Kim Jong-il's Eldest Son Drinks with S.Korean Tourists
North Korean leader Kim Jong-il's eldest son Kim Jong-nam, who has reportedly been passed over in the succession, can sometimes be found drinking with South Koreans at a bar in Macau.
A government official on Tuesday said, "I've heard that some South Koreans were watching Kim Jong-nam at a bar in Macau recently because he looked familiar, and he suggested they have a drink together. So they drank and had a chat."
The official said a visit to China by Kim senior is "a possibility." Regarding Kim Jong-il's health, he said the dictator seems to be "too busy" to have a serious health problem. ...
Korea unveils the ‘future of transport’ — the Online Electric Vehicle
Its inventors believe that this is the future of urban transport — but it was hard not to be underwhelmed as the test vehicle trundled around a circuit on the edge of the South Korean capital.
The first public demonstration of the Online Electric Vehicle, or Olev, was, however, as much about the road on which it travelled as the prototype bus itself. Electric power strips have been buried 30cm (12in) under the surface and connected to the national grid.
They provide electromagnetic power to the vehicle, wirelessly, charging an onboard battery and powering the bus’s electric motor. The power strips need to be embedded in only 20 per cent of the length of a road to keep the vehicle running. ...
Children of Immigrant Mothers Have Trouble Adjusting
A growing number of immigrant teenagers who came to Korea with single mothers as they married Korean men have become a new social concern. The number of such children is currently about 1,500, the government estimates.
Many of them experience severe identity confusion and difficulties caused by the language barrier and cultural differences when they arrive here. As they lack skills and information, many give up their studies.
Kim Kyung-ok, the director of Yongshin Center for Lifelong Education, said, "Nine out of 10 second-generation immigrant teenagers leave school due to difficulties caused by language or cultural barrier." ...
Urban Exploration
Urban Korea is locked in an unending cycle of destruction and resurrection. The scars of urban renewal can be found across the country, provided you're looking for them. Most people go about their day taking it for granted that the city grows around them when they're not looking, but some of us can't resist taking a peek behind the curtain. Sometimes it literally is as easy as going through a curtain.
Around the world, people who call themselves urban explorers infiltrate the forbidden corners of their cityscapes, entering abandoned buildings, crawling through storm drains, and climbing onto rooftops. In Japan, it's a popular hobby known as "haikyo," based on the hanja 廃墟. In Korea there aren't many of us, but there are more than enough abandoned buildings to go around...
Busan rape case sparks anklet debate
Amid shock and grief over the death of a teenage rape victim in Busan, the government and the ruling party have set to work on strengthening supervision measures on sex-crime convicts.
"We urge the parliamentary legislation and judiciary committee to hurry deliberation on the pending bills on sex crimes against minors," said the ruling Grand National Party floor leader Ahn Sang-soo yesterday.
He demanded the electronic anklet law be revised to be applied retroactively to sex offenders convicted before the revision. ...
Russian Envoy Called In Over Attacks on S. Koreans
The Russian ambassador to Seoul said Tuesday that Russian police are questioning two suspects in an attack on a South Korean student in Moscow, Sunday, according to a foreign ministry official.
Vice Foreign Minister Shin Kak-soo summoned Ambassador Konstantin Vnukov and expressed concern that the attack and the death of another South Korean last month could strain relations between Seoul and Moscow.
The 29-year-old student was left critically wounded in the attack by two masked Russians. ...
Gay Cruise Ship to Visit Busan
A luxury cruise ship with gay passengers only will dock in Busan Port later this month. The Busan Port Authority announced on Monday, "The 30,277-ton luxury cruise ship Azamara Quest of Azamara Cruises, an affiliate of Royal Caribbean Cruises, will enter the International Cruise Terminal at Busan Port, carrying 710 gay male passengers, on March 22."
The cruise was organized by a U.S. travel agency, which booked out the entire Azamara Quest for the voyage.
The passengers will fly from the U.S. to Shanghai, and after touring the Chinese city will board the Azamara Quest on March 20. They will arrive in Busan early morning on March 22, tour Busan or Gyeongju, and then depart for Hiroshima in the afternoon. The 11-day voyage also includes stops in Taiwan and Hong Kong. ...
Seoul Going Green for St. Patrick's Day
With business recovering from the global economic downturn, one of Korea’s largest and most well-attended foreign festivals has received increased funding to ensure its celebration in 2010.Attracting an estimated 18,000 attendees in 2008, the Irish Festival, organized by the Irish Association of Korea (IAK), was in danger of not going ahead last year as significant corporate sponsorship was not renewed. The traditional and colorful street parade is a costly venture, and the festival in Seoul had also traditionally been accompanied with a free open air concert and fair. Nonetheless, thanks to our loyal support from long-standing sponsors, last year’s festival successfully focused on continuing to build community spirit.
“Guess we got the rub of the green again!” joked Kevin Tobin, then Chairman of the IAK. (Ireland is commonly associated with the color green and good luck, particularly in North American and the United Kingdom.) This year Namsan Tower will be lit green lights from March 17 through March 20th. ...
Ex-premier Han takes stand to deny charge
Former Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook took the stand in the courtroom yesterday and pleaded her innocence as the Seoul Central District Court opened a trial against her on charges of receiving bribes.
Han, the symbol of integrity in the Roh Moo-hyun administration, served as prime minister from April 2006 to March 2007. She was indicted in December for allegedly receiving a $50,000 bribe from Kwak Young-wook, former CEO of Korea Express, in return for helping him win a job.
The first session of the trial began yesterday afternoon, and Han entered the court accompanied by Democratic Party leaders as well as former Roh administration officials. About 60 of her backers waited for her in the court’s lobby, holding white lilies to show their support. ...
North Korea warns on South Korea-US military drills
North Korea has reacted angrily to the start of annual joint military exercises by the US and South Korea.
The American and South Koreans say the drills, which involve some 38,000 soldiers, are purely defensive.
But Pyongyang says the manoeuvres are preparation for an invasion and that its army is on full alert.
The war games come as international efforts continue to persuade the North to return to multi-party talks aimed at ending its nuclear programme. ...
Nation rocked by abduction, murder cases
Two heinous abduction and murder cases sent shockwaves through the nation over the weekend.
A 13-year-old girl was found dead in Busan Saturday, 11 days after she went missing. Police suspect she was raped and strangled by a man in her neighborhood.
Near Seoul in Ansan, police announced yesterday that they had captured five men suspected of abducting and killing a businessman for money. One of suspects was his former chauffeur. ...
S Korea child 'starves as parents raise virtual baby'
A South Korean couple who were addicted to the internet let their three-month-old baby starve to death while raising a virtual daughter online, police said.
The pair fed their own premature baby just once a day in between 12-hour stretches at an internet cafe, the official Yonhap news agency reported.
Police officer Chung Jin-won told Yonhap they "lost their will to live a normal life" after losing their jobs.
He said they "indulged themselves online" to escape from reality. ...
North Korea to abandon disarmament over U.S. exercises
North Korea said Sunday it would no longer move forward with nuclear disarmament in response to a planned U.S.-South Korean joint military exercise.
The announcement was made by the official Korean Central News Agency, or KCNA.
"The maneuvers clearly indicate once again that the U.S. and the South Korean authorities are the harassers of peace and warmongers keen to bring a war to this land," the statement said. ...
South Korea F-5 fighter jet crash kills three pilots
Three South Korean fighter pilots have died after their jets crashed into a mountain during a training mission, defence officials in Seoul have said.
The F-5 jets were believed to have hit Mount Hwangbyeong, near Gangneung, about 237km (147 miles) east of Seoul, said the Yonhap news agency.
Rescue teams found debris, clothing and body parts on the mountain.
The cause of the incident is not yet known, but officials said poor visibility could have been to blame.
The jets disappeared from radar shortly after taking off from an airbase in Gangneung. ...
Removal of Jae-beom Backfires
Former 2PM leader Park Jae-beom was branded as a "sinner" and kicked out of the popular idol group by its agency JYP Entertainment (JYPE).
However, the controversial removal of Jae-beom is backfiring on 2PM and JYPE's president Park Jin-young as fans are turning their back on them.
Yet, the group swept music charts even after the Korean-American singer left 2PM in September amid disputes about negative comments he made about Korea on social networking site MySpace between 2005 and 2007.
But the group faces the biggest crisis ever since its debut, with some fans threatening to boycott 2PM minus Jae-beom. ...
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