On May Day, labor unions blast Yoon's foreign nanny proposal

Over 30,000 workers affiliated with the country's two major umbrella labor unions held rallies in Seoul on Wednesday on International Workers' Day, criticizing President Yoon Suk Yeol's proposal to hire foreign domestic workers outside the minimum wage system. Unionized workers described Yoon's proposal addressed earlier this month as an attempt not only to discriminate against foreign workers but also to deny the application of the minimum wage system to a select group of pe

Social AffairsMay 1, 2024

New hard-line leadership of doctors group prepares for govt. dialogue

The Korean Medical Association, the largest group in the medical community representing some 140,000 doctors nationwide, inaugurated its new leader Wednesday, seeking to unite the voices of doctors in preparation for a possible dialogue with the government. The association's new leader, Lim Hyun-taek, has maintained a hard-line stance against the Yoon Suk Yeol administration's move to increase the number of doctors in the country to cope with population aging. The 54-year-old pediatrician is ant

Social AffairsMay 1, 2024

Trump rekindles criticism: US forces defending 'wealthy' S. Korea 'free of charge'

Former US President Donald Trump has criticized South Korea's contribution to US Forces expenses, claiming they were "free of charge," and scrutinized the Biden administration's defense cost-sharing talks with South Korea. "I want South Korea to treat us properly," Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for the 2024 presidential election in November, said during his interview with Time magazine released Tuesday. Trump reiterated his long-standing personal belief

Foreign AffairsMay 1, 2024

Seoul Metro to seek legal action against malicious complaints

Seoul Metro, the operator of the Seoul subway system, is set to adopt a tougher stance to combat persistent harassment and verbal abuse by imposing restrictions on complaints and considering legal action against repeat offenders. “We will actively pursue measures to address repeated malicious complaints that disrupt our operations,” the operator said Wednesday in a statement. Under the new measures, repeat offenders will be registered on a blacklist and will be barred from submitti

Social AffairsMay 1, 2024

S. Korea lowers COVID-19 warning level, lifts last-remaining antivirus mandates

Wearing marks at hospitals in South Korea is not a must anymore as the government downgraded the infection level of COVID-19 and lifted most last-remaining antivirus regulations. Effective Wednesday, the country lowered the four-grade COVID-19 crisis level from the second-highest "alert" to the lowest "concern" in a move to fully return to pre-pandemic normalcy, according to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters. The decision came more than four years a

Social AffairsMay 1, 2024

S. Korea discussed possible participation in AUKUS Pillar 2 with Australia: defense minister

South Korea's potential participation in part of the AUKUS security partnership was among the agenda items it discussed with Australia during a "two plus two" meeting among their foreign and defense chiefs Wednesday, the Korean defense minister said. Defense Minister Shin Won-sik made the remark during a joint press conference, noting that his country's possible participation in the minilateral security partnership, comprising Australia, Britain and the United States, will co

Foreign AffairsMay 1, 2024

[Photo News] Korea-Arab Society unveils logos for Oman, Qatar ties with Korea

The Korea-Arab Society released logos selected through a contest to celebrate the 50th anniversary of South Korea's diplomatic ties with Oman and Qatar. The contest garnered 140 submissions from participants in Korea, Oman and Qatar over three weeks. The selected logos will be used for events throughout 2024, honoring the diplomatic ties between Korea and Oman, and Korea and Qatar, according to the organization. (Korea-Arab Society)

Foreign AffairsApril 30, 2024

[Photo News]Ausbildung Graduation

AUSBILDUNG GRADUATION Trainees receive Ausbildung certificates at the 3rd Ausbildung Graduation Ceremony held at the Plaza Hotel in Seoul on Friday. The certificates are issued by the German Federal Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DIHK) and the Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KGCCI) as part of a program blending practical industry training and theoretical education. The program had approximately 470 trainees and 280 trainers currently enrolled across 145 service centers. A tota

Foreign AffairsApril 30, 2024

[Contribution] Celebrating 32 years of Tajikistan-Korea friendship

By Salohiddin Kirom, Tajikistan's ambassador to South Korea April 27 marked the 32nd anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Tajikistan and the Republic of Korea. Under the astute leadership of President Emomali Rahmon, Tajikistan has witnessed remarkable progress and development since its independence. The country has established a robust political and legal foundation, fostering stability and prosperity. Tajikistan's international standing has

Foreign AffairsApril 30, 2024

S. Korean, Australian defense chiefs agree to bolster defense industry ties

The defense chiefs of South Korea and Australia held talks in Melbourne on Tuesday and discussed ways to step up cooperation for regional security and defense industry. Defense Minister Shin Won-sik met Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defense Richard Marles during his visit to Australia for "two plus two" talks among the countries' foreign and defense ministers, slated for Wednesday. In their first meeting since their gathering in Seoul last October, the minister

DefenseApril 30, 2024

Around 50% of people with disabilities aged 65 or above: report

As South Korea is predicted to soon become a super-aged society, more than half of the population with disabilities were found to be age 65 or above for the first time in 2023, said the Ministry of Health and Welfare on Tuesday. According to the Health Ministry’s report released on Tuesday, up to 2.65 million of the total population were registered as having some sort of disability. The total population was 51.71 million as of last year according to Statistics Korea. Out of the number of p

Social AffairsApril 30, 2024

Leaders of S. Korea, Angola agree to boost economic, trade cooperation

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and his Angolan counterpart, President Joao Lourenco, agreed Tuesday to enhance economic and trade cooperation during their talks in Seoul, resulting in the signing of a strategic framework tailored to promote trade and investment. Lourenco became the second Angolan president to have visited South Korea, following Jose Eduardo dos Santos, who visited here in 2001. Korea and Angola established diplomatic ties in 1992. Yoon's office said agreements signed

PoliticsApril 30, 2024

Medical profs at top hospitals suspend surgeries, clinics

Some medical professors at the country’s three major hospitals, Seoul National University Hospital, Severance Hospital and Korea University Hospital, suspended surgeries and outpatient clinics on Tuesday for one day, as previously announced, to protest the government’s plan to expand the number of new medical students by 2,000 a year. The main hall at SNUH’s Cancer Hospital was without medical staff Tuesday, while a number of patients wandered around the ward, having just learn

Social AffairsApril 30, 2024

Rival parties lock horns over state pension reform plan

The rival parties clashed on Tuesday over the possibility of adopting a new state pension reform plan, which pushes for an increase in contributions for a bigger future benefit. The new pension reform plan is based on a survey conducted and released by the parliamentary special committee on pension reform on April 21. The survey, which involved 500 respondents across the country aged 18 or older, showed that 56 percent preferred to pay significantly larger contributions to the National Pension S

PoliticsApril 30, 2024

S. Korea ramps up parental education

The Ministry of Education unveiled measures Tuesday to strengthen support and education for parents, understanding that the capabilities of parents, who are in charge of educating children, should be reinforced for the healthy growth of students, according to officials. The fourth ministerial social affairs meeting introduced new comprehensive policies to offer parents more opportunities to participate in school activities, conduct active communication with teachers and learn how to be "goo

Social AffairsApril 30, 2024

Unions to hold Labor Day rallies nationwide

South Korea‘s labor groups, including the nation’s two major umbrella unions, are set to hold large-scale rallies nationwide on Wednesday to commemorate Labor Day. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, one of the country‘s two major umbrella trade unions, known for being independent and run democratically, plans to organize the “World Labor Day Convention” rally from Gwanghwamun in the central district of Jongno-gu to Daehan Gate in Jung-gu, Seoul at 2 p.m. Warm

Social AffairsApril 30, 2024

Ex-pro baseball player who killed debtor appeals sentence

A former South Korean baseball player who beat his debtor to death with a baseball bat recently appealed the 15-year prison term he was sentenced by the court on Thursday, challenging the fairness of the punishment. The prosecution, which initially requested a 20-year prison term, also appealed the ruling, contending the punishment was too lenient. It said that given the brutal nature of the murder and the bereaved family's demands of a strict punishment, the court should issue the defendan

Social AffairsApril 30, 2024

Korea can bridge Global West, South: ex-UN Undersecretary-General

South Korea could play an instrumental role in connecting the Global West and the South with its strong commitment to international cooperation and overseas assistance funds for developing countries, former UN Undersecretary-General Kim Won-soo at the CQ Forum in Seoul. Speaking at the CQ Forum in Seoul held last week, Kim said Korea was in a position to address fragmentation, skepticism and uncertainty in the world order, referring to its leading role in hosting a series of summits on contentio

Foreign AffairsApril 30, 2024

S. Korea to issue travel ban on Haiti amid intensifying gang violence

South Korea will impose a travel ban on Haiti next month due to increasing safety concerns as gang violence is escalating in the Caribbean nation, the foreign ministry has said. The Level 4 travel advisory, the highest of the four-scale system, will go into effect Wednesday, and it will be applied to all areas of the island nation, the ministry said. The ministry cited the security situation in Haiti that has recently worsened due to the deadly attacks led by a gang coalition and the leadership

Foreign AffairsApril 30, 2024

Late Dutch veteran of Korean War to be laid to rest in S. Korea

The remains of a late Dutch veteran of the 1950-53 Korean War arrived in South Korea on Monday in line with his wishes to be buried in the country, Seoul's veterans ministry said. The ministry held a ceremony to mark Ferdinand Titalepta's return to South Korea at Incheon International Airport, just west of Seoul, following his remains' arrival in the country aboard a plane earlier in the day. The remains are scheduled to be interred at the UN Memorial Cemetery in Busan, 320 kilo

DefenseApril 29, 2024