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

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

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

The prosecution on Monday demanded eight years in prison for Woo Byung-woo, a key former aide to ousted President Park Geun-hye, for dereliction of duty, abuse of power and perjury. The court is expected to rule on Feb. 14, before the Lunar New Year holiday. At the final hearing of the nine-month trial at the Seoul Central District Court, a special counsel and state prosecutors asked the court to sentence Woo, 50, to eight years in prison, saying he had abused his power as a presidential aide. “

Social Affairs Jan. 29, 2018

About half of People’s Party lawmakers established a preparation committee to create a new party and held a meeting of promoters on Sunday, speeding up the breakup of the center-left opposition party.Sixteen parliamentarians, including veteran lawmakers Reps. Park Jie-won and Chung Dong-young and some 1,000 supporters gathered at the National Assembly held a ceremony and proposed the creation of a new party, the Party for Democracy and Peace. People's Party awmakers opposing the merger with Bare

Politics Jan. 28, 2018

Faulty wiring and flammable ceiling materials are suspected as the major causes of the fire at a hospital in Miryang, South Gyeongsang Province, which has so far claimed 38 lives and left 151 people hurt, investigators reported on Sunday, after a third on-site inspection.The special probe team, which includes officials from police, fire and forensics departments, focused on the structure of the building and whether the electrical wiring system had been managed properly, suspecting that defective

Social Affairs Jan. 28, 2018

(Yonhap)GENEVA (Reuters) -- South Korea has launched a tradedispute at the World Trade Organization to challenge US safeguard tariffs on washing machines, a filing published by the WTO showed on Thursday.“Korea considers these measures to be inconsistent with the United States’ obligations under the relevant provisions of the GATT 1994 and Agreement on Safeguards,” South Korea’s complaint said.

Industry Jan. 25, 2018

The Korea Skating Union said Thursday that it has decided to permanently expel a coach for beating Olympic short track speed skating champion Shim Suk-hee.The skating authorities convened an independent disciplinary committee of eight experts to make a decision on the coach, whose name has been withheld from the media. (Yonhap)“We have decided on the heavy punishment of permanent expulsion after we discussed the gravity of the issue following statements from the attacker,” Kim Sang-kyum, the cha

Olympic Games Jan. 25, 2018

A hardline labor confederation decided Thursday to return to a dialogue panel with the government and management for the first time in eight years.The recently elected leaders of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions made the decision during a central committee meeting. (Yonhap)The tripartite dialogue panel was set up in 1998 in the wake of the Asian foreign exchange crisis. The KCTU, one of the country’s two major union groups, walked out of the committee the following year. The Federation o

Social Affairs Jan. 25, 2018

　The prosecution on Thursday raided offices of the auto parts maker DAS linked to former President Lee Myung-bak, and companies associated with the firm, over allegations that Lee’s government helped the firm recoup an investment.  　The Seoul Central Prosecutor’s Office collected documents and computer files from the DAS office located in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, and the residence of the DAS President surnamed Kang. 　It is the second time prosecutors have searched the office. The Seo

Politics Jan. 25, 2018

More than 200,000 people have signed an online petition demanding the removal of a conservative lawmaker from the PyeongChang Organizing Committee for the 2018 Olympics and Paralympics, prompting an official response from the presidential office.Four-term lawmaker Rep. Na Kyung-won of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party came under fire after she sent an email to the International Olympic Committee and International Paralympic Committee, claiming that creating a unified inter-Korean women’s i

Politics Jan. 24, 2018

The second eldest brother of former President Lee Myung-bak was found unconscious inside his home, a local broadcaster reported Wednesday, two days before his scheduled questioning over alleged bribery involving the nation’s spy agency funds. Lee Sang-deuk, a former six-term lawmaker, has been admitted to the intensive care unit at Seoul National University Hospital, according to Channel A. The details of his condition have not been released.Lee Sang-deuk (Yonhap)The 83-year-old had been summone

Politics Jan. 24, 2018

An appellate court handed down increased jail terms for former presidential aides to ousted former President Park Geun-hye on Tuesday for abusing authority in creating a blacklist of artists deemed critical of Park’s government and disadvantaging them. Seoul High Court raised the previous sentence of three years to four years for Park’s ex-chief of staff Kim Ki-choon, while Cho Yoon-sun, a former culture minister and presidential secretary for political affairs, was sentenced to two years in pri

Social Affairs Jan. 23, 2018

A South Korean conservative politician and member of the PyeongChang Organizing Committee came under fire after she sent a letter to the International Olympics Committee demanding a reconsideration of its approval of parts of inter-Korean agreements related to the North’s participation at the Winter Games.On Friday, Rep. Na Kyung-won, a four-term lawmaker from the main opposition Liberty Korea Party and a member of the PyeongChang Organizing Committee for the 2018 Olympics and Paralympics, sent

Politics Jan. 22, 2018

With the goal of fostering scientists of tomorrow, the National Children’s Science Center was reopened on Dec. 22, providing unique opportunities for young children to easily approach the magic of science through interaction and exploration.Since its opening in 1927 as the nation’s first science museum in Namsan, Seoul, the institute has evolved over time but has remained as a core institute offering a peak into the complex world of science. Today, the National Children’s Science Center is locat

Culture Jan. 21, 2018