Articles by Son Ji-hyoung
Son Ji-hyoung
consnow@heraldcorp.com-
S. Korea hits reset on Saemangeum basic plan after Jamboree debacle
Proposals to develop the Saemangeum, a reclaimed tidal flat area in North Jeolla Province, have been sent back to the drawing board after the projects' budget for next year has shrunk by nearly 80 percent compared to this year. Plans by 2030 to build an airport, a sea port and highways, among other infrastructure facilities, as part of the basic plan running through 2050 on the site, which is two-thirds the size of Seoul, are to be "completely overhauled," officials said. It cam
Social Affairs Aug. 30, 2023
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Korea to arm police officers with less lethal handguns
Tens of thousands of South Korea's police officers dedicated to crime deterrence and the patrolling of neighborhoods will be armed with new less-lethal handguns, as part of nationwide efforts to curb crimes without obvious motives, President Yoon Suk Yeol said at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday. The government expects the new measures to help law enforcement strengthen policing efforts, while serving as an alternative to conventional weapons to avoid police brutality. "All of the police o
Social Affairs Aug. 29, 2023
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Seoul turns to catering services to boost seafood consumption
The South Korean government and politicians are scrambling to assure the public of the safety of consuming seafood amid growing concerns that Japan's 30-year plan to release radioactive water in northeastern Japan could be detrimental to the quality of seafood sourced from waters off the Korean Peninsula. Later this week, the government, the ruling People Power Party, the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives and meal service providers for corporations, including Samsung Wellstory, Ourho
Social Affairs Aug. 28, 2023
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NK edges towards full border reopening amid economic concerns
North Korea is gradually opening its tightly closed borders to neighbors like China and Russia amid concerns of an economic crisis in one of the world's most isolated nations. On Sunday, North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency said the North’s State Emergency Epidemic Prevention Headquarters on Saturday authorized North Korean citizens stranded abroad to return. The move comes more than three years after strict border restrictions were implemented to prevent the spread
North Korea Aug. 27, 2023
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Govt. to seek damages from online murder threat suspects
The Ministry of Justice said on Thursday that the government would seek damages from suspects behind the online murder threats amid a surge in such cases. The government sees the instances as obstruction of official duty that "wastes police resources" and "taxpayers' money," it said in a statement. The Justice Ministry has yet to initiate civil court proceedings in a bid to seek "a considerable amount of compensation" from the individuals, alongside criminal procedu
Social Affairs Aug. 24, 2023
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PM urges transparent info-sharing as Japan releases radioactive water
The South Korean government assured its people of safety as Japan began sending out treated radioactive water from its crippled Fukushima plant on Thursday, while urging Tokyo to commit to transparent information sharing, as protests from the fisheries industry and public concerns continued. "The IAEA, international academic circles in the field of nuclear energy and nuclear experts here together say that there is no reason for Koreans to worry if Japan releases the water according to the a
Social Affairs Aug. 24, 2023
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Korea plans to revive police conscription to fight crime
South Korea announced Wednesday that it sought to revive the recently abolished conscripted police system to strengthen the state's crime prevention capabilities. According to the announcement, which came amid the recent surge of crimes seemingly targeting random people, the government plans to add up to 8,000 conscripted police within nine months. "In order to enhance (the police's) capability to prevent the occurrence of crimes, the government will proactively move to reintroduc
Social Affairs Aug. 23, 2023
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Seoul says no scientific problems with Fukushima release plan
South Korea on Tuesday said Japan's plan to release over 1.4 million metric tons of radioactive water announced earlier in the morning had "no scientific, technical problems." But its view "does not translate into a show of approval or support for Japan's release plan," according to the government, given that Korea would ask Japan to stop release of filtered radioactive water immediately if it does not proceed according to its plan. "We see that no scientific, technical
Social Affairs Aug. 22, 2023
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As violent crimes surge, Korea mulls life sentences without parole
As a series of violent crimes targeting random people stokes public fears in South Korea, the government is mulling introducing a new form of life sentence -- one without the possibility of parole. The announcement claimed that the introduction was necessary to have a safe society and quell public fears about the growing threat of apparently motiveless crimes. A stabbing spree by a 33-year-old man in July killed one and injured three in broad daylight in southern Seoul. This was followed by a fr
Social Affairs Aug. 22, 2023
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Govt. to standardize ways of handling foreigners' names, DOB
The South Korean government is looking to remove potential disparities in the way personal information of foreigners, including overseas Koreans, is handled between different government entities here. The approval of the revision of the Immigration Act at a Cabinet meeting on Monday will pave the way for entities in central and local governments to address administrative bottlenecks involving foreigners when it comes to crimes, taxation and disease control, as well as provision of welfare benefi
Social Affairs Aug. 21, 2023
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Ex-defense minister gets commuted 2-year sentence for political meddling
Kim Kwan-jin, former defense minister under the conservative former Lee Myung-bak administration, was handed down a two-year jail sentence for instructing members of the ministry's Cyber Operations Command to write and distribute over 9,000 political comments online from 2011 to 2013 in a bid to sway public opinion during a period in which there were two national elections. The commuted sentence -- from the previous 2 1/3-year prison term by an appellate court in October 2020 -- had been wi
Social Affairs Aug. 18, 2023
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Ahead of 4th interrogation, opposition leader says prosecution probe 'fabricated'
Democratic Party of Korea Chairman Rep. Lee Jae-myung appeared Thursday for his fourth interrogation by prosecutors since his presidential election rival Yoon Suk Yeol took office, accusing the conservative government of attacking democracy. It was the leader of South Korea's main opposition party's first time appearing for questioning regarding allegations of his involvement in a land corruption scandal that took place in 2015 in Baekhyeon-dong, an affluent district of Bundang-gu in S
Politics Aug. 17, 2023
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[70th Anniversary] Seven challenges for South Korea's social, economic survival
Moving forward from South Korea's dynamic seven decades, The Korea Herald identifies the seven most crucial challenges the nation must overcome for a sustainable and prosperous future. – Ed. Climate crisis becomes irreversible reality Climate change has long been considered a future disaster rather than a present threat by many Koreans. However, it has now become a largely irreversible reality, manifesting as a series of extreme weather events that significantly affect people'
Social Affairs Aug. 13, 2023
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Yoon urged to sack ministers over Jamboree debacle
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is facing increasing calls to dismiss key ministers, including Gender Equality and Family Minister Kim Hyun-sook, over the mishandling of the World Scout Jamboree at Saemangeum, on reclaimed land in Buan, North Jeolla Province. Lawmakers in South Korea are urging that ministers responsible for the event be removed from their posts once the jamboree -- which carries a price tag of 117 billion won ($88.7 million) -- ends as planned Saturday. "Primarily, an
Social Affairs Aug. 9, 2023
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KIIP courses no longer free for retakers
The Korea Immigration and Integration Program's courses for foreigners residing in South Korea will no longer be provided free of charge for those who failed the course and try to retake it, the government said Wednesday. The Ministry of Justice said it would amend the Enforcement Decree of the Immigration Act before the end of this year to have retakers of the state-funded social integration courses to bear the cost of the courses. A pilot project to do so before determining the scope of f
Social Affairs Aug. 9, 2023
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