E-9 visa holders to be able to work in hotels starting next year

Foreign workers with E-9 visas will be able to legally work at hotels and rented overnight accommodations across South Korea starting in 2024, officials said Friday, as the government seeks to tackle labor shortages in major industries. Previously, E-9 visa holders could only work in the agriculture, fishing, manufacturing and construction sectors. The visa is issued for migrant workers wanting to engage in jobs that require manual or nonprofessional labor. The announcement came after a foreign

Social AffairsDec. 29, 2023

Over 240,000 illegal sexual photos, videos deleted this year

Over 240,000 illegally produced and distributed sexual photos and videos were deleted in 2023 in South Korea, an anti-digital sex crime organization said Friday. A total of 243,855 items of such illegal content were deleted between January and Dec. 20, data compiled by the Digital Sex Crime Victims Support Center, an organization closely affiliated with the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, showed. The figure is up 30,855 from about 213,000 last year, highlighting a troubling potential tre

Social AffairsDec. 29, 2023

Another Trump presidency won’t affect US-South Korea joint nuclear deterrence: defense chief

A change of administration in Washington is unlikely to sway South Korea-US joint deterrence of North Korea's nuclear threats, the national defense chief in Seoul said Thursday. Minister of National Defense Shin Won-sik told reporters in a press conference that he doesn’t think the bilateral cooperation on nuclear deterrence will depend on which administration gets elected in the US, “whether it be Biden’s or Trump’s.” Responding to a question on concerns that Donal

DefenseDec. 29, 2023

Inspection shows over W125.6b in virtual asset transactions by lawmakers

The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission said Friday that lawmakers traded virtual assets totaling over 125.6 billion won ($97.6 million) over the past three years, with irregularities detected in some instances. The agency announced the outcome of its 90-day inspection into virtual asset transaction records of all 298 sitting lawmakers between May 30, 2020, and May 31, 2023, after questions arose over a young lawmaker's once-massive cryptocurrency assets. According to the results, 1

PoliticsDec. 29, 2023

Yoon appoints 4 ministers, broadcasting watchdog chief

President Yoon Suk Yeol appointed four ministers and the chief of the broadcasting watchdog on Friday, his office said. Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok, who also serves as deputy prime minister for the economy, Agriculture Minister Song Mi-ryung, Ocean Minister Kang Do-hyung and SMEs Minister Oh Young-ju were appointed, the office said. Kim Hong-il, a former chief of the anti-corruption agency, was also appointed as the head of the Korea Communications Commission, it said. The five were nominated

PoliticsDec. 29, 2023

US reaffirms 'no hostile intent' to N. Korea after Kim calls for stronger war preparations

The United States has "no hostile intent" toward Pyongyang and remains committed to diplomacy, a State Department spokesperson said Thursday, after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un called for beefed-up war preparations. During a plenary session of the ruling Workers' Party on Wednesday, Kim made the call, pointing to the security situation on the Korean Peninsula that he claimed has become "extremely dangerous" due to "unprecedented" US-led confrontational moves

North KoreaDec. 29, 2023

Opposition unilaterally passes special investigation bill into first lady

Two contentious special investigation bills, one of which pushes for a probe into stock manipulation allegations involving First Lady Kim Keon Hee, were unilaterally passed by the opposition-led National Assembly on Thursday. President Yoon Suk Yeol swiftly announced that he would veto both bills, according to presidential office spokesperson Lee Do-hoon. An official in the presidential office, who requested to remain anonymous, called the latest move led by the main opposition Democratic Party

PoliticsDec. 28, 2023

S. Korea expands support for single-parent families, teenagers

South Korea on Thursday revealed plans to boost support for single-parent households and troubled teenagers by increasing funding for related welfare programs. The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family has extended the period during which single-parent families can spend living in residential welfare facilities assisting low-income single-parent households to prepare for independence in a stable environment. The single-parent residential welfare facilities, with 122 locations nationwide, prov

Social AffairsDec. 28, 2023

South Korea to produce biogas from organic waste resources

The Ministry of Environment said Thursday it will require industries that are heavy producers of organic waste resources to transition to the production of biogas starting Dec. 31. According to the Environment Ministry’s biogas law, public and private industries that generate organic waste such as livestock manure and food waste will be required to produce them in the form of biogas. Biogas is a gaseous renewable energy source produced from raw materials such as agricultural waste, plant m

Social AffairsDec. 28, 2023

Seoul to increase AI-backed surveillance to prevent crime

More artificial intelligence-backed surveillance cameras will be installed in Seoul to prevent and deter crime, Seoul city officials said Thursday. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said it will install extra closed-circuit television cameras equipped with artificial intelligence technology in public parks and along hiking trails throughout the capital to reduce crime blind spots. Those cameras use AI technology to detect movements such as wandering, falling or even assault, and automatically tr

Social AffairsDec. 28, 2023

Seoul’s New Year’s bell-tolling ceremony to feature ‘Midnight Sun’ installation

The Seoul city government announced Thursday that this year's bell-tolling ceremony on New Year's Eve will feature the installation of a 12-meter-radius artificial sun in downtown Seoul to mark the new year. Right after the bell rings 33 times at midnight on Dec. 31, the orb, which is described as a sun-shaped structure, will be lifted 15 meters into the air to signify the rise of a new dawn. Weighing about 2.5 metric tons, the orb will emit light for three minutes, illuminating the ni

Social AffairsDec. 28, 2023

Yoon appoints 3 top-level presidential secretaries

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday appointed all three top-level presidential secretaries, promoting his chief policy secretary, Lee Kwan-sup, to chief of staff, appointing an economic expert to succeed Lee and tapping First Vice Foreign Minister Chang Ho-jin as his national security adviser. All of the ministerial-level presidential secretaries, who report directly to Yoon, will start work on Monday, the first day of 2024. Appointees do not have to go through a confirmation hearing at the Na

PoliticsDec. 28, 2023

Future grim for cult leader convicted of sex crimes: experts

Jeong Myeong-seok, the leader of a controversial religious group, Jesus Morning Star, lodged an appeal on a court ruling last week sentencing him to 23 years behind bars for sexual assault and molestation. However, the future looks grim for Jeong, as legal experts on Thursday said it is highly unlikely that the 78-year-old will succeed in reversing the Daejeon District Court’s ruling in the appellate court due to the trustworthiness of the victims’ testimony and evidence. “The

Social AffairsDec. 28, 2023

Defense Ministry under fire for labeling Dokdo ‘area of territorial dispute’

South Korea’s Defense Ministry came under heavy criticism Thursday for calling the nation’s easternmost sovereign islets of Dokdo as an “area of territorial dispute,” in its latest military education material for soldiers. President Yoon Suk Yeol ordered the ministry to “immediately correct” the labels in the textbook and said the “mistake should have never happened and should not be repeated.” Yoon’s orders came mere hours after the minist

Foreign AffairsDec. 28, 2023

Man kills son, found dead soon after

A South Korean man killed his son and was later found dead, local police said Thursday. According to Ulju Police Station in Ulsan, the man in his 40s gravely injured his 20-something son with a weapon at 4:32 p.m. on Wednesday on the streets and quickly fled the scene. The victim received medical treatment at a nearby hospital, but died less than an hour later at 5:21 p.m. that day. Police tracked down the culprit and found him dead inside a car parked about 5 kilometers from the crime scene. In

Social AffairsDec. 28, 2023

Lee Sun-kyun's alleged blackmailer taken into custody

A woman suspected of blackmailing actor Lee Sun-kyun was taken into custody by local police late Wednesday, a few hours after the actor was found dead in an apparent suicide. According to reports, Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency apprehended the suspect in her 20s after she failed to appear at Incheon District Court Tuesday for a scheduled substantive review of her arrest warrant. In Korea, substantive review of an arrest warrant is a process by which an individual the police seeks to arrest m

Social AffairsDec. 28, 2023

Assembly to hold vote on two special investigation proposals, one of them into first lady

The National Assembly was set to hold a vote Thursday on two contentious special investigation proposals, one of them into stock manipulation allegations involving first lady Kim Keon Hee. The main opposition Democratic Party is expected to use its parliamentary majority to railroad the two bills. The ruling People Power Party has strongly opposed them, arguing they are a political ploy ahead of April's general elections. But the DP has argued that no one is untouchable, including the first

PoliticsDec. 28, 2023

[Best Brand] 100 Classics nurtures student skills for digital age

Using AI learning tools to unlock students’ abilities, such as creativity and critical thinking, has become more pivotal than ever at a time when AI becoming more influential in the educational landscape. In line with these developments, “100 Classics,” an English education service brand for children and teenagers, offers an integrated English curriculum through debate sessions, interactive presentation activities and essay writing using materials recommended by prestigious sch

Social AffairsDec. 28, 2023

[Best Brand] Seoul Cyber University leads in majors focused on AI

As the era of the "fourth industrial revolution" dawns, Seoul Cyber University is working to create diverse majors and education programs with a focus on artificial intelligence. Established in 2000, Seoul Cyber University is an online university in Korea with the largest number of enrolled students as of 2023, according to data from the government. The university has seven campuses across the nation, including in cities such as Seoul, Incheon and Busan. Composed of 11 departments and

Social AffairsDec. 28, 2023

Yoon to name First Vice FM Chang as national security adviser

President Yoon Suk Yeol plans to name First Vice Foreign Minister Chang Ho-jin as his new national security adviser, a presidential official said Thursday. Chang, a career diplomat who served as Yoon's first ambassador to Russia, will succeed Cho Tae-yong as director of national security after Cho was nominated last week for chief of the National Intelligence Service. Chang's appointment could be announced later Thursday, the official said. Ambassador to Germany Kim Hong-kyun, who also

PoliticsDec. 28, 2023