"The illegal sale of children makes up more than half of all the cases of human trafficking around the world, according to recent estimates.
Traditionally it has involved the exploitation of children in poorer nations, but an Al Jazeera investigation has found that it is also happening in developed countries, such as South Korea.
For four months, Al Jazeera surfed community boards on popular Korean Internet sites, and found an underground trade where pregnant women can sell their unborn children."
While mention of the DMZ conjures images of stone-faced soldiers, barbed-wire fences, guns and guard towers, the area between North and South Korea has remained virtually untouched by humans for more than 55 years.
As a result, the DMZ has essentially become a 2.5-mile-wide, 155-mile-long nature park that is home to more than 50 species of mammals, roughly 200 kinds of birds and in excess of 1,000 plant species. Some of the birds and animals that live or visit here are threatened or endangered.
Now a movement is under way to protect the natural wonders of the DMZ from perhaps their greatest threat — peace and the reunification of the peninsula.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Il - known for shunning air travel - has six luxurious trains equipped with reception halls, conference rooms and high-tech communication facilities, a South Korean newspaper reported Monday. http://www.wcbs880.com/KIm-Jong-Il-Rides-Tricked-Out-Train/5630690North Korean leader Kim Jong Il - known for shunning air travel - has six luxurious... more
A woman who had tried to pass the written exam for a driver’s license almost every day since April 2005 has finally succeeded, on her 950th attempt. The woman, Cha Sa-soon, 68, spent more than $4,200 in application fees, but until Wednesday had failed to score the minimum 60 points out of a possible 100 needed to get behind the wheel for a driving test. She finally passed the written exam with a score of 60, said Choi Young-chul, a police official in Jeonju, and now she must pass the driving test. Ms. Cha told The Korea Times that she needed the license for her vegetable-selling business.http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/05/AR2009110505644.html... more
A South Korean woman is celebrating after passing the written exam for a driving licence - on her 950th attempt.
After four years of trying, 68-year-old Cha Sa-soon finally managed to secure the 60 out of 100 points needed to pass the test.
The grandmother has spent more than 5m won ($4,200, £2,600) on application fees for the test.
Now Mrs Cha, who lives in Jeonju, 130 miles (210km) south of Seoul, must pass the practical test to get on the road.
'Don't give up'
According to the Korean Driver's Licence Agency, the 50-minute written test consists of 50 multiple-choice questions on road regulations and car maintenance.
Mrs Cha had been trying to pass it since 13 April 2005, the Korea Times reported.
She wanted a licence so that she could use a vehicle to sell vegetables and other goods, the newspaper said.
And her determination to pass the test has made her well-known at the Jeonju centre.
"She is really famous here. Not only agency employees but even some test-takers know her. Her challenging spirit is really amazing," one official was quoted as saying.
determination pays. But is she ready for the LA freeway? Is anybody?A South Korean woman is celebrating after passing the written exam for a driving... more
EOUL, South Korea (AP) -- A disgraced South Korean scientist who falsely claimed to have achieved major breakthroughs in stem cell research was convicted Monday of charges connected to his research and faced sentencing later in the day.
Hwang Woo-suk, 56, was charged with accepting funds under false pretenses, embezzling and illegally buying human eggs for his research, which carry a total maximum penalty of life in prison. It was not immediately clear which charges he was convicted of.
Prosecutors have demanded a four-year prison term for the man once hailed as a national hero for his purported scientific breakthroughs. Sentencing was due to take place later Monday at Seoul Central District Court.
In 2004, Hwang and former colleagues at Seoul National University claimed in a paper published in the journal Science that they had created the world's first cloned human embryos - and had extracted stem cells from them.
Stem cell research is highly sensitive, and Hwang had been the only South Korean scientist allowed to carry out studies on the master cells that scientists say could lead to revolutionary cures for hard-to-treat diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
A year later, Hwang's team also claimed in the journal that they had created human embryonic stem cells genetically matched to specific patients, a purported breakthrough that promised a way to withstand rejection by a patient's immune system.
However, a university committee declared that the 2005 paper was based on faked data, and cast doubt on his 2004 findings as well. The journal Science retracted both papers.
The South Korean government stripped him of the license to carry out stem cell research in 2006, citing "ethical problems." Hwang was charged later that yearEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- A disgraced South Korean scientist who falsely claimed to... more
``Ars Nova,'' the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra's contemporary classical music program, opens its 2009 season this week in Seoul featuring electronic music.
``Do you think electronic music is difficult? Cell phone ring tones and other tunes you come across on a daily basis are electronic music. Come and discover the charms of electronic music through our upcoming concerts,'' Chin Unsuk, composer-in-residence of the Seoul Philharmonic, told reporters in Seoul last week.
Ars Nova III will commence Thursday at 8 p.m. at Seoul Arts Center and Ars Nova IV will be staged Saturday at 8 p.m. at KNUA Hall, Korea National University of Arts.
This year, the Seoul Philharmonic has collaborated with IRCAM (Institute de Recherche et Coordination Acoustique/Musique), a French modern music institute founded by Maestro Pierre Boulez, to introduce four pieces developed at the institute: ``Anthemes 2'' by Boulez, ``Double Bind'' by Chin (Asia premiere), ``Nemo'' by Finnish composer Jukka Tiensuu (Asia premiere) and ``Resonance'' by German composer York Holler.
``Electronic music is a genre that holds the most important meaning in contemporary music. As much as German composer Karlheinz Stockhausen once predicted that instrument-rendered music will eventually disappear in the future and only computer-generated electronic music will remain, my faith in electronic music is strong,'' said Chin.
``In traditional methods of composition, a composer cannot be sure of what kind of music will be delivered until a piece is actually played,'' explained the composer. ``Electronic music on the other hand appeals to the composer since one can fully control the form in which it will be presented to the audience.''
Nevertheless, electronic music remains something of a mystery to the average concertgoer.
``Modern man is constantly exposed to electronic music in the form of cell phone ring tones and such. It is in reality a very easy and common type of music but people think it is difficult when it is presented as an art form,'' she said.
``Electronic music ranges broadly from esoteric, difficult-to-hear pieces to easy-to-approach ones. The upcoming concerts will feature pieces that can be effortlessly enjoyed, and I hope concertgoers will discover the beauty of electronic music.''``Ars Nova,'' the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra's contemporary classical music program,... more
Photographs of the annual air show in Seoul, South Korea, which opened on Tuesday, October 20, 2009.Photographs of the annual air show in Seoul, South Korea, which opened on Tuesday,... more
Sven-Goran Eriksson and Peter Trembling are heading to east Asia this week to hold final talks on a deal that could see the former England manager become the coach of the North Korea team at next summer's World Cup.
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From The GuardianSven-Goran Eriksson and Peter Trembling are heading to east Asia this week to hold... more
A Goshiwon is a small, economic, and flexible place to stay while on an extended stay in Korea. In a Goshiwon you don’t usually need to put down any, "Keymoney" or a deposit. Typically, the prices run anywhere from 200,000 Won for a SMALL room to 400,000 Won for a nicer and cleaner SMALL room. I lived in, Dub-cell Goshiwon, located in the nice area of Seodaemun-gu and paid 340,000 Won per month. Mine was equipped with cable television, a small fridge, DSL internet connection, a community kitchen, community bathrooms, showers, and a washing machine. It also provided free laundry soap, toilette paper, cooked rice, and bar soap. Though, you might opt not to use the bar soap. One of the biggest perks is you don’t have to worry about utilities. The monthly rent it is all inclusive. I even negotiated with the owner to pay on a day-by-day basis because ear the end of my stay I was not sure how long I was going to stay exactly. Again, it is all depends on you and the Goshiwon owner.
The Goshiwon is supposed to be a quiet place and not a place for friends to gather. In fact, many university students either live in them or rent them during exams to study round the clock. Other people seem to be of low income status or in transition to something greater. Mine was very quiet for the most part. Occasionally I heard a faint TV in the background. Quite often I heard my neighbors "handphone" vibrating. The walls are usually extremely thin and even light talking can find its way around the building.
I have seen some that don’t allow foreigners and others that are girls only. Though, there’s usually another not too far away. One more thing don’t forget to negotiate the price!A Goshiwon is a small, economic, and flexible place to stay while on an extended stay... more
22 South Korean Twitterers sing 'The dream of goose (by Carnival)' together on online.
Each participants sang themselves and record their voice as digital format (mp3, wav, wma...)
After then, their recorded digital files were collected by the organiser and mixed by digital editing program.
Also, ME2day, which is one of South Korean Micro-blog site, users plan similar project on online.
Lee Dong-un cried and held the hands of his 60-year-old North Korean daughter Saturday during their first meeting in more than half a century. They were one of hundreds of families reuniting as part of a program revived by Pyongyang in an effort to ease tensions with South Korea.
The meeting was bittersweet for Lee, who left behind his pregnant wife and daughter, then 2 years old, in North Korea when he fled to the South during the Korean War. The 84-year-old burst into tears after his daughter told him his pregnant wife was killed when a bomb fell on her North Korean town.
"I always thought about you. I've never dreamed that we could meet," the elder Lee said, according to South Korean media pool reports. No foreign journalists were invited to the reunions.
The reunions are the first between the divided countries in nearly two years. Pyongyang suspended the program in 2007 in retaliation for conservative South Korean President Lee Myung-bak's get-tough policy toward the North.Lee Dong-un cried and held the hands of his 60-year-old North Korean daughter Saturday... more
Table football has evolved with MaruBot Table Soccer. Instead of spinning players around on metal poles, you get the hi-tech joy of contolling the little robot players, with arcade joysticks. There are two robots for each team and the aim of the game remains the same.
MaruBot Table Soccer is only available in Korea, but definitely has potential overseas.Table football has evolved with MaruBot Table Soccer. Instead of spinning players... more
Every Soldier has a story. Each has reasons why they choose to serve in the military. Some come into the profession of arms with intent of paying for college, others to escape poverty or the mundane existence of growing up in a small town.Every Soldier has a story. Each has reasons why they choose to serve in the military.... more
Actress Jang Jin-young died Tuesday afternoon after battling stomach cancer for nearly a year.
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The actress is best known for her role in ``The Scent of Love'' as a woman dying of stomach cancer.
She began her career as a model and participated in the 1993 Miss Korea beauty contest before making the switch to acting. Since making her film debut in 1998, Jang has received critical praise and won a number of awards for her work.
From KoreatimesActress Jang Jin-young died Tuesday afternoon after battling stomach cancer for nearly... more
Pertinent questions from liberatelaura. Did Chun Ki-won warn them not to cross the border? Why at that spot? For what purpose? Where were they arrested? What was the interrogation like?
I hope Laura and Euna have fully recovered from their ordeal and are ready for frank talk.Pertinent questions from liberatelaura. Did Chun Ki-won warn them not to cross the... more
Damn, they look so good together. But, then again, Leighton has chemestry with just about everyone. Ed Westwick & Leighton Meester grace the cover of Elle Korea for the September 2009 Issue. The photo of her on the cover isn't very flattering, but I love the photoshoot pics. Both stars looked amazing in vintage pieces. What do you think of Ed and Leighton's Elle Korea shots?Damn, they look so good together. But, then again, Leighton has chemestry with just... more
Photographs from the Naro rocket launch in Goheung, South Korea on Tuesday, August 25, 2009.Photographs from the Naro rocket launch in Goheung, South Korea on Tuesday, August 25,... more
