The government is drawing up a new bill to evaluate and restore the ecosystems of rivers or streams amid allegations that the former government’s massive river cleanup and development project has damaged the aquatic environment.The Ministry of Environment said Monday that it plans to establish a legal framework within the year for systematic and comprehensive measures to redress the ecosystem when deemed seriously damaged.The plan has drawn attention as it is in line with the new administration’

Seoul City is recruiting new members for Global Seoul-Mate, a program that introduces the city to the world through social networking. Anyone who has a good command of English, Japanese, or Chinese regardless of their current country of residence can participate in the program. Those with an established presence on SNS channels such as Facebook, Twitter, and other social networks are preferred. Last year 211 people joined the program and the city will pick 150 this year.The activities will inclu

A Supreme Court trial is to be streamed online for the first time in Korea to enhance public trust and transparency in the court proceedings. Korean courts sometimes came under fire for what is perceived as its opaque and unfair judgments. Scheduled for next Thursday, the trial will be presided over by the chief justice, and at least two-thirds of the 13 Supreme Court justices will be seated.This kind of trial is held when the cases are important enough to set a precedent for other cases down th

Fifth-grader Ahn Jae-hoo has the email account ilop642, using the acronym for “I Love Our Planet.” Since entering elementary school in southern Seoul, he has participated in Earth Hour, an international event for conseving energy by turning off lights, every March. “Using air conditioners and electronic fans as little as possible in summer is part of my own energy-saving efforts. And I always unplug my computer after using it,” Ahn said.Lee Doo-yeon, 11, is an “energy guardian” who monitors powe

Seoul City plans to form a public fund to compensate foreign travelers overcharged by stores and taxi drivers beginning as early as June, city officials said Tuesday. The city government is studying detailed rules including the amount, criteria and method of payment. The city is considering raising funds of 200 million won ($183,000) to 300 million won in cooperation with tourism organizations.Mayor Park Won-soon recently directed city officials to come up with measures to prevent rip-off practi

A joint government investigation team looking into illegal kickbacks said Sunday that it booked more than 100 doctors on charges of receiving bribes from Donga Pharmaceutical Co., the largest pharmaceutical firm in the nation.The bribery case involving an unprecedented number of doctors prosecuted is based on a fledgling law that bans both giving and receiving kickbacks in the medical and drug fields. Doctors and drug makers have long been alleged to have close and secretive ties. The joint team

A mom-and-pop store is hardly a place where people would expect to see a person who once served in the highest court and headed the national election watchdog. Especially in a nation where high-ranking officials usually chase career paths promising prominent status, influence and hefty financial rewards.Kim Neung-hwan, a former Supreme Court justice and former chairman of the National Election Commission of Korea, who works at a convenience store owned by his wife, has come under the spotlight f

Police said Wednesday they launched an investigation into allegations that some officials in the Korea Freedom Federation, the nation’s largest anti-communist civic organization, misappropriated government subsidies and donations for personal use and other purposes. A report said Wednesday that around 470 million won ($434,000) of 1.4 billion won pro­vided by the government was not spent as intended in 2011.For example, 57 million won of a 100 million won budget for a KFF project was used instea

Seoul will host the headquarters of CITYNET, an international organization of Asia-Pacific cities for sustainable development this month, an official said. CITYNET is a regional network of local authorities committed to improving the sustainability of human settlements. The secretariat office will relocate from Yokohama to Seoul with the opening ceremony scheduled for March 26, and Mayor Park Won-soon will take office as president in November, he said.“Holding a general council in early November

The Seoul Global Center is running a program for expatriates to help out children and senior citizens. Participants make visits twice a week, once to a senior center on Friday and another to an after-school center on Saturday. The program has been running since October 2011 to increase opportunities for foreign residents to contribute to the community.The Seoul Global Center is a one-stop service center that offers support for daily living, business activities, administrative services, education

Seoul City will grant financial aid to foreign investment firms in the “new growth engine” industries that helped to create jobs last year, the city government said Sunday. Foreign firms that established their branches or made investments in Seoul within five years of application and hired more than 10 new employees in 2012 are eligible for the support.The rate of foreign investment should be at least 30 percent to receive the benefits worth up to 200 million won ($180,000).Firms that have provi

Greenhouse gas emissions in Korea rose at the fastest rate in 17 years in 2010, prompting the government to rethink its goal of cutting emissions by 30 percent from projected levels by 2020.During his confirmation hearing at the National Assembly on Wednesday, Environmental Minister-nominee Yoon Seong-kyu said President Park Geun-hye recently called for a new road map to meet the goal. Greenhouse gases in 2010 marked 669 million tons of CO2 equivalent, a 9.8 percent increase from 609 million ton

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office said Tuesday it has launched an investigation into Gallery Seomi, one of the most prominent art galleries in Korea, and its director Hong Song-won on suspicion of evading billions of won in taxes. Much attention is being paid to the case as it could cause a ripple effect up to some of the chaebol families who have long been in close relations with the gallery and Hong. The gallery is suspected of avoiding taxes by omitting some of its profits from i

The Supreme Court on Monday upheld a lower court ruling that Microsoft was not liable to pay damages to a Korean firm for its tie-in sales.Digito.com, a Korean software company that mainly provides an instant messenger service, filed a lawsuit in 2007 against Microsoft and its Korean branch for abusing its market dominance and bundling its MSN Messenger, an online messenger program, with its computer operating system Windows.The Korean firm requested 10 billion won ($9.2 million) in damages. “Ev

U.S. branding expert Patrick Hanlon said in his recent article in Forbes magazine that while Korea is exporting esteemed brands in businesses, it is “ best known for kimchee (pickled cabbage) and its annoying northern neighbor,” urging Korea to promote its national brand. His suggestion is not new at all to me even though it could be more or less embarrassing to many Koreans since they pride themselves on many successful stories to tell to the world, inter alia, in an economic aspect. In fact, m

In the frigid days of late December to the first week of this month, snow piled ankle high on the streets of Jingwan-dong, Eunpyeong-gu, northwestern Seoul. Newly remodeled buildings of Indeokwon, a nursing home standing on a low hill, are where nurses and social workers take care of around 300 elderly people.In a room of the facility, a woman in bright clothing moves around singing “Gakseol-i Taryong,” a satirical and humorous song also known as “The Beggar’s Song,” with a rough but charming vo

Hydrofluoric acid gas was allegedly discharged into the surrounding environment from the Samsung Electronic Co. semiconductor line in Hwaseong City after a fatal leakage from one of the pipelines last month, according to a police investigation Friday.The latest development runs counter to the earlier statement by the world’s largest semiconductor maker that no toxic chemical was leaked outside the factory.“After analyzing CCTV footage in the central chemical supply system of the factory, the pol

Choi Yeol, 64, president of non-governmental environmental group Korea Green Foundation, was sentenced to a jail term for receiving bribes from real estate investors Friday. The Supreme Court turned down Choi’s appeal and upheld a lower court’s ruling of a one-year jail term and a fine of 130 million won ($123,000). Choi was indicted for receiving financial favors from a real estate investor who asked for help in an eco-friendly industrial park in Gyeonggi Province. Choi arranged a meeting with

Yoo, 55, former minister of food, agriculture, forestry and fisheries, is one of the closest aides to President-elect Park Geun-hye. The veteran bureaucrat and third-term lawmaker served as top secretary to Park from 2008 to 2010 when she reduced her political activities following her defeat to President Lee Myung-bak in the presidential nomination race of the Grand National Party.He is currently the deputy chief of the preparatory committee for her inauguration.The nominee started his public ca

South Koreans who reside in the Gaeseong Industrial Complex in North Korea were confirmed to be safe amid growing tension in the wake of North Korea’s third nuclear test Tuesday. “No unusual situation has been found in the district yet after the North’s nuclear test,” an official from the Ministry of Unification said. Currently, 163 South Koreans are said to be staying in the Gaeseong industrial area as many of the residing workers came back home to spend the Lunar New Year holiday with their fa