Articles by Son Ji-hyoung
Son Ji-hyoung
consnow@heraldcorp.com-
Man indicted for smuggling meth, pistol, bullets from US
The South Korean prosecution announced Monday the indictment of a Korean-born man for recently allegedly smuggling in a combined 3.2 kilograms of methamphetamine, a pistol, 50 live ammunition rounds and gas pistols from the US. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office suspects the 49-year-old secretly brought in the drugs valued at 800 million won ($606,000) in September last year with the purpose of distribution. The man also allegedly used 0.1 gram of meth at home in March this ye
Social Affairs April 10, 2023
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Govt. to mediate over nursing bill as strike looms
A coalition of South Korean medical technicians and doctors’ rights activist groups is considering a strike, as long-awaited bills aimed at easing nursing regulations and banning convicted doctors from returning to work are to be tabled at the National Assembly as early as Thursday. A spokesperson of the ruling People Power Party Yoo Sang-bum said Sunday the government and the PPP would try to find a middle ground after collecting opinions of the parties concerned, with a special committee
Politics April 9, 2023
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Hailed by enthusiastic citizens, BIE delegation departs Busan
BUSAN -- The inspection team of the Bureau International des Expositions, the organizing body of the World Expo, departed Korea Friday as they ended their assessment of Busan as the proposed site for the 2030 World Expo. The eight-member delegation -- chaired by BIE Administration and Budget Committee President Patrick Specht -- left Gimhae Airport in western Busan at around 8:30 a.m. to head to Incheon Airport. They then departed South Korea at around 11:30 a.m. to head back to Paris, where the
Social Affairs April 7, 2023
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Busan has everything it takes to host World Expo: BIE delegation
BUSAN -- The eight-member delegation of the World Expo organizing body said Busan is a viable candidate to host the World Expo in 2030, and its successful bid could be a starting point to build an inclusive global community as the team wrapped up a five-day on-site inspection of the city. Patrick Specht, president of the Bureau International des Expositions Administration and Budget Committee who led the BIE Enquiry Mission, said Busan's bid to host the quinquennial event is more than viabl
Social Affairs April 6, 2023
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Backed by full legislative support, Busan gears up for Expo bid
A group of 18 lawmakers led by Democratic Party of Korea Rep. Park Jae-ho proposed a resolution on March 15, earning a parliamentary nod Monday, to enable the "immediate" passage of a special bill designed for organized financial and policy support, recognizing Busan's World Expo bid as a key national agenda. The resolution also stipulates the National Assembly's active support to improve Busan's transportation infrastructure by increasing public access to the proposed W
Social Affairs April 5, 2023
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[Herald Interview] Busan expo not just for tech, also for inclusive growth: mayor
BUSAN -- South Korea's southern port city of Busan is not only going to be an extravaganza for future technology, but also a stage to promote inclusive growth, catering to the aspirations of underdeveloped regions around the world, said the city mayor in an interview with The Korea Herald. "World Expos used to be exhibitions to showcase the newest technologies and products, and we are seeing more of those these days," said Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon, who has been leading the city's bi
Social Affairs April 4, 2023
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A walk through 130 years of Korean history with World Expo
South Korea promoting its southern port city of Busan as the host city for the 2030 World Expo marks the culmination of 130 years of the country's participation in the world's largest international exposition. Korea, then the Joseon Kingdom, first participated in the World's Fair in 1893 in Chicago, in honor of the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus' voyage to the American continent. Despite Japanese aggression, Joseon secured a small exhibition space of just 83.5 squa
Social Affairs April 3, 2023
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Hearing kicks off on Constitutional Court nominees
The parliamentary confirmation hearings of new Constitutional Court Justice nominees kicked off Tuesday to replace two outgoing justices. Conservatives hope that the new nominees -- Judge Kim Hyung-du of Seoul High Court and Jeong Jeong-mi of Daejeon High Court, nominated by Supreme Court Chief Justice Kim Myeong-su earlier in March -- would balance out what they see as the Constitutional Court's progressive tilt. Nominee Kim told the Legislation and Judiciary Committee at the National Asse
Politics March 28, 2023
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Korea introduces new foreigner ID cards
The Ministry of Justice said Tuesday a new type of identification card will be issued to foreigners staying in South Korea for more than 90 days, starting on Saturday. This is the first time in 12 years the ministry will introduce a new design for a Residence Card, formerly known as an Alien Registration Card. A new Residence Card will feature a full-color photo of the holder that is 35 percent larger than the current version. The current design has a black-and-white photo of the holder. Also, t
Social Affairs March 28, 2023
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Gyeonggi police chief to head National Office of Investigation
President Yoon Suk Yeol on Monday tapped Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Commissioner Woo Jong-soo as the new state investigation chief, ending the leadership vacuum created by an ex-prosecutor who resigned from the post amid a school bullying controversy involving his son. The new chief of the National Office of Investigation will oversee 30,000 investigators under the national police, according to Yoon's office. Launched in 2021, the NOI, often referred as the Korean version of the US' Federa
Social Affairs March 27, 2023
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Over 600 elderly citizens rally support for Busan Expo bid
Over 600 elderly citizens from Busan and its neighboring regions have recently rallied support for Busan's bid to host the World Expo in 2030. The so-called "Silver Supporters" will be tasked with taking part in events to promote Busan's World Expo bid and to welcome the Bureau International des Expositions Enquiry Mission visit to Busan in early April. Busan is the third destination for the BIE committee, which represents the World Expo organizer to assess the feasibility of
Social Affairs March 26, 2023
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Top court finds Jehovah's Witness guilty of evading civilian service
The South Korean Supreme Court revealed Sunday that it recently found a religious man guilty of failing to fulfill his alternative military service as a social service agent, which exempts him from active duty as a soldier. The case to decide whether the 31-year-old Jehovah's Witness, whose further personal identity remains undisclosed, committed a crime has been remanded to a district court in Daejeon for further proceedings. A ruling by the nation's top court read that those who refu
Social Affairs March 26, 2023
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Constitutional Court upholds prosecution reform bill, but admits procedural lapses
South Korea's Constitutional Court upheld a bill to curb the prosecution's investigative power on Thursday, putting an end to debate over whether the bill itself breaches rights protected by the Constitution. But the court partially acknowledged that there were procedural lapses in the process of passing the bill on the part of the Democratic Party of Korea, the main opposition that holds a majority of seats in the National Assembly. The nine-member court dismissed prosecutor-turned-Justi
Social Affairs March 23, 2023
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[From the Scene] Hydrogen tram, floating islands touted in Busan Expo bid
BUSAN – Floating islands and hydrogen-powered trams were among the plans unveiled Thursday to turn Busan’s historic North Port area into a World Expo 2030 site. The city, bidding to host the event in 2030, plans to leave many harbor facilities in place to turn them into historic attractions and cultural facilities, while reducing the Expo’s environmental footprint. Redeveloping the area will “return the harbor to the people,” the city said, as the port is effectivel
Social Affairs March 23, 2023
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Opposition leader proposes bill to observe 'Dokdo Day'
Main opposition Democratic Party of Korea leader Rep. Lee Jae-myung on Tuesday proposed a revision bill for the South Korean government to observe Dokdo Day on Oct. 25. The bill floated by Rep. Lee and nine lawmakers seeks to designate Dokdo Day as an anniversary celebrated by the Korean government. It would not be a public holiday, according to the bill. The Korean civic group Party for Tokdo Protection has celebrated Dokdo Day since Oct. 25, 2000, the centennial of Joseon King Gojong's ordinan
Politics March 21, 2023
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