Lawy has always been regarded as one of the most prestigious occupations in Korea but the legal market has already turned into a red ocean and nearly half of new attorneys remain unemployed. Of the 970 people who completed a two-year mandatory training program Wednesday at the Judicial Research and Training Institute after passing the bar exam, 343 have yet to be employed, with 189 to join the mil

The prosecution Wednesday requested an arrest warrant for former National Police Agency Commissioner-General Kang Hee-rak for receiving kickbacks from a contractor in exchange for influence-peddling. The investigators summoned former Korea Coast Guard head Lee Gil-bum on similar suspicions which allegedly involve several high-ranking police officials and politicians. According to officials at the

The government has donated medicines to fight cholera to the Ministry of Public Health and Population of Haiti, officials said. The delivery ― worth $100,000 ― which was made on Dec. 28 via the Korea International Cooperation Agency is expected to fight the epidemic in the Caribbean state. “The cooperation between South Korea and Republic of Haiti is a cooperation model between both states. This n

The prosecution has requested that a local court sentence Choi Yul of the Korea Green Foundation to four years in prison and an 130 million won ($113,000) fine for his alleged embezzlement.Officers of the Seoul Central Prosecutors’ Office told Judge Kim Woo-jin of Seoul Central District Court at a trial that the case is serious because Choi leads one of the most influential civic groups. “Civic ac

The human body is capable of running 100 meters in 9.51 seconds, about 0.07 seconds faster than the current world record held by Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt, Korean researchers have suggested. It could take up to 10.55 years for humans to reach this estimated upper limit, after which the chances of performance improvement is extremely low, said professor Chang Yu-sang of KDI School of Public

Ruling party demands Chung give up post over ethical issuesThe ruling Grand National Party on Monday called for Chung Tong-ki, nominee for chairman of the Board of Audit and Inspection, to resign from his position. The GNP’s demand was an apparent bid to soothe public antipathy toward the former prosecutor, who has made 100 million won ($87,000) a month since stepping down as a prosecutor, alleged

As early as April, people who have served in the military will get extra credits when they apply for jobs in public sectors, the Ministry of National Defense said Monday. The measure is expected to benefit mainly men, who spend 21 to 24 months in military camps as their compulsory military duty. However, the plan is likely to trigger resistance from women’s rights groups and others who claim the e

The main opposition Democratic Party has vowed to grill the nominee for Board of Audit and Inspection chairman over his “unusually rapid” accumulation of wealth at the parliamentary confirmation hearing slated for Jan. 19-20. DP lawmakers are also urging President Lee Myung-bak to withdraw the nomination of former prosecutor Chung Tong-ki for the position. Their indignant stance, taken on Sunday,

The government has decided to grant dual citizenship to the children of women who have studied or worked overseas for more than six months and given birth while abroad.Those who fail to meet the standard will be considered “anchor babies” from “birth tourists” and will be excluded from the system, said the Ministry of Justice on Sunday. Korean males who gain dual citizenship will still be mandated

The Korea Teachers and Education Workers’ Union is expected to make a major turn from its hawkish attitude as its new leader declared an end to the “honeymoon period” with liberal educational superintendents. The declaration by Jang Suk-woong is likely to forge a reconciliatory atmosphere between the progressive KTU and the conservative government of President Lee Myung-bak. The teachers’ group ha

The Seoul Metropolitan Government on Wednesday refused to promulgate an ordinance passed by the city council last month to provide free school meals to all students. The decision is forecast to escalate the conflict between the two sides as the council is moving to make an arbitrary proclamation later this week. Mayor Oh Se-hoon, affiliated with the conservative ruling Grand National Party, said h

Pastor Kim Jie-chul of Somang Presbyterian Church in southern Seoul was assaulted by two junior pastors who protested against their reduced duties, police said Tuesday. According to Gangnam Police Station in Seoul, Kim was attacked by the two, identified by their family names Cho and Choi, at his office Sunday morning. He reportedly had bones around the eye broken and was taken to a nearby hospita

The prosecution has dropped its appeal against Park Dae-sung, better known as online economic pundit “Minerva,” Tuesday, earlier acquitted of charges stemming from the posting of online articles denouncing government financial policies. The move came after the Constitutional Court last month ruled the relevant law unconstitutional, freeing Park and several others who had been indicted for spreadin

Jeong Yun-hong, one of the few surviving former “comfort women,” who were forced into sexual slavery for Japanese soldiers during World War II, died on Dec. 31 at her home in Ilsan, northwest of Seoul, a support group said Monday. She was 90 years old.Her death reduced the number of the state-registered former Korean comfort women to 79.  Jeong Yun-hongThe Korean Council for the Women Drafted for

Schools whose staff members were found to be involved in corruption cases will be named on the Internet from March as part of efforts to stem school irregularities.The measure is designed to get individual schoolmasters to take more responsibility for directing their teachers and other staff, The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education said on Monday. Anyone can have access to the regular audit res

A couple’s attempt to adopt their granddaughter to pave the way for their daughter’s marriage was barred by the Supreme Court on Sunday. The confusion the child will undergo after the adoption is graver issue than whether her biological mother has a smooth marriage procedure, Justice Min Young-il said in upholding a lower court’s decision. The ruling is expected to set standards for the adoption o

The Ministry of National Defense plans to increase the number of female Reserved Officers’ Training Corps cadets in efforts to secure more talented female military officers, officials said Sunday.The ROTC program, a college-based officer commissioning program, opened to females last year with the selection of 60 cadets, receiving generous reviews. “More empowered women in the barracks will bring u