6 out of 10 Koreans don’t plan to have babies

Six out of 10 Koreans do not have plans to have babies, data showed on Friday, as the nation has had the lowest fertility rates for years. According to a survey conducted by research firm PMI on 1,800 Koreans between the ages of 20 and 50, 63.4 percent of the respondents said they do not have plans to have babies. The 1,800 respondents, however, include 530 parents who already have children. The biggest reason for not planning to have babies was economic instability (25.2 percent). This was foll

Social AffairsMay 24, 2024

Yoon rejects Lee's proposal for pension reform talks

President Yoon Suk Yeol's office rejected Democratic Party of Korea Chair Rep. Lee Jae-myung's proposal to hold formal talks with Yoon to narrow differences on a pension reform bill that would require people to contribute more while employed and benefit them more after retirement, Lee's aide told reporters Friday. Yoon's aide on political affairs Hong Chul-ho turned down Lee's proposal for either two-way talks between Yoon and Lee, or three-way talks between Yoon, Lee an

PoliticsMay 24, 2024

Landmark ruling allows annulment of marriage after divorce -- here's what it changes

In a landmark ruling Thursday, the Supreme Court said that marriage can be nullified after divorce under "special circumstances," allowing separated couples to be freed from potential legal complications and obligations entailing matrimony. The Article 815 of the Civil Act states that a marriage is void if the two parties did not both consent, or if it occurs between certain close relatives. But a precedent set in 1984 by South Korea's highest court has made it impossible to annul

Social AffairsMay 24, 2024

Chonnam international student found dead

The international student who was caught Wednesday riding a bicycle without wearing clothes in public has been found dead, according to local media reports on Friday. The body of the deceased, only identified as a 23-year-old student of Chonnam National University, was found near a dormitory building of the Gwangju-based university at around 5:45 p.m. on Thursday, news outlets reported, citing police officials. The student had been under investigation for public indecency after biking while na

Social AffairsMay 24, 2024

Tax-payers shouldering most of burden for pension childbirth credit programs

In a bid to battle the low fertility rate in South Korea, there are ongoing talks to expand the benefits for childbirth by adjusting the childbirth credit system, which reduces the mandated subscription period of National Pension plans for those who have given birth. There have been demands for changes to the current system in which the government pays for only 30 percent of the increased budget from the various credit systems, with the remaining 70 percent coming out of the National Pension fun

Social AffairsMay 24, 2024

Restoring vandalized Gyeongbokgung wall cost W150m

Undoing the damage caused by the recent defacement of the Gyeongbokgung walls has cost 150 million won ($109,000), the government body in charge of preservation of cultural heritage in South Korea said Thursday. The Korea Heritage Service, under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, revealed the provisional figures on reversing the damage inflicted by the two cases of vandalism in December of last year. Two teens wrote graffiti on the historic walls on Dec. 16, and a man in his 20s did so

Social AffairsMay 24, 2024

Subway operator's mix-up forces all passengers to get out at wrong stop

A Seoul Metro operator recently made all passengers exit the train at the wrong station, mistaking it for its final destination, Seoul Metro said Friday. The operator of subway train No. 6221 of Line No.6 stopped at the Sangwolgok Station at around 6:23 p.m. on Wednesday and notified all passengers to vacate the train, according to the main operator of the greater Seoul's transit system. The passengers were told the train was not bound for Sinnae Station in Jungrang-gu, the last station on

Social AffairsMay 24, 2024

Passengers discover bus driver drunk

A Busan bus driver was recently caught working while under the influence of alcohol, local police said Friday. Passengers of the bus that was operating in Busanjin-gu, Busan suspected that the driver was drunk, based on the strong smell of alcohol, and reported it to the police, according to the Busanjin Police Station. Officers who arrived on the scene stopped the vehicle and tested the driver, who showed blood alcohol content that was high enough to have his driver's license revoked. The

Social AffairsMay 24, 2024

Govt. to reduce tariffs on fresh food imports to curb inflation

The finance ministry on Friday warned of uncertainties regarding inflation and vowed preemptive steps by extending tariff quota reduction on imports of agricultural products and boosting government reserves. "Prices of farm produce and petroleum products have fallen recently, but uncertainties remain high over the geopolitical situation in the Middle East and weather conditions in summer," First Vice Finance Minister Kim Byoung-hwan said during an economy-related vice ministers' m

Social AffairsMay 24, 2024

Moon says Korean Peninsula in 'crisis phase,' calls for efforts to solidify peace values

Former South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Thursday the security situation on the Korean Peninsula is in a "crisis" phase where military conflicts could flare up "at any moment," as he called for diplomatic efforts to promote peace. Moon made the remarks in a video message for a peace forum in Washington, as tensions have persisted on the peninsula with Pyongyang continuing its weapons tests in the absence of bilateral engagements with South Korea and the United States. &

PoliticsMay 24, 2024

S. Korea to hold rotating presidency of UN Security Council next month

South Korea will undertake the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council next month for the first time in a decade, Seoul's top envoy to the UN said Thursday, unveiling plans to push for in-depth discussions on cybersecurity and other global issues. In a press meeting, Ambassador Hwang Joon-kook said that South Korea, a nonpermanent UNSC member, will hold the presidency for one month -- a position that rotates among the council's 15 member states on a monthly basis. Seoul last held the UNSC

Foreign AffairsMay 24, 2024

Police arrest mastermind behind last year's palace vandalism

Police said Thursday they have arrested a suspect who allegedly commissioned teenagers to paint graffiti on the walls of a historic palace in central Seoul to advertise an illegal streaming website. The 30-something suspect, who was arrested the previous day, faces charges for violating the Cultural Heritage Protection Act, as well as other charges including the distribution of obscene materials, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency. The arrest comes about five months after the susp

Social AffairsMay 23, 2024

Yoon's dinner with SME biz leaders features spicy chicken ramyeon, frozen gimbap

President Yoon Suk Yeol hosted a dinner for businesspeople from small and medium-sized enterprises Thursday as part of efforts to praise their contribution to the economy, featuring surprise menu items: spicy chicken ramyeon and frozen gimbap. Yoon attended the annual SMEs Entrepreneur's Day held at the presidential office for the third consecutive year, which drew around 500 people from SMEs, venture companies and startups. The guests also included Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong

PoliticsMay 23, 2024

Court rejects popera star Kim's request to delay arrest warrant hearing

A Seoul court on Thursday rejected a request by embattled popera star Kim Ho-joong to postpone an arrest warrant application hearing on his reckless driving charges. The previous day, prosecutors applied for an arrest warrant for Kim on charges of ramming into a stationary taxi in the opposite lane with his vehicle late on the night of May 9 in Seoul's southern Gangnam district while driving drunk. He then allegedly left the scene without taking post-accident measures. The Seoul Central Dis

Social AffairsMay 23, 2024

Yoon meets ex-US Secretary Pompeo, discusses Korean Peninsula issues

President Yoon Suk Yeol met with former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to discuss issues surrounding the Korean Peninsula, as well as the Seoul-Washington alliance, the presidential office said Thursday. During the meeting held in Seoul with Pompeo, who served as the top US diplomat under then President Donald Trump from 2018 to 2021, Yoon asked him to continue to pay close attention to South Korea's efforts to seek peace on the Korean Peninsula backed by the strong alliance. Yoon also e

Foreign AffairsMay 23, 2024

S. Korea, Czech Republic discuss nuclear power cooperation at bilateral economic talks

South Korea asked the Czech Republic on Thursday to pay closer attention to the ongoing bilateral efforts for cooperation in the commercial nuclear power plant sector, Seoul's foreign ministry said. Kim Hee-sang, deputy foreign minister for economic affairs, delivered the request to Petr Tresnak, deputy industry minister of the Czech Republic, during their joint economic dialogue earlier in the day, the ministry said. Kim used the session to highlight South Korean industry's strengths

Foreign AffairsMay 23, 2024

S. Korea remains unchanged on China-Taiwan issue: foreign ministry

South Korea remains committed to respecting the "One China" policy amid tensions in the Taiwan Strait following the inauguration ceremony of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te earlier this week, the foreign ministry said Thursday. Earlier in the day, China's military began two days of what it calls "punishment" drills around the island, just days after the inauguration ceremony, which Beijing strongly condemned. "There is no change in our government's stance of r

Foreign AffairsMay 23, 2024

Vice FM visits Iranian Embassy in Seoul to express condolences over death of Iranian president

First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun visited the Iranian Embassy in Seoul on Thursday to extend condolences over the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi who was killed in a helicopter crash earlier this week, a Seoul official said. The official said South Korean Ambassador to Iran Kim Jun-pyo plans to attend a memorial service to pay respects to the late president on behalf of the government as soon as the venue is arranged by Tehran. Iran's state media confirmed Raisi's deat

Foreign AffairsMay 23, 2024

Summer this year forecast to be hotter

Summer in South Korea this year is expected to be hotter than usual, with similar or more heavy rainfall than the average, the Korea Meteorological Administration said on Thursday. "Amid seeing the frequent occurrences of abnormal weather worldwide, such as heat waves exceeding 40 degrees Celsius in Southeast Asia and floods in the United Arab Emirates, Korea is also forecast to have hotter temperatures (this summer) than in the last 30 years’ average, with the possibility of more rai

Social AffairsMay 23, 2024

Student nabbed for biking naked 'due to stress'

An international student studying in South Korea was caught riding a bicycle in public while naked, allegedly due to stress, local police said Thursday. The 23-year-old, who was only identified as a Chonnam National University student who is from an African country, is under investigation for public indecency, according to the Gwangju Bukbu Police Station. He is accused of taking off all his clothes and riding a bike at around 11:34 a.m. on Wednesday near the dormitory of his school, located in

Social AffairsMay 23, 2024