Today   Social affairs

Subway Line No. 2 may get 24-hour service: official

Seoul Metro is considering operating its subway line No. 2 around the clock. Kim Tae-ho, managing director of Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transit Corporation said it will run Subway Line No. 2 all night every Friday and Saturday during a test period.  (Yonhap)Subway Line No. 2 is the most used line in Seoul and connects the city’s key areas. There has been an increasing demand for late night service.By Im Eun-byel (silverstar@heraldcorp.com)

Today   Social affairs

Paris Baguette ordered to directly hire over 5,000 bakers

The government on Thursday ordered Paris Baguette, a leading bakery brand of food giant SPC Group, to directly hire nearly 5,400 bakers currently dispatched by its partner firms. 　The Ministry of Employment and Labor concluded that Paris Baguette directly supervised jobs of the bakers employed and dispatched by partner firms, constituting illegal dispatch of workers under the local labor law.  (Yonhap)The ministry ordered Paris Baguette to directly hire all of the 5,378 bakers who are working at

Sep 21, 2017   Defense

Army general arrested on bribery charges

South Korea's military court issued a warrant for the arrest of Army Gen. Park Chan-ju accused of receiving bribes from a civilian firm seeking favors in a base-related project during his service as the commanding general of the 2nd Operational Command. (Yonhap)Park was removed from the commanding post last month amid fierce public criticism over his alleged abuse of power and human rights violations against "housekeeping soldiers," who were assigned to serve at his residence.ABMilitary prosecut

Today   Defense

US-based artillery unit comes to South Korea for firing drill

The United States military on Thursday deployed an artillery unit to South Korea and conducted a live-fire exercise, showcasing the ability to rapidly deploy its units in the event of contingency on the Korean Peninsula. According to the 8th Army in Seoul, its components and the US-based 18th Field Artillery Brigade conducted the joint training in Daecheon, South Chungcheong Province. The artillery brigade departed on Wednesday from its base in Fort Bragg, North Carolina.Titled as “Emergency Dep

Today   Social affairs

[Newsmaker] 9 in 10 Koreans say anti-corruption law effective

Nearly a year after the implementation of an anti-corruption law, 9 in 10 Koreans said the law was effective, a recent survey showed, despite an ongoing debate on whether to raise price ceilings, as the law bans those subject to it from receiving meals and gifts exceeding designated prices.A flower shop owner looks at the empty store. YonhapAccording to a survey conducted last month by professor Lim Dong-kyun from University of Seoul, 89.5 percent of some 1,202 respondents said that the new law

Today   Social affairs

3 in 10 divorces happen after 20 years of marriage

Three out of 10 divorced couples in South Korea last year were married for at least 20 years, setting a new record in “gray divorces,” a judicial yearbook showed Wednesday. According to 2017 Judicial Yearbook released by the Supreme Court, 32,594 couples got a divorce after living together for more than 20 years, accounting for 30.4 percent of all the divorces last year. The proportion of divorces accounted for by couples who have lived together for more than 20 years has been gradually increasi

Today   Social affairs

Korean speaking contest opens for foreigners

A Korean language speaking contest for foreigners will be held in celebration of Hangul Proclamation Day on Oct. 10.Organized by a local language tutoring service 247MyTutor, in partnership with the Korean Language Society, Kwangwoon University and EBY Talkingclub, the competition is open to foreigners of all ages and levels of proficiency in the Korean language who reside here. The preliminary round will take place online at 247MyTutor.net, where interested applicants can apply until Sept. 26 w

Sep 21, 2017   Politics

Top sports body reduced punishments on convicted swimming execs: lawmaker

South Korea's top sports body has reduced lifetime bans on swimming executives convicted of bribery, apparently thanks to their connection with the head of the organization, a lawmaker claimed Thursday.Rep. Noh Woong-rae of the ruling Democratic Party, who works on the Education, Culture, Sports, and Tourism Committee of the National Assembly, said the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee in April amended its code to allow for commuting of the sentences of officials convicted of any of four major of

Today   North Korea

Seoul OKs $8m aid to North Korea

The South Korean government on Thursday announced it will proceed with the plan to send $8 million in humanitarian aid via UN agencies amid the international community’s efforts to maximize economic pressure on North Korea.This is set to mark the Moon Jae-in administration’s first state-backed aid to the reclusive state.  (Yonhap)The Unification Ministry here has approved the aid plan, reconfirming the current administration’s basic stance that humanitarian assistance should continue regardless

Today   Social affairs

Korean colleges alert about ‘spy cam’ on campus

The recent rise in the number of “spy cam” cases on campus is pushing colleges to come up with measures to protect students and make sure their policies keep up with the reality of campus life.According to The Herald Business on Thursday, a growing number of universities, including top-rated Seoul National University, are grappling with the reports of spy cams on campus.(Yonhap)At College of Natural Sciences building in Seoul National University last month, a male student was reportedly caught i

Sep 21, 2017   Education

PM appeals for support for construction of schools for handicapped students

Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon appealed to the public Thursday to put aside selfish interests and support the construction of schools for handicapped students wherever they are necessary following a sensational photo showing parents of students with disabilities kneeling before opponents and begging for support.It was the scene of a meeting of residents held in a western Seoul neighborhood early this month to discuss a proposal to build a school for handicapped students in their neighborhood. As man

Today   Social affairs

W17m booze tab: Itaewon bars face probe over foreign tourist ripoff

A promise of a fun night out at a bar in Itaewon left an American tourist with a booze tab totaling 17 million won ($15,000).Seoul police said on Thursday owners and employees at three bars in Itaewon, Yongsan-gu, have been indicted without detention for overcharging foreign tourists.One of the indicted bar owners, surnamed Lee, allegedly charged an American tourist 17 million won for drinks he had during his one hour and 40 minutes stay at the bar.An American tourist was charged 17 million won

Today   Social affairs

Korean kids have their face evaluated for fun on YouTube despite concerns

A growing number of Korean children, some appearing to be younger than 15 years in age, are having their appearance evaluated by strangers on YouTube despite a raft of concerns about privacy and malicious attacks. “I know I’m very ugly, but be kind and evaluate my face for me. How do I look?” reads a caption across a moving photo slide of a young child who appeared to be attending primary school. (YouTube)The expandable comment thread below the video rolls out: “Honestly, you’re ugly,” “I’ll buy

Today   Education

No holiday for cram schools in Korea during Chuseok period

Private institutes offer special lecture packages targeting students who want to use extended holiday to boost grades