The Korea Times

Street of light will be set up at Gwanghwamun

Seoul City said it will make the 2-kilometer street from Gwanghwamun to Namdaemun in the center of the capital a “street of light” by 2012 to make it a national landmark. The city’s move follows the decision by the Presidential Commission on Architecture Policy last month to renovate the street to form a new area full of cultural and historical meaning. The street of light will be divided into the Gwanghwamun zone, Deoksu Palace/City Hall zone, and Namdaemun/Seoul Station zone. The zones will be illuminated with colorful street and floor lights at night. “We are going to set up harmonious lighting that goes well with existing buildings and at the same time have specific features that symbolize the nation,” a Seoul City official said. It will start the project from the second half of next year and complete it by 2012. Seoul City will direct commercial buildings in the zones to renovate existing signs.

Dec 12, 2010By Cho Jae-hyon

South Korea

NZ police find body of Korean tourist

The body of a Korean tourist who went missing near a remote New Zealand glacier has been found at the bottom of a cliff, AFP reported, citing police officers Wednesday. Emergency services began searching for Ergine Choe, 31, from Incheon, earlier this week when police were alerted that his rental car had been parked near the Franz Joseph glacier, on the South Island, for a number of days. Choe had been travelling alone in New Zealand for two weeks, police said. They said he appeared to have wandered off a track and fallen to his death “some days ago.”

Dec 8, 2010By Cho Jae-hyon

Companies

Comedian slapped with fine for defaming lawmaker

A comedian was slapped with a 500,000 won fine by a court for defamatory remarks about a ruling party lawmaker. No Jeong-ryeol, 39, was indicted on charges of defaming Rep. Cho Jun-hyuk of the Grand National Party after he insinuated the lawmaker was an animal at a May rally organized by the Korean Teachers and Education Workers’ Union. He made the remarks after Cho was fined in April for defying a court order by disclosing the names and personal information of members of the teachers’ union on his Web site. After Cho filed a defamation suit against the union, No said that a libel suit is only for human beings not animals.“Cho can be subject to public criticism as he is a public figure. But alluding to Cho as a dog or a cow goes beyond what he can accept as a public figure. Therefore, it should be regarded as damaging to his reputation,” a Seoul district court said in the ruling. No said he will appeal the case, as satire and comedy are not subject to criminal punishment.

Dec 8, 2010By Cho Jae-hyon

South Korea

Man ordered to pay compensation for affair

A 77-year-old man has been ordered to pay a large amount of alimony to his wife for an extramarital affair he had with a younger woman lasting 12 years, according to a Seoul family court. The unidentified man first met the woman who was 16 years younger than him at a restaurant in 1992 and they lived together for about 12 years. The man returned home in 2007 but his wife filed a divorce suit, demanding 1 billion won in compensation. The court ruled that he should pay 100 million won in compensation. “The marriage crumbled to the point where it is now irrecoverable. The man is mainly responsible for the collapse of the marriage. He should give his wife 100 million won in compensation and should grant her a divorce,” the court said in the ruling. The man is appealing the case. 외도한 노인에 1억 배상 판결 서울 가정법원은 12년 동안 젊은 여성과 외도를 한 77세의 노인에게 거액의 위자료를 지불하라고 판결을 내렸다. 이 남성은 1992년 음식점에서 이 16세 연하의 여인을 처음 만나 12년 가량 동거했다. 이 노인은 2007년 가정으로 돌아왔으나 부인이 이혼소송을 내며 10억원의 위자료를 요구했다. 법원은 1억 원을 지불하라고 판결을 내렸다. 법원은 판결문에서 “결혼생활이 돌이킬 수 없는 지경에까지 무너져내렸다”며 “결혼생활의 붕괴는 주로 남편 때문이며 남편은 위자

Dec 6, 2010By Cho Jae-hyon

Opinion

Specter of war

By Cho Jae-hyon South Korea deserves a lot of credit for seamlessly hosting the G20 summit on Nov. 11 and 12. For months, a countless number of government officials and police officers as well as volunteers sweated and toiled in preparation for the event. And there was no major street demonstration large or violent enough to hamper the gathering. Given the notoriously militant labor groups here, the absence of any drastic rally reflects the government’s excellent job. As pretty much expected, the meeting itself was shy of producing any impressive outcome. South Korea was the true winner of the gathering, standing taller on the world diplomatic stage. But it was until Nov. 23 when North Korea fired artillery shells on Yeonpyeong Island, a once peaceful fishing island on the disputed maritime border in the West Sea. The provocation, the first of its kind on South Korean soil since the 1950-1953 Korean War, wiped out the positive impact the G20 summit had on the country’s international reputation the Lee Myung-bak administration has endeavored to promote so hard over the

Dec 1, 2010By Cho Jae-hyon

South Korea

Govt to double traffic violation fines in school zones

Drivers who violate traffic laws within school zones will face up to double the fine for the same offense, with the revised ordinance effective from Jan. 1. The Ministry of Public Administration and Security said Tuesday the fine for running a red light in a school zone will rise to 120,000 won ($104) from the current 60,000 won. Those who illegally stop or park their cars in the zones will face an 80,000 won fine, double the amount for non-school zones, with speed limit violators facing up to 120,000 won in fines. 학교 앞 교통위반 벌금 두 배 인상 개정된 법률에 의해 1월 1일부터 학교 앞에서 교통법규를 위반하는 운전자들은 같은 위반이라도 두 배의 벌금을 내야 한다. 화요일 행정안전부는 학교 앞 정지신호를 무시한 경우 벌금이 6만원의 두 배인 12만원으로 오른다고 전했다. 이 구역에 불법으로 정차해있거나 주차를 하는 운전자들도 두 배의 범칙금인 8만원의 내야하고 속도위반을 함께할 경우 12만원의 벌금을 내야 한다.

Nov 30, 2010By Cho Jae-hyon

South Korea

Man takes own life after row with wife

A man in his 60s took his own life when his wife lost consciousness after he threw a porcelain pot at her, police said Friday. The 67-year-old taxi driver, identified only as Kim, was found by his wife, 61, hanging from a gas pipe in his apartment Wednesday, according to the Busan Police Station. Police said the man threw a porcelain pot at his wife in a fit of anger and she passed out briefly. He committed suicide after seeing what he had done. His wife was quoted by the police as saying that, “I passed out briefly during an argument with my husband. When I regained consciousness, I found him hanging from a city gas pipe.”

Nov 25, 2010By Cho Jae-hyon

South Korea

Respect of law essential for rule of law

Justice Lee Kong-hyun says laws should not be changed too often By Cho Jae-hyon, Park Si-soo South Korea has shown the world that it has come of age by smoothly hosting the G20 Seoul Summit on Nov. 11 and 12. The nation, propelled by rapid economic growth over the past few decades, is on the threshold of joining the ranks of developed nations. However, there is still a long way to go before it becomes a country that is governed by the rule of law, one of the key yardsticks measuring the advancement of a country. The prevailing general perception is that the powerful and rich do not abide by laws and ordinary citizens are forced to follow. The public craze for the best seller “Justice” by Michael Sandel and the government’s recent campaign for a “fair society” in recent months is an ironic reflection of the reality that the basic two principles of a democratic society have not taken root firmly here. With Korea fraught with conflict among various interest groups and suffering from ideological rifts between conservatives and liberals, how to interpret the laws and whethe

Nov 23, 2010By Cho Jae-hyon

South Korea

Positive changes needed at school

By Cho jae-hyon Taking the helm of the education ministry is a tough job in Korea where all parents are experts when it comes to issues about how to educate their children. Since the inception of the Lee Myung-bak administration in 2008, education policies have undergone major changes and a lot of experiments are still going on at schools. From the introduction of the evaluation of teachers to the expansion of admissions officer system at universities, at the center of all these new and controversial educational programs is Education Minister Lee Ju-ho. Since 2008 when he was a member of President Lee’s transition committee, he has charted and orchestrated steps to change the way schools are run, braving resistance from schools and teachers. The new education minister, who took office at the end of August, has tried to visit as many educational institutes as possible as a means to strengthen communication with educators and parents. He said what he will do in the remaining half of the Lee administration is solidify what has been introduced, rather than start new t

Nov 17, 2010By Cho Jae-hyon

Admission system to be role model for Asia

South Korea

Ban on rallies near embassies gets nod

By Cho Jae-hyon The Constitutional Court ruled Wednesday that the law restricting rallies near foreign embassies is constitutional. It said the ban should be justified as it secures the safety of ambassadors and employees from possible physical threats from potentially violent people taking part in the rallies. The current law governing demonstrations and assembly imposes a ban on outdoor rallies within a 100 meter radius of foreign embassies and consulates. Its ruling is in response to civic activist Kim Ki-jong who had asked the court to review the constitutionality of the law. He was denied permission to hold rallies in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul to protest Tokyo’s territorial claim on the South Korean islets of Dokdo. Kim has claimed that the restrictions infringed upon his right to assembly guaranteed by the Constitution. “The purpose of the law is to protect diplomats and employees as well as citizens and foreigners who enter the embassy and consulate buildings,” the court said in its ruling. The restrictions are necessary for their prote

Nov 3, 2010By Cho Jae-hyon

Cho Jae-hyon

Read more

Street of light will be set up at Gwanghwamun

NZ police find body of Korean tourist

Comedian slapped with fine for defaming lawmaker

Man ordered to pay compensation for affair

Specter of war

Govt to double traffic violation fines in school zones

Man takes own life after row with wife

Respect of law essential for rule of law

Positive changes needed at school

Ban on rallies near embassies gets nod

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