Chung suspected of rigging matchA former professional football player on the list of suspects in a recent match-rigging scandal was found dead in a Seoul hotel Monday.According to police, Chung Jung-kwan, a former midfielder for Jeonbuk Hyundai in the K-League, hanged himself from the ceiling of a Gangnam Princess Hotel room.He left a four-page note in which he said: “I feel ashamed to be a part o

Baby boomers are living without their children at home for significantly longer than their parents did, according to a state-run women’s research institute.The longer so-called empty nest period where husbands and wives live alone after their children leave home creates a financial burden for children who care for their parents. The Korean Women’s Development Institute said the average period that

International experts on official development aid gathered in Seoul to discuss the importance of focusing aid on reproductive health in developing countriesInvestment in reproductive health, which includes family planning, is one of the most effective ways to address a broad range of development needs, said Suzanna Dennis, research associate of Population Action International, in a workshop hosted

With the North’s sinking of the Cheonan and its attack on Yeonpyeong Island claiming the lives of 50 South Koreans, the two countries posted their lowest rankings ever in the Global Peace Index.According to the 2011 edition of the GPI, South Korea was ranked 50th at 1.829 points, while the North ranked among the 10 lowest at 149th place, with 3.092 points.Published by the Institute for Economics a

Four of the five Somali pirates taken alive on a South Korean carrier await their verdict Friday, possibly facing the death penalty or life imprisonment, after a week-long trial in Busan. The Busan District Court is expected to announce the verdict late Friday afternoon, after reviewing photos, interrogation material and witness examinations as evidence, officials said.Although charges of maritime

Amid confirmation that the U.S. military dumped toxic chemicals on Korean soil in 1978, a new testimony has surfaced, saying that orders were given to remove all supplies of dioxins in Korea around the same time.“I was given orders, probably general orders to all units as well, to remove all remaining supplies of dioxin from warehouses throughout all the 2nd Division,” said Larry Anderson, a forme

Smokers will be slapped with a 100,000 won ($91) fine if caught smoking at major squares in central Seoul starting next month.The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Tuesday it has designated Gwanghwamun, Cheonggye and Seoul Squares as no-smoking areas.The capital will dispatch patrol teams to the squares from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. They will use PDAs to issue tickets on the spot to those caught taking a

The government has strengthened measures against domestic violence, enabling police to take stronger emergency action to protect victims.The steps are designed to address the high rate of domestic violence here compared to other countries, officials said Tuesday.According to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, one out of every two households experiences some form of domestic abuse, emotion

Whistleblower says he felt barrels explode while tamping groundThe Korea-U.S. joint investigations into the alleged burial of deadly herbicides three decades ago at a U.S. military base in Waegwan, North Gyeongsang Province yielded some results, according to the U.S. military on Monday.According to John Johnson, commanding general of the Eighth Army, who overseas Camp Carroll, the United States Fo

A full-scale military air drill took flight over southwest Korea to improve the efficiency of joint operations by South Korean and U.S. air forces, according to military officials in Seoul on Monday.Some 59 aircrafts from both countries are to take part in the five-day Max Thunder drill, including Korea’s F-15K and KF-16 jets and HH-60P choppers, and U.S. F-16 jets as well as an airborne early war

More than half of native English-speaking assistant teachers are in the three lowest grades of a nine-grade system determined by qualifications upon employment, according to the capital’s education office on Monday.According to the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, of the 1,215 assistant teachers, some 36 percent are given the second-lowest grade of G, which states that the teacher has at le

Seoul-area Korean students can take advantage of a scholarship which would allow them to study at a U.S. university at in-state prices. John Fox, director of the International Students Program at Georgia Southwestern State University, introduced its tuition waiver scholarship program for international students during a presentation Saturday.  John FoxThrough the program, students who meet the qual

The government put on hold less than one percent of development projects after undergoing environmental impact assessments, according to Seoul’s Environment Ministry Sunday.The data highlights the strain between faster development and environmental consciousness. According to the ministry, environmental impact assessments prior to development have put a brake on less than five percent of projects

Prosecutors to charge 23-year-old with attempted murderIn a first of its kind, four of the five Somali pirates captured after a daring naval raid on a South Korean freighter in the Arabian Sea will go on jury trial Monday, according to court officials.Arai Mahomed, 23, who is suspected of shooting Captain Seok Hae-kyun at point-blank range, and three others will be publicly tried at the Busan Dist

Seoul is planning to raise subway fares by as much as 20 percent in an effort to cut the system’s deficit, officials said on Thursday. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, they are considering raising the base fare by 100 to 200 won to stem this year’s estimated deficit of more than 574 billion won ($530 million) for lines 1 through 8.Seoul Metro, operators of lines 1 through 4 and the

Results of Defense Ministry survey more divided on financial supportNearly 80 percent of the public support the re-installment of a military duty employment plan, previously abolished for being unconstitutional, according to a Defense Ministry survey released Thursday. Working to gain parliamentary approval for the system, the ministry released a survey showing that 79.4 percent of the 508 men and

Emergency response crews can deny drunks asking for a ride home or others trying to misuse the system, said the state’s disaster control center on Tuesday. According to a revised bill to take effect Sept. 9, response crews can also deny service at their discretion to those asking for treatment for bruises, cuts and scrapes.Those denied service either by phone or on the scene will receive a letter

Over 85 percent of below-college-level academic facilities suspected of asbestos pollution contain the potentially dangerous mineral fiber, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education said Tuesday.According to data released by the office, of the 54,279 facilities in 1,669 kindergarten, elementary, middle and high schools inspected between 2009 and 2010, roughly 87 percent contained the fiber which

A Spanish diplomatic vehicle was involved in a two-kilometer, multiple-hit-and-run rampage in Itaewon, Seoul, injuring three police officers, police said Sunday.According to the National Police Agency, the husband of a Spanish Embassy official was driving a black Veracruz, a private vehicle registered under the embassy, when he hit a guard post, a patrol car and five civilian vehicles.The man, ide

Police will dismantle the controversial tri-color arrow traffic lights at 53 intersections nationwide, including 11 locations in central Seoul. Since the installment nearly a month ago, the red-yellow-green alternating arrow has been the cause of multiple accidents throughout the city.“We will halt the expansion of the three-color traffic light system, and subject it to further review,” said Natio