The head of the Korea Smokers’ Association made headlines Thursday -- for quitting smoking.Shin Min-hyung, the KSA chief and a smoker for 43 years, wrote on his Facebook on Aug. 4 that he is forgoing smoking due to health concerns. By Thursday, the post had attracted over 112 likes from Shin’s acquaintances. KSA chief Shin Min-hyung (Yonhap)“My body, coughing and phlegmy, is difficult to handle especially in this summer heat. I’m going to the public health center intending to quit smoking. My wi

The recent case of a female teacher charged for sex with her preteen student has triggered an online witch hunt for the suspect.Some female teachers have seen their personal information spread online against their will and without their knowledge. Police have stepped in to rein in the illegal activity, as other women have been falsely identified as the suspect accused of underage rape and molestation of the 12-year-old student. Those held responsible as sources of the malignant rumors can be cha

The first child of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is probably a son, according to the National Assembly’s Intelligence Committee.Yonhap News Agency on Thursday quoted a source from the committee as saying that various circumstances highlight the probability that the first child of Kim and his wife Ri Sol-ju is a son and that their third child is also rumored to be male. (Yonhap)The North Korean leader’s second child is thought to be a daughter. Information about the child became public after fo

A shaman who was taken to court on charges of fraud was ruled not guilty by the Seoul Southern District Court on Wednesday. “Shamanism is, for the most part, aimed at gaining consolation and inner peace. Even if shamanistic rituals do not yield the promised outcome, it is difficult to hold the shaman accountable for the failure,” the court said.The shaman in the case had blamed the spirits of the victim’s aborted twin babies for her husband’s flagging business and suggested the victim appease th

배우 하지원이 11억 원대 민사소송에 휘말렸다.　　손배소 청구인은 화장품업체 골드마크사이다. 이 업체는 하지원을 상대로 브랜드 홍보활동 불이행으로 인한 피해액 8억6천만원과 제이더블유퀸 (현 해와달엔터테인먼트) 소속 당시 골드마크 측이 대행한 매니지먼트 수수료 3억원 등 11억6천만원을 청구하는 소송을 서울중앙지법에 제기했다. 　 하지원 (사진=연합뉴스)　골드마크 측은 “하지원이 골드마크의 주식 30%를 받고 골드마크에 자신의 성명, 초상, 음성을 제공해 브랜드를 홍보하기로 약속하는 내용의 공동사업약정을 맺었지만, 이를 위반하고 골드마크 홍보를 전면 중단하다가 지난해 7월 골드마크를 상대로 돌연 공동사업약정 취소 및 초상권 사용금지 소송을 제기했다”며 “골드마크는 지난 6월30일 하지원의 청구가 이유 없다는 법원 판결을 받아 승소했다”고 밝혔다.　　나아가 “하지원의 약속위반에 따른 손해를 산정한 결과 영업손실은 8억6천여만원, 영업손실에 따라 감소한 기업가치는 26억여 원에 달한다”

A 29-year-old man who attacked women for smoking was booked without detention in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, police said Wednesday. According to investigators, the man found three women aged around 23 years smoking in the residential area of Yongam-dong in the city at around midnight Tuesday.  (Yonhap)He allegedly tried to stop the women, insisting, “Women should not smoke.” When the women disagreed, the irate man struck them across the cheek and kicked them. He told police he became a

Impeached former president Park Geun-hye left the Seoul detention center on Wednesday to visit a hospital for her ailing back. This is the second time that Park left her incarceration for medical treatment outside of the detention center. In July, Park had MRI scans of her toe injuries. (Yonhap)Park is temporarily incarcerated at the Seoul detention center for the on-going trial to determine her involvement in the influence peddling scandal in connection with major corporations here including Sa

The prosecution on Tuesday asked the Incheon District Court to sentence two suspects in an 8-year-old child’s murder case to life and 20 years in prison, respectively.The prosecution sought a life sentence for the alleged instigator who directed the killer, while asking for a shorter 20 years’ prison term for the younger killer. 18-year-old Park (Yonhap)The instigator, an 18-year-old woman surnamed Park, was initially indicted as an accessory to murder. The charge was later stiffened as it was a

검찰은 29일 열린 결심공판에서 8살 초등생 유괴·살해 사건의 10대 공범에 무기징역을 구형했다.영어기사 읽기공범 A(18)양은 재수생으로, 올해 3월 인천에서 8살 여자 초등학생을 살해한 혐의를 받는 주범 B(17·고교 자퇴)양과 살인을 계획, 구체적인 지시를 통해 도운 혐의를 받고 있다.검찰은 애초 A양을 살인방조 및 사체유기 혐의로 재판에 넘겼다가 이달 초 살인으로 죄명을 변경했다. 공범 A양 (사진=연합뉴스)(kaylalim@heraldcorp.com)

S. Korean military released footage of its ballistic missile drills, Tuesday, in response to North Korea firing missiles past neighboring Japanese territory earlier in the morning.The footage showed test launches of Korea’s newly developed and enhanced ballistic missiles with ranges of 800 kilometers and 500 kilometers, according to the Agency for Defense Development.  (Ministry of National Defense)ADD said it has improved the warheads on the ballistic missiles. The recent drills have been the f

A female teacher was arrested for having sex with her elementary school pupil, the Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency said Tuesday.The teacher, 32, allegedly had sex with a 12-year-old male student in the classroom and her vehicle. She is charged for underage rape and molestation. (Yonhap)The case was reported to the police by the student’s parents, who found half-naked photos of the teacher on their son’s mobile phone.The teacher testified to the police that their sex had been consensual and th

Japanese police added the charge of substance abuse to the Fukuoka Airbnb host accused of sexually assaulting a Korean Airbnb guest. According to Kyodo News, Monday, the suspect tested positive to drugs, after the police ran tests on him for the suspicious word ‘ice’ found in his mobile text messages. File photo (123RF)The man, 34, was arrested on July 16 for charges of sexually attacking a Korean woman to whom he had rented out his flat via accommodation sharing platform, Airbnb. He was indicte

The Jeju Provincial Police Agency said Monday that its special investigation unit for sexual crimes is following up a case of voyeurism near Hyeopjae Beach on Jeju Island.A part-timer cafe worker has come under fire for uploading pictures of female customers on his Twitter and writing sexually humiliating captions. Secretly filming or photographing another person is called “Mollae Camera” in Korea. The word mollae means 'secretly.’ Its abbreviated term, “Molca,” is often used to describe crimina

Photo credits to Mario Hvala's FacebookA video of a Serbian man getting a portrait of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un shaved into the back of his head has gone viral on Facebook.The comical video was shared on Wednesday and quickly took the online world by storm. Since the initial posting, the video has been shared 865 times by a crowd of people who left various comments from “Dead” to “You do Putin and I’ll do Trump.” The haircut, fittingly dubbed ‘hair tattoo,’ is a growing trend for hair styl

Retired soccer player David Beckham will visit Korea in September to attend 30th anniversary events hosted by AIA Korea as the group's global ambassador. AIA Korea announced Monday that Beckham will grace its Grand Festival 2017 on Sept. 20 to talk about his healthy lifestyle as well as various corporate outreach initiatives he’ll participate in on behalf of AIA.Beckham was quoted as saying he‘s very excited to visit Korea. He said, “I’m excited to encourage individuals to live longer, healthier

데이비드 베컴(David Beckham)이 기업 홍보대사 자격으로 3년 만에 방한한다.　　AIA생명은 데이비드 베컴이 한국을 공식 방문해 9월 20일 자사가 주최하는 다양한 프로그램에 참가할 예정이라고 밝혔다.　　데이비드 베컴은 “사람들이 더 오랫동안, 더 건강하게, 더 행복한 삶을 살아갈 수 있도록 지원한다는 철학에 깊이 공감한다”며 “9월에 참가할 페스티벌을 통해, 작은 변화가 건강한 라이프스타일을 완성할 수 있다는 메시지가 한국 팬들에게 잘 전달될 수 있길 바란다“고 말했다. 　　베컴은 프로 축구 선수로 뛰던 현역 시절부터 2013년 선수 은퇴 이후에도 다양한 사회공헌 활동을 펼치고 있다. 그는 2005년부터 유니세프의 친선대사로 활동하며 열악한 환경에 처한 어린이들의 후원자 역할을 자임하며 이들의 인권보호에 적극적으로 앞장서고 있기도 하다.　　　(khnews@heraldcorp.com)

Lilian on Wednesday released a statement to refund all of its sanitary pads that are allegedly causing hormonal disruption in women.Klean Nara, the producer of Lilian sanitary pads, apologized for the concerns it has caused users. While the inspection is still on-going to discern the validity of the complaints of supposed harmful chemical substance that are curtailing female monthly periods, Klean Nara has decided to refund all Lilian products for its accountability.All Lilian pads, including th

미국 온라인 커뮤니티에 올라온 사연이 화제다. 　　익명의 사연 글을 쓴 이 남성은 10년 전 본인이 “아직 어릴 때” 동거하던 여자친구가 결혼을 원하자 이별하려 일방적으로 연락을 끊었고 해외로 직업을 얻어 이주하기까지 했다고 한다.　　보통 ‘잠수 탄다’고 표현되는 이 이별방식은 최악이다.　 위 자료 사진은 기사 내용과 직접적인 연관이 없습니다. (사진=123RF)　남성이 온데간데 없이 증발하자 여자친구는 영문을 모른 채 상처받아 남성의 친지에 연락도 하며 고통스러워 했다고 한다.　　현재 이 남성은 한 외국인 학교에서 수학 선생으로 근무 중이라고 한다. 만족스런 삶을 살고 있고 이 직장에 오래 머물고 싶다는 남성에겐 최근 뜻하지 않은 일이 벌어졌다.　　새롭게 부임하는 부장의 인적사항을 알아보니 바로 10년 전 그 전 여자친구였던 것이다.　　남성은 과거 자신의 행동을 후회한다며 글을 남겼다.　　　(khnews@heraldcorp.com)　　

미국에선 지난 2007년부터 해마다 8월 26일에 여성의 상반신 누드를 허용해 달라는 시위가 벌어지고 있다. 시위 참가자들은 유두만 가린 채 상체를 드러내고 시위한다.　　올해엔 서울에서도 이 시위가 열릴 것이라고 한다. 이 시위는 올해로 10주년을 기념하며, “고 톱리스 데이 (Go Topless Day)”라고 불린다.　　시위 참가자들은 여성이 공공장소에서 윗옷을 벗어도 체포되거나 희롱당하지 않을 자유와 안전을 보장해 달라고 주장한다. 여성도 남성과 마찬가지로 본인이 원할 시 상의를 탈의할 자유가 있다는 것이다.　　행사의 주최자이자 “고 톱리스.org” 웹사이트 관리자 나딘 개리 (Nadine Gary)는 허핑턴포스트에 “여성이 나체로 공공장소를 배회하면 공연음란죄로 체포되지만 남성은 이러한 규정에 제약되지 않는 것이 성차별적이다”고 말했다. 　　시위는 미국의 로스앤젤레스, 뉴욕, 덴버와 프랑스의 파리, 그리고 서울을 포함해 전세계 40개 도시에서 열린다고 한다. 　　(khnews@

(The Korea Herald)Office workers in Korea were excitedly confused Thursday morning, after a local media outlet broke the news that President Moon Jae-in is set to designate Oct. 2 as a temporary holiday to create a 10-day-long weekend linking National Foundation Day, Chuseok holidays and Hangeul Proclamation Day.The exhilaration was short-lived, however, as Cheong Wa Dae officials later corrected the fact as nothing having been officially decided as of yet. Still, hopeful rumors are continuing t