A civic activist is pushing for a debate on the sovereignty of Dokdo with a Japanese figure who claims the rocky islets are part of Japanese territory. Kim Jum-ku, head of the Dokdo Protection Party, said Sunday that he will deliver his invitation to Shimojo Masao, a renowned scholar known for his claims on Japan’s sovereignty over Dokdo, known as Takeshima in Japan. The invitation will take place

One in three sites in region poses risk of contaminants leaking into waterwaysAbout one out of every three sampled burial sites near the Han River for animals slaughtered to prevent spread of foot-and-mouth disease needs additional measures to block leakage of contaminants, the Ministry of Environment said Thursday. But the authorities confirmed that the water from the vicinity, which is the sourc

Elevated liver enzyme is one of the most common situations encountered by general practitioners in their clinics. Basically, elevated liver enzyme results indicate that liver cells are damaged. Liver enzymes are normally contained within the liver cells, and the enzymes leak out into the blood stream only when there is damage to the liver. A variety of liver conditions can cause this situation, fo

If you have decided to quit smoking and are searching for the best way to reach your goal, you might want to add acupuncture to your list. From electronic cigarettes and patches providing an extremely small amount of nicotine to the body to varenicline-based nicotine addiction buster Champix, many smokers must have tried several things to quit the habit. Acupuncture is arguably the latest and alle

The government is reportedly looking over a draft of a U.N. report stating that freedom of expression in South Korea has been restricted and that the government should make efforts to guarantee it once again. The administration, unlike in previous moves, is expected to make no official response in the near future.  United Nations headquarters(AP/Frank Franklin II)According to the Yonhap news agenc

Worried housewife Han cannot stop frowning these days when she thinks of her twins, who are to enter universities in March. “Enrollment fees cost a fortune. Paying more than 10 million won ($8,900) a year for each child is out of my range,” the 47-year-old said. She could break open savings and other financial investments she had made for the couple’s retirement, but that would still not be enough

Cigarette makers once again escaped liability for lung cancer prevalence among their customers as an appellate court ruled in their favor Tuesday. However, the ruling seems to be a step forward from a lower court’s verdict as it acknowledged the health risks of smoking.Judge Seong Kee-moon of the Seoul High Court said, “There seems to be cause-and-effect relations between smoking and cancer preval

The government is strengthening measures for homeless people and rough sleepers to help them support themselves and earn a living. The Ministry of Health and Welfare on Tuesday announced a set of guidelines to help the rehabilitation of people who sleep on the streets and lodge at state-run shelters. The ministry will provide around-the-clock care and accommodation through 74 shelters nationwide,

The police are poised to confiscate 1 billion won ($980,000) found in cardboard boxes at a warehouse in Yeouido, Seoul, last Wednesday. The money is suspected to be a slush fund created by a private lottery dealer. The investigators aim to track the source of the money and trace the whereabouts of the man identified by his family name Kang, who is reportedly staying overseas at the moment. Yeongde

The police search for whoever deposited 1 billion won ($980,000) in two cardboard boxes, found Wednesday at a department store in Yeouido has failed to detect any clues so far. Questions are swirling over the mysterious boxes abandoned in the store located in the political and financial hub of Seoul. With experts claiming the modus operandi to be classic money laundering, rumormongers are gossipin

Officials hurry to curb contamination from burials, aid meat importsAn investigation into more than 4,000 burial sites for animals slaughtered in the fight against foot-and-mouth disease will scrutinize the burials’ impact on the environment and soil, the ruling Grand National Party and the administration decided Thursday. They also decided to exempt quota tariffs on imported pork and powdered mil

President Lee Myung-bak is facing fierce opposition from members of his own Grand National Party over plans for the controversial Science Business Belt and a new hub airport for the southeast region. Since more than 16 million swing votes may come down to these location selections, some GNP members poised to run in next year’s general elections have openly denounced Lee’s plans, reflecting feuds w

A foreign resident asks a question during the annual town meeting at Seoul City Hall on Dec. 17. (Seoul City)About half of foreign spouses here consider themselves progressive and are willing to participate in political activities such as voting, a study showed Tuesday. For her master’s degree at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Ariun Shukertei surveyed 670 foreign-born people who have either

Minister Lee says reckless burial of infected livestock may result in widespread contaminationThe reckless burial of cattle in an attempt to prevent the further spread of foot-and-mouth disease could trigger a massive environmental disaster, Environment Minister Lee Maan-ee said. The minister called for a thorough examination of the effect of the burials on the surrounding soil and environment to

Smoking will be prohibited at three main squares in central Seoul from March and those who break the ban will be fined 100,000 won ($94) from June after a three-month grace period.Under the city administration’s ordinance putting stricter regulations on outdoor smoking, the no-smoking public areas will be expanded to 23 parks by September and 295 bus stops on central lanes by the end of the year.

Streaking, carousal as well as egging and flouring other students have long been practiced among middle and high school students after their graduation ceremonies. But the police will crack down on such rituals this year by sending officers to the neighborhoods of 844 schools nationwide for 10 days from Tuesday, when most graduation ceremonies are to take place. More than 47,000 police officers an

The number of people seeking unemployment insurance claims has steadily declined for the past two months, possibly blueprinting a better job market for 2011, the Ministry of Employment and Labor said Tuesday. The number of new claimants for unemployment insurance stood at about 130,000 in January, down 6.5 percent from a year earlier. The figure was 82,000 in December, a 12.8 percent decrease from

An association of 150 conservative civic groups Monday filed a petition with the Seoul Metropolitan Government to collect signatures from citizens to hold a plebiscite vote on the controversial free school meal ordinance passed by the city council twice last year. “Free school meals and other splurging welfare policies are just tools of populism by populists. If the system goes around for more tha

More than 50 million people worldwide visited Seoul City’s international promotion websites last year, with hallyu entertainers the major reason for the boom. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the number of visitors to nine of its websites run in Japanese, English and Chinese marked 5,057,465 last year, about 15 times that of its official Korean site (www.seoul.go.kr). The lion’s sha

Life behind the bars for the Somali pirates transferred to Korea will be tough: they are expected to struggle with lack of heat, plus food and language barriers. Since it is the first time Korean investigators have dealt with suspects of this type, the police are on alert for emergencies that could hinder a smooth investigation process.According to the Busan Coast Guard, who will conduct the initi