Articles by Son Ji-hyoung
Son Ji-hyoung
consnow@heraldcorp.com-
Yoon set for trilateral summit in US
President Yoon Suk Yeol is poised to attend a trilateral summit with his US counterpart Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in the United States in August, according to Yoon's office on Thursday. "A meeting between leaders of South Korea, the US and Japan is to take place in the US," the presidential office said in a statement. Earlier on Thursday, a media report from Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun revealed that the trilateral meeting is expected to be held on Aug. 1
Social Affairs July 20, 2023
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Criticism escalates over authorities' response to tunnel flooding
A blame game has begun over the deadly tunnel flood that took 14 lives in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, with criticism growing over the lack of a timely response, and authorities passing the buck. An association of civic groups in North Chungcheong Province on Wednesday accused multiple local authorities of failing to prevent a "serious civic accident" under the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, where those responsible might face at least a year in prison or a fine of up to 1 b
Social Affairs July 19, 2023
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Korea appeals to nullify ruling to compensate Elliott over Samsung merger
South Korea's Justice Ministry said Tuesday it has filed an lawsuit in England to block a June ruling in an international arbitration court that ordered Seoul to pay $107.8 million in damages and legal costs to US hedge fund giant Elliott Investment Management. The Justice Ministry claimed that the National Pension Service, a public pension scheme that was at odds with Elliott over the controversial merger in 2015 of two key Samsung Group affiliates -- Samsung C&T and Cheil Industries -
Social Affairs July 18, 2023
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Yoon orders speedy relief, declaration of disaster zones
President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday called for speedy disaster relief in areas battered by monsoon rains that have showed no signs of abating over the past couple of weeks, and hinted at designating affected areas as special disaster zones. Yoon said in a Cabinet meeting in his office that the government will muster up all available resources such as state budget funds and aid workers by prioritizing rescue operations, recovery work and support for victims of the heavy rain. "Citizens'
Social Affairs July 18, 2023
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State audit, police probe launched into deadly Cheongju flooding
The Yoon Suk Yeol administration on Monday launched an audit looking into all available administrative records to determine which government entity should be held responsible for failing to take adequate safety measures against flooding in South Korea, namely the deadly submerging of a tunnel in North Chungcheong Province. The Office for Government Policy Coordination announced Monday it had learned about emergency calls to police calling for swift evacuation and closure of the underpass hours b
Social Affairs July 17, 2023
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Koreans to get international driving permit in Vietnam
South Koreans with a valid driver's license can soon be eligible to drive in Vietnam with an international driving permit under a bilateral pact that goes into effect on July 23, police said Sunday. The Korean National Police Agency expected some 4.3 million Korean travelers to take advantage of the international driving permit to drive in the Southeast Asian country. Vietnamese tourists are already able to drive in Korea with an international driving permit. Any Korean with a driver's
Social Affairs July 16, 2023
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At least 26 dead, over 5,500 displaced in monsoon rain
Monsoon rain left at least 26 people dead and 10 others missing, with more than 5,500 people forced to abandon their homes as nearly 300 millimeters of rain swept South Korea on Saturday. As of 10 p.m., 17 deaths were confirmed in North Gyeongsang Province, four each in North and South Chungcheong Province and one in the administrative capital of Sejong City, according to figures from the Central Disaster and Countermeasures Headquarters at 11 p.m. The death toll rose by four in the past five ho
Social Affairs July 16, 2023
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Court opens way for disgraced K-pop icon Steve Yoo's return to Korea
Disgraced Korean American singer Steve Yoo clinched a victory in a ruling that approved his visa application to reside in Korea as an overseas Korean on Thursday, potentially reopening a path for Yoo back to Korea for the first time since his banishment in 2002. The Seoul High Court ruled in favor of Yoo in his case against the South Korean Consulate General in Los Angeles, which turned down his request for an F-4 visa issuance. It was the first ruling that opened the way for Yoo, also known by
Social Affairs July 13, 2023
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Bus fares in Seoul to rise to 1,500 won; subway to 1,400 won
The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Wednesday it confirmed a plan to carry out a public transit fee hike that would set the basic subway fare at 1,400 won ($1.09) and city bus fares at 1,500 won for transportation card holders taking a single ride, within this year. The projected hikes on the transit system -- which moves over 10 million people on weekdays -- mark the first in eight years since June 2015, when Seoul increased fares for subways by 200 won and buses by 150 won. A municipal gove
Social Affairs July 12, 2023
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Man gets life sentence in Sindang Station stalking murder case
A South Korean man who stabbed his ex-coworker to death at her workplace after she refused to drop harassment charges against him was handed a life sentence in an appellate court ruling Tuesday. Jeon Joo-hwan, 31, was accused of stalking his ex-colleague at subway operator Seoul Metro by sending over 300 text messages, blackmailing her after secretly recording a video of her and committing a revenge killing at Sindang Station, among others. He was also ordered to take a 40-hour sexual harassment
Social Affairs July 11, 2023
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Kim Yo-jong's reference to South as 'Republic of Korea' may indicate change
The influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Tuesday referred to Seoul as the "Republic of Korea," South Korea's official name, in two statements, signaling a change in its decadeslong strategy to unify the Korean Peninsula under North Korea's lead, according to observers. The name change in Kim Yo-jong's statements -- which were issued in both Korean and English -- may indicate that Pyongyang has started to recognize Seoul as a separate state in a hostil
North Korea July 11, 2023
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Korean, Japanese opposition to join to protest water release plan
Lawmakers from South Korea's opposition flew to Japan on Monday to join forces with their Japanese counterparts in a show of protest against Tokyo's plan to dispose of some 1.33 million metric tons of radioactive wastewater accumulated and stored in the destroyed Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. On Tuesday, 11 lawmakers of the liberal opposition bloc -- nine from the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea and two independent lawmakers -- will issue a joint statement with a bip
Politics July 10, 2023
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Court says permanent ban on pedophile from civil service 'unconstitutional'
South Korea's Constitutional Court ruled Thursday that a permanent ban on a person convicted of possessing a child pornography from being employed as a public servant was unconstitutional. A 6-2 decision Thursday found that the permanent ban from employment violates the anti-overrestriction principle and therefore breaches a person's right to hold public office, the Constitutional Court said in a statement. But it added that a ban from becoming a public official in general service could be impos
Social Affairs June 29, 2023
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Korea still on rocky road to marriage equality
Support for same-sex marriage is gaining ground in South Korea, but the pace has been slow compared to neighboring countries, with increasingly polarized views on the issue. Korea has yet to legalize same-sex marriage, unlike 34 other countries where marriage equality either became law or was recognized in court rulings, according to the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. Taiwan has not only legalized same-sex marriage, but also granted adoption rights to same-sex couples. Meanwhile, Japan's ban
Social Affairs June 29, 2023
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Seoul City to spend W4.3tr to upgrade tap water
The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Thursday plans to spend 4.32 trillion won ($3.28 billion) by 2040 to improve tap water quality. Under the plans, dubbed Arisu 2.0, South Korea's capital city will employ a cutting-edge tap water purifying system, renew water pipes and increase water treatment capacity and storage, among other measures. Seoul will invest 745.2 billion won to modernize water treatment facilities. Changes will be in place in two stages. Ozone will be employed instead
Social Affairs June 29, 2023
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