Articles by Son Ji-hyoung
Son Ji-hyoung
consnow@heraldcorp.com-
Stalkers to be punished without victims' consent
Offenders accused of stalking or harassment will now face punishment, even without the need for victims' to consent to it, in a bill unanimously passed by the National Assembly on Wednesday. The bill, approved by the parliament, eliminates any possibility for stalking and harassment offenders to negotiate an out-of-court settlement with the victim, a practice that has often left victims vulnerable to coercion or retaliation. All 246 lawmakers present in the plenary session voted for the bill. Th
Social Affairs June 21, 2023
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Seoul City to invest W1.7tr to grow startups
The Seoul Metropolitan Government on Wednesday unveiled a 1.67 trillion-won ($1.29 billion) spending package to grow South Korean startups and nurture futuristic technology over the next eight years. Through the spending package, Seoul aims to foster at least 50 unicorns -- privately owned companies valued at over $1 billion -- with its focus on robots, financial technology, biotechnology and artificial intelligence. Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon told reporters that startups in Korea are increasingly c
Social Affairs June 21, 2023
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From Psy to Sumi Jo: Star-studded BIE presentation takes spotlight
What opened the presentation for Busan's bid to host the World Expo in 2030 Tuesday was the surprise appearance of Karina of K-pop girl band aespa. A rather serious atmosphere involving an interview with children about the crises they face, such as climate change, soon gave way to an intense K-pop beat -- "Next Level" by aespa -- which was followed by Karina's message that every voice in the world matters. "You are the future of our planet, so you can be the judge of all
Foreign Affairs June 21, 2023
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Seoul introduces new urban design initiative
The Seoul Metropolitan Government on Tuesday introduced a new urban design initiative to put the city's urban design on par with global standards and embolden its identity. The new initiative "Design Seoul 2.0" will focus on five pillars of empathy, tolerance, dedication, recovery and sustainability, according to the municipal government in a statement. Under the initiative, seven new publicly funded sightseeing spots will be designated before 2027. Beginning in 2024, designs for
Social Affairs June 20, 2023
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'My daughter died twice': Mother breaks down as attorney who missed court appearances gets 1-year ban
High-profile attorney Kwon Gyeong-ae was given a one-year work suspension for neglecting her professional duty while representing a client whose daughter had died by suicide due to school violence. Kwon's client was Lee Gi-cheol, the mother of a student named Park Ju-won who took her own life in 2015 at the age of 16 as a result of school violence. Lee publicly lamented a decision by the Korean Bar Association Monday evening, saying the punishment was too light. "After all these transgressi
Social Affairs June 20, 2023
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Will Korean seafood be safe after Japan dumps Fukushima wastewater?
Concerns are growing among South Koreans over the safety of seafood ahead of Japan's release of wastewater from the disabled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant into the ocean over the course of 30 years, despite “scientific” assessments which indicate that seafood consumed by Koreans has been, and will continue to be, safe. Some consumers have already started to hoard goods like sea salt out of fear that clean marine products might no longer be available, upon news that the contami
Social Affairs June 19, 2023
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Daegu mayor blasts police chief over Pride parade
Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo has urged for the dismissal of the city's top police official for what he labeled giving "unlawful" permission to the city's Pride parade, where some 1,500 participants celebrated in the city's downtown on Saturday and advocated for the rights and acceptance of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community. "Permission to assemble does not translate into permission to violate others' rights," Hong, the conservative m
Social Affairs June 18, 2023
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Seoul starts daily press briefings to address Fukushima fears
A daily briefing by the Seoul government on Japan's release of treated radioactive wastewater into the sea will be held to address fears over the toxicity and impact to marine life, officials said Thursday. Government officials held their first briefing on Thursday over some 1.3 million cubic meters of water set to be released from the wrecked Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant. The briefing, also attended by independent experts, will take place on weekdays for the time being. A spokesperson dec
Social Affairs June 15, 2023
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Seoul mayor wanted to ditch 'I.Seoul.U' slogan on 1st day
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon wished to scrap the city slogan of "I.Seoul.U" promoted by his predecessor, late Park Won-soon, as soon as he took up the mayoral post in 2021, he said during a Seoul Metropolitan Council questioning Wednesday. Oh's comment came in response to a council legislator's question about who made the decision to change the city slogan despite "unnecessary costs" to do so. "It was I who made the decision," Oh said. "I wished to change the slogan
Social Affairs June 14, 2023
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Minor party slams ministry for detaining Mongolian 3-year-old
Minor progressive Jinbo Party blasted the Justice Ministry for detaining a 3-year-old Mongolian child for more than two weeks before his deportation in April, and failing to provide sufficient medical care when the child became ill. Accusing the ministry of child abuse and human rights violations, the party said in a statement Wednesday that the case reflects Yoon Suk Yeol administration's hardline stance "inciting bigotry toward foreign migrants." The child was detained for a tot
Social Affairs June 14, 2023
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Tension reaches new height as unionists accuse Yoon at ILO
The confrontation between Korean labor and the government reached new heights on Tuesday, as unionists took their concerns that President Yoon Suk Yeol has been suppressing labor unions here to the International Labor Organization's general assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, while the presidential office opened a public debate over the legitimacy of nighttime labor protests. "The Constitution recognizes the freedom of assembly and association as citizens' basic rights, and the citizens have c
Social Affairs June 13, 2023
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Yoon seeks ways to reveal more identities of offenders in crimes against women
President Yoon Suk Yeol on Monday ordered the Ministry of Justice to prepare a legislation to disclose the identities of more offenders targeting women, in a bid to appease public anger toward hideous crimes where women fall victim. According to a presidential spokesperson, Yoon ordered the government to do so "to swiftly address legal grey area" regarding the legitimacy over the disclosure of not only suspects but also defendants in courts, at a closed-door meeting of Yoon and his aid
Social Affairs June 12, 2023
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Samsung technician-turned-lawmaker to start political party
Rep. Yang Hyang-ja, an independent lawmaker who was formerly a chip technician at Samsung Electronics, is poised to set up a new political party. Yang, 56, will hold a launch ceremony for the party at the KBIZ Hall of the Korea Federation of SMEs in Yeouido, Seoul, on June 26. The launch ceremony will include an announcement about the new party, including information on the party's members. Yang's office told The Korea Herald on Monday no further information could be provided. Yang i
Politics June 12, 2023
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Passengers on Korean Air flight stranded for hours in Paris
A Korean Air flight from Paris that was to return to South Korea carrying 354 passengers has been delayed for at least 16 hours due to a mechanical problem, The Korea Herald learned Saturday. The incident left its passengers stranded for more than four hours while aboard the airplane as it waited. The plane was initially supposed to take off at 9 p.m. Friday local time at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. But a mechanical error left the flight stuck on the tarmac. "They knew about the proble
Social Affairs June 10, 2023
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Gangwon to be given autonomy to develop protected areas, tech
Gangwon Province will be given greater autonomy to develop protected natural areas like forests and farmland and instead foster the high-tech industry after rebranding itself as Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province on Sunday. Gangwon Province will become the second province to be designated as a special self-governing province, after Jeju Island in 2006. In 2012, the de facto administrative capital of Sejong was also given the same status by becoming a special self-governing city. Up until no
Social Affairs June 9, 2023
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