[Bills in Focus] Addressing smartphone addiction, strengthening cooperative finances

Proposed Bill: Partial Amendment to the Act of Corporate Governance of Financial Companies Proposed by Rep. Lee Jung-mun (Democratic Party of Korea) ● In response to recent financial incidents such as the misselling of funds and large-scale embezzlements, this amendment is part of ongoing efforts to promote responsible management within the financial sector. The core objective of the amendment is to establish unified disciplinary standards for employees across all financial companies when inte

PoliticsOct. 21, 2024

Yoon, ruling party leader set to meet amid controversies surrounding first lady

President Yoon Suk Yeol and the ruling party chief were set to meet Monday to discuss a range of pressing issues, likely including controversies involving first lady Kim Keon Hee. Yoon and Han Dong-hoon, chair of the People Power Party, were scheduled to meet for tea at the presidential office at 4:30 p.m., with the presidential chief of staff, Chung Jin-suk, also attending, Yoon's office said. The meeting comes as Yoon and the ruling party seek to recover from declining approval ratings, w

PoliticsOct. 21, 2024

[Graphic News] Korean police nab 474 suspects over deepfake sex crimes; 80% teens

Police have rounded up 474 people connected to deepfake sex crimes so far this year, the Korean National Police Agency said. Police received 921 reports related to deepfake sex crimes between January and Oct. 14, and they have arrested 474 suspects during this period, according to the NPA. Over half of the reports, or 476 cases, were filed after police launched an intensive crackdown on such crimes in late August after the issue made national headlines following a string of similar cases on Te

Social AffairsOct. 21, 2024

Religious school activities violate freedom: Seoul Education Office

The Seoul education office concluded Sunday that mandatory religious activities at general high schools, such as class worship services and choir competitions, could infringe on students' religious freedom. This conclusion follows an investigation prompted by a student complaint at a private high school in Seoul, alleging that such compulsory extracurricular activities related to religion violated their rights under the city's Student Rights Ordinance. The complaint, submitted by a stu

Social AffairsOct. 20, 2024

Seoul Cyber University, CSU San Bernardino form dual degree program

Seoul Cyber University has signed a dual degree agreement with California State University, San Bernardino, the US school's first such deal with an online educational institution. The primary focus of the agreement is the creation of a dual degree program between Seoul Cyber University and CSUSB. Under this program, students will spend two years studying at Seoul Cyber University's School of Business and two years at CSUSB, earning degrees from both institutions. Notably, this is the f

Social AffairsOct. 20, 2024

Ban Ki-moon launches carbon transaction facility

Former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday inaugurated the Carbon Transaction Facility, an entity commissioned to scale up international carbon trading. The facility was launched in accordance with Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, according to the Global Green Growth Institute, an intergovernmental organization dedicated to supporting sustainable economic growth. Ban chairs the institute. Article 6 of the Paris Agreement allows countries to cooperate on emission reduction

Foreign AffairsOct. 20, 2024

Evidence points to NK's looming troop deployment in Ukraine war

More reported evidence points to North Korean troops' presence in Russia's Far East region, as intelligence authorities of Seoul and Kyiv claim that North Korea is preparing to deploy soldiers to the front line in Ukraine in what could be Pyongyang's first major intervention in an international conflict. Ukraine's Center for Strategic Communication and Information Security on Saturday released a video via its official X account showing what it claimed were North Korean soldie

PoliticsOct. 20, 2024

Elderly woman and her son found dead in Namyangju apartment

A woman in her 90s and her son in his 60s were found dead in their apartment in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, according to police on Saturday. Namyangju Bukbu Police Station received a report at around 4 p.m. on Friday from the woman’s older son that both his mother and younger brother were dead. Upon arriving at the scene, police found the elderly woman and her son deceased in separate rooms. The older son, who had lived with his now-deceased mother and brother for 12 years, told police t

Social AffairsOct. 20, 2024

S. Korea to include construction of 4 small modular reactors in energy plan

South Korea will include a plan to build four small modular reactors (SMRs) in the upcoming basic energy plan to be announced later this year, a senior presidential aide said Sunday. Park Sang-wook, presidential secretary for science and technology, said in an interview with public broadcaster KBS that the SMRs will be reflected in the 11th basic plan for electricity supply and demand. SMRs are ready-to-install modular reactors that are smaller in size and power output compared with traditional

PoliticsOct. 20, 2024

N. Korea sends about 20 trash balloons toward S. Korea: JCS

North Korea has floated about 20 balloons carrying trash toward South Korea since Saturday night, and some 10 objects from the balloons were found in the border county of Cheorwon, the South Korean military said Sunday. The Joint Chiefs of Staff said the trash-loaded balloons were sent across the border between Saturday night and early Sunday and the fallen objects were household waste, such as paper and vinyl, and included no hazardous items. The number of dropped items does not necessarily cor

North KoreaOct. 20, 2024

Russia prepares Korean-language questionnaire for N. Korean soldiers: CNN

Russia appears to have prepared a Korean-language questionnaire to facilitate the distribution of military equipment to North Korean soldiers deployed in its territory, CNN reported. The questionnaire, provided by the Ukrainian Center for Strategic Communication and Information Security (SPRAVDI), is seen as further evidence that North Korean troops may be joining Russian forces in the conflict in Ukraine. The questionnaire includes instructions requesting soldiers to provide their hat, uniform

North KoreaOct. 20, 2024

Xi expresses willingness to promote regional, global peace in message to NK leader

Chinese President Xi Jinping has sent a message to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, expressing a willingness to move relations between the two countries further forward and to promote regional and global peace, Pyongyang's state media reported Sunday. Xi sent the message on Wednesday in response to a message that Kim had earlier sent on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of China's founding in 1949, according to the North's Korean Central News Agency. "China and the DPRK ar

North KoreaOct. 20, 2024

N. Korea warns countries joining US-led sanctions monitoring team will pay 'dear price'

North Korea's top diplomat has criticized a new multilateral sanctions monitoring team led by the United States as "unlawful and illegitimate" and warned the participating countries will "pay a dear price," state media reported Sunday. North Korea's Foreign Minister Choi Sun-hui issued a statement condemning the sanctions regime after South Korea, the US, and Japan on Thursday announced the launch of the monitoring mechanism with eight other countries, following Rus

North KoreaOct. 20, 2024

S. Korea picks Schlumberger to analyze rock, gas in East Sea project

South Korea's state-run oil developer has selected US-based Schlumberger as a service provider to analyze the rock and gas composition of a potential gas field in the East Sea, a document showed Sunday. Schlumberger will conduct the "mud logging" operation for an excavation project in the East Sea that could potentially uncover between 3.5 billion and 14 billion barrels of gas and oil, according to Rep. Kim Won-i of the main opposition Democratic Party, who cited data from Korea N

PoliticsOct. 20, 2024

Unionized workers at Seoul Natl. Univ. Hospital decide to strike starting Oct. 31

Unionized workers at Seoul National University (SNU) Hospital, one of the country's biggest hospitals, have decided to launch an indefinite walkout beginning on Oct. 31 in protest of the government's health care reform and poor working conditions, sources said Saturday. The union made the decision in a meeting held on Friday amid botched talks with the hospital on its call for maintaining the number of hospital beds, improving working conditions and raising pay for members. The u

Social AffairsOct. 19, 2024

S. Korea to conduct biennial mental health checkup for youth

The South Korean government said Thursday that it has decided to administer a regular mental health checkup for those aged between 20 and 34, starting next year as part of the state-run national health examination program. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, state health examination committee members conducted a meeting and agreed to expand the mental health checkup program. As part of the national health checkup program run by the National Health Insurance Service, the current pr

Social AffairsOct. 19, 2024

Part-time teachers increasingly taking on homeroom duties: data

In South Korean schools, homeroom teachers are responsible for overseeing various aspects of their students' lives including their academic progress and college applications, keeping regular contact with parents if necessary. According to Education Ministry data made public Monday by Rep. Jin Seon-mi of the Democratic Party of Korea, the proportion of part-time teachers serving as homeroom teachers has been on the rise. In the past, homeroom teacher roles were reserved for full-time teacher

Social AffairsOct. 19, 2024

N. Korea claims discovering remains of drone sent from S. Korea in Pyongyang

      North Korea claimed Saturday it has discovered remains of at least one drone sent from South Korea, describing it as the same type displayed on the South's Armed Forces Day in Seoul earlier this month. Pyongyang has accused Seoul of sending drones carrying anti-North Korean propaganda leaflets over the capital. But South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun said that he could not confirm the North's allegations. A North Korean defense ministry spokesperson said in a stateme

North KoreaOct. 19, 2024

US 'highly concerned' over reported NK troop dispatch for Russia's war in Ukraine: NSC spokesperson

The United States is "highly concerned" about North Korea's reported dispatch of troops to support Russia in its war against Ukraine, a White House official said Friday, noting that Washington will consult with allies on the implications of "such a dramatic move" if the report is true. On Friday, Korea time, South Korea's National Intelligence Service confirmed the North has decided to send around 12,000 troops to support Russia in the war and has already be

North KoreaOct. 19, 2024

Yoon, ruling party head to hold meeting next week amid first lady controversies

President Yoon Suk Yeol and the ruling party chief plan to meet next week to discuss pressing issues, the presidential office said Friday, with controversies involving first lady Kim Keon Hee likely to top the agenda. Yoon and Han Dong-hoon, head of the People Power Party, will meet at the presidential office Monday, the office said, at a time when Yoon and the ruling party seek to recover from waning approval ratings as Yoon is halfway through his five-year term. The president and Han plan to d

PoliticsOct. 18, 2024