Six in 10 South Koreans still oppose the legalization of same-sex marriages, a local poll showed Thursday. According to a survey conducted on 1,004 adults by Gallup Korea, 34 percent of the respondents supported same-sex marriages, while 58 percent of them opposed it. Some 8 percent reserved their answers. The findings showed a huge generational gap on the issue: The older they were the more likely they were to hold a negative view.(123rf)A majority of 20-something people, or 66 percent, were in

A Seoul court sentenced a former health minister to 2 1/2 years in prison Thursday for exerting undue influence to back a controversial merger of Samsung Group in connection with the scandal that removed President Park Geun-hye from power and landed Samsung’s de facto leader in jail. Moon Hyung-pyo, health minister from 2013 to 2015, was convicted of abuse of power and perjury in a ruling that is likely to deal a heavy blow to Park and Lee, who are standing trials of their own for a suspected mo

When Kislay Kumar went out with his friends in a multicultural district in Seoul to enjoy his Friday night, the 25-year-old man did not imagine that his night would be ruined just because he was Indian. In the early hours of Saturday morning, Kumar was denied entry to a bar in Itaewon because of his nationality. His other friends from Russia, Colombia, Afghanistan, Canada and France were allowed entry. “When I was in line, the bouncer asked for our identification cards. I showed him my ID card a

Mumbling “f---ing crazy” in English in front of a Korean aggressor does not constitute a criminal insult, a local court said Tuesday. The Constitutional Court said in a unanimous ruling that the prosecution should cancel its decision to acknowledge the action as a criminal offense.  (Yonhap)In South Korea, insulting an individual publicly is a criminal offense punishable by a prison term of up to one year or a fine of up to 2 million won ($1,800).“It is hard to acknowledge that the complainant h

President Moon Jae-in’s promises to cut collusive ties between conglomerates and politicians, overhaul corporate governance and ensure fair competition have raised expectations for corporate reform in South Korea. The changes, however, shouldn’t stop at ownership and market practices, a global labor union activist said. South Korean businesses have labor problems that go beyond local borders, according to Sharan Burrow, general secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation, the world’

A South Korean court on Saturday rejected an arrest warrant for the daughter of Choi Soon-sil, who is at the center of the corruption scandal that led to former President Park Geun-hye’s downfall. 　“It is hard to acknowledge the reason, necessity and appropriateness for her arrest at the current stage (of the investigation)” the Seoul Central District Court said, citing a lack of evidence as the reason for the rejection.Chung Yoo-ra, 21, was released at around 2:20 a.m. from the Seoul Central Di

The daughter of Choi Soon-sil, who is at the center of the scandal that led to former President Park Geun-hye’s downfall, turned up at a local court Friday to fight against the prosecution’s request for her arrest. Chung Yoo-ra, 21, attended the hearing at the Seoul Central District Court, which will decide whether to detain her for another 20 days for questioning in connection with the allegations involving her mother and Park. The court’s decision is expected to come near or past midnight.Chun

South Korea is moving to levy fines on large companies that hire an excessive number of irregular workers, as part of the new administration’s efforts to create quality jobs and boost the economy.The Presidential Committee on Job Creation announced Thursday a set of measures, including the plan, to be implemented during Moon’s presidency. The measures include the removal of irregular jobs, the creation of jobs in the public sector, an increase of the minimum wage and the reduction of working hou

Chung Yoo-ra, who has enjoyed a wide range of privileges on the back of her once-influential mother Choi Soon-sil, returned to South Korea on Wednesday to face questioning about the corruption scandal involving her mother and ex-President Park Geun-hye.Eight months after she went into hiding in Europe to avoid the prosecution’s summons, Chung finally returned home in handcuffs and shifted all responsibility to her mother.Chung Yoo-ra, the daughter of former South Korean President Park Geun-hye's

Chung Yoo-ra, the daughter of Choi Soon-sil, was arrested Tuesday on board a flight heading to Seoul. Chung, whose mother is at the center of the scandal that led to the impeachment and arrest of former President Park Geun-hye, had been in custody of Danish authorities after she went into hiding to avoid the prosecution’s summons.(Yonhap)The prosecution said that Chung, a 20-year-old former national dressage team member, was arrested at 4:08 a.m. on a Korean Air flight departing from a transit p

There will be no more police water cannons and bus barricades at street rallies, a ranking police officer said Friday, signaling a dramatic shift in the police’s treatment of protestors after millions-strong demonstrations expelled a sitting president from power. “From now on, we plan to make it a principle not to dispatch police forces, water cannons and bus barricades,” said Lee Dae-hyung, a human rights protection officer from the National Police Agency during a forum on human rights and poli

Ewha Womans University has elected its new president through its first-ever direct vote of all students, faculty members and administrative staff, ending months of allegations and internal turmoil that were tied to the scandal involving former President Park Geun-hye.  Kim Hei-sook, new president of Ewha Womans University. (Yonhap)Philosophy professor Kim Hei-sook was formally appointed Friday by the board of directors as the new president, the Seoul-based school said. She received 57.3 percent

Allegations surfaced Friday that former President Park Geun-hye spent 3 billion won ($2.7 million) of state funds while she was impeached by the parliament and suspended from duty. “I learned that 3 billion won in special activity expenses was used when former President Park Geun-hye was suspended,” said Rep. Lee Yong-ho of the centrist People’s Party in the party‘s emergency meeting.”“The public have a right to know how and where Cheong Wa Dae used these special activity expenses.” (Yonhap)Form

Following the military court‘s conviction Wednesday of a gay soldier for having sex, many expatriates living in South Korea reacted with a mixture of shock, disappointment and anger toward what they said was a violation of basic human rights. “These men are serving their country and their country repays them with prison?” said Amanda Melgarejo Bastos, a 28-year-old English teacher from the United States. “Seeing how racism and sexism are big issues here, I can’t say I am surprised, but I am stil

With President Moon Jae-in now in office, an association of civic groups that were at the forefront of the movement to remove the former president from power formally declared its disbandment Wednesday.“We declare disbandment because we completed our mission and role to oust former President Park Geun-hye,” said the civic groups at a press briefing held in central Seoul. Named “The Action for Park Geun-hye’s Ouster,” the association of 1,500 civic organizations led massive street protests after

More South Koreans joined a lawsuit against the governments of Seoul and Beijing, seeking compensation over mental distress they suffered due to fine dust in the country. The class action suit, filed in April with seven plaintiffs including Choi Yeol, president of the Korea Green Foundation, now has a total of 88 plaintiffs, each demanding 3 million won ($2,660) in compensation from both governments.Murky air covers buildings and the cityscape in Seoul as the worst fine dust sweeps across the na

As a judge announced the opening of a trial hearing, former President Park Geun-hye stepped inside a courtroom in a navy suit with her prison number 503 attached to her jacket. Amid a barrage of camera flashes and with some 150 spectators looking on, Park entered the courtroom No. 417, where two of South Korea’s former presidents had also stood trial. The chief judge Kim Se-yun of the three-justice panel addressed her as “the accused Park Geun-hye” and asked her what her occupation is. She feebl

Former President Park Geun-hye appeared in public for the first time in 53 days on Tuesday to stand trial on charges, including bribery and abuse of power, which brought an end to her presidency in March. Park, who has remained in detention since her arrest in late March, arrived at 9:10 a.m. at the Seoul Central District Court, wearing her own clothes, not a prison uniform, and with her signature hairstyle.  (Yonhap)As formal proceedings for her trial begins Tuesday, her attendance in hearings

President Moon Jae-in on Friday named a reformist prosecutor as the new chief of Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, giving a boost to sweeping reforms of the nation’s most powerful law enforcement agency.The presidential office said that Moon had appointed Yoon Seok-yeol, who played a key role in the investigation into the corruption scandal involving former President Park Geun-hye and her longtime confidante Choi Soon-sil, to head the nation’s biggest prosecutors’ body.Yoon Seok-yeol (

T-shirts describing South Korea’s new President Moon Jae-in as the leader of North Korea are for sale on Amazon, the world’s largest online marketplace, drawing angry responses from South Koreans.The apparel adorned with the slogan “Vote Moon Jae-in President North Korea **2017**,” has been listed by an unidentified seller at $15.99 apiece. They come in various sizes and five different colors.  (Captured from Amazon)In the description, however, the seller correctly portrays Moon as the president