Podcast: Park Reshuffles Cabinet, Lotte World Safety Issues, Taxes Soar, and Late Night Drag Racing

Today on The Korea Times Podcast: Park gets a new Prime Minister and completes her cabinet reshuffle and more safety problems at the second Lotte World are uncovered. Plus taxes for Korea's middle class are set to soar and some Koreans are putting the pedal to the metal.

New PM and Completes Cabinet Reshuffle

On Monday, the National Assembly endorsed Prime Minister nominee Lee Wan-koo, a vote which occurred along party lines. He officially assumed the role on Tuesday, but that wasn't the only change at the uppermost levels of Seoul's government. President Park Geun-hye also replaced three ministers and one ministerial-level official in a cabinet reshuffle.

Big glass door falls at Lotte World Mall

A glass entrance door at the Lotte World Mall in southern Seoul fell and almost hit a passerby Sunday, the mall’s safety management committee announced Monday. The incident was the latest in a series of safety lapses that have recently occurred at the mall located inside the 2nd Lotte World.

Taxes on middle class soar in 2014

Ordinary taxes paid by middle-income earners increased 6.3 times more than they did for the top 20 percent of income earners in South Korea last year, stoking public demand for a tax increase on the rich. According to numbers released by Statistics Korea, households with two or more family members who were classified as belonging to the middle, or third tier, paid an average 83,385 won (US$76.12) in taxes every month last year, up just over 13,000 won from 2013.

'Fast & Furious' occurs on Yeongjong Island

Along the coastal roads on Yeongjong Island are many tourist spots with beautiful nighttime views. However, they often turn into “racing tracks” for reckless drivers at night. Midnight racing has become a real headache for Yeongjong residents, but police have been reluctant to crack down because it is “dangerous” to chase the cars.

You can find information on all of these stories and more by visiting The Korea Times website. The Korea Times Podcast podcast is written and produced by The Korea Times. Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes or Stitcher Radio. It's free and when you do, the next episode is delivered to you automatically every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.