my timesThe Korea Times
lkm

Lee Kyung-min

Korea Times AI content 2 team Reporter

Value context and insight. lkm@koreatimes.co.kr

Go to EmailGo to URL

Read more

South Korea

MERS leaves migrant workers out of loop

By Lee Kyung-minMigrant workers are having difficulty getting information about Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) due to the language barrier.Counseling centers for migrant workers say the government should create hotline services in various languages to help them cope with the virus.Especially worried are those living or employed near Pyongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, the first epicenter of the outbreak, where the nation’s first and 36 other MERS cases have been confirmed. Some 70,000 migrants live there.Factories in Pyongtaek are one of the most common kinds of employment sought by migrant women, followed by egg and pig farms, according to Choi Jong-man, secretary general of People of Earth’s Station, an organization helping migrants in Gyeonggi Province.According to Choi, the concerns of the migrants do not differ from those of Koreans.“They just want to know whether it is safe to take a subway or a bus, and whether they will contract the virus, fall ill and die,” he said.“Those with children are especially on edge, for fear of a possible death. We

Jun 11, 2015By Lee Kyung-min
  • 1st outpatient contracts MERS
South Korea

Father ordered to support 'Kopino' son

By Lee Kyung-minA local court ordered a Korean father, Tuesday, to support his son who was born to a Filipino woman with whom he had an affair during an overseas trip there.Children born from such unions are often referred to as “Kopino,” a portmanteau of Korean and Filipino.    The ruling, which recognizes the parental responsibility of men who father illegitimate children in The Philippines, is the second such decision, following one reached by Suwon District Court last month.The Seoul Family Court Tuesday said that the man, whose identity was withheld, should pay the mother in Philippines 300,000 won ($267) a month in child support until his son reaches the age of 19.The mother filed a lawsuit with the Korean court last year after the man stopped providing financial support and severed contact with her and the son.She demanded 40 million won in child support and 4 million won in compensation citing emotional distress.According to court documents, the man first met the woman in August 2010, while on a business trip. The woman was working at a bar attendin

Jun 9, 2015By Lee Kyung-min
South Korea

MERS puts damper on Queer Festival

By Lee Kyung-minOrganizers of the 16th Korea Queer Festival have asked the public not to join its opening ceremony out of concerns about Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS).Instead, the ceremony, which will be attended only by its staff, will be broadcast live on Youtube, the organizers said.Initially, they planned to hold the ceremony at Seoul Square in front of Seoul City Hall with various events.However, organizers said they have accepted the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s recommendation against outdoor activities due to the potential spread of the virus.“We are aware of the growing concern of MERS infection. We also heard that avoiding crowded areas is the best possible prevention measure,” a member of the organizing committee said.  The organizers have cancelled a number of events involving a large crowd filling the square, adding the ceremony will be carried out by a small number of staffers.“A dance party, marching with the holding of rainbow-colored balloons and a sing-along session were all cancelled,” an organizer said.Other activitie

Jun 8, 2015By Lee Kyung-min
South Korea

Another accident at Lotte Tower

A firefighter inspects the site of a fire at Lotte Mart inside the second Lotte World in southern Seoul, Monday. / YonhapBy Lee Kyung-minA fire was put out minutes after it broke out at a branch of Lotte Mart located inside the second Lotte Tower in southern Seoul, early Monday, company officials said.This was the latest of a series of safety-related incidents at the 123-story skyscraper since its partial opening in October 2014.  No casualties were reported during the fire, but some 70 people watching movies at the time in the same building had to be immediately evacuated, officials added.“The fire was extinguished before it became bigger. Fortunately no one was hurt, and not much financial damage was incurred,” a company official said.An investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the fire. Company officials suspect that it was caused by an overheated refrigerator in the grocery section in the second basement of the discount retail chain.  Firefighters and company safety authorities arrived at the scene immediately after the smoke detector alarm

Jun 8, 2015By Lee Kyung-min
South Korea

Man gets 25 years for killing ex-girlfriend

By Lee Kyung-minA man was sentenced to 25 years in prison Friday after being found guilty of murdering his former girlfriend in front of her family.The Daegu District Court ruled that he deserved a heavy punishment because the crime was premeditated.  The court also banned him from ever contacting the bereaved family; and he must wear a monitoring for 20 years after serving his prison term.  The man was arrested after breaking into his girlfriend’s home and killing her in December.The prosecution said he became upset after the woman broke up with him when she discovered he had lied about his academic background.He threatened the girlfriend and her family for months before the murder, it added.“The man visited the woman’s home with intent to kill. The emotional damage inflicted upon the family is beyond unfathomable,” the judge said.  “He has not even shown any genuine remorse,” the judge added.

Jun 5, 2015By Lee Kyung-min
South Korea

Gov't considering issuing new registration cards

By Lee Kyung-min  The government is considering issuing new resident registration cards nationwide, according to the Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs, Tuesday.If the plan is carried out, some 42 million cards would be replaced. Citizens aged 18 and older hold such cards.The ministry said it will collect opinions from the public and experts about the plan until the end of this month.It will be the first replacement in 16 years since the last change in 1999.“Many cards have been damaged thoroughly over 16 years, with photos and information written on the cards becoming blurry,” a ministry official said. “The move is also in response to growing concerns that the current ones are easily manipulated by minors and used for buying cigarettes and alcohol.”The ministry said it will use a different material and design for the cards in order to prevent such manipulation.  There have been complaints that the appearance of people changes so radically over the course of 16 years that it is not possible to identify holders.“Before 1999,

Jun 2, 2015By Lee Kyung-min
South Korea

Courts should recognize sentences served overseas

By Lee Kyung-minLocal courts should recognize jail terms served in foreign countries when sentencing people convicted here for the same offences, the Constitutional Court ruled Tuesday.The court said that a clause in the criminal law, which does not oblige courts to consider overseas rulings, infringes upon the physical freedom of those convicted and is therefore unconstitutional.But it said the clause should not be abolished immediately and should remain until the end of 2016, when the National Assembly is required to revise it, in order to prevent confusion from the absence of related regulations.The decision comes after an appeal case from a man surnamed Song, who was arrested at an airport in Hong Kong in 2011 after authorities there found that he had a forged Korean passport. He was sentenced to one year in prison and served eight months there before being extradited to Korea.Upon arriving at Incheon International Airport, Korean authorities arrested Song and indicted him for the same charge.He filed for the petition after a district court and an appellate court both sentenced h

Jun 2, 2015By Lee Kyung-min
South Korea

Gambler wins W600 mil compensation after losing W20.8 bil

By Lee Kyung-minA man who lost 20.8 billion won while gambling at Kangwon Land, the nation’s only casino where locals are allowed, received more than 580 million won in compensation after pursuing a lawsuit for seven years against the casino operator.The man, surnamed Kim, lost the huge sum of money there after gambling on 181 occasions from April 2003 until April 2007.In May 2004, he asked Kangwon Land to deny him entry there after losing 10.8 billion won. The company rules state that a gambler can ask for the ban, but it can be lifted if the same person asks three months after the request is made. If a second request is made the ban can only be lifted after one year. But Kim asked Kangwon Land to lift the ban a month after the initial request, which was accepted.After requesting to be banned and allowed entry four times, he lost more money.Kim claimed that Kangwon Land violated the rules on entry bans, demanding that it return all the money he lost.But the Seoul High Court said the casino was only 20 percent responsible for the charge, 580 million won saying that Kim was

Jun 1, 2015By Lee Kyung-min
South Korea

Ex-KNOC head questioned over 'failed energy diplomacy'

By Lee Kyung-min Kang Young-wonThe prosecution questioned Kang Young-won, former CEO of the Korea National Oil Corp. (KNOC), Monday over allegations that he caused more than 1 trillion won ($1 billion) in losses to the state-run company through improper investments in 2009.The summons is part of an ongoing probe into the “failed energy diplomacy” of the former Lee Myung-bak administration.When attending the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office in southern Seoul, Kang told reporters, “I’ll tell everything to prosecutors. I’ll fully cooperate in the investigation.”Prosecutors questioned him over why and how he decided on the investment in Harvest Operations, a Canadian oil producer, and its money-losing refinery unit, North Atlantic Refining Limited (NARL).In 2009, the KNOC acquired Harvest and NARL for 4.6 trillion won and 1.2 trillion won, respectively. The acquisition of NARL was not its initial plan, but it was included at the last minute.It is alleged that the KNOC did not properly review the affiliate’s business value, an

Jun 1, 2015By Lee Kyung-min
Ex-KNOC head questioned over 'failed energy diplomacy'
South Korea

Education ministry under fire for”exploiting” college students

Education ministry criticized for ‘exploiting’ studentsBy Lee Kyung-minThe Ministry of Education is under mounting criticism for paying students employed at the World Education Forum 2015 held in Incheon less than the minimum wage on a daily basis.According to the forum organizer and Bak Hong-geun of the New Politics Alliance for Democracy, Sunday, the ministry paid 20,000 won ($18) daily to 141 college students who each worked for up to seven hours a day during last month’s forum, which had a budget of 4.5 billion won.The current minimum wage in Korea is 5,580 won an hour.Along with the payment, the ministry offered the students certificates recognizing their participation in the event and the number of hours they worked.Such low pay comes amid controversy about “passion pay,” a term coined to describe a practice where employers do not offer due payment to interns and apprentices but only exploit their “passion” to get jobs amid high youth unemployment.A ministry official in charge of managing the students during the forum said the payment w

May 31, 2015By Lee Kyung-min
previous page
330331332333334
next page

Top 5 stories

Korea Times
About Us
Introduction
History
Contact Us
Products & Services
Subscribe
E-paper
RSS Service
Content Sales
Site Map
Policy
Code of Ethics
Ombudsman
Privacy Policy
Youth Protection Policy
Terms of Service
Copyright Policy
Family Site
Hankookilbo
Dongwha Group
FacebookXYoutubeInstagram
CEO & Publisher: Oh Young-jinDigital News Email: webmaster@koreatimes.co.krTel: 02-724-2114Online newspaper registration No: 서울,아52844Date of registration: 2020.02.05Masthead: The Korea TimesCopyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.