Articles by Jo He-rim
Jo He-rim
herim@heraldcorp.com-
People’s Party finalizes decision to merge with Bareun Party
The center-left opposition People’s Party finalized its decision Sunday to merge with the center-right Bareun Party, calling an end to their party after just two years, ready to start anew.In an all-member vote, which was conducted over three days from Thursday, 73.6 percent of the 53,981 ballots cast supported the proposed merger, while 26 percent opposed, the party’s election committee announced in the party’s last general meeting at the National Assembly. The turnout rate was 20.2 percent. C
Politics Feb. 11, 2018
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[Weather] Snow to continue across the country
Snow that started in the early hours of Sunday in the North and South Chungcheong and Jeolla provinces and on Jeju Island is to spread to other areas and continue throughout the day, the state weather agency said Sunday. The Korean Meteorological Administration issued heavy snow warnings for South Chungcheong Province and North Jeolla Province, where 2 to 4 centimeters of snow has accumulated. It said the snow in some areas would continue until the wee hours of Tuesday, Across the country, up to
Social Affairs Feb. 11, 2018
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‘North Korea-US talks absolutely necessary, urgent’: UN chief
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said dialogue between North Korea and the United States is “absolutely necessary” and “urgent” so as to avoid any unpredictable and dangerous situations amid rising tension on the Korean Peninsula, during a lecture on Thursday. “I think it’s not a question of possibility. This kind of dialogue is absolutely necessary, and it’s urgent because we need to quickly start to have a serious discussion to avoid the kinds of misunderstanding and escalation that can a
Social Affairs Feb. 8, 2018
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Seoul ordered to compensate family of sexually harassed city civil servant who killed herself
The court ordered government bodies to compensate the family of a public servant who took her own life after suffering from sexual harassment and workplace bullying, according to the prosecution Tuesday.The Seoul High Court ordered the Government Employees Pension Service to compensate the family of the female civil servant in December, saying the organization did not provide proper treatment for the victim even after she reported several incidents. (Yonhap)The married victim, who was working i
Social Affairs Feb. 7, 2018
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Renowned leaders discuss sustainable development at two-day forum
A two-day forum on sustainable development kicked off in Seoul on Wednesday, bringing together experts and international leaders to promote partnership among nations and organizations to accomplish the Sustainable Development Goals.The first Global Engagement & Empowerment Forum on Sustainable Development was held at Yonsei University in Seoul, hosted by Yonsei University Global Engagement and Empowerment Institute and Ban Ki-moon Center for Global Citizens, which is based in Austria. (Yonhap)Fo
Social Affairs Feb. 7, 2018
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Ex-President Lee to reconsider PyeongChang invitation
A close aide to former President Lee Myung-bak strongly denounced the prosecution and the government Tuesday for pointing to Lee as the main culprit in a spy agency fund scandal. The former lawmaker, Cho Hae-jin, also hinted that Lee is reconsidering accepting President Moon Jae-in’s invitation to the opening and closing ceremonies of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. Former President Lee Myung-bak (Yonhap)“It is difficult to make a decision on Cheong Wa Dae’s invitation, while the prosecution a
Social Affairs Feb. 6, 2018
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People’s Party defectors launch new liberal party
Lawmakers who bolted from the minor opposition People’s Party launched a new liberal party Tuesday, ending a monthslong dispute over the leadership’s push to merge with a center-right political faction.Fifteen lawmakers and their supporters held an inauguration ceremony of Party for Democracy and Peace at the National Assembly and declared its goal to be a party that puts the livelihood of the people as its priority and promote reform in politics. Cho Bae-sook, the leader of the new Party for D
Politics Feb. 6, 2018
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[Breaking] Lee Jae-yong gets suspended sentence, released in appeals trial
Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong was freed Thursday, as a Seoul appeals court cleared him of major charges and handed down a suspended sentence. The Seoul High Court overturned a lower court’s five-year sentence and handed down two years and six months in prison suspended for four years for bribery -- rejecting the special counsel’s argument that it was linked to his succession. Prosecutors had maintained a 12-year prison term for Lee.The 50-year-old scion of the biggest conglomera
Industry Feb. 5, 2018
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[Weather] Snow Friday night, colder weather over weekend
The temperature will drop back down over the weekend after the slight rise during the week, the weather agency said. On Friday night, it will snow in most regions, including Seoul.The Korea Meteorological Administration issued a cold wave warning for northern Gyeonggi Province, North Chungcheong Province and North Gyeongsang Province. (Yonhap)During the weekend, the skies will be cloudy overall and snow will continue into Saturday morning for some regions in the southern part of the Peninsula,
Social Affairs Feb. 2, 2018
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[Newsmaker] Ruling party announces constitutional revision plan
The ruling Democratic Party of Korea came up with a plan for the revision of the Constitution on Friday, which includes changing the current single five-year presidency and naming popular uprisings in the preface to the Constitution.On the second day of the party’s discussion on how to revise the Constitution, the party’s Floor Leader Rep. Woo Won-shik said they have decided to promote a change in the presidential system but maintain it as well. While there were many who favored a four-year two-
Politics Feb. 2, 2018
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Justice Ministry launches sexual harassment prevention committee
The Justice Ministry launched a sexual harassment prevention committee Friday, amid public outrage triggered by a female prosecutor’s revelation of sexual misconduct by a former Justice Ministry official.The newly established committee will investigate sex crimes that occurred at the Ministry of Justice and affiliated organizations, and come up with measures to prevent further occurrences. The prosecution, which has launched its own investigation team, will not be subjected to the ministry’s pro
Social Affairs Feb. 2, 2018
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Chief of sexual harassment investigation team vows to unveil truth
The head of a special probe team looking in to the sexual harassment allegation inside the Prosecution on Thursday vowed to get to the bottom of the case to prevent a repeat of such crimes. “I wish for the special investigation team to lead to creating a working environment where two genders can work together on equal footing,” Cho Hee-jin, the chief prosecutor of the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutor’s Office said in a press conference in front of the prosecution. The 10 member-investigation te
Social Affairs Feb. 1, 2018
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Female prosecutor calls for sexual harassment prevention
The female prosecutor who spoke up about sexual harassment within the prosecution has asked the public to shift its attention and efforts to measures to resolve the pervasive mistreatment of women in society, rather than focusing on her experience. “Please look at why the organization (the prosecution) did not listen to a lone victim, instead of what happened to me at the funeral,” Seo Ji-hyun, a public prosecutor at the Tongyeong branch of the Changwon District Prosecutors’ Office, said in a st
Social Affairs Jan. 31, 2018
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Female prosecutor opens up about sexual harassment
After a female prosecutor claimed sexual harassment by a former senior Justice Ministry official, voices of support grew for the prosecutor Tuesday, along with demands for an investigation into the case. In a televised interview Monday, Seo Ji-hyun, a public prosecutor at the Tongyeong branch of the Changwon District Prosecutors’ Office, said Ahn Tae-geun, who was a senior Justice Ministry official at the time, sexually harassed her at a funeral in 2010. Members of the far-left minor opposition
Social Affairs Jan. 30, 2018
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[Feature] Korean celebrities find it difficult to break silence on sexual exploitation
American movements against pervasive sexual harassment -- #MeToo and Time’s Up -- have led to a slew of allegations against some of the world’s most powerful men.What started out as a tweet from a Hollywood actress encouraging those who have been victims of sexual harassment to use the hashtag #MeToo soon evolved into a global movement, starting with the downfall of movie mogul Harvey Weinstein. Cover of Times (AP-Yonhap)And while it was never easy for the silence breakers to come forward with
Social Affairs Jan. 29, 2018
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