NK stays mum on UK refugee policy: envoy
North Korean refugees and their human rights is a touchy issue which often provokes a stormy reaction from the reclusive Stalinist state whenever South Koreans address it. Yet, according to Ambassador Scott Wightman, the North’s regime has yet to complain about the political refugee policy of the United Kingdom, a popular destination for North Korean […]
200,000 inmates held in 6 N. Korean political camps
Up to 200,000 North Koreans are being held in its sprawling political prisoner system including hundreds of former officials, human rights group Amnesty International said Thursday. In its annual report, the group said the prisoners “were held in horrific conditions in six sprawling political prison camps, including the notorious Yodok facility.” “Thousands were imprisoned in […]
Smooth transition?
Doodan leader-designate unproven in management skills Korea’s mighty family-owned conglomerates will always talk about who is next in line to lead what they continue to see as family businesses. Doosan Group, which is continuing its transformation from a company reliant on consumer goods to a power in heavy industry and machinery, appears to have picked […]
Korea’s household credit dips in first quarter
Korea’s household credit dipped in the first quarter due to a drop in demand for fresh loans and people cutting back on spending, the central bank said Thursday. Household credit totaled 911.4 trillion won ($774.5 billion) as of the end of March, down 500 billion won from a record high of 911.9 trillion won tallied […]
US envoy calls for end to NK brinkmanship
United States Ambassador to Seoul Sung Kim urged North Korea’s new leadership Thursday to shift its policies and enhance the lives of its people. “The new leadership of North Korea can move into the 21st century by educating its people, opening up its economy and allowing the talents of the North Korean people to be […]
Speech fee limit recommended for civil servants
The country’s anti-corruption agency called for restrictions in fees paid to civil servants for speeches made at private firms, especially high-ranking officials. The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission announced a set of recommendations Thursday outlining the appropriate amount for fees depending on the rank of the official. The maximum hourly rates recommended were 400,000 won […]
Distorted notions of morality
I was surprised to hear of the furor in the Korean media over the recent news that monks of Korea’s revered Buddhist Jogye Order were caught drinking, gambling and smoking and their actions termed as immoral. Were they really so? The point here is that in today’s materialistic world it is difficult to define morality. […]
Anti-racism law
Police have arrested a 17-year-old mixed-race high school dropout on charges of repeated arsons. The youth, born between a Korean father and a Russian mother in 1995, encapsulates the frustration, agony and mental ordeals mixed-racial kids face in pure-blood-boasting Korea. He set fire to three homes in northern Seoul in one hour on March 3. […]
Achieving shared growth through green ODA
What is needed is the financial and technical support of developed countries to bring in developing countries into this ‘green movement.’ The green economy has been drawing greater attention from the international community. The UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD), more commonly known as Rio+20, which runs from June 20 to 22 in Brazil, will […]
YouTube celebrates 7th anniversary with K-pop
As YouTube celebrated its seventh anniversary, K-pop singers from TVXQ to Kara performed and rocked Silicon Valley. YouTube, which is now Google/YouTube, and Korean broadcaster MBC co-hosted Monday the “MBC Korean Music Wave in Google” at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, Calif., to celebrate the anniversary of the world’s largest video sharing service. Google took […]
Media in Tie-up with The AsiaN 
Trump, Kim, and the Three P’s of Summit Diplomacy: 
