Foreign nannies start service with 'clarified guidelines'

A total of 100 Filipina domestic workers began providing services on Tuesday for 142 families across Seoul, following the introduction of detailed job guidelines designed to clarify their role, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government. The city government and the Ministry of Employment and Labor have been advancing a project to introduce foreign caregivers in response to the declining number of local domestic workers, amid an aging population and the rising costs of child care. The start o

Social AffairsSept. 3, 2024

Oct. 1 Armed Forces Day designated as temporary holiday

Armed Forces Day, which is celebrated annually on Oct. 1 to honor the country’s military, has been designated by the government as a temporary holiday this year to boost awareness of the new security challenges on the Korean Peninsula, officials said Tuesday. In the afternoon, President Yoon Suk Yeol approved the Cabinet's decision in the morning to pass the motion to designate Oct. 1 as a temporary holiday, according to the presidential office. "Oct. 1 is when (UN troops) crosse

PoliticsSept. 3, 2024

[Community Discovery] Yangcheon out to become Korea's top education, innovation hub

Yangcheon-gu, a densely populated residential area in southwestern Seoul, is home to Mok-dong, one of the city's largest hagwon districts. This area is known for its thriving private education industry, with many children aspiring to gain admission to prestigious colleges. According to district Mayor Lee Ki-jae, Yangcheon aims to expand its presence in the education sector by transforming into a comprehensive educational hub that caters to all learning needs, from toddlers to seniors. "

Social AffairsSept. 3, 2024

Only 5.5% of online sex crime suspects detained

  Over 7,000 people were investigated for online sex crimes between 2021 and 2023, but only 5.5 percent of them were detained, police data showed Tuesday. A total of 9,864 such crimes occurred in that period, according to National Police Agency data submitted to Democratic Party Rep. Hwang Jung-a. A total of 3,295 of them were related to child pornography -- accounting for 43.8 percent -- followed by 2,415 cases involving illegally filmed content and 1,563 cases involving other illegal porn

Social AffairsSept. 3, 2024

S. Korean travelers in Israel for religious event all left country: Seoul official

Around 30 South Korean nationals who stayed in Israel after attending a religious event have now left the country, officials said Tuesday. That means all South Korean travelers who were there for the same event have exited the region, where tensions have heightened following a series of missile and air strikes exchanged between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. The 30 people were among some 180 South Koreans who entered Israel last month to attend the event. Of them, 150 first de

Foreign AffairsSept. 3, 2024

Trump says his talks with N. Korean leader Kim prove 'real change' is possible

Former US President Donald Trump said in a soon-to-be-published book that his summitry with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during his time in office showed "real change" was "indeed" possible, portraying it as "honest, direct and productive." The Republican presidential candidate made the remarks in the photo book, titled "Save America," reinforcing speculation that should he win the Nov. 5 general election, he could revive his personal diplomacy with the

Foreign AffairsSept. 3, 2024

Azerbaijan’s green energy, connectivity vital: presidential envoy

Elchin Amirbayov, special envoy of the president of Azerbaijan, urged Korean companies to participate in Azerbaijan's green energy sector and connectivity projects in an interview with The Korea Herald on Aug. 26. “Korean companies can take part in this green energy zone, which has great potential as it is expected to expand significantly in the near future,” Amirbayov said, pointing to the evolving geopolitical landscape and a growing need for sustainable energy globally. Korea

Diplomatic CircuitSept. 3, 2024

N. Korea earned over $6b through illicit activities over past 7 years: report

North Korea is estimated to have earned more than $6 billion through hacking and other illicit activities over the past seven years despite facing heavy international sanctions, a state-run think tank report showed Tuesday. North Korea's income through illegal activities from 2017 to 2023, such as smuggling out coal, reached a total of $6.29 billion, according to the report from the Institute for National Security Strategy. The UN Security Council has imposed wide-ranging sanctions on North

North KoreaSept. 3, 2024

[Graphic News] 1 in 3 workers taking parental leave are dads

According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor, one in three workers who took parental leave in the first half of this year were fathers. From January to June, 69,631 workers began receiving parental leave benefits, excluding civil servants and teachers not enrolled in employment insurance. This represents a 3.2 percent increase from the same period last year, which had 67,465 recipients. By gender, 47,171 women (67.7 percent) took parental leave, a slight decrease of 1.8 percent from last

Social AffairsSept. 3, 2024

President Yoon, IEA's Birol discuss global clean energy collaboration

President Yoon Suk Yeol met with Fatih Birol, the chief of the International Energy Agency (IEA), on Monday, the president's office said, expressing gratitude for the agency's support of Seoul's Carbon-Free Energy (CFE) initiative. In September, Yoon introduced the CFE initiative during his keynote speech at the U.N. General Assembly, focusing on achieving carbon neutrality by leveraging carbon-free energy sources. Yoon acknowledged Birol's leadership and efforts to promote t

PoliticsSept. 2, 2024

Take the high road: Suspect on drugs drives to police station

South Korean police said Monday that a man in his 30s is being investigated for suspected drug use after he parked his car at a police station while apparently still under the influence of illegal drugs. The suspect was taken into custody by officers at Ilsan Dongbu Police Station in Gyeonggi Province on Saturday, after he parked his car in the handicapped zone of the station at around 5 p.m. He told the police official who approached him that he came to visit the traffic investigation unit, b

Social AffairsSept. 2, 2024

S. Korea's rare red fox population grows to 120

Over 100 red foxes, once thought to be extinct in the wild, now thrive in South Korea, primarily around the Sobaeksan region in North Gyeongsang Province, following a decade-long reintroduction effort. According to the Korea National Park Service under the Environment Ministry on Monday, the estimated population of red foxes on the South Korean territory, as of September, was around 120, including 21 foxes born in the wild. This marks an increase from last year when the estimated number of red f

Social AffairsSept. 2, 2024

Police launch preliminary probe into Telegram for allegedly abetting deepfake sex crimes

South Korea’s police officials have launched an initial investigation into Telegram, following allegations of "complicity, aiding and abetting" online sexual crimes involving deepfake technology. Woo Jong-soo, the head of the National Office of Investigation, told reporters Monday that the police have launched an unofficial and preliminary investigation into Telegram on suspicion of "complicity, aiding and abetting crimes involving deepfake pornography.” “Investi

Social AffairsSept. 2, 2024

South Korean school administration goes digital

In a shift towards digitization, the traditional method of submitting a child's absence report by paper, a process familiar to countless South Korean parents, is soon to become a thing of the past. No longer will parents need to fold an absence note, and slip it into their child's backpack. Instead, parents will be able to submit these reports online, according to the Ministry of Education on Monday. Starting Monday, parents of elementary, middle and high school students across South K

Social AffairsSept. 2, 2024

Assembly holds opening ceremony 96 days late

The National Assembly on Monday held its opening ceremony nearly 100 days after the members of the new parliament began working and with the incumbent president skipping the event for the first time since South Korea ended decades of military dictatorship in 1987. President Yoon Suk Yeol’s decision to skip the Assembly’s ceremony, where it had been customary for the president to give a congratulatory speech since 1987, followed hearings held by the parliamentary judiciary committee i

PoliticsSept. 2, 2024

Hole-in-one insurance agent's license revoked for fraud

A South Korean court recently upheld the state financial watchdog's decision to revoke the license of an insurance salesperson, after he submitted a fraudulent receipt in order to receive benefits for his hole-in-one insurance subscription. The Seoul Administrative Court ruled against the insurance agent, who challenged the Financial Services Commission's decision to take away his license for insurance fraud. In November 2014, the plaintiff shot a hole in one at a local golf course th

Social AffairsSept. 2, 2024

Yoon's popularity falls to 2-year low amid medical standoff

President Yoon Suk Yeol's job approval rating has sunk to its lowest depths in about two years, amid a lingering standoff between medical circles and the government that has sapped public trust in his medical reform push. According to South Korean pollster Realmeter on Monday, Yoon's job approval rating dropped to 29.6 percent in the fifth week of August, down 0.4 percentage point from the previous week. It was the lowest since his rating marked 29.3 percent in the first week of August

PoliticsSept. 2, 2024

YouTuber who attacked Ive, BTS members denies defamation accusation

A 35-year-old YouTuber who posted multiple videos about top K-pop stars denied accusations of defamation in a court hearing Monday. The lawyer of the defendant, surnamed Park, told the Incheon District Court that she admits to making the videos but denies the charges of defamation and insult she had been indicted with. Park claimed that the relevant statements in her videos were a mere expression of her personal opinion, and that her actions does not constitute defamation as she truly believed

Social AffairsSept. 2, 2024

Man dies in fire he started in 'gaming center' after apparently losing money

South Korean police said Monday they plan to forward to prosecutors the case of a suspected arson that occurred Sunday at a gaming center, which testimonies suggest was due to the suspect's anger after losing money. Officials will not request criminal charges against the suspect, as he perished in the fire that left four others injured and resulted in 12.4 million won ($9,250) of damage to the facility. The suspect, identified only as a Chinese national in his 60s, is believed to have set

Social AffairsSept. 2, 2024

DDP lights up for annual media art festival

Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Jung-gu, central Seoul, is celebrating the return of fall with an annual media art festival that garnered over a million visitors last year. Seoul Light DDP, a media art festival jointly hosted and organized by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and Seoul Design Foundation, showcases media artworks by projecting them onto the 222-meter-long exterior of the city's landmark with spaceship-like architecture. This year’s festival, which runs through Sunday, celeb

Social AffairsSept. 2, 2024