Articles by Son Ji-hyoung
Son Ji-hyoung
consnow@heraldcorp.com-
Top court defines repeated missed calls as harassment
South Korea's Supreme Court on Tuesday expanded the definition of harassment to include repeated missed calls by an offender meant to intimidate a victim in a landmark ruling. On May 18, the nation's top court remanded the case to the Busan District Court, dismissing the lower court's ruling that refused to recognize the behavior of leaving numerous missed calls as harassment. It was the first Supreme Court ruling to define the nature of such behavior. A rights advocacy group known as the Korean
Social Affairs May 30, 2023
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Election commission's unfair hiring scandal snowballs
The scandal surrounding alleged unfair hiring practices in South Korea's National Election Commission is growing. Jeon Hyun-heui, chair of the Anti-corruption and Civil Rights Commission, told a press briefing Tuesday that it has embarked on an investigation into unfair hiring practices in the election commission, following complaints filed with the civil rights authorities. The investigation will run until the end of June, Jeon said. At least 11 officials at the commission have allegedly r
Social Affairs May 30, 2023
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Seoul City seeks to boost budget by W3tr for safety net
The Seoul Metropolitan Government on Tuesday proposed a bill to increase its annual budget by 3.04 trillion won ($2.3 billion) to boost the social safety net, as inflation bites hard on finances of the city's nearly 10 million residents. The plan, submitted to the city council, will bring this year's total budget of South Korea's capital city to 50.3 trillion won. The increased budget will be spent to alleviate the rising cost of living of those marginalized, offset city transportation maintenan
Social Affairs May 30, 2023
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Crackdown on 'unlawful' protests materializes
South Korea's crackdown on protests it sees as unlawful is materializing amid escalating tensions between the conservative Yoon Suk Yeol administration and local labor unions voicing disapproval of Yoon's union-busting drive. On Thursday, the police detained three demonstrators at around 8:50 p.m. in front of the Supreme Court of Korea in Seocho-gu, Seoul, for staging a protest without providing proper notification. It was Seoul's first crackdown on protesters since the COVID-19 outbreak. About
Social Affairs May 26, 2023
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Korea faces calls for universal free menstrual products amid low birthrate
South Korea is facing calls for universal provision of free period products, like menstrual pads or tampons, for young Korean women, as the nation is already experiencing the world's lowest fertility rate. Rep. Jang Hye-young of the progressive minority Justice Party told reporters on Friday at the National Assembly that she was working to propose a revision of the Youth Welfare Support Act to allow all women aged 9 to 24 to have free access to period products. Jang is looking for more lawm
Social Affairs May 26, 2023
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9 injured as plane's door opens before landing
At least nine people suffered minor injuries and were sent to a hospital in Daegu after an airplane door was ripped open during a domestic flight carrying 194 passengers, according to the local fire department on Friday. The nine people had hyperventilated, according to fire authorities in Daegu. The incident happened as the plane door opened immediately before landing at Daegu Airport at 12:45 p.m. The airplane, operated by Asiana Airlines, departed from Jeju Island at 11:49 a.m. Friday. It was
Social Affairs May 26, 2023
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[Herald 70th] Korea Herald, mirror of evolving Korea-US ties: US ambassador
Over the past seven decades, The Korea Herald has been a mirror of South Korea's rapid democratization, economic growth and cultural prosperity for its short modern history of rising from the ashes of the Korean War, the US ambassador to South Korea said. Philip Goldberg, at "The ROK-US Alliance Plus" forum Wednesday commemorating the 70-year Korea-US alliance, thanked The Korea Herald reporters for their work in telling Korea's story to the world, and for reflecting the grow
Politics May 25, 2023
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[Herald 70th] Business circles envision diversified Korea-US alliance
The rapid economic development of South Korea has created greater room for cooperation between Seoul and Washington, and such room will continue to grow in the years to come, representatives of business circles of the two countries said in a forum to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Korea-US alliance and the foundation of The Korea Herald and Herald Business. Sohn Kyung-shik, chairman of the Korea Enterprises Federation, told the audience at "The ROK-US Alliance Plus" forum held at
Politics May 25, 2023
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Bill to mandate public officials declare crypto assets on verge of passing
South Korea's parliament is on the verge of passing a revision bill to make it mandatory for high-ranking public officials to declare any cryptocurrency asset holdings, just a few weeks after a loophole in the law aimed at preventing corruption of public officials was exposed. Lawmakers are looking to float the revision of the Public Service Ethics Act at the plenary session of the National Assembly by as early as on Thursday, following an approval at a standing committee Wednesday afternoo
Social Affairs May 24, 2023
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First lady vows to make Korea 'bucket list destination' for travelers
South Korea's first lady Kim Keon Hee pledged on Tuesday to make South Korea a bucket list destination for travelers in the world, stressing a need of offering cultural experiences to visitors. "More of the world's travelers are enjoying the emerging trend of soaking themselves in the mood of being in Korea with Korean foods, cultural elements, artworks and traditional forms of architecture," she said. "I will do my best to make the world's travelers add 'K-Tou
Social Affairs May 23, 2023
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Korea's most famous fugitive again attempts suicide
Sin Chang-won, Korea's most famous fugitive, has attempted to take his own life but was not in critical condition, according to the Justice Ministry on Monday. Sin, 56, was found by a correctional officer while attempting to commit suicide in Daejeon Prison at around 8:15 p.m. Sunday. After resuscitation, he was immediately transferred to an unnamed hospital nearby. Sin was admitted to the intensive care unit, but is able to breathe without mechanical assistance, the ministry said. It was S
Social Affairs May 22, 2023
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Rights groups urge World Expo organizers to rethink Riyadh bid
A dozen human rights advocacy groups led by the Switzerland-based MENA Rights Group have in an open letter called on World Expo organizers not to consider Riyadh as a potential host for the World Expo 2030. In the letter dated May 16, the groups cited concerns that the event could be used to "whitewash" the country's human rights record, which includes the continued use of the death penalty, crushing of human rights activism, silencing of women’s rights advocates and targeti
World News May 22, 2023
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Seoul vows more non-lethal support for Ukraine
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol pledged to continue providing non-lethal aid for Ukraine upon the request of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in their first meeting held in Hiroshima, Japan, on the sidelines of an expanded Group of Seven summit session on Sunday. Yoon told Zelenskyy that Seoul will push for sustained diplomatic, economic and humanitarian aid for Ukraine, with medical evacuation vehicles and demining vehicles being the primary focus as of the current moment, Yoon'
Foreign Affairs May 21, 2023
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S. Korean water inspection team departs for Fukushima
A 21-member Fukushima Daiichi wastewater inspection team departed from Incheon Airport Sunday morning for a six-day trip to Japan to deliver Seoul's own assessment of the wastewater treatment facilities in the quake-hit region before Japan's planned discharge of the water starting as early as this year. The inspection team reiterated that it would affirm the safety of the facilities in Japan based on "scientific grounds and standards." This came amid persistent local backlash
Foreign Affairs May 21, 2023
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Top court acquits man of NK spying charges in retrial after 48 years
The Supreme Court of South Korea cleared a man who served 17 years in prison for allegedly spying for North Korea in 1975 of his charges in a retrial on Thursday. Seoul's top court upheld an earlier ruling in 2022 that the evidence that originally put Park Ki-rae in jail for his breach of the National Security Act is not admissible, given that the investigative authorities during former President Park Chung-hee's military dictatorship had obtained the evidence and a confession by viola
Social Affairs May 18, 2023
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