Most Popular
-
1
Contentious grain bill put directly to plenary meeting for vote
-
2
Yoon's approval rating plunges to all-time low
-
3
Will tug-of-war between doctors, government end soon?
-
4
Climate impacts set to cut 2050 global GDP by nearly a fifth
-
5
Trilateral talks acknowledge ‘serious’ slumps of won, yen
-
6
[Graphic News] More Koreans say they plan long-distance trips this year
-
7
[KH Explains] Hyundai's full hybrid edge to pay off amid slow transition to pure EVs
-
8
North Korea removes streetlights along cross-border roads with South
-
9
Russia's denial of entry of S. Korean national unrelated to bilateral ties: Seoul official
-
10
Farming households dip below 1m for first time in 2023
-
Use YouTube in the classroom to teach history in divergent ways
The teaching of history is, or at least definitely should be, fundamental to any culture and its education systems. This may be truer for countries like South Korea with a difficult history of wars, conflicts and occupation. How the past is remembered is a matter of building national pride, instilling justice and defining a sense of identity.In a free democracy with rule of law, the advantage for history studies is that many voices can contribute to the history curriculum. Various perspectives a
Dec. 4, 2013
-
Dispute escalates over college exam questions
Controversy is simmering over allegations that a question did not have a correct answer on the national college entrance exam, where even a one-point difference can make or break the fate of college applicants. Students, parents and teachers have raised a number of complaints about an ambiguous or erroneous question and answers for the past three weeks. The dispute took a new turn Friday as a group of students filed a lawsuit against the Ministry of Education, claiming that they received incorre
Dec. 4, 2013
-
Spy agency tweeted messages posted on far-right sites: opposition lawmakers
The state spy agency used automated messaging programs to spread large numbers of online posts favoring the ruling party ahead of last year's parliamentary and presidential elections, opposition lawmakers claimed Wednesday.The claim comes amid snowballing allegations that the National Intelligence Service (NIS) and other government bodies conducted an online smear campaign against the main opposition party in a bid to sway public opinion in favor of the ruling party in last year's polls.Former N
Dec. 4, 2013
-
Power generation halted at Yeonggwang nuclear reactor
The 1 million-kilowatt reactor 3 of the Hanbit (formally Yeonggwang) Nuclear Power Plant in South Jeolla Province was partially suspended on Monday due to problems in a power generator, officials said. “The control tower of the unit stopped operation of the turbine generator for a close check-up, but the reactor itself is still running without a problem,’’ an official from Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power said. The state-run operator of the nation’s 23 reactors added it will resume the full-fledged o
Dec. 4, 2013
-
Ban Ki-moon, Kim Yu-na -- favorite role models for S. Korean college students
U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and figure skater Kim Yu-na are the top Korean role models for local college students, a survey showed Wednesday.The survey by Kim Jae-won, an economics professor at Seoul's Hanyang University, found 14.1 percent of male students and 25.3 percent of female students at the university voiced support for the two people.The survey asked 267 students -- 138 male and 129 female -- to write down the living figures at home and abroad whom they want to follow the most.
Dec. 4, 2013
-
[Graphic News] Korea’s ranking in transparency index continues to fall
Denmark and New Zealand are seen as the world’s least corrupt countries, according to graft watchdog Transparency International’s annual survey. South Korea’s ranking fell to 46 from last year’s 45. The index score relates to perceptions of the degree of corruption as seen by country analysts and business people. The range goes from zero, which is highly corrupt, to 100, which is very clean.
Dec. 3, 2013
-
Korea tops OECD in math proficiency
South Korean students ranked the highest in mathematics, and scored highly in reading and science proficiency tests among the nations of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, according to a report released Tuesday from the organization.According to the report, Korea received the highest average score of 554 in mathematics among the 34 OECD countries, followed by that of Japan with 536 and Switzerland with 531. Korea also ranked second in reading table with 536, only two poin
Dec. 3, 2013
-
‘Homeless millionaire’ claims he lost wallet containing $1.8 million
A South Korean homeless man told the police last Thursday he had lost a wallet containing 1.91 billion won ($1.8 million) in it, local media reported Monday.The 53-year-old surnamed Park reported to the police at Bupyeong-gu, Incheon, that he was missing a wallet which had contained 19 cashier’s checks each worth 100 million won, along with 12 million won in cash. Park said he had lost the wallet after he fell asleep on the subway en route to Bucheon Station.Police asked the bank to nullify what
Dec. 3, 2013
-
Presidential office looking into alleged personal information leak in love child scandal
The presidential office is looking into allegations that one of its staffers was involved in the leak of personal information concerning a child suspected to be the illegitimate son of former Prosecutor General Chae Dong-wook, an official said Tuesday.A local newspaper has reported that the staffer allegedly asked a senior official at the Seocho-gu office in June to verify the resident registration number and other personal information of the child. He then sent a mobile phone message to the dis
Dec. 3, 2013
-
Prosecution says it has evidence of Blue House role in Chae scandal
The prosecution has reportedly found circumstantial evidence indicating that Cheong Wa Dae may have played a behind-the-scenes part in pressuring the former prosecutor general to resign over a suspected extramarital affair and love child, according to reports quoting officials Monday.According to officials at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, the prosecution has secured testimony from a municipal officer that he was requested by senior administrative staff at the presidential offic
Dec. 2, 2013
-
Job application process simplified for foreign students
The Ministry of Justice repealed a rule that requires foreign students seeking a part-time job to submit a recommendation letter from a professor.Students now only have to hand in a confirmation document from the school administration, the ministry said on Monday.The government made both documents mandatory in order to prevent illegal recruitment. But it decided to simplify the rule, as the recommendation letter requirement has not been fully implemented, only adding to the burdens faced by fore
Dec. 2, 2013
-
Another animal escape raises zoo safety concerns
A white rhinoceros died of shock last year after it escaped its compound at a local zoo, raising questions about safety measures in public parks.The news was belatedly released after two different accidents in public zoos resulted in the death of a zoo keeper on Jeju Island and another falling into a coma at Seoul Grand Park.The park officials said they buried the 35-year-old rhinoceros near the zoo after it died, but did not report to police or emergency services. It was reported to the Ministr
Dec. 2, 2013
-
Hanjin Heavy Industries chairman’s wife dies at home
The wife of Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction Co. chairman Cho Nam-ho died at her home on Sunday, according to police.Kim Young-hye died allegedly because of a blocked airway at her residence in the Yongsan District in Seoul, police said quoting medical personnel at the scene. Multiple sources reported she had been suffering from depression before her death. The company denied the possibility of suicide. “As far as we know, she died of a chronic illness that she had been suffering from for
Dec. 2, 2013
-
[Photo News] Merry already
Dec. 2, 2013
-
Sogang University considers merging humanities departments
Sogang University has met with strong resistance from both professors and students alike after it unveiled a sweeping reorganization plan that includes a merger of departments.According to Sogang University president Yoo Ki-pung, the reorganization plan aims to bolster the school’s competitive edge by channeling funds to select areas, and is not designed to abolish certain humanities and social science divisions.Professors and students of the School of Humanities and International Cultures expre
Dec. 2, 2013
-
American instructor found innocent on sexual assault charge
An instructor with U.S. citizenship was acquitted on the charge of secretly taking photos of a woman on public transportation, the Seoul Central District Court said Monday. According to the court, the 42-year-old man identified by his surname Kim was charged without detention for alleged sexual violence in October 2012.He was caught after taking a picture of a 20-year-old passenger sitting on the subway train at Gasan Digital Complex Station. The woman was wearing a short-sleeve dress with her l
Dec. 2, 2013
-
UNESCO listing sought for records of WWII forced labor
Politicians and historians are pushing to gain UNESCO recognition for documents listing Koreans forced to work for the Japanese during the colonial period (1910-45). The records include the names of hundreds of thousands of Korean victims pressed to serve in the Japanese military or other types of forced labor, in three separate copies each compiled by the Korean government since 1953.The move came shortly after the South Korean government discovered new copies that identified 229,781 Korean war
Dec. 2, 2013
-
Regulator opens probe into ex-banking chiefs for possible irregularities
The financial regulator has widened its probe into alleged corruption at a local bank to an all-out scrutiny against former heads of four major banking groups here, amid growing criticism over their arbitrary management, regulatory officials said Monday.The Financial Supervisory Service (FSS), began to look into managerial-level malpractices involving the former chairmen of four banking firms -- KB Financial Group Inc., Hana Financial Group Inc., Woori Finance Holdings Co. and Shinhan Financial
Dec. 2, 2013
-
[Newsmaker]Massive compensation order alarms unions
A local court sounded alarm bells for illegal, violent strikes with a massive compensation order against unionized workers at Ssangyong Motor on Friday. A district court in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, ordered union members of Ssangyong Motor Co. and other activists to pay 4.6 billion won ($4.3 million) to the company and police for damages incurred during their violent strike in 2009.It is the largest compensation order in Korea, which has been internationally noted for its labor militancy an
Dec. 1, 2013
-
[Photo News] Rink in the season
Dec. 1, 2013