A local court said Tuesday the first hearing on the influence-peddling scandal in which President Park Geun-hye was named an accomplice to a corruption scheme involving her friend and former aides will be held next month.The Seoul Central District Court said the first preparatory hearing for Choi Soon-sil, Park's longtime friend, and two former presidential secretaries is slated for Dec. 13.They were indicted on Sunday on a string of charges including abuse of authority and coercion for allegedl

Only two in 10 employees in management positions at South Korean companies are women, highlighting the continued gender disparity at work, government data released Monday showed. According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor, women account for 37.79 percent of the total workforce in the country, with 20.9 percent of management posts being held by women at the 2,040 state-run and private firms that were surveyed. Firms with more than 1,000 staff members had a higher level of female managers,

With South Korea seeing a series of street rallies against scandal-hit President Park Geun-hye in recent weeks, the protests are turning more creative with satirical performances, open microphone sessions, comedy and music. On Saturday, tens of thousands of people took to the streets across the nation in the fourth straight weekend of rallies to demand President Park resign over an influence-peddling and corruption scandal involving her close confidante Choi Soon-sil. Many citizens were seen sta

Chung Yoo-ra, the daughter of President Park Geun-hye’s embattled confidante Choi Soon-sil, was illegally admitted to a prestigious university in Seoul and was given special treatment after enrollment, the Education Ministry confirmed Friday.Releasing the result of its audit of Ewha Womans University, the ministry said that it would request law enforcement authorities to launch a criminal investigation into Chung, her mother, the college’s former president, faculty members and officials. “Since

Chung Yoo-ra, the daughter of President Park Geun-hye’s embattled confidante Choi Soon-sil, was illegally admitted to a prestigious university in Seoul and was also given special treatment in academic records after enrollment, the Education Ministry confirmed Friday.In a briefing to release the result of the audit of Ewha University and its faculty members, the ministry said that the school manipulated its admission process to accept Chung and she was given overly generous marks despite not atte

To teach English in Korea, Christina had to prove she was not HIV-positive. The US citizen was reluctant, but complied with the rule, undergoing a blood test for HIV and submitting the results to local authorities in order to get a job at a public school. When she found out that Korean and Korean-American teachers at the school were exempted from the test despite doing the same job, she was offended. “It perpetuates perceptions of foreigners as dirty, dangerous and impure. I think it

Supporters of beleaguered President Park Geun-hye are being asked to show up in droves Saturday to counter last week’s record-breaking anti-Park rally. An online fan club of the conservative leader, who call themselves an “association of those who love President Park Geun-hye,” plans to hold a rally at Seoul Station on Saturday. The 73,000-member group plans to march toward Gwanghwamun Square, where over 1 million gathered last Saturday to demand Park’s removal from office over the influence-ped

The prosecution has obtained fresh evidence and testimonies that may implicate President Park Geun-hye in the spiraling scandal involving her confidante Choi Soon-sil. Park’s ex-presidential aides, who are now under questioning in the prosecution’s probe, told interrogators that they had just followed orders from President Park, after initially denying her role in the scandal, multiple media outlets reported Thursday. According to reports, An Chong-bum, ex-presidential secretary for policy coord

At the center of the spiraling influence-peddling scandal engulfing South Korea is Cha Eun-taek, who has been dubbed “crown prince” in the local culture scene for wielding great influence over various state-led cultural projects.Cha, who was arrested upon his return to Korea from China late Tuesday night, is believed to be a core member of the Choi Soon-sil’s clique attending a secretive meeting to discuss state affairs. His professor and uncle served President Park Geun-hye as culture minister

The prosecution Monday secured what appears to be key evidence that Choi Soon-sil, President Park Geun-hye’s longtime confidante, meddled in state affairs in an escalating investigation into the influence-peddling scandal. Prosecutors said they discovered recorded phone conversations between Park’s former presidential aide Jeong Ho-seong and Choi on Jeong’s phones that were seized during a raid on his home late last month. Jeong, ex-secretary for the president’s private affairs, was arrested Sun

Chung Yoo-ra, the daughter of Choi Soon-sil, is under increasing scrutiny in South Korea, with prosecutors and educational authorities widening their probe into allegations that she received preferential treatment from schools, the equestrian league, and corporate sponsors.  Chung, who is currently overseas, is the only child between Choi, President Park Geun-hye’s longtime friend accused of meddling in state affairs, and Jeong Yun-hoe, Park’s former chief of staff. The Ministry of Education sai

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in central Seoul on Saturday to demand President Park Geun-hye’s resignation over a spiraling scandal involving her confidante Choi Soon-sil. Tens of thousands of people gathered at Gwanghwamun Square, central Seoul, on Saturday to demand President Park Geun-hye step down over the influence-peddling scandal involving her confidante Choi Soon-sil. (Yonhap)Some 200,000 people flocked to Gwanghwamun Square in the evening, according to organizers, sign

The prosecution sought an arrest warrant for former presidential aide An Chong-bum on Friday, accelerating its probe to question more of President Park Geun-hye’s close associates involved in the spiraling scandal. Prosecutors charged An, the ex-presidential secretary of policy coordination who is currently under emergency detention, with abuse of power, accusing him of forcing local firms including Lotte Group, SK Group and Posco to contribute money to the Mir and K-Sports foundations. An was a

After President Park Geun-hye’s mea culpa Friday, eyes are fixed on the upcoming rally in Seoul on Saturday for any sign of a shift in public sentiment toward the embattled leader. Police predict some 40,000 participants for the second major rally since the Choi Soon-sil scandal surfaced. It is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. in Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul. The rally organizers -- an association of labor unions, student groups and civic organizations -- say nearly 100,000 people could turn

A formal arrest warrant has been issued Thursday for Choi Soon-sil, President Park Geun-hye’s longtime confidante, accused of collaborating with a presidential aide to abuse power and attempting to commit fraud. After checking the charges raised against Choi, the court said that it is "necessary" to arrest her. Choi Soon-sil (center) enters a court room to attend a hearing on the court's review on the arrest warrant for her on Thursday. (Yonhap)　Choi, a 60-year-old civilian who has no background

Airdre Mattner, an Australian woman who was allegedly drugged, abducted and raped during a night out in Seoul last year, won a months-long fight to bring her offender to justice in what some call a rare victory.One of her offenders, a 37-year-old Nigerian man illegally residing in Korea, was sentenced to two years and six months in jail on charges of quasi indecent act by compulsion and negligent injury, among other offenses, Tuesday. “The evidence sufficiently shows that the defendant sexually

Choi Soon-sil, President Park Geun-hye’s longtime confidante suspected of meddling in state affairs and embezzling public funds, was facing formal arrest Thursday as an accessory to abuse of power and attempted fraud, charges that critics say carry only light punishment. Choi, a 60-year-old civilian who has no background in policy and is a daughter of Park’s late mentor Choi Tae-min, appeared in front of the Seoul Central District Court at around 1:50 p.m., an hour prior to the hearing. Choi, wh

As the first foreign school fully recognized by the Ministry of Education in 1973, Seoul International School has a history of offering an education with a global perspective. Headed by Chairman and principal Kim Hyung-shik, the private school offers a 12-year American curriculum in an English-only setting with a vision to inspire students to work with others in creating a better world.The school’s decades-long mission has been to offer essential knowledge and extracurricular opportunities to st

President Park Geun-hye’s approval rating dipped to a new low of 10.4 percent, a survey showed Tuesday. According to a nationwide poll by local pollster Research View, the disapproval rating for Park hit an all-time high of 81.2 percent, up 14.9 percent from a week earlier, right after the influence-peddling scandal surfaced. Park’s efforts to soothe public anger by making an apology and carrying out a reshuffle of the presidential staff have not had much impact. The latest data corresponds with

Supporters of President Park Geun-hye are quickly turning their backs on her amid the snowballing allegations that her longtime friend Choi Soon-sil meddled in state affairs. A latest poll showed that Park’s popularity rating neared the unprecedented 10 percent range, with her popularity notably shrinking even in her traditional strongholds -- North Gyeongsang Province, Daegu and the over-60 age group. But there are still avid fans showing unwavering support for President Park, with many blaming