Portal Sites Headlines

- SBS TV program ‘SOS 24’ broadcast a story about a man who was abducted 10 years ago when he was 23 and taken to a small island. He has been forced to work there for 14 hours a day without proper meals. Viewers bent their anger and over 1,300 people posted angry messages on the program bulletin board. He saved only W22,000 for 10 years. The viewing rate of the program was 20.1 per cent.

- Kim Yong-ik, social policy chief in Cheong Wa Dae, said the government could seriously review the petition submitted by the association of high schools of foreign language that the government should postpone its controversial plan until the year 2010. The government announced a plan to restrict student entry to foreign language high schools according to region, which means a student only can enter a high school of foreign language within his/her neighborhood.

- Samsung Driving Safety Culture Research Center gave out a report on how watching TV via DMB influences driving safety. The report concluded that watching TV while driving is more dangerous that driving under the influence.


- A video clip showing an elementary teacher slapping first graders in the face sent a shock wave throughout the country. In Korea, teachers’ physical punishment of student has been generously accepted in the name of love. But after a series of reported cases of harsh punishments, increasing voice are pointing to a new system under which teachers can effectively admonish students without physical punishments.

- Outgoing Seoul Mayor Lee Myoung-bak criticized yesterday Hyundai Labor Union for staging a work-out. He said he didn’t understand why such high-paid workers went on strike. “Local employees in Hyundai plants yearly earn $10,000 more than their counterparts in Alabama,” pointing that the workout is unjustifiable. On the possibility of a female president in the next election, he said it depends on the stability of a country. He took an example of US opinion polls that suggested a majority of people disapprove a female president, and cautiously hinted Korea is not ready for one.