• University student bodies lose reputation, popularity

    College student bodies are losing their previous reputation as the champions of students’ rights, suffering from a double whammy of internal problems and students’ indifference. Back in the 1970s and ’80s, when the Korean thirst for democracy was strong, university student councils stood at the forefront, paving the way. Young…

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  • Solid S5 sales to bolster Samsung

    Samsung Electronics is expected to see a better-than-expected earnings in the second quarter as its flagship smartphone ― the Galaxy S5 ― has beaten market expectations. Analysts and fund managers said they are impressed by the initial sales of the phone, adding that the Korean electronics giant is doing well…

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  • War-torn Afghanistan holds successful election

    The first round of Afghanistan’s presidential election was held Saturday and, based on most reports, so far so good. That is particularly true in light of the threat of violence posed by the Taliban and, potentially, other heavily armed elements in and outside the country. Turnout among the 12 million…

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  • Chaebol’s undue gains

    The entrenched business malpractice of chaebol owners and their family members receiving huge dividends through unlisted companies remains intact despite an avalanche of criticism. Rather, such “dividend parties’’ are becoming more conspicuous amid slack public scrutiny. Some of the unlisted companies made hefty dividend payouts while in the red, which…

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  • Remake of spy agency

    NIS chief must step down for his boss, nation Since its birth in the early 1960s, Korea’s national intelligence agency has kept changing its name and image in keeping with the times. What has remained unchanged in the past half-century has been the public’s view of the agency as an…

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  • Autobiography of woman of Joseon literati family

    This is the eighth of a 20-part of Jangseogak series in collaboration with the Academy of Korean Studies (AKS). Jangseogak houses Joseon Kingdom’s documents. — ED. In the Confucius Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910), life was not easy for women. They were confined to domestic life, with many restrictions placed upon them.…

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  • Reality programs focus on singles

    ‘Share House,’ ‘Roommate’ start this week One of the reasons that Korean “reality” programs are enjoying a heyday is that they reflect what’s in demand or what’s lacking in Korean society today. In graying Korea, the television audience is highly attuned to celebrities traveling with their children as in “Where…

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  • NK’s call for joint drone investigation spurned

    Cheong Wa Dae on Tuesday spurned North Korea’s call to conduct a joint investigation into three aerial drones that crashed near the demilitarized zone (DMZ) which the South claims were sent by the North for surveillance purposes. “In no crime case would a suspect be allowed to investigate the evidence…

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  • Planned papal visit to Kkottongnae prompts protest

    A society of Catholic priests is opposing a planned visit by Pope Francis to Kkottongnae, a community for disabled people, claiming that the pontiff should not associate with the “mafia.” Some 50 members of Little Jesus Society’s House of Joseph, and nuns and monks from the society staged a protest…

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  • Call to lower age limit for boys in public baths

    The Ministry of Health and Welfare said Tuesday it is considering lowering the age that boys can accompany their mothers to gender segregated areas in public bath houses. The current law bans boys over the age of five from entering areas used by the opposite sex in public bathhouses. It…

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