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Society
Audit planned for Jeongsu Foundation
The Jeongsu Scholarship Foundation, which some suspect is controlled by Rep. Park Geun-hye of the ruling Saenuri Party, will undergo an audit by the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education (SMOE) later this month. Although officials say that the audit is scheduled, coming after the last one in 2005, attention is…
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Politics
New UPP leader to restore opposition alliance
The newly-elected leader of the left-wing minor opposition Unified Progressive Party (UPP) pledged Sunday to mend ties with the main opposition Democratic United Party (DUP) in an attempt to field a unified presidential candidate. “Our party will select its own presidential candidate by September and rebuild its temporarily loosened alliance…
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Politics
Foreign Ministry engulfed in sexual harassment case
The Foreign Affairs and Trade Ministry has suspended Consul General Lee Dae-hee in Auckland, New Zealand from his post for alleged ethical lapses and sexual harassment, a ministry official said Sunday. Lee was summoned home on June 15 in connection with allegations of engaging in a scuffle with a fellow…
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Three foreign law firms to open Korean branches
Three foreign law firms will be allowed to set up branches in Korea, the Ministry of Justice said Sunday. They are Ropes & Gray and Sheppard Mullin from the United States, and Clifford Chance from Britain. It is the first time that the Korean government is to permit the establishment…
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Politics
Mysterious woman again seen flanking NK leader
A chicly-dressed woman was seen closely flanking North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during his visit to a Pyongyang kindergarten in state TV footage shown Sunday, reinforcing speculation she may be the wife of the young leader. The unidentified woman appears to be the same person who caught the attention of…
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Column
Electoral politics and Korea-Japan relations
Recently, the controversy of the failure in signing an agreement with Japan on sharing intelligence information largely dominated the South Korean political discussion. The whole diplomatic fiasco ended with a sudden calling off by the Blue House an hour before the scheduled signing ceremony. Criticism was raised substantially afterwards among…
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Business
Smartphones reshape retail landscape
The growing use of smartphones has entirely changed lifestyles in the 21st century, expanding to online shopping and changing the landscape of the retail industry. According to data from the Korea Online Shopping Association (KOLSA), monetary transactions via mobile online shopping totaled 3 billion won in 2009 when there were…
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Mickey mouse in Pyongyang
Six months after Kim Jong-un took the helm in North Korea, signs of change have been palpable in the reclusive state. At least the style, if not the content, of rule has changed. Yet nothing was more astonishing, or even weird, than to watch the 20-something leader seemingly embrace the…
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Business
2,000 Samsung workers apply to eat with Lee
More than 2,000 Samsung employees have bid for a private lunch with Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Kun-hee, who will only see 10 of them sometime in September, Samsung Group said. The winners will be selected in consideration of age, sex, type of duty and office ranks, according to company officials.…
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Economic democratization
Bipartisan effort needed for fairer, more vital system As in most elections, “it’s the economy, stupid,” too, in this country’s nascent presidential campaign. What sets Korea’s 2012 polls apart from most others, however, is the direction of the debate: how to change its economy to a more just and fair…
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