With the authorities scrambling to improve industrial safety measures, Rep. Lim Lee-ja of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party on Wednesday released data that showed subcontracted workers at power plants are vulnerable to industrial accidents.According to figures Lim received from the Ministry of Employment and Labor, 20 workers killed at power plants -- Korea South-East Power, Korea Western Power, Korea Midland Power, Korea Southern Power, and Korea East-West Power Corp. -- between 2014 and

Former conservative party leader Hong Joon-pyo has announced his bid for leadership of the Liberty Korea Party, ramping up competition in the race.“I will run (for the party’s leadership), and it is right for me to do so. I have never seen an administration fall this fast. Only I can counter the current government,” Hong said during a publication event for his biography in Yeouido, western Seoul.“Today marks the starting point of the last challenge in my life.”(Yonhap)While declaring his bid at

Former Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn on Tuesday officially joined the race for leadership of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, sparking controversy over his eligibility and ties to the Park Geun-hye administration.Hwang’s bid faces strong opposition in the political arena due to the prominent role he played during the Park administration, such as his posts as prime minister and acting president. With competition for the party’s leadership heating up, some members of the main opposition par

Ulleung County Gov. Kim Byeong-su said all-out efforts will be made to transform the small island in the East Sea into a world-class ecotourism attraction in 2019, driven by a newly opened road along the coast and cultural heritage preservation.The 72.86-square-kilometer small island, located 178 kilometers east of Gangwon Province, is vital for South Korea, as the county oversees the diplomatically significant island of Dokdo and 42 other islands.Gov. Kim of the main opposition Liberty Korea Pa

Police said Friday they were looking into allegations that Sohn Suk-hee, a well-known news anchor for cable channel JTBC, punched a freelance reporter earlier this month.Sohn, who is a household name in Korea and also the chief of JTBC, denied accusations of assault at the beginning of his news show “News Room” on Thursday evening, and reported the reporter, surnamed Kim, to the police for blackmail.(Yonhap)According to Kim, Sohn hit him twice during a dinner meeting earlier this month in Seoul

The family of Park Joon-hyuk, a 25-year-old student hospitalized in Flagstaff, Arizona, after a fall at Grand Canyon National Park, is asking the South Korean government to help with his hospital bill of over $886,000.The request has sparked fierce debate, with some arguing the government should not be held responsible for an individual’s accident and others insisting the government should step in.Park, who is currently unconscious, fell off a cliff near Yavapai Point along the South Rim of the

The number of male employees taking paternity leave in Korea rose 46.7 percent on-year in 2018 amid a shift in social perception and workplace culture, the government said Wednesday.A total of 17,662 male workers went on paternity leave last year, up 46.7 percent from 12,042 people in 2017, according to data from the Ministry of Employment and Labor.“The rise in paternity leave is due to changes in the social atmosphere, alongside various policies such as increased income replacement ratio durin

Following rampant allegations of sexual misconduct by authority figures in the skating community, the chief of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea on Tuesday vowed to establish an independent monitoring system to root out widespread violence in sports.“Physical and sexual harassment in the sports community take place repeatedly within a structured system, rather than accidentally. Violence is exonerated in the performance-centered culture,” said Choi Young-ae, the head of the rights wa

Members of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party are slated to visit Washington on a two-day schedule in February to deliver the party’s stance on North Korea’s denuclearization ahead of the second US-North Korea, the party said Monday.“The party will deliver its position about the North Korea-US summit to those in the US. We plan to communicate by sending letters to key figures in the US, and contact media and think tanks there for complete denuclearization and peace,” the party’s floor leade

Rep. Sohn Hye-won of the ruling Democratic Party on Sunday cut ties with the party over alleged property speculation, but nevertheless vigorously denied the allegations.Sohn maintained her initial stance that her relatives and aides had invested in Mokpo, South Jeolla Province, to “revive the southern city.”“I cannot push the public into a meaningless war of attrition. I will give up my party membership,” Sohn said in a joint press conference held with party floor leader Rep. Hong Young-pyo at t

The main opposition Liberty Korea Party has come under fire for its recommendations earlier this week for a committee charged with investigating the 1980 Gwangju Democratization Movement, infuriating families of victims as well as the general public for suggesting far-right figures. The launch of the committee, initially slated for September, has been pushed back with the opposition party delaying its recommendations, seeking to avoid alienating its supporters.Families of the victims of the brut

President Moon Jae-in’s nuclear phaseout policy has resurfaced as a bone of contention, triggered by ruling Democratic Party Rep. Song Young-gil’s remarks that the construction of Shin Hanwool 3 and 4 should be resumed.As the first ruling party politician to raise a dissenting voice against the administration’s push for a nuclear phaseout, Song instantly drew criticism from a fellow party member. But two opposition parties praised Song’s remarks and called them “brave.” Questions over whether So

Former Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn on Tuesday joined the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, distancing himself from irregularities under ousted former President Park Geun-hye and emphasizing “unity” as a key value, amid political parties’ criticism of his party membership.Hwang’s return to politics has ramped up competition at the conservative party’s national convention next month, with the real possibility he may run for the party’s leadership and in the 2022 presidential race.Referring to

Chinese President Xi Jinping is highly likely to visit North Korea in April, followed by a visit to South Korea in May, according to the ruling party’s leader Friday.“It seems like Chinese President Xi Jinping is slated to visit North Korea in April, and there is a high possibility that he will visit South Korea in May,” Democratic Party leader Lee Hae-chan said during a meeting with new presidential chief of staff Noh Young-min upon his courtesy call on the National Assembly.“A summit between C

Prosecutors on Friday demanded eight years in prison for a drunk driver surnamed Park, 26, who caused the death of Yoon Chang-ho, a soldier carrying out military service.During Friday’s trial it was revealed that Park “hit two people, including Yoon, standing at the crosswalk while ‘doing something else’ with a woman in the passenger seat,” prosecutors said.Yoon was killed at Haeundae, Busan on Sept. 25 last year when Park’s BMW ran into them. Park was driving with a blood alcohol level of 0.181

Former Supreme Court Chief Yang Sung-tae apologized Friday for “causing concerns” in regard to multiple allegations of abuse of judiciary power during the previous administration against him.Though he acknowledged that he was to blame for the public’s concerns, Yang said that those working under him had not acted improperly, implying at his innocence of the charges made against him. “I sincerely apologize to the public for causing concerns due to incidents during my term. I believe that I am sol

Seoul residents ring in the new year by striking a gigantic 20-ton temple bell 33 times at Bosingak, a large bell pavilion at Jongno, central Seoul.Similar versions of the 3-meter-tall steel bell can be spotted at many Buddhist temples and landmarks here, such as the iconic N Seoul Tower.Won Gwang-sik, a master of traditional metalcraft, created the bell in Bosingak, after the original bell was sent to the National Museum of Korea for preservation in 1985.The original bell designated National Tr

When looking down at Seoul up in the sky, the capital is filled with square-shaped apartment clusters and gray sky-high office buildings.South Korea’s rapid economic development centered on Seoul has made the country’s capital one of the most populous cities in the world, with skyrocketing housing prices.Over-the-top housing prices have become a major social problem here, amid widespread public outcry for the government to tackle the issue. Among various types of housing in the nation, apartment

A Seoul court on Thursday slapped BMW Korea with a 14.5 billion-won ($12.9 million) fine and sentenced six workers to prison for violating the customs law and Clean Air Conservation Act.The German luxury carmaker was indicted in March last year for importing some 29,000 vehicles with falsified emissions documents since 2011. Prosecutors demanded a 30 billion-won fine for BMW Korea and up to 1 1/2 years in prison for six employees in November.“The government has mandated a strict authorization pr

In the midst of heightened tensions between the country’s taxi union, information technology market players and the government over ride-sharing and ride-hailing services, a taxi driver surnamed Lim, 65, died early Thursday morning after setting himself on fire to protest the launch of Kakao’s carpool service, police said. Lim’s death is expected to further fuel conflict between the concerned parties, who have locked horns since a similar incident last month involving another taxi driver, 57, wh