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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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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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Society

Gov’t to intervene in Macquarie deals

Australian firm loses in legal dispute with Gwangju The Ministry of Strategy and Finance indicated Thursday that it will help resolve disputes between Macquarie and municipal governments over the firm’s business practices in Korea. “Local governments deserve support from the central government in addressing unfair contracts they signed with Macquarie,”…
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Society

City to start ‘electric car renting service’ in October

Seoul City will launch an “electric car rental service” in October to promote environmentally friendly transportation. The city signed an agreement with LG CNS and Korea Car Sharing, Thursday, to jointly provide the service. The campaign is designed to help reduce traffic congestion, save energy and prevent air pollution. The…
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Society

Sofia’s only Mosque is being restored

Turkish cooperation and development agency (TIKA) started the restoration of Kadi Seyfullah Efendi Mosque (Banya Basi Mosque) , which was damaged after an earthquake in Bulgarian capital city of Sofia. Assistance Bulgarian Mufti of Muslim Population Murat Pingov said that the mosque would be restored completely. He added that now…
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Society

Tobacco-control legislation under preparation

BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) — A senior legislator said China’s top legislature is actively preparing to introduce more tobacco-control legislation, after a smoking ban in indoor public places seems ineffective, the People’s Daily reported Friday. China lacks specialized laws on tobacco control which makes it hard to enforce the bans…
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Society

[Indonesia Report] South Korea, Indonesia to talk about FTA

South Korean and Indonesian negotiators are scheduled to hold the first meeting of free trade talks Thursday (July 12) in the Indonesia’s capital city of Jakarta. According to South Korea’s Trade Ministry, the agenda of the meeting is to discuss the scope and coverage of the pact, as well as other issues,…
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Society

[India Report] No imminent fear of El Nino In India: Met Office

This year, the below average rate of rainfall has created a fear of El Nino over the monsoon in India. But the Meteorological Department in New Delhi has denied any chance at this moment but left a provision that it might occur after mid-August. El Niño/La Niña-Southern Oscillation, or ENSO,…
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Society

Anti-violence message to appear on soju bottles

Hite-Jinro, a leading beer and soju maker, said Wednesday that it will attach labels to its products to warn against alcohol-induced violence and promote a sound drinking culture. The company signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency to lead a campaign to eliminate alcohol-fueled violence…
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Nation urged to boost birthrate to 1.8

Marking the country’s first Population Day, Wednesday, a state-funded think tank called on the government to take bolder measures to tackle rapid demographic changes. The Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs (KIHASA) recommended the government boost the birthrate to 1.8 by 2045 to retain the population at its current…
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