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[Misc] (HL-20190324~20190330) Weekly Headlines
최고관리자  |  19-03-22 10:58

Police to investigate clinic over propofol allegations involving Hotel Shilla CEO

The police on Thursday opened a preliminary investigation into a plastic surgery clinic where Lee Boo-jin, the Hotel Shilla CEO and daughter of Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Kun-hee, allegedly received injections of propofol, a short-acting sedative and anesthetic drug. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, the Seoul Gangnam Police Station and public health officials conducted an on-site inspection to check the clinic’s drug management procedures amid allegations that Lee took the drug illegally at the clinic in the affluent Cheongdam neighborhood in southern Seoul. Propofol, which was blamed for the death of US pop icon Michael Jackson, is a powerful sedative used as a general anesthetic. It reduces anxiety but may cause hallucinations. In Korea, it was classified as a psychotropic medicine in 2011 and its use is illegal other than for stipulated medical treatments.

North Korea withdraws from inter-Korea liaison office

North Korea officials have pulled out from the joint liaison office with South Korea, which opened in the North’s border town of Kaesong in September 2018. The order for withdrawal came from superior authorities in the North, according to the Seoul’s Ministry of Unification on Friday. The ministry said South Korean officials will continue to work at the office as the North said it does not care whether they remain or withdraw from the place. The government regrets Pyongyang’s decision to withdraw and hopes it will return to the liaison office to normalize the operations, the Unification Ministry said.

Inside South Korea’s boom in preschool English books

In a country where 4 in 10 adults read less than one book written in their native language per year, an unlikely segment of the book market is thriving: English books for children. Lee Seung-a, an 8-year-old elementary student, is one contributor to this boom. Currently on a challenge to read 1,000 English books, she tries to read as many English titles as possible. Just past the 300-book mark at the moment, her absolute favorites so far are from the “Pigeon” series by Mo Willems. 

Mueller report - Trump camp celebrates but danger is not past yet

At about 4.30pm on Friday, the wait was over. Special counsel Robert Mueller’s report into Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election was handed to the justice department. But it was still not clear if the baby was a boy or a girl, or if the jury found the defendant guilty or not guilty. The conclusions of the Mueller investigation remained under lock and key, Washington’s biggest secret, fuelling feverish speculation. As Attorney General William Barr considers how much of the report to make public, a moment of truth that could break the Trump presidency, millions of Americans remain on the edge of their seats over the defining questions of whether he colluded with Moscow to win election and sought to obstruct justice once in the White House. But one fact was established with certainty this week: after an investigation costing millions of dollars and spanning 674 days, hundreds of interviews, thousands of documents and criminal charges against 34 individuals – including six in Trump’s inner circle – Mueller will not recommend any further indictments. It therefore appeared that Trump’s son, Don Jr, and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, were off the hook.

Seoul ranks as 7th most expensive city in the world

South Korea‘s capital city, Seoul, ranks as the seventh most expensive city in the world to live in this year, a survey showed Saturday. The Worldwide Cost of Living Survey, conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit, measures the prices of more than 150 items in 133 cities across the globe, with the index for New York set as a benchmark of 100. According to the latest WCL poll, Seoul ranked seventh, on a par with New York, down one notch from the previous survey. Singapore, Paris and Hong Kong are the joint most expensive cities in the world with an index of 107, followed by Zurich of Switzerland with 106, and its sister Geneva and Japan’s Osaka coming next with 101 each. Tokyo is 4 percent cheaper than New York and Seoul to live in, while Shanghai is the most expensive city in mainland China, ranking 25th on the global chart with an index of 85.

Ban on disposable plastic bags to take effect April 1

Use of disposable plastic bags will be banned at large retailers nationwide, starting next month, as part of the government's efforts to reduce waste and conserve the environment, the Ministry of Environment said Wednesday. The ministry said about 2,000 hypermarkets and approximately 11,000 big supermarkets with sales floor space of 165 square meters or more will be prohibited from offering disposable plastic bags to their clients from April 1. Department stores and large shopping malls are also subject to the revised enforcement regulation of the Act on the Promotion of Saving and Recycling of Resources, the ministry said. Retailers that violate the ban could face fines of up to 3 million won (around $2,644). Plastic containers for wet goods, such as meat and fish, muddy vegetables and ice cream that can melt in ordinary temperatures will still be allowed.