key associate of President Moon Jae-in, colluded in a massive opinion-rigging campaign, an independent counsel investigation concluded Monday. In a briefing on the 60-day investigation, special prosecutor Huh Ik-bum announced that power blogger Kim Dong-won, nicknamed “Druking,” and members of his organization had manipulated thousands of online comments -- to sway public opinion in favor of the Democratic Party of Korea -- under Gov. Kim’s superv
Social Affairs Aug. 27, 2018
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[Herald Interview] ‘Forging stronger ties in diverse sectors with the Philippines’
The Philippines is one of South Koreans’ favorite travel destinations, with over 1.61 million traveling from the peninsula to the archipelago in 2017. That year, South Koreans made up the largest number of tourist arrivals in the Southeast Asian country. In addition to its touristic charm, the Philippines is also rising as a prospective country for foreign investment, with its annual economic growth at over 6 percent, according to the Korean Embassy in the Philippines. Korean Ambassador Han Dong
Foreign Affairs Aug. 20, 2018
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Singer-artist Cho Young-nam found not guilty of painting fraud in appeals trial
A Seoul appeals court cleared singer-artist Cho Young-nam of fraud charges Friday, citing a lack of evidence to prove his actions were illegal. A lower court had sentenced Cho to 10 months in prison suspended for two years for passing off paintings created by his assistants as his own works. Although he had directed the creation of the paintings, he had not notified buyers that assistants had painted the artworks. Cho Young-nam (Yonhap)The Seoul High Court overturned the lower court’s ruling, s
Social Affairs Aug. 17, 2018
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