The worsening level of airborne dust particles here causes more panic among South Koreans than North Korea’s artillery cannons and rocket launchers lined up along the border, as they fear that air pollution is a potential health hazard, according to a report released by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs.  Seoul's Namsan Tower. YonhapThe report, which surveyed 3,839 adults last year, indicates that air pollution was the No. 1 source of concern for South Koreans. It scored 3.46 poi

Social Affairs May 14, 2018

The Seoul Metropolitan Government is set to ban test operations of emergency power systems on days when warnings for bad air quality are issued.  Namsan Seoul Tower in central Seoul is surrounded by thick air pollution. (Yonhap)Under current regulations, emergency power systems need to be tested once a week for at least three minutes for maintenance purposes. The test-runs, however, produce pollutants, including particulate matter and nitrogen oxides.The city’s announcement to shut down the test

Social Affairs May 13, 2018

A police chief who was tortured to death after refusing to open fire at demonstrators during the 1980 pro-democracy movement in Gwangju wrote shortly afterward of his dismay at not doing more, it has been revealed.  Ahn Byung-ha’s wife (right) and an official from May 18 Archives unveil Ahn’s handwritten memo to reporters on Thursday in Gwangju. Bak Se-hwan/The Korea HeradIn a note revealed to the public for the first time Thursday, 30 years after his death, Ahn Byung-ha wrote he was “very sorry

Social Affairs May 10, 2018

The Environment Ministry announced Tuesday a range of measures aimed at reducing plastic waste and boosting the recycling rate, following last month‘s waste management crisis.  Photo: YonhapThe measures include cutting down on single-use packaging and plastic waste in fast food and quick service restaurants, and grocery chains by 35 percent by 2022, while gradually changing sales and distribution of all colored plastic bottles for beverages to transparent plastic by 2020.With online shopping on

Social Affairs May 10, 2018

COX’S BAZAR, Bangladesh -- Fatema Begum, 18, vividly remembers one September morning last year when she was awakened by the sound of intense gunfire. Begum was in bed at her home in the coastal village of Inn Din, in the northern Rakhine state of Myanmar, when military vehicles moved in and troops began to surround the town. The sun rose and the military randomly fired at the houses.“They don’t care if someone gets shot. They used rocket launchers to take down houses. My family quickly got out o

World News May 9, 2018

Individual diesel vehicle owners are now able to pay additional taxes for environmental purposes in January, along with other general payments for vehicle usage, the Environment Ministry said Tuesday. The ministry said the revision of the payment date for diesel vehicle users, who were required to pay additional taxes separately in March, will help increase the annual tax collection rate, which now stands at 40 percent. Around 5 million drivers have to pay additional taxes for their diesel vehic

Social Affairs May 8, 2018

지난 4일, 대한항공 오너 일가의 퇴진을 요구하는 집회가 광화문에서 열렸다. 최근 조현민 전 대한항공 전무의 ‘물벼락 갑질’ 사건을 포함해 조양호 한진그룹 회장 일가의 갑질과 비리 의혹이 연일 터져 나오면서 직원들이 직접 거리에 나선 것이다. 언니 조현아 전 대한항공 부사장이 기내 견과류 서비스에 불만을 표하며 이륙을 위해 이동 중이던 항공기를 회항시키는 이른바 ‘땅콩회항’ 사건이 발생한 지 약 4년 만이다. 　‘땅콩회항’ 사건 이후 대한항공 재벌의 ‘갑질경영’에 맞서며 여전히 끝나지 않은 힘겨운 싸움을 이어온 박창진 전 사무장은 이번 집회가 열리는 과정을 어떤 심정으로 바라보았을까. 　사진=코리아헤럴드 임정요 기자당시 조 전 부사장으로부터 폭언과 폭행을 당하고 비행기에서 내려야 했던 박 전 사무장 역시 이날 집회에 사회자로 참석해 조양호 대한항공 회장 일가의 퇴진을 촉구했다. 　팀장에서 팀원으로 강등된 후 조 전 부사장과 대한항공을 상대로 소송을 벌이고 있는 박 전 사무장은 “(재

한국어판 May 7, 2018

[Herald Interview]Park Chang-jin, a Korean Air employee of 22 years, revealed in 2014 what has come to be known as the “nut rage” incident. He said that Cho Hyun-ah, 42, then-Korean Air senior vice president, forced him, then a cabin crew chief, and a junior attendant who served nuts to her in an unopened package, to apologize on their knees. The Korean Air chairman’s daughter used abusive language and jabbed Park several times with a service manual. Cho even ordered the taxiing aircraft to retu

Social Affairs May 7, 2018

Preparatory proceedings for former President Lee Myung-bak‘s trial are set to begin Thursday over allegations he took bribes from the state’s spy agency and local conglomerates and embezzled money from an automotive parts firm he allegedly controlled.  Former President Lee Myung-bak (Yonhap)It is not mandatory for Lee to appear in person at the preparatory proceedings. Lee has so far refused to cooperate with the prosecution’s requests for questioning following his arrest in March. Lee, who serv

Social Affairs April 29, 2018

The power blogger arrested in connection with alleged online opinion rigging scandal will appear in court on Wednesday.  123rfThe 48-year-old blogger surnamed Kim, known by his nickname “Druking,” is accused of masterminding an illegal online opinion rigging campaign. Kim was charged along with two accomplices on April 17 for ramping up the number of “agree” clicks on a local search engine -- an equivalent of Facebook’s “Like” -- for specific comments posted on news stories.The comments were cri

Social Affairs April 29, 2018

PAJU, Gyeonggi Province – Hundreds of anti-North Korea protesters took to the streets just a few kilometers away from the site of the inter-Korean summit, calling for a hard-line stance on the North.    　Around 300 conservative protesters congregated near Imjingak in Paju, about 50 kilometers northwest of Seoul, to protest against President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s summit meeting. The protesters demand that Moon “stop the talk that only represents a false hope,” as he at

Social Affairs April 27, 2018

Seoul’s residents are familiar with the Seoul City Wall, a prominent man-made attraction in the capital city of South Korea. Initially constructed in 1396, the 18.6-kilometer circuit inner wall surrounded Hanyang, modern day Seoul, providing four main entry points into the capital of Hanyang. Part of the Seoul City Wall is located near Inwangsan in Sajik-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo: Seoul Metropolitan GovernmentTo complete the task in less than 100 days, some 197,400 laborers were mobilized fo

Social Affairs April 26, 2018

The Sipjaseong Village, a neighborhood of 46 households, in southeastern Seoul may look like many other neighborhoods in the area, but it is different in an important way. Since 2012, the villagers have come together to meet their own energy needs -- they installed solar panels on building rooftops, installed sealings for windows and doors to help houses retain heat and replaced light bulbs with light-emitting diode lights to reduce electricity consumption. Solar panels are installed on roofs in

Social Affairs April 24, 2018

Democratic Party Rep. Kim Kyung-soo had communicated with a blogger accused of manipulating online opinions, the police said Friday, contradicting earlier statements. According to the latest revelations, Kim had sent the blogger, known by the online name Druking, links to news articles about President Moon Jae-in in what they suspect was an attempt to ramp up the number of clicks on “Agree” on a local search engine -- an equivalent of Facebook’s “Like.” Rep. Kim Kyoung-soo of the ruling Democrat

Social Affairs April 20, 2018

The Ministry of Environment said it will start providing financial support to local recyclables collection and disposal companies as early as this week, as recycling companies continue to refuse to collect some items that China no longer purchases. YonhapThe new plan, which was reported to President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday to tackle South Korea’s waste management crisis which began earlier this month, is expected to help recycling companies dispose of plastic bags and Styrofoam materials amid a d

Social Affairs April 11, 2018