Category: Korea-General Topics

For anyone that was wondering, it is illegal to burn a South Korean flag and can get you sentenced up to 5 years in jail:

Prosecutors said Thursday they have indicted a South Korean man on charges of burning the national flag during a rally commemorating the first anniversary of the deadly ferry disaster.

The 23-year-old, only identified by his surname Kim, is accused of burning the flag during the April 18 rally in downtown Seoul and damaging a police vehicle, the Seoul Central Prosecutors’ Office said.

“I was in a rage after witnessing the government authorities illegally taking the bereaved families to police stations instead of focusing on the investigation into the cause of the accident,” he told the prosecutors.

In South Korea, flag burning is an offense that is punishable by up to five years in prison or a fine of up to 7 million won (US$6,100).

Kim is also accused of causing 6.9 million won (US$6,000) in damage to a police vehicle along with other protesters and obstructing traffic in central Seoul.

Thousands of demonstrators staged rallies at Seoul Plaza in front of Seoul City Hall in April and May to mark the anniversary of the sinking of the Sewol ferry that claimed 304 lives.  [Yonhap]

You can read more at the link.

Stalwarts of the Seoul protest scene: conservative older folks who hate left-wingers, NK leaders and sexual freedom. pic.twitter.com/FRIc8IXeVn

— Alastair Gale (@AlastairGale) October 27, 2015

Since the liquor industry has to pay for this payment increase I can understand why they are not happy about it, but restaurants will definitely be making more money by recycling all their bottles:

The Environment Ministry’s decision to raise cash payments for used soju and beer bottles starting next year faces a slew of challenges, including protests from liquor companies, concerns about bottle supplies and worries that prices could rise as a result.

On Sept. 3, the ministry announced a new cash-for-bottles recycling plan, in which liquor makers would pay more for returned, used bottles.

The refunded deposits, as they are called, will rise from 40 won (36 cents) for a 360-mililiter (1.5-cup) soju bottle to 100 won, and from 50 won for 500-mililiter and 600-mililiter beer bottles to 130 won.

A recycling commission that liquor companies pay wholesale and retail distributors, such as restaurants and department stores, or individual brokers who collect empty bottles, will be raised from 16 won to 33 won for soju bottles and from 19 won to 33 won for beer bottles.

The ministry believes the bigger payments for empties will encourage recycling.

Currently, about 85 percent of nearly nine billion bottles used every year are returned to the makers, according to government data. The ministry expects the rate to rise to 95 percent under the new policy.  [Joong Ang Ilbo]

You can read the rest at the link.

South Korea considering new law to combat North Korea cyberattacks https://t.co/mTkF9CkAfr

— NorthKoreaRealTime (@BuckTurgidson79) October 23, 2015

Struggling to find your way in Korea? Look at our Top 10 Transportation apps of 2015! http://t.co/POrk9EYsJF #korea #travel #apps

— 10 Magazine Korea (@10_Magazine) October 16, 2015

These leftist teachers in South Korea only help justify President Park’s efforts to have the government provide school textbooks when classes which include pro-North Korean propaganda and wishing President Park was never born are taught:

The Ministry of Education on Thursday launched an investigation at a high school in Seoul over a report that one of its teachers had shown a video clip containing questionable remarks about President Park Geun-hye and her late father.

The ministry sent two auditors to the high school, located in Gangnam District in southern Seoul, to question the teacher who showed the controversial video and three students.

A civic group claimed Wednesday that the teacher had shown a controversial video clip last month during class. The Blue Union civic group said it recently received a tip from a student about what happened in the classroom on Sept. 18.   [Joong Ang Ilbo]

You can read the rest at the link.

Gosorisul is #Jeju's authentic #soju and there is only one family left making it in the traditional way.http://t.co/fu3Wg0pAWz

— The Jeju Weekly (@JejuWeekly) October 16, 2015

Park visits NASA space flight center http://t.co/zm6dllKue6

— Yonhap News Agency (@YonhapNews) October 14, 2015

This was a good way for President Park to begin here visit to the US:

President Park Geun-hye on Wednesday paid tribute to Americans troops killed in the 1950-53 Korean War as she began the second day of her visit to the United States.

Park laid down wreaths at the Korean War Veterans Memorial and observed a moment of silence as a military brass band played somber music.

“I came here to convey South Koreans’ mind that (we) will not forget those who helped us when we were in trouble,” Park told a group of surviving veterans and family members of those who served in the war at the ceremony that drew about 120 people.

High-profile participants included Clifton Truman Daniel, the eldest grandson of former U.S. President Harry Truman; and retired Col. Thomas Fergusson, a grandson of Edward Almond, the late commanding general of the U.S. X Corps.

Almond helped about 98,000 North Korean refugees evacuate by deciding to dump all weapons overboard to get more refugees aboard evacuation ships at the port of Heungnam in 1950.

Park also later shook hands with some of the participants.

“You are a true hero. Countless of Koreans are alive today thanks to you,” Park told retired Rear Adm. J. Robert Lunney, who served as a crew member of the S.S. Meredith Victory that brought 14,000 North Korean refugees from Heungnam to South Korea during the war.  [Yonhap]

You can read the rest at the link.

This persistent disease continues to afflict one Korean who is the last known MERS case in South Korea:

The patient once thought to be the last South Korean with Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) has been rediagnosed with the viral disease, officials said Monday.

The 35-year-old patient, who had tested negative for the MERS virus in two tests on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, has been infected again, the Health Ministry said.

Earlier in the day, the ministry said the patient had been admitted to Seoul National University Hospital with a high fever. Doctors and relatives who had come in contact with the patient, 61 individuals in total, were quarantined.

After the patient had tested negative, the government was to officially declare the end of the MERS outbreak on Oct. 29, 28 days after the test results became available.

No additional cases or fatalities from MERS had been reported since July until Monday.  [Korea Times]

You can read the rest at the link, but this year a total of 36 people died of MERS in South Korea which had a mortality rate of 19.4%.