The prosecution said Monday it has found additional evidence to prove that Oxy Reckitt Benckiser sold its problematic humidifier disinfectant in the market while being aware of its ingredient toxicity, based on a state report made four years ago. Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office said they had found the Korea Fair Trade Commission’s chemicals labeling report which showed that the company – now formally renamed Reckitt Benckiser Korea -- had received material safety data sheets (MSDS) on

The prosecution has arrested a judge-turned-lawyer who allegedly received billions of won in legal fees in return for lobbying judges and prosecutors for her high-profile clients, officials said Friday. (Yonhap)The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office said they arrested 46-year-old former chief prosecutor Choi Yoo-jeong late Thursday night for attempting to influence rulings of clients. Choi is accused of taking a total of about 10 billion won ($8.6 million) from two clients -- cosmetics f

Sources from the prosecution said they have found more details on how Oxy Reckitt Benckiser had used the toxic ingredient PHMG to produce the problematic humidifier disinfectant. According to the prosecution, Oxy – which was formally renamed Reckitt Benckiser Korea -- had initially used a chemical called Priventol R80 as the main ingredient for Oxy Ssak Ssak until the late ’90s. The inhalation-toxicity test for the chemical proved that it was safe. However, in 2000, the company reportedly decide

Prosecutors on Wednesday sought for the arrest of four former and incumbent officials of the manufacturers involved in the humidifier disinfectant case. This is the first time that arrest is being sought against individuals from the companies that sold toxic sterilizers that are blamed for the deaths of at least 140 since 2011.The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office’s special team said that an arrest warrant has been sought for former CEO of Oxy Reckitt Benckiser Shin Hyun-woo, a former h

Family representatives of toxic humidifier disinfectant victims on Wednesday criticized Oxy Reckitt Benckiser for not apologizing, despite their visit to the U.K. headquarters. Families of the victims and activists returned to Seoul after a six-day visit to the U.K. that included a visit to the firm’s headquarters to ask it to take responsibility for the massive number of deaths and health damages.Kim Deok-jong, whose son is suspected to have died from the toxic humidifier disinfectant, talks to

A 34-year-old teacher surnamed Park at a private elementary school in central Seoul witnesses young students struggling with piles of homework every day, not just for their regular classes but also after-school courses run by the school -- especially focused on English. “I often see my students under immense pressure from school, after-school programs and private academies. They have told me that they are fed up with the homework, but it seems there is no way to escape,” Park told The Korea Hera

The ruling Saenuri Party decided Sunday to push for a hearing on the toxic humidifier disinfectant case after the prosecutorial probe is completed.After holding talks with the government, the party also decided to keep open the option of holding an audit against involved companies and government organizations if the hearing fails to fully clarify the wrongdoings related to the tragedy that left more than a hundred people dead after using the products containing toxic substances.The party will al

Over recent years, South Korea has fast become a much better place for pets to live in.From slapping harsher punishment against animal abusers to supporting pet welfare and industries, the South Korean government has been moving toward protecting pets. Dogs participating in a pet festival held at Gangwon Province run toward their owners on May 10. (Yonhap)It was in 1991 that the government first enacted the animal protection law, recognizing animals as those in need of protection and support. Wh

The Constitutional Court on Tuesday dismissed the request for review on the constitutionality of the South Korean government holding deportees in protection centers for an unlimited duration.The 5-4 decision thereby upheld the constitutionality of the immigration law that allows the authorities to keep illegal residents until their repatriation. Illegal residents who are caught during clampdowns, or while committing crimes, are sent to designated shelters until their deportation. The period of s

Criticism has been sparked over the law school admission system after the government’s nationwide survey found clues of nepotism, with the Education Ministry also coming under fire for imposing light punishment against the schools.The Education Ministry said Monday that it found a total of 24 cases in which law school applicants revealed the occupations or social positions of their parents to allegedly take advantage of it in the admission process. Such information in five cases allowed the admi

The Education Ministry has been conducting a nationwide survey on law schools since last year to find clues of “rampant nepotism” – which critics claim happens -- during the admission process. The ministry announced the results on Monday, but indicated they were able to only find mild cases that cannot be directly linked to any irregularities.The ministry said it found a total of 24 cases in which law school applicants revealed the occupations or social positions of their parents, to allegedly t

The government said Friday it will push to lower the threshold of recognizing the damage caused by toxic humidifier disinfectants amid an on-going probe against the manufacturers and escalating public uproar. (Yonhap)The Environment Ministry said it will consider recognizing respiratory diseases and health problems as damage caused from use of the toxic humidifier disinfectants.So far, the government has limited the damage scope to those suffering from lung-related diseases, recognizing 530 as o

The number of cases of law violations in airplanes is on the rise, with smoking accounting for the most violations, data showed Friday. (Yonhap)According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, a total of 460 cases occurred on flights operated by the seven local airlines, doubling in two years.By type, smoking took up the most with 381 cases, followed by 42 cases of affray and 15 cases of sexual harassment. They also included nine cases of threatening the safety of others under th

President Park Geun-hye on Thursday called for a thorough probe into the toxic humidifier disinfectant tragedy that is blamed for the death of more than 200 users. “It is heartbreaking that a large number of people suffered damage and most importantly for the young infants to have lost their lives from the humidifier sterilizer accident that occurred in 2011. ... Relevant organizations should thoroughly investigate the case and take necessary measures such as receiving additional reports of dama

Research led by a local college president was recently published in the international weekly journal of science Nature, school officials said Thursday.It is rare for a local university leader’s work to be published in the international journal. Hanyang University said its study led by president Lee Young-moo on hydrocarbon fuel-cell membranes with surface nanocrack coatings was published in the latest issue of Nature. The study featured an innovative way to provide fuel cells, which are essentia

The main opposition party on Wednesday announced that it would push to hold a parliamentary hearing on the toxic humidifier disinfectant case and introduce a bill aimed at offering financial support for victims.“The National Assembly should come up with its own measures to strengthen regulation on corporate misdeeds and unethical behaviors,” The Minjoo Party of Korea’s chairman Kim Chong-in said. “We urge other parties to join efforts to protect public safety,” he said. The decision comes in lig

A Korean education civic group vowed Tuesday to lead a nationwide anti-academic elitism movement aimed to discourage the country’s excessive reliance on private education.The World Without Worry About Shadow Education said it launched a signature-collecting campaign to seek a law that legally mandates companies not to discriminate against applicants based on their academic backgrounds. The aim of the project is to ultimately root out what they said was the fundamental cause of Korea’s excessive

The government vowed to gradually reduce the maximum number of students in high school classrooms to improve education quality and prepare for the declining population of students, officials said Monday. The Education Ministry said it would cut the number of students per classroom at high schools to 24 -- the average of Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development member countries -- by 2022. Korea’s current average is 30 students per classroom, as of last year.YonhapThe ministry said i

About a dozen Korean children are still missing in suspected cases of child abuse, the government said Monday in its progress report on eradicating violence against children.The Education Ministry said the whereabouts of 12 elementary and middle school students and one child under school age remain unknown, with eight of the middle school students suspected of having run away from home. The number totals 14 when counting another child looked for in the first round of searches conducted earlier t

Oxy Reckitt Benckiser, which has been blamed for the deaths of at least 221 humidifier disinfectant users, was found to have countered the government’s health probe with their own research that suggested the deaths may have been caused by other factors, sources said Sunday.Victims of the toxic humidifier disinfectant, meanwhile, held a press conference followed by a closed-door meeting Sunday to discuss future measures and condemn the product manufacturers and distributors for their “manipulatio