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Kim Se-jeong

Korea Times K-Culture Reporter

I am covering trend, food and fashion. Previously, I covered diplomacy, city, environment and unification.

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South Korea

Death penalty demanded over soldier's death

By Kim Se-jeong Military prosecutors demanded the death penalty for an Army sergeant accused of beating a junior soldier to death earlier this year.The prosecution also sought life in prison for three other soldiers over their alleged role in the death of the victim, a private first-class surnamed Yoon.It also demanded 10 years in prison for another sergeant for negligence and six months in prison for an additional soldier in connection with the assault.“Although they knew about his fragile mental and physical health, they escalated the degree of the assaults, resulting in his death,” a prosecutor said during a hearing held in a military courthouse in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province.“Although they may not have had the intention to kill him, they were aware of potentially causing death, and that led us to charge them with murder.”The move came six months after Yoon died following being hit repeatedly in the chest by the accused at their barracks near the border with North Korea.The prosecution said they were eating food when the final assault happened, which cau

Oct 24, 2014By Kim Se-jeong
Death penalty demanded over soldier's death
South Korea

Geochang residents divided over creation of prison

Residents in Geochang, South Gyeongsang Province, are divided over the construction of a new complex which will house a prison and offices for legal service provision and law enforcement.According to the Ministry of Justice, which oversees the project, the construction will be completed by the end of 2017.Recently, 236 county residents who oppose the project filed a complaint against Geochang Mayor Lee Hong-gi and three other county government officials. The residents allege that the mayor and the other officials inflated the number of proponents for the project by forging their signatures. The complex project received an approval from the ministry in 2011 based on these signatures. Preparations for the construction of the project began last year.The Hankook Ilbo daily raised the allegations on Friday, saying the signatures collected from residents were fraudulent. Almost 29,000 people signed in favor of the project in 2011, this accounts for just under 47 percent of the county population. The paper said the book of signatures looked identical.These signatures were submitted to the M

Oct 24, 2014By Kim Se-jeong
South Korea

Shin Hae-chul remains unconscious after surgery

Singer Shin Hae-chulA rock singer Shin Hae-chul, 46, remains unconscious following emergency surgery Oct. 22 to correct problems from a previous operation, his management agency said Friday.In a statement, Asan Medical Center said “Shin was admitted to the intensive care unit [ICU] in a coma Wednesday after his heart stopped beating.”The management agency said was operated on at a different hospital in Seoul on Oct. 17 for a strangulated hernia involving his stomach. He was released the next day, but then readmitted on Oct. 20 after complaining of excruciating pain.Shin was transferred to Asan and operated on immediately, having part of his stomach removed. During the procedure his heart stopped and so he was taken to ICU.The hospital said he was on life support, but had non-responsive pupil dilation.The management agency dismissed speculation that he was having surgery to induce weight loss.According to online speculation Shin appeared on a TV diet show and was advised to get surgery; and this was the reason he was in hospital.His agency admitted the singer had undergone

Oct 24, 2014By Kim Se-jeong
Shin Hae-chul remains unconscious after surgery
Travel & Food

Book your year-end party at Conrad

By Kim Se-jeongThe Conrad Seoul offers a range of early bird benefits for those who book year-end parties at the hotel. The deadline for reservations is Nov. 30, and event should be held by no later than Dec. 30.If you are looking for high-tech facilities and luxurious style, a banquet at Conrad Seoul is the ideal place for differentiating your year-end event from all others.The hotel is offering all event organizers a special opportunity to earn triple honors points. A Conrad Seoul banquet can accommodate from 30 to 600 guests, with prices per person starting from 85,000 won, including tax.Restaurant ZEST, ATRIO and 37 Grill are great choices for events with a memorable dining experience, with food prepared by top chefs. Any of these theme restaurants are available for either exclusive or partial use. Foe information or reservation, visit www.conradseoul.com, or call (02) 6137-7000.

Oct 23, 2014By Kim Se-jeong
Travel & Food

Therapeutic resorts in India attract Koreans

A guest at Devaaya Ayuvera and the Nature Cure Center receives a treatment. / Courtesy of www.devaaya.comBy Kim Se-jeong“Ayurveda,” in Sanskrit, means life knowledge. Among travelers to India, this word is often associated with traditional therapeutic resorts.Ayurvedas are customized restful resorts tucked into mountains or on beaches. Among many, ones in Goa in southeast of India carry exceptional recognition. “Ayurveda resorts offer many things — yoga, spas and massages — that completely alleviate your stress,” said Nikhil Desai, managing director of the corporation, during a recent interview with The Korea Times.It is a must-do item on the Goa Tourism Development Corporation’s website (www.goa-tourism.com).Devaaya Ayurveda and Nature Cure Center (www.devaaya.com) is one of such places in Goa. It has spa beds, yoga sessions, a swimming pool, a tennis court and nature nearby. More amusing are individual lodgings that resemble colorful houses in fairytales and quality of service, according to the website.October through January is the of

Oct 23, 2014By Kim Se-jeong
Therapeutic resorts in India attract Koreans
Travel & Food

Garden Hotel opens after renovation

Best Western Premier Seoul Garden Hotel opened in early October after almost a year-long renovation.  / Courtesy of Best Western Premier Seoul Garden HotelBy Kim Se-jeongTaxi drivers in Seoul are more familiar with the Seoul Garden Hotel, which doesn’t officially exist anymore. Now, the hotel is called the Best Western Premier Seoul Garden Hotel.Located in the Mapo district of Seoul, the hotel joined the U.S.-based Best Western Hotel chains in 2007. But, the hotel wanted to use its old name for marketing, because of its popularity.Earlier this month, the hotel had a new opening, after almost 10 months of renovations.With a new look, the hotel is now projecting itself as affordable.“We want to welcome all types of clientele. We have discovered many of our guests just want breakfast in the morning, and spend the whole day outside. They use few facilities in the hotel,” said Oh In-keun, its president, who has been with the hotel since it first opened 35 years ago.Restaurant La Stella’s dinner buffetThe old hotel had a couple of restaurants and a sauna, but t

Oct 23, 2014By Kim Se-jeong
Garden Hotel opens after renovation
South Korea

Are ventilation grates safe?

A man walks on a grate over a subway ventilation shaft in Busan, Monday. Most ventilation grates linked to subway stations in metropolitan cities are designed for pedestrian use. / YonhapBy Kim Se-jeongConcern is rising over the safety of ventilation grates above subway stations in Seoul and other metropolitan cities following a tragedy in Pangyo, Gyeonggi Province, Friday.Most of these grates are installed beside or on sidewalks in cities.For example, out of a total of 2,418 ventilation grates in Seoul, 74 percent, or 1,777, are set up on the sidewalks to enable people to walk on them, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG), Monday.The city government says that they are “deemed safe” to walk on.“The ventilation grates are designed for pedestrian use,” said one SMG official. “One square meter of grate is designed to endure at least 500 kilograms.”However, the Pangyo tragedy, in which 16 people died when a ventilation grate collapsed during an outdoor pop concert, has triggered the concerns.Shin Chang-yi, 44, now avoids walking on vent

Oct 20, 2014By Kim Se-jeong
South Korea

Concert organizers under probe

Police officers move boxes of confiscated documents out of the office of the Gyeonggi Institute of Science & Technology Promotion in Pangyo Techno Valley in Gyeonggi Province, Sunday. The institute was involved in the planning of a concert Friday in which 16 people were killed. / YonhapBy Kim Se-jeongKwak Jae-seon, chairman of an online newspaper Edaily, speaks to reporters at the entrance ofa district office building in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, Sunday. Edaily was the main host of Friday’s deadly concert. / YonhapPolice raided the offices of Edaily, an online newspaper, and the Gyeonggi Institute of Science & Technology Promotion (GISTP), Sunday, both of which were involved in the planning of an outdoor concert in Pangyo, Gyeonggi Province, where 16 people died Friday.Almost 10 locations were raided, including the homes of six Edaily employees who reportedly helped organize the concert.A travel ban was imposed on them and the police said some may face prosecution.Edaily Chairman Kwak Jae-seon visited the families of victims and said he will

Oct 19, 2014By Kim Se-jeong
Concert organizers under probe
South Korea

Sing national anthem to become Korean: court

By Kim Se-jeong Any foreigner seeking Korean citizenship must be able to sing Korea’s national anthem during a naturalization interview.The Seoul Administrative Court ruled in favor of the Ministry of Justice, which declined to grant a woman born in China citizenship in 2010, citing she couldn’t sing the national anthem. She also failed two other tests during her interview.The woman, surnamed Choi, filed a suit with the court, demanding a reversal of the decision.“We found the interview criteria and the interviewers’ evaluation were fair. Not only did Choi fail to sing the national anthem, she also failed two other tests. Therefore, we find there are no grounds to call the ministry’s decision unfair and illegal,” said a judge.Choi married a Korean man in 2004, and applied for citizenship in 2010.The naturalization process has two tracks.For marriage immigrants like Choi, it takes two years to apply, and an applicant must pass a face-to-face interview. For other immigrants, an applicant should wait five years to apply and pass both a written te

Oct 16, 2014By Kim Se-jeong
South Korea

'Japanese war criminals received awards from Korean government'

By Kim Se-jeong The Korean government gave awards to at least one Japanese war criminals in the 1970s in recognition of their “contribution” to Korean society, an opposition lawmaker claimed Thursday.One such award went to Sasakawa Ryoichi, a Class A war criminal who served in Unit 731, which conducted secret research on biological and chemical warfare during World War II. This army unit was notorious for conducting various biological experiments on living people.Ryoichi received the Order of Diplomatic Service Merit in 1976 from Korea’s welfare ministry.Two other winners also served in Unit 731 ― Kato Katsuya received the Order of Civil Merit in 1973 for having treated leprosy patients, while Take Midaro was awarded in 1978 for contributing to “medical sector development” in Korea. Midaro is known to have participated in Japan’s project to produce an atomic bomb.A ministry spokesman said it is difficult to find records about the beneficiaries because “it happened a long time ago.”According to Rep. In Jae-keun of the main

Oct 16, 2014By Kim Se-jeong
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