Seoul's foreign caregiver project, river bus under fire at audit

Various projects driven by the Seoul city government, such as the foreign caregiver scheme involving 100 Filipina workers and the Hangang River Bus, came under fire during a parliamentary audit on Tuesday. Mayor Oh Se-hoon also denied allegations that controversial pollster Myeong Tae-gyun was involved in a mayoral election he won in 2021. In response to questions from Rep. Cho Seung-hwan of the ruling People Power Party regarding Seoul's foreign caregiver pilot program, Oh argued the progr

Oct. 15, 2024

Man caught serving another's military duty for shared pay

A young man who enlisted to serve another man's mandatory military service on condition of sharing the soldier's salary has been caught by the authorities, marking the first time such an incident has occurred since the establishment of the Military Manpower Administration in 1970. The man in his late 20s surnamed Jo has been arrested and indicted for violating the Resident Registration Act, the Military Service Act, and for obstructing the performance of official duties through fraud b

Oct. 15, 2024

Why we're single: Korean women say high standards, men say no chances to date

Finding the right person to marry is a tall order anywhere, but South Koreans in particular say that their high standards for potential partners or lack of opportunities to meet them are their main reasons for remaining single. Local match-making application Noon Date recently revealed the results of a survey of 12,060 unmarried men and women across the country, and asked why respondents remain single. For women, 28 percent said it is because their standards for a potential romantic partner ar

Oct. 15, 2024

Court upholds police punishment on officer for ordering subordinates to run personal errands

A South Korean court sided with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s decision to punish a police officer for repeatedly ordering subordinates to run personal errands and denying them vacation leave. Judges in the Seoul Administrative Court on Monday dismissed a lawsuit filed by the officer, who sought to overturn a disciplinary action imposed by the police agency in December 2022. The police agency handed down a punishment of a two-month pay reduction, after the officer was found to have

Oct. 14, 2024

87% of adults willing to work after retirement: survey

A survey showed Monday that nearly 90 percent of South Korean adults are willing to work after retirement, mostly due to financial reasons. An online job-seeking portal Saramin surveyed 4,056 adults across the country from Oct.7 to 10, asking them if they were willing to work after retirement. Some 87.3 percent of the respondents said they would, with 95.8 percent of those in their 50s saying so. They were followed by 81.9 percent of those in their 40s, 74.4. percent of those in their 30s and

Oct. 14, 2024

Korea, Mongolia strengthen ties in education

The Ministry of Education announced plans to hold the 4th Korea-Mongolia Joint Commission on Education in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Scheduled for Tuesday, the meeting is part of an ongoing consultative process that began in 2015 to deepen bilateral educational cooperation. The commission aims to review past agreements and explore new opportunities for collaboration in education, the ministry explained. One of the primary focus areas of the meeting is the promotion of Korean language education in Mo

Oct. 14, 2024

[From the Scene] S. Korea, Philippines deepen cooperation in water

MANILA, Philippines -- As the Philippines contends with ongoing water shortages and management challenges exacerbated by climate change, South Korea is set to deepen its cooperation with the Southeast Asian country and expand its support to address these critical issues. At the heart of this expanding cooperation is the Korea Water Resources Corporation (K-water), a public enterprise specializing in water development and management. Since 2014, K-water has partnered with the Philippine governmen

Oct. 14, 2024

Teacher suicides averaging 20 per year: data

An average of 20 teachers made the tragic decision to take their own lives each year from 2021 to 2023, data showed Monday, sparking concern over the mental health and well-being of teachers in South Korea. The problem persists this year too, with 19 teachers having taken their own lives this year through August. This disturbing trend points to a deeper crisis within the education system, where teachers feel increasingly vulnerable and unsupported, according to Rep. Jin Sun-mee of the Democratic

Oct. 14, 2024

No. of female earners surpasses 10 million

The number of female workers receiving wages and salaries in South Korea has surpassed the 10 million mark this year, government data showed Monday. According to data released by Statistics Korea, the female wage and salaried workforce in 2024 reached 10.15 million, an approximately 17.7-fold increase since the government began collecting such data in 1963. Specifically, 6.962 million of these female workers were regular employees, 2.907 million were temporary workers, and 283,000 were categoriz

Oct. 14, 2024

Man wrongly incarcerated for 'spying for NK' compensated 54 years late

An 82-year-old man who served a seven-year prison term after being wrongly accused of being a North Korean spy will receive compensation from the state, over 50 years after the conviction. Seoul High Court on Oct. 4 ruled that Kim Sin-geun should get compensation worth 901.2 million won ($664,000) as "criminal compensation," after he was exonerated from the charges back in July. Kim, who was a Korea University graduate student in the 1960s, was accused of conducting espionage activit

Oct. 14, 2024

Kim & Chang, Debevoise & Plimpton to host seminar on private equity disputes

South Korean law firm Kim & Chang and US law firm Debevoise & Plimpton will jointly host a seminar on private equity disputes on Oct. 28, according to the Seoul-based company on Monday. The event will be held as part of the Seoul ADR Festival, which will take place from Oct. 28 to Nov. 1. The SAF is one of the most well-known alternative dispute resolution events hosted by the Korean Commercial Arbitration Board and co-organized by the Justice Ministry, the International Chamber of Comme

Oct. 14, 2024

Chinese comprise 90% of foreign investors granted resident visas: data

Nearly 9 in 10 foreign nationals who secured long-term residency in South Korea via financial investments over the past five years are Chinese nationals, according to data. Data from the Ministry of Justice, obtained and released Monday by the Democratic Party of Korea Rep. Jeon Hyun-heui, shows that of 116 foreign investors granted an F-2 residency permit between 2019 and 2023, 89.7 percent, or 104 individuals, were Chinese nationals. Of these Chinese investors, 79.2 percent, or 92, were base

Oct. 14, 2024

Lyme disease cases on rise in Korea

The number of Lyme disease cases has increased in South Korea, raising concerns that the tick that carries the virus might have already become endemic. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on Monday said there were 45 reported cases of Lyme disease in the country last year, including 36 cases in which people were infected domestically, eight cases in which people were infected overseas and one with an unknown transmission route. Lyme disease, an illness caused by borrelia bacteria, is

Oct. 14, 2024

Minister ensures med school quality despite quota hike

Amid uncertainties in the landscape of medical education in South Korea following the government's plan to hike the admissions quota, Education Minister Lee Ju-ho on Sunday vowed to ensure the quality of medical education while pleading with medical students now in their ninth month of a strike against the plan to return. In a Korean-language interview with Yonhap News Agency, Lee said he "emphasizes as the education minister" that the level of medical education will remain high,

Oct. 13, 2024

2 Filipinas who left pilot program cite overwork, excessive surveillance

Two Filipinas from Seoul city's foreign caregivers pilot program who disappeared from their accommodations in Gangnam-gu on Sept. 15 after starting work in Seoul were later found in Busan after being reemployed as cleaners, according to the Philippine government’s Department of Migrant Workers. In an interview on Oct. 9 with the Philippines' 24 Oras, Bernard Olalia, undersecretary for licensing and adjudication of the DMW, said that the two caregivers claimed to have had difficul

Oct. 13, 2024

Mothers of 13 kids honored by government

The Ministry of Health and Welfare recently gave awards to two Korean mothers who gave birth to 13 children, including the mother of actress Nam Bo-ra, who is well-known for being the oldest of her 13 siblings. Eom Gye-suk, 60, was given the Seongnyu Medal, the fifth grade of the Order of Civil Merit given to those to recognize contributions to the country and welfare of the people with their outstanding accomplishments in the field of politics, economics, society, education or academics. She ga

Oct. 13, 2024

Govt fines journalists who revealed names of Itaewon tragedy victims

A government report showed Sunday that a local group of citizen-journalists has been fined in connection with its decision to publish the names of those who lost their lives in the October 2022 crowd crush in Itaewon without getting consent from the victims' bereaved families. Mindle News, an independent media outlet founded in 2022, was fined 3 million won ($2,200) in late July by the Personal Information Protection Commission for violating the Personal Information Act, according to PIPC

Oct. 13, 2024

Employee fired for taking gift mugs ruled unfair dismissal

A local court said Sunday it ruled against a company that fired an employee for taking without permission five mugs and one calendar intended as promotional gifts for customers. Seoul Administrative Court has ruled against Porsche Korea's official dealer, Autostadt, who challenged the National Labor Relations Commission's ruling on its firing of the employee. The company had dismissed the employee -- who had worked there nine years -- in February last year, arguing that he had taken th

Oct. 13, 2024

[From the Scene] SLW program explores tech integration for better, happier urban lives

An exhibition program hosted by the Seoul city government last week explored innovative ideas for urban challenges in areas such as transportation, environment and safety, with private companies showcasing tailored solutions to global cities from 18 countries. The Presentation for Your City program was the centerpiece of Seoul Smart Life Week, held from Thursday to Saturday at Coex in southern Seoul, as it conveyed fresh urban solutions that can be applied not only to Seoul, but other metropolit

Oct. 13, 2024

Man is injured rescuing a driver from burning car

Local rescue authorities said passengers of a bus managed to rescue a person from a burning car, with one sustaining an injury in the process. According to the Gyeongbuk Fire Service Headquarters, a sedan caught fire after colliding with a truck while backing up at the Goryeong junction in Goryeong-gun, North Gyeongsang Province, on the Gwangju-Daegu Expressway at around 9:13 a.m. on Oct.10. Passengers on a passing tour bus came over and pulled the driver out of the burning car, and one passenge

Oct. 13, 2024