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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

Civil suits wait for freed Korean Air heiress

By Kim Se-jeongHeather ChoFormer Korean Air Executive Vice President Heather Cho, who was released from prison Friday, will face further lawsuits that may compromise her freedom.Cho, the central figure at the "nut rege" case, now faces further court battles against the remaining suits filed by flight attendants involved in the incident.On Friday, the Seoul High Court sentenced Cho to 10 months in prison, suspended for two years, overturning a lower court ruling that gave her one year in prison.She was indicted after ordering a plane bound for Incheon to return to the gate from a taxiing area at JFK International Airport in New York in December and forcing a chief flight attendant off the plane because she was outraged when a junior attendant served her macadamia nuts in a bag, not in a dish.The high court acknowledged other charges against her such as physically and verbally abusing the attendants.She will now face two civil lawsuits filed by the junior attendant Kim Do-hee and chief attendant Park Chang-jin.Kim filed a compensation suit against Cho and Korean Air in March. The

May 24, 2015By Kim Se-jeong
Civil suits wait for freed Korean Air heiress
South Korea

Churches up ante against Queer Festival

By Kim Se-jeong Some conservative churches in Korea are stepping up protests against the upcoming Korea Queer Festival.The annual event for sexual minorities is scheduled to begin in Seoul on June 9.At Seoul Plaza where the opening ceremony is planned and on adjacent streets, placards are hung with messages condemning the Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) for permitting the festival organizers to hold an opening ceremony at the plaza. Christians have also been staging rallies to get SMG to cancel the permission.The 16th annual festival consists of a parade on June 13 and a film festival from June 18 to 21. The organizers said they are working on other programs but refused to reveal details due to the threats from churches. Queer Festival takes place in other parts of the world.Last week, a coalition of Christian organizations filed a petition with the police to cancel the festival. In the petition, the coalition argued “the Queer Festival will make people raise their eyebrows. Indecent activity by transgenders and homosexuals should be banned.”The organizers say th

May 17, 2015By Kim Se-jeong
South Korea

Rights education sessions planned for student athletes

By Kim Se-jeong Seoul’s education office said it is launching a special human rights education program for athletes and coaches in school, as part of efforts to prevent violence and sexual assaults on campuses.According to Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, the program will reach out to almost 3,200 student athletes and their instructors in elementary, middle and high schools, where experts will hold workshops.An education official said this year’s program will be more comprehensive and interactive compared with the existing program. Last year, the city education office hosted 12 sessions in total. This year, 65 are scheduled.The new program is in response to mounting calls for human rights education for student athletes.Reports have shown violence and sexual assault are common among them. In sexual assault cases, coaches are often involved.The nation’s human rights commission has made a set of human rights guidelines for athletes. The education office said it will offer counseling services for these students.

May 17, 2015By Kim Se-jeong
South Korea

'Remove mines first to build park in DMZ'

By Kim Se-jeongCraig Williams, 1997 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Craig Williams, a U.S. environmental activist who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997, said Tuesday there should be a plan to completely remove landmines in the demilitarized zone (DMZ) in order to build an eco-peace park.“It (building the park) could be interesting,” he said in an interview. “But I am not clear on how this is going to be executed, because as far as I understand landmines are still there. Unless that issue is resolved, I don’t know how they’re going to do anything with it.”Williams is a Vietnam War veteran and was one of the founding members of the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation (VVAF) dedicated to removing landmines around the world, primarily in Southeast Asia. The group, which is no longer active, received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997 along with other organizations for their efforts to identify landmines and help experts and local governments remove them.Williams was also a winner of the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2006, the most notable priz

May 13, 2015By Kim Se-jeong
'Remove mines first to build park in DMZ'
South Korea

Seoul, HanaTour to pay for overseas trips for 11 interracial couples

By Kim Se-jeong The Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) and HanaTour will pay for overseas trips for 11 interracial couples in Seoul who could not go on a honeymoon because of financial difficulties or other reasons.The couples will leave on Saturday for Phuket, Thailand, and spend four nights there.“We wanted to give the couples a chance to travel,” Chung Young-jun, director of the multicultural division at SMG, said. “We hope the couples will come back with memorable experiences and a stronger bond.”Immigrant spouses often have a tough time after getting married as they start a new life in an unfamiliar environment. This often damages the relationship, resulting in domestic violence or separation. The situation is worse if the couple also struggle with money.HanaTour will pay the airfares and accommodation for the couples.“I would like my body and soul to recover through this trip,” said one of the winners. The Chinese immigrant, who did not disclose her name, said she has been living in Korea for 12 years with her Korean husband and three c

May 13, 2015By Kim Se-jeong
South Korea

Another humidifier sterilizer victim dies

By Kim Se-jeong A woman who contracted a lung disease after using humidifier sterilizers since 2001 died last week, pushing the death toll from the products to 142, a civic environmental health organization said Monday.According to the Asian Citizen’s Center on Environment and Health (ACCEH), a civic organization representing victims of humidifier sterilizers, Lee Si-yeon, 45, had used products made by Oxy Reckitt Benckiser, a British sterilizer manufacturer, since 2001.Health authorities confirmed in April this year that the humidifier sterilizers were the main cause of her lung problem.She had pulmonary fibrosis when she died at Chungnam National University Hospital where she was admitted on May 4. Pulmonary fibrosis causes the organ walls to thicken, reducing oxygen supply to the blood.Relatives of humidifier sterilizer victims plan to visit England to protest about the company’s alleged negligence. The families and ACCEH representatives are expected to visit the company on May 18.According to ACCEH, Lee began using the products in 2001. She used an average of fou

May 11, 2015By Kim Se-jeong
South Korea

Artificial lawns at 174 schools contaminated

By Kim Se-jeong Researchers said Friday artificial lawns on playgrounds of 174 schools nationwide have hazardous substances at higher levels than permitted, posing a health threat to children.According to FITI Testing & Research Institute and Korea Sports Promotion Foundation (KSPF), both public organizations, 1,037 schools were tested for lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chrome, benzopyrene and 11 other hazardous substances. Of them, 174 schools were found to have lawns that contain at least one substance at the level higher than the regulated amount. Gyeonggi Province had the largest number of schools with contaminated lawns with 41, followed by Seoul, Busan, Ulsan and Daegu.In the case of Dongji High School in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, the test found 472.8 milligrams of benzopyrene per kilogram in its lawns, 470 times higher than the amount allowed. Benzopyrene causes lung cancer. At Gadeok Elementary School in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, 11,733 milligrams of lead were found per kilogram. Two schools have banned students from entering their lawns

May 8, 2015By Kim Se-jeong
South Korea

Korea's 'Clean Hands' quizzed over bribery allegation

By Kim Se-jeongSouth Gyeongsang Governor Hong Joon-pyo is surrounded by reporters upon arriving at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office in southern Seoul, Friday. / YonhapSouth Gyeongsang Province Governor Hong Joon-pyo was once compared to Antonio De Pietro, Italy’s mafia-busting prosecutor dubbed “Clean Hands.” A popular TV series called “Sandglass” was made in the 1980s about Hong’s daring fight against organized crime.Now, the 60-year-old former four-term lawmaker has found himself on the other side of an interrogation table. The prosecution plans to indict him on charges of taking bribes from the late Keangnam Enterprises Chairman Sung Woan-jong.Appearing at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office in southern Seoul, Friday, he is the first person to be summoned of the eight politicians named in a memo left by Sung before he killed himself in early April.“I am sorry for causing public concern because of what’s happening,” Hong told reporters as he was entering the office.When asked if he received a bribe, he smiled saying,

May 8, 2015By Kim Se-jeong
Korea's 'Clean Hands' quizzed over bribery allegation
  • Governor Hong questioned for 17 hours
South Korea

Lotte World aquarium and theater to reopen May 12

By Kim Se-jeong The aquarium and theater at Lotte World Mall in southern Seoul will reopen Tuesday after operations were suspended for 140 days by the Seoul Metropolitan Government.The city government announced its decision to allow the two facilities to resume their businesses on Friday. It also allowed the construction of a concert hall to resume.“After a series of safety inspections on the facilities and consultations with experts, the city concluded that the facilities carry no structural defects,” Jin Hee-seon from the city government said.However, the reopening came with conditions. Lotte is now required to conduct safety inspections on the entire building on a regular basis and to disclose the results to the public through its website.“Although there are no structural problems, Lotte should come up with measures to alleviate safety concerns that the public has,” Jin said. Also she warned if the same issues happen again, Lotte will face much harsher punishment.The Lotte World Mall opened in October with an aquarium, theater, concert hall and 1,000 r

May 8, 2015By Kim Se-jeong
Travel & Food

Residents love Marriott's fitness center

Marriott Executive Apartments, Yeouido Park Centre is located in the financial hub of Seoul. / Courtesy of Marriott Executive Apartments, Yeouido Park CentreJimmy, who hails from China, is the managing director of a Korean branch of a multinational company.In the morning, Jimmy, who requested to be known only by his first name for this article, runs to his apartment buildings fitness center to work out and then grabs a quick bite at Park Cafe, also in his apartment building, before going to the office.He lives alone in Seoul at Marriott Executive Apartments, Yeouido Park Centre. However, he spends very little time in his apartment and rarely cooks or eats there.Jimmy said the fitness center and the peace and quiet are what he likes most about the Marriott Executive Apartments, which are located in Yeouido on the Han River, which is home to many financial organizations.The gym at Marriott Executive Apartments has 108 pieces of equipment. I prefer to have peace and quiet when I go home, a more peaceful atmosphere, he said as to why he decided to stay at the Marriott Executive

May 7, 2015By Kim Se-jeong
Residents love Marriott's fitness center
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