The Korea Times

Cold weather hits nation

A bundled-up girl walks in a Seoul street, Tuesday morning. A cold spell that hit Korea is expected to continue this week. / YonhapBy Kim Se-jeong The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) issued its first cold weather advisory of the season Tuesday, saying it expected temperatures to drop drastically this week.According to the weather agency, Wednesday morning will be the chilliest Seoul has experienced this autumn. The temperature is forecast to plunge to 8 degrees Celsius, 10 degrees lower than Monday morning.On Tuesday morning, the lowest temperature in Seoul was 9 degrees.A cold weather advisory is issued when temperatures drop more than 10 degrees from the previous day or the morning low falls below 3 degrees.The morning low may fall to 10 degrees on Wednesday in Incheon, the KMA said, as compared with 8 degrees in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province; 5 degrees in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province; 2 degrees in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province; 9 degrees in Gwangju, South Jeolla Province; 10 degrees in Daegu; 12 degrees in Busan; and 13 degrees on Jeju Island.In Cheorwon, Gangwon Province

Oct 14, 2014By Kim Se-jeong

South Korea

GS Homeshopping under investigation in bribery case

By Kim Se-jeong At least two former executives of GS Homeshopping, the country’s largest home shopping company, are under investigation for allegedly receiving bribes from electronic goods suppliers in exchange for exclusive contracts.The prosecution said Monday that three officials from the supplier companies were also the subjects of their investigation. The companies sold electronic goods made by conglomerates such as Samsung and LG.The names of the officials were withheld, though the prosecution said it would summon them for questioning soon.The accused GS Homeshopping executives allegedly received money from separate suppliers in February last year and in December 2012. The prosecution said it had acquired evidence showing that hundreds of millions of won had been transferred to their bank accounts.The prosecution added that one of the two had allegedly embezzled almost 4 billion won ($3.7 million) from GS Shop T&M, one of GS Homeshopping’s affiliates, which supplied goods for the channel. GS Homeshopping established the affiliate in June 2011 with an initia

Oct 13, 2014By Kim Se-jeong

South Korea

Samcheok vows to nullify nuclear plant plan

By Kim Se-jeongThe government and the city of Samcheok sparred Friday over the latter’s referendum that voted against the building of a nuclear power plant there.“This is an expression of the people’s wish to veto the government’s plan,” Samcheok Mayor Kim Yang-ho told a press conference. “We will take one step at a time toward that end.”Saenuri Party lawmaker Lee Lee-jae representing the Samcheok constituency pressed the government to respect the “people’s will.”About 84.97 percent or 24,531 voted against the plan, while 4,082 voted for it. Voter turnout was 68 percent.However, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said the result would not affect its construction plans. . “We regret that the referendum actually took place despite our disapproval. The results are legally invalid,” the ministry said in a statement Friday.The result is embarrassing for the central government, which claims the envisioned plant is crucial in tackling a worsening energy shortage. The government chose Samcheok as the site fo

Oct 10, 2014By Kim Se-jeong

Samcheok vows to nullify nuclear plant plan

Travel & Food

Banyan Tree's past 20 years and future

Some Banyan Tree Club & Spa Seoul’s guest rooms have a relaxation pool inside the room. Above is one in Deluxe Suite with Seoul Tower in the background. / Courtesy of Banyan Tree Club & Spa SeoulBy Kim Se-jeong In the early 1980s, Ho Kwon Ping, the executive chairman of Banyan Tree and his wife Claire Chiang spent four years in Hong Kong.Ho was a correspondent for the Far East Economic Review, an English-language news magazine, and Chiang a sociology teacher.The couple were avid travelers, going on train rides in Europe and walking the Chinese mountains for miles.At one point, what they loved doing occurred to Ho as a business opportunity.“We wanted to do something to meet the need to provide products for people like us who treasure travel and understand diversity,” said Chiang, who is the senior vice president, during an interview with The Korea Times on Tuesday at Banyan Tree Club & Spa Seoul.Banyan Tree Club & Spa Seoul The two and Ho’s architect brother followed up on the idea by flying to Hawaii where they spent 11 days trying di

Oct 9, 2014By Kim Se-jeong

South Korea

Lotte Hotel to offer 10% refund

By Kim Se-jeongForeign tourists who patronize one of three Lotte Hotel properties in Korea can get a 10 percent refund on their hotel bills at the airport when they leave the country.According to the Lotte Hotel Seoul, the Tourist Tax Refund Scheme is available for guests of the Lotte Hotel in Sogong-dong and Jamsil in Seoul and the Lotte City Hotel Daejeon. “This is expected to give better service to the hotel guests,” Lotte Hotel official Lee Da-bae said on Monday.The discount will be available until Dec. 31, but the hotel may decide to extend the offer.There are a couple of conditions for taking advantage of the discount.Guests must prove they are travelers, staying more than two nights but not in excess of 30. Clientele must also show they have not stayed in Korea longer than six months with a fixed address. Also, the benefit isn’t applicable to those who pay with corporate credit cards and those who make payment through a travel agency.The refund can be made at the Incheon International Airport’s tax refund desk to which the guests should submit thei

Oct 6, 2014By Kim Se-jeong

South Korea

New campaign to raise awareness about immigrant families

By Kim Se-jeong The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family said Monday that it has launched a new public awareness campaign about interracial families.The ministry’s new 40-second public service announcement stars figure skater Choi Jin-joo, 18. Choi was born to a Korean mother and a Swiss father, and the commercial shows her daily training routine for the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.The public service announcement, which began airing Oct. 1, also features Jeon Mi-na, Bak Zoana, Lim Jae-be, Hwang Do-dam and Caleb Briscoe ― all Korean teenagers with one Korean-born parent and one immigrant parent.It is part of an initiative by the ministry to support children from immigrant or culturally mixed families and increase their visibility. Last year, the ministry collaborated with movie theaters on a similar project. “As the TV public service announcement shows, Korea should be a place where people have opportunities regardless of their racial and cultural backgrounds, and where they can make their dreams come true,” said Choi Sung-ji, director of the

Oct 6, 2014By Kim Se-jeong

People & Events

Calling for better working conditions for firefighters

Chung Bi-dan, son of deceased firefighter Chung Sung-cheol, stages a rally in his father’s uniform at Gwanghwamun Square in downtown Seoul, Sept. 27, to call for better working conditions for firefighters.  / YonhapBy Kim se-jeong Chung Bi-dan, 24, a college student, staged a one-man rally in Gwanghwamun Square, central Seoul, Sept. 27, advocating better working conditions for firefighters.His reason for doing that is personal. He lost his firefighter father in July.His father, Chung Sung-cheol, 52, and his four colleagues were onboard a helicopter that crashed in the southwestern city of Gwangju on July 17. The helicopter was on its way back to Gangwon Province from Paengmok Port in Jindo Island where it transported recovered bodies to the shore from the ferry Sewol sinking.Almost 80 days after the tragedy, the son took to the street, dressed in his father’s black uniform. For the most part, he stayed quiet, holding a yellow vertical board that reads, “Is MOSPA (Ministry of Security and Public Administration) competent enough to rescue people in

Oct 3, 2014By Kim Se-jeong

Calling for better working conditions for firefighters

South Korea

Saturday morning visit to doctor to cost 500 won more

By Kim Se-jeong Starting today, outpatients will have to pay an extra 500 won in fees at neighborhood clinics when they visit them on Saturday mornings, the Ministry of Health and Welfare announced Friday.Previously, patients only had to pay extra for Saturday afternoon visits.The government adopted the fee increase at the request of doctors who claimed they have to spend more on payroll costs for nurses to work Saturdays.Under the new system, the fee for a first-time visit to a clinic on Saturday morning will be 4,500 won, up from 4,000 won. From October 2015, the price will go up to 5,000 won, the same amount as the current Saturday afternoon fee.The new plan will apply to the 28,328 registered clinics that only treat outpatients. Oriental clinics, dentists and pharmacies are included. Pharmacies will charge 200 won more for each prescription. Hospitals and big medical centers that treat inpatients are not part of the plan.“We want to achieve two goals through the fee increase,” said Lee Yu-ri, a ministry official. “In the past, Saturday morning was not consi

Oct 3, 2014By Kim Se-jeong

South Korea

Kumnan Church pastor jailed for two years

By Kim Se-jeongKim Hong-doKim Hong-do, a pastor at Kumnan Methodist Church based in Seoul, was sentenced to two years’ jail on Thursday for attempted fraud.He was taken to jail directly from court.According to the Seoul Northern District Court, the church received $500,000 cash from an American missionary organization in 2000 to build a church in North Korea that could hold 1,000 people. The two sides agreed that construction would completed by 2008 and the organization would give an additional $9.8 million.The plan eventually fell through, and the missionary group filed suit in 2011 demanding that Kim return the money. A U.S. court ordered the church to pay $14.3 million in indemnity.The missionary group then asked the Korean court to order the church to pay the indemnity based on the American court ruling.Kim then claimed a Korean law firm had lobbied the U.S. court. As evidence, he submitted documents he claimed the Korean law firm wrote. He said the U.S. court ruling was unfair.But the Korean court did not accept Kim’s claim, based on emails between a church official

Oct 3, 2014By Kim Se-jeong

Kumnan Church pastor jailed for two years

South Korea

KOGAS CEO probed for embezzlement

By Kim Se-jeongJang Seok-hyoJang Seok-hyo, CEO of the state-run Korea Gas Corp. (KOGAS), is being investigated for allegedly embezzling company funds when he previously worked as the CEO of a private company.According to the Incheon District Prosecutors’ Office, Thursday, Jang is suspected of having embezzled 100 million won ($94,357) by forging receipts between 2011 and 2013 when he was the president of Tongyeong Tug, based in Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province. The company specializes in providing tugs for LNG delivery ships.“We have all the necessary information from the Coast Guard,” said a prosecutor. Jang is also accused of having bribed business partners, including free golf trips worth 70 million won ($66,050).Jang worked for the tug boat company between July 2011 and July 2013, and it is a business partner of KOGAS.Suspicions that Jang may have embezzled funds suspicions arose while the Coast Guard was investigating a corruption case involving KOGAS and an unidentified company that won a bid for a LNG project in December last year. KOGAS had allegedly lea

Oct 2, 2014By Kim Se-jeong

Kim Se-jeong

Read more

Cold weather hits nation

GS Homeshopping under investigation in bribery case

Samcheok vows to nullify nuclear plant plan

Banyan Tree's past 20 years and future

Lotte Hotel to offer 10% refund

New campaign to raise awareness about immigrant families

Calling for better working conditions for firefighters

Saturday morning visit to doctor to cost 500 won more

Kumnan Church pastor jailed for two years

KOGAS CEO probed for embezzlement

Top 5 stories