South Korea - The Korea Times

'Pro-NK' professor

Shin Eun-mi, a music professor being investigated for her alleged sympathy toward North Korea, meets reporters before entering the Seoul MetropolitanPolice Agency for questioning, Sunday. She allegedly made pro-North Korea remarks during forums since 2011. Prosecutors have banned her from leaving the country. / Yonhap

Dec 14, 2014

Labor strife in Ssangyong

Two Ssangyong Motor union members protest atop a 70-meter chimney at the company’s plant in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, Sunday. They say they will not come down until management agrees to reinstate 153 laid-off workers. The union is protesting against a recent Supreme Court ruling that a mass layoff by the company in 2009 was lawful. / Yonhap

Dec 14, 2014

Saenuri leader joins charity

Ruling Saenuri Party Chairman Kim Moo-sung, second from right in the second row, makes gimjang during a charity event at the public stadium in the southeastern city of Jinju, Sunday. / Yonhap

Dec 14, 2014

Murder suspect

Park Chun-bong, 56, a Korean Chinese prime suspect in a recent murder, is escorted to Suwon District Court, Gyeonggi Province, Sunday, for a review of a request for an arrest warrant from prosecutors for murdering his lover, 48, also a Korean Chinese, and discarding her mutilated body. Park was arrested after the court issued the warrant, citing him as a flight risk. / Yonhap

Dec 14, 2014

Korean Air gives yellow card if you don't bow properly

Yellow card / Courtesy of Korean AirLine FlightCrewUnionThe Korean Air union has recently posted a picture of a yellow card on their online community, revealing that the company has been giving out warnings to those who do not bow to executives. Accumulated yellow cards affect an employee’s performance assessment, according to the union.A union member with the ID “macadamia,” posted “A sign of ‘Nutrage’ posted in 2013” on the website Korean AirLine FlightCrewUnion, Saturday. The card specifies how disrespectfully a person bowed to seniors including their name, date, and place. The periodical published by the flight crew union first disclosed the story in their 96th edition last year. The story, however, went viral after the company’s heiress Heather Cho, stood at the center of criticism for the “nut rage” happening. Cho ordered a flight back to the gate at New York’s JFK International Airport last week, because a flight attendant gave her a packet of macadamia nuts instead of serving them on a plate.

Dec 14, 2014By Kim Jae-heun

Korean Air gives yellow card if you don't bow properly

'You are valuable assets for our future'

Prime Minister Chung Hong-wonPrime Minister's messageI would like to congratulate the winners of the 3rd Korea Multicultural Youth Awards, a significant award in our society. I would like to deliver a strong round of applause to encourage the young multicultural students who are chasing their dreams despite various difficulties and challenges.The development of science and technology has made the whole world a global village. I have no doubt young students with various cultural backgrounds will be valuable assets for our future.The government is also striving and will continue to strive to do our best to provide more and better opportunities, including specific educational programs, so that the students with multicultural background can tackle challenges with great confidence.I hope each and every one of you trust in your potential and qualities and strive forward so that you can realize your dreams. I wish the best for everyone.Thank you.

Dec 14, 2014

'You are valuable assets for our future'

A model airplane and calendar for 'nut rage'

Korean Air model airplane / Korea Times fileA 32 year-old woman surnamed Park, who reportedly was in the same first class cabin as Heather Cho of “nut rage” fame criticized Korean Air’s immature action to offer a model airplane and calendar instead of apologizing. According to Yonhap news agency, Park received a call from Korean Air ten days after she first called them to complain. She expected the company to make an official apology, but representatives only asked her to defend it if she were interviewed by the media.“The company asked me to tell the media that I received an apology from them. Later, they announced an official but insincere apology because they were worried about their image and it made me angrier,” said Park. Park previously testified to the prosecution about Heather Cho’s involvement in verbal abuse and violence. Cho allegedly returned the plane back to the gate in JFK International airport on Dec. 5, to kick off a flight attendant.

Dec 14, 2014By Kim Jae-heun

A model airplane and calendar for 'nut rage'

Sex hormone injection okay for gay enlistee, court rules

/ The Korea Times fileKorean national court ruled Thursday not guilty for a homosexual enlistee who repeatedly injected himself a sex hormone steroid to avoid entering the obligatory military service, a local online newspaper said Sunday.The 22-year-old only identified by surname Kim entered the military service in September 2011. But as a person of the sexual minority group, he feared the environment where he was surrounded by male comrades. He reported to one of his superiors about his sexual identity and was sent home as a temporary measure.During his time away from the barrack, Kim was informed by another homosexual man that he could permanently avoid going back to the barrack if he injected himself a sex hormone steroid. According to the source, he self-injected the steroid 17 times over 10 months.Kim then had his body examined for re-entrance to the service, dressed as a transvestite. Military officials, however, got hold of him and subjected him to a court’s judgment.Supreme Court ruled Kim not guilty in the first and second trials. The court took into consideration that

Dec 14, 2014By Ko Dong-hwan