[Herald Interview] 'Korea, don't repeat Hong Kong's mistakes on foreign caregivers'

Fifty-one years ago, during Hong Kong's "golden era" of social reform, then-Gov. Murray MacLehose established a framework to bring in low-wage foreign workers for domestic and care work. This policy aimed to encourage educated, upper- and middle-class local women to enter the workforce — a rationale similar to that of the Seoul city government's foreign caregiver pilot program today. Though now facing different socioeconomic conditions, some South Korean politicians and

PoliticsNov. 13, 2024

Police investigate mutilated body of kitten found in Incheon

Incheon police said Wednesday it has launched an investigation into possible animal cruelty case, after the body of a beheaded kitten was found the previous day. Officials at the Incheon Gyeyang Police Station received the report of the kitten at around 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Police said it will investigate the surveillance footage of the area around the lot, to determine whether this is a case of animal cruelty or if the kitten had been killed by another animal. Another potential animal cruelty

Social AffairsNov. 13, 2024

Court decides against live broadcast of Lee's sentencing trial

A court on Wednesday decided not to permit a live broadcast for the upcoming sentencing trial of opposition leader Lee Jae-myung in his alleged election law violation case. The Seoul Central District Court said it will not allow real-time filming or broadcast of Lee's sentencing trial, slated for Friday, "in comprehensive consideration of the relevant legal interests." The court is set to make its judgment on Lee's charges of violating the election law by making false stateme

PoliticsNov. 13, 2024

N. Korea stays silent on Trump's win for 1 week

North Korea has remained mum about former US President Donald Trump's reelection for a week, despite the significance the outcome might hold for the North's leader Kim Jong-un and his regime. As of early Wednesday, none of the North's state media had published any articles, commentaries, or broadcasts about Trump's election victory, although this is not rare considering that it took a similar course in the past. North Korea has a track record of delaying reports on US preside

North KoreaNov. 13, 2024

S. Korea, US, Japan to hold 2nd trilateral Freedom Edge exercise this week

South Korea, the United States and Japan were set to begin their second trilateral multi-domain exercise on Wednesday, the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said, in ongoing efforts to strengthen security cooperation against North Korea amid its deepening alignment with Russia. The three-day exercise will take place in international waters south of South Korea's southern resort island of Jeju, the JCS said, around four months after the inaugural exercise was conducted in accordance with an

DefenseNov. 13, 2024

Military commander to face 10-year sentence for trainee’s death due to 'extra punishment'

Prosecutors have sought 10 and seven-year prison terms for an Army training center’s company and deputy commanders, accusing them of ordering unauthorized “extra punishment” that led to a conscripted soldier's death. On Tuesday, the Chuncheon District Court held the final hearing for the company commander surnamed Kang and the deputy company commander surnamed Nam, who were indicted on charges of abusing their power. The defendants are accused of conducting unauthorized

Social AffairsNov. 13, 2024

US Air Force to retire A-10 attack aircraft in S. Korea by fiscal year 2025

The US military will decommission its aging fleet of A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft stationed in South Korea by the fiscal year 2025 following a 42-year service, its Air Force said Tuesday, portraying the planned retirement as a transition to "cutting-edge" upgrades. The decommissioning of the aircraft, noted for tank-busting skills in combat zones in Iraq and Afghanistan, comes as the US Air Force has been pushing for a military modernization initiative in the face of evolving se

Foreign AffairsNov. 13, 2024

Former US nuke envoy expects it won't take 'long' for NK issue to move toward top agenda for 2nd Trump govt.

A former US deputy secretary of state expected Tuesday that it won't take "long" for North Korea's security quandary to begin moving toward the top of the policy agenda for the incoming Trump administration as the recalcitrant regime could otherwise explore ways to draw attention. Stephen Biegun, who served as the State Department's No. 2 official and top nuclear envoy during the first Trump administration, made the remarks amid expectations that President-elect Donald T

Foreign AffairsNov. 13, 2024

US confirms N. Korean troops have begun engaging in combat operations in Russia's Kursk region

The United States confirmed Tuesday that North Korean troops, who have been deployed to Russia's western front-line Kursk region, have begun engaging in combat operations against Ukrainian forces. Vedant Patel, principal deputy spokesperson for the State Department, made the remarks amid growing concerns that the North's troop deployment could expand Moscow's protracted war in Ukraine with security implications for both Europe and the Indo-Pacific region. "We are incredibly

Foreign AffairsNov. 13, 2024

Unification council official says N. Korea would not open dialogue with US while being paid by Russia

The secretary general of South Korea's presidential advisory body on unification said Tuesday that North Korea would not engage in dialogue with the US as long as it is being paid by Russia for its troop deployment and other forms of military cooperation. Tae Yong-ho, the secretary general of the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council, made the remarks amid expectations that US President-elect Donald Trump could revive his personal diplomacy with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un after he ta

PoliticsNov. 13, 2024

[Graphic News] Korea’s app users spend more time on YouTube, Instagram

US-based social media platforms YouTube and Instagram saw their usage time among South Korean app users rise sharply in September from a year earlier, data showed, while locally based platforms like KakaoTalk and Naver lost ground. The total hours spent by Korean users on YouTube, the most popular app here, came to 1.8 billion hours in September, up 9.5 percent from a year earlier, according to data compiled by industry tracker Wiseapp. Instagram also saw its combined usage time reach 378 mill

Social AffairsNov. 13, 2024

Trump's unpredictable leadership could cost S. Korea: official

US President-elect Donald Trump’s high-stakes, unpredictable leadership could bring new "costs" to South Korea while giving allies a rare chance to translate decisions swiftly into action with greater momentum, a high-level Seoul official said Tuesday. "One risk factor lies in the increased uncertainty associated with President-elect Trump's leadership style, which amplifies unpredictability," a high-level Foreign Ministry official said during a closed-door press b

Foreign AffairsNov. 12, 2024

S. Korean students excel in global computer literacy assessment

South Korean students have achieved the top ranking among 32 countries in terms of computer literacy, and second place in computational thinking, assessed among 22 nations, according to the 2023 International Computer and Information Literacy Study. According to the report released by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement on Tuesday, South Korean middle school students scored an average of 540 in computer and information literacy, significantly surpassing th

Social AffairsNov. 12, 2024

Born weighing 260 g, Korea's smallest baby comes home as healthy infant

A baby weighing less than a large apple at birth has defied medical odds, heading home after six months of intensive care, Samsung Medical Center in Seoul said Tuesday. Lee Ye-rang weighed a mere 260 grams when she was born on April 22 this year at just 25 weeks and five days, setting a record as South Korea's smallest surviving infant. A typical newborn weighs about 3.2 kilograms. By the time of her discharge on Nov. 5, she weighed 3.19 kilograms. She was breathing on her own, without the

Social AffairsNov. 12, 2024

Yoon may meet Trump on way back from APEC, G20 summits

President Yoon Suk Yeol could stop by the United States to hold talks with US President-elect Donald Trump after two series of multilateral summits in South American countries he heads to later this week. When asked about the possibility of Yoon meeting Trump on the occasion of his upcoming trip to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Peru and the Group of 20 summit in Brazil, an official of the presidential office said Tuesday, "We are closely communicating with representatives

PoliticsNov. 12, 2024

Hagwon employee arrested for secretly filming female students

Police said Tuesday that a man in his 30s has been arrested on suspicion of secretly filming female students at a private academy, as well as other women in public spaces, to produce exploitative content. Gangwon Provincial Police said the suspect is accused of using smartphones to secretly film 17 female students under their uniform skirts 141 times from January 2020 to October, while he was working at a private cram school, or hagwon, in Gangwon Province. The man then created 1,810 pieces of s

Social AffairsNov. 12, 2024

Courts to make key verdicts on main opposition leader, his wife

The political future of Democratic Party of Korea Chair Rep. Lee Jae-myung is likely to be decided this month, as South Korean courts are expected to deliver several court rulings that could potentially bar the main opposition leader from running for president. The Seoul Central District Court is set to deliver rulings in two separate cases against Lee on Friday and Nov. 25, marking the first decisions in his four ongoing criminal cases. On Friday, the Seoul court is expected to deliver a verdic

PoliticsNov. 12, 2024

Why this year’s fall foliage is less vibrant

Though fall has officially arrived in South Korea, this year’s foliage season was observed later than usual due to unprecedented high temperatures, resulting in less vibrant fall colors across the country. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration’s monitoring report of 21 prominent mountains nationwide, nearly half the mountains saw peak fall colors later than usual this year. The KMA declares the “beginning” of foliage when 20 percent of the leaves on a mount

Social AffairsNov. 12, 2024

Leaked cables reveal Kim Jong-un’s orders to oppose human rights pressure at UN

South Korea's Unification Ministry on Tuesday released key details from 12 leaked diplomatic cables, revealing North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's direct orders -- transmitted through the Foreign Ministry to overseas missions -- to counter increasing international scrutiny and pressure on human rights, especially at the United Nations. This marks the first public release of diplomatic telegrams -- confidential communications from North Korea’s Foreign Ministry to its embassies and

Foreign AffairsNov. 12, 2024

Education Minister apologizes for miscommunication with medical students

SEJONG -- Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Lee Ju-ho expressed regret on Monday for the government’s delayed communication with protesting medical students, who have been boycotting classes over the government’s plans to expand medical school enrollments. At a press conference in the city of Sejong, Lee acknowledged the government’s failure to close the gap with students who have not returned to school since March. "I apologize to the public for our delay in op

Social AffairsNov. 12, 2024