법무부는 국내에 들어오는 원어민 교사만을 대상으로 하는 의무적 에이즈(AIDS·후천성면역결핍증) 검사를 폐지했다고 7일 밝혔다. 코리아헤럴드가 법무부에 확인한 결과에 따르면, 비자 규정을 지난 3일 관보에 고시함에 따라 회화지도(E-2) 비자를 가진 원어민 교사들이 외국인등록 신청 시에 의무적으로 제출해야 하는 채용신체검사서에 에이즈검사 항목이 폐지됐다. 외국인 교사에 대한 차별 논란을 불러일으켰던 해당 규정이 폐지되기 전까지 E-2비자 대상 원어민 교사는 의무적으로 약물검사 및 에이즈 감염여부 검사를 받아야 했다. UN에이즈(UNAIDS)의 아시아태평양지역지원팀 소장 이먼 머피는 이번 개정이 “한국에서 에이즈 감염 환자들을 향한 어떠한 차별이 없다는 것을 보장하는 큰 발전”이라며 환영의 뜻을 표했다. 지난 2009년 지방 한 초등학교의 원어민 보조교사 A 씨가 해당 조치를 중단해 달라는 취지의 탄원서를 법원에 제출한 지 8년 만의 일이다. 뉴질랜드 출신의 A씨는 계약 연장 제의를

Hyundai Motor on Monday launched its new Ioniq plug-in, the last of the three-series green car Ioniq models.　Hyundai‘s Ioniq lineup now features three eco-friendly car options -- the hybrid, electric and its latest plug-in, which merges the key functions of the hybrid and electric functions into one. Using both an internal combustion engine and rechargeable batteries, the new plug-in hybrid electric vehicle model offers fuel efficiency of roughly 20.5 kilometers per liter and a driving range of

SsangYong Motor has partnered with South Korea’s largest steelmaker Posco to roll out a premium sport utility vehicle that boasts safety and performance. 　The tie-up between the two firms was highlighted at the SUV Tech Forum, organized by SsangYong and Posco in Seoul on Friday, with industry experts in attendance. 　Slated for launch in May, SsangYong’s upcoming SUV Y400 uses Posco’s advanced high-strength steel for its vehicle frames. 　“Posco has researched and developed light yet safe steel pr

The Korea Herald is publishing a series of articles highlighting South Korea’s promising start-ups in the emerging sectors of digital healthcare and next-generation medical devices. This is the second installment. –Ed.In the medical world, the stethoscope -- used to listen to the internal sounds of the human body -- has long been a symbolic tool for doctors.　But a Seoul-based startup has come up with a pocket-sized ultrasound imaging device that connects to smartphones and tablets, in the hope t

　Ford Korea recently released its latest SUV model, the 2017 Ford Kuga. And while the compact SUV is a perfectly decent vehicle, it nevertheless lacks that special factor that makes shelling out nearly 40 million won ($35,300) seem like a worthwhile decision.　Earlier this month, members of the media were given the opportunity to take the new Ford Kuga out for a spin on the winding, multi-terrain streets and back-alleys of Paju, Gyeonggi Province. 　The 2017 Kuga offers a more spacious interior an

Korean stocks are the most undervalued in the world, being cheaper than not only those in advanced countries but also emerging economy shares, according to local experts Sunday.According to data from Samsung Securities and local reports, the previous 12-month price-earnings ratio in the domestic stock market was 9.6-to-1, much lower than the averages of the MSCI’s emerging and advanced market indexes.  (123RF)The price-earnings ratio is the ratio for valuing a company by measuring its current sh

GM Korea CEO James Kim said Thursday the company will conduct internal audits and structurally reorganize the company following the indictment of 31 individuals accused of being involved in selling job positions at the domestic branch of the American automaker. 　Earlier this month, the Incheon District Prosecutor’s Office indicted five former and current senior GM Korea employees, as well as a group of former and incumbent labor representatives after an eight-month investigation. They are suspec

Primary and secondary schools in Turkey will be able to teach Korean as a second foreign language for their students beginning next year.   The Turkish education ministry announced in the official gazette on Wednesday that Korean has recently been added to the list of foreign languages that can be taught in schools, along with Persian and Urdu.   Currently, Turkish students must learn one of the three first foreign languages -- English, French or German -- and can choose to learn a second foreig

South Korean and British foreign ministers on Wednesday (London time) discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in dealing with North Korea's nuclear threat, the South Korean foreign ministry said.South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se and his British counterpart Boris Johnson, during a bilateral meeting in London, shared the view that Pyongyang's continued nuclear provocations are a clear violation of UN Security Council resolutions and pose a serious threat to the entire international commu

South Korea won three gold medals in short track speedskating on Wednesday at the Asian Winter Games.    Seo Yi-ra won the men's 1,000 meters to kick off South Korea's gold medal run at the Makomanai Skating Rink.    Seo clocked 1 minute, 24.097 seconds for his first Asian Winter Games gold. Sin Da-woon was second in 1:24.119 and Lee Jung-su third in 1:24.169.    South Korea also won two medals -- gold and silver -- in the women's 1,000. Shim Suk-hee won in 1:30.376, with Choi Min-jeong taking s

A North Korean biotechnology institute is involved in last week's killing of leader Kim Jong-un's half brother Kim Jong-nam in Malaysia, a person familiar with the matter claimed Wednesday."We got a tip that Kim Jong-un issued an order in December 2014 to remove Kim Jong-nam," said Choi Sung-young, who represents a group of South Koreans whose families were abducted to North Korea decades ago.Kim Jong-nam (Yonhap)Choi said North Korea's military unit 810, which is also known as a biotechnology i

South Korea spurned Japan's diplomatic protest on Wednesday over a video clip which Seoul uploaded to promote the name East Sea for the body of water between the two neighboring countries.South Korea's foreign ministry uploaded the 5-minute clip on its Web site on Monday, in which Seoul promoted the East Sea as an official name that should be used alongside the Sea of Japan designation.(Yonhap)Currently, the name Sea of Japan is more widely recognized around the world, but a growing number of ma

Cigarette smoke hangs thick in the air of a Tokyo nightspot as Aki Nitta sips champagne with a trio of sweet-talking Lotharios peddling fake love at premium rates.   In a country which has lost its mojo, many wealthy Japanese women spend eye-watering sums on male hosts in return for an evening of sweet talk, flirting -- and often sex.   "I want my heart to flutter," Nitta told AFP at a popular club in the Kabukicho red-light district lined with chrome and mirrors.    "Japanese men aren't very at

BMW Korea has officially launched the seventh generation of its most popular sedan, the 5 Series, which racked up more than 2,000 presale contracts in less than a month.　First launched in 1972, the 5 series has since sold more than 7.9 million units worldwide, making it one the German automaker’s most popular models and one of the world’s best-selling premium business sedans. 　In 2016, BMW Korea’s annual sales reached 48,059 units, of which 17,200 units were the 5 series.BMW Korea President Kim

　BMW Korea is preparing to launch the seventh generation of its 5-series luxury sedan on Feb. 21, looking to reclaim its throne as the country’s best-selling imported car brand after being bested last year by rival German automaker Mercedes-Benz. 　According to BMW Korea, the new 5 series began preliminary sales contracts on Jan. 4; and in less than a month, pre-sale contracts went on to surpass 2,000 units. In comparison, last year the average monthly sales of the previous 5 series averaged arou

Following the effectuation of the Korea-US Free Trade Agreement in 2012, both countries fully lifted their import tariffs on vehicles early last year. Since the implementation, data shows that Korea’s imports of US cars have increased, while the number of Korean domestic vehicles exported to the US has dropped.　In 2015, 1.06 million units were exported from Korea to the US. Last year, the figure decreased to 964,432 units, according to data from the Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association and

While the recent inauguration of US President Donald Trump has the local business community in a frenzy, anticipating drastic alterations to the Korea-US free trade agreement, the roughly 2,500 European companies currently operating in Korea have their focuses set elsewhere. 　In an annual Business Confidence Survey conducted late last year by the European Chamber of Commerce in Korea and Roland Berger, the majority of European businesses in South Korea voiced concerns over the increasing difficu

GM Korea CEO James Kim has set Chevrolet’s domestic market annual sales target at 194,000 units, the highest-ever local sales goal for the global brand, according to GM on Thursday. 　Last year the company sold 180,275 units, a 13.8 percent increase compared to the previous year. The results marked the first time the brand broke the 180,000-marker since it first entered Korea’s imported car market in 2011.  GM Korea CEO James Kim (fourth from left) and Vice President of Vehicle Sales, Services an

Hundreds of Audi Volkswagen Korea customers are refusing to comply with the local auto distributors’ recall measures for its illegally faked emissions vehicles, according to the law firm Barun Law LLC. 　Last month, the Korean government announced it had approved Volkswagen’s first round of recall plans for 27,000 Tiguan SUVs to begin on Monday. 　However, following the recall approval, 610 Tiguan owners filed a law suit with the administrative court against the Ministry of Environment last month

German auto giant Mercedes-Benz sold 6,848 cars domestically last month, marking a 59.3 percent on-year spike, the Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association said on Monday. 　Mercedes-Benz Korea’s market share among the imported cars has also reached 41 percent last month, up more than 14 percent from the same month last year. 　Mercedes-Benz Korea has been showing phenomenal growth in the domestic import cars market in recent years, selling more than 2 million units for the first time