Seoul, Feb 23 (IANS) South Korea’s financial watchdog said on Sunday it has requested authorities to block access to 1,428 websites and online posts accused of facilitating illegal financial investment schemes.
The Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) said it made the request to the Korea Communications Standards Commission after reviewing 4,325 reports and complaints filed last year.
Of those cases, the FSS requested police investigations into 60 cases deemed to involve concrete illegal acts, reports Yonhap news agency.
The most common type of investment scam involved scammers impersonating officials from securities firms or registered investment companies, accounting for 28 cases, the FSS said.
The second most prevalent type was fraudulent investment advisory services, with 14 cases, followed by illegal investment trading schemes, with 11 cases, the watchdog added.
Meanwhile, the government will raise its subsidy for hydrogen fuel-cell buses from 3,600 won (US$2.51) per kilogram of fuel to 5,000 won starting next month as part of efforts to boost the use of eco-friendly public transportation, the transport ministry said on Sunday.
The transportation ministry has been offering subsidies for hydrogen fuel-cell buses since September 2021 in line with the 2030 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) goal and its plan to substitute 25 percent of all metropolitan buses in the greater Seoul area with hydrogen-powered buses by 2030.
The bus industry has been slow to introduce hydrogen fuel-cell buses due to high fuel costs compared to electric buses, and the lack of hydrogen charging and maintenance stations in the country.
The increase in the subsidy for hydrogen fuel is expected to cut operation costs by 22 percent and lower the yearly fuel cost to levels similar to electric buses, according to the ministry.
—IANS
na/
