Seoul mayor proposes mutual economic cooperation with Dubai

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon proposed to forge mutual financial and economic cooperation with Dubai, the largest city in the United Arab Emirates, during the Dubai Fintech Summit held there on Monday. In his keynote speech, “Seoul - A Global Economic Innovation Hub,” Oh highlighted the city’s strengths as a global financial center, a leader in innovative finance and a digital financial hub. He also outlined Seoul's strategic direction to become one of the top five global cities

May 7, 2024

Younger Koreans can't get enough of short-form video, survey shows

Half of South Korean workers in their 20s said they are "addicted to watching short videos" on mobile or online platforms, according to a recent survey by job search platform Incruit. In the survey conducted of 870 employees across the country between April 29 and May 1, 27.4 percent of all respondents said they are "addicted" to watching short-form videos. Per age group, 49.8 percent of the respondents in their 20s and 30.8 percent of those in their 30s said they were addict

May 7, 2024

Seoul city aims to halve carbon emissions by 2033

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Tuesday that the city aims to reduce carbon emissions by 50 percent by 2033 from the 2005 levels, and reach complete carbon neutrality by 2050. With the ambition of building a city safe from climate crises, the city has announced its new 10-year plan, named the Basic Plan for Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth in Seoul, which includes carbon-neutral and eco-friendly energy transition policies to cut carbon emissions by 50 percent by 2033 compared to 20

May 7, 2024

S. Korean police to suit up with new body armor, shields in June

The National Police Agency said Tuesday it will supply police officers with advanced protective gear starting in June, responding to the 1,000-plus injuries of officers that have occurred in the last few years. The new gear that will be provided for police officers are four types of stab-proof body armor and mid-sized tactical shields, which will be provided to 17 divisions of the police force including the detective, rapid response team, traffic and other branches of regional police forces. The

May 7, 2024

Top prosecutor pledges 'speedy, strict' probe into first lady's luxury bag allegations

The top prosecutor on Tuesday pledged to speedily and strictly conduct an investigation into allegations that first lady Kim Keon Hee illegally received a luxury bag as a gift in 2022. Prosecutor General Lee One-seok made the pledge after he ordered last week the creation of an investigation team dedicated to the allegations involving the first lady. "The prosecution will conduct the investigation speedily and strictly only in accordance with evidence and the legal principles and take appro

May 7, 2024

Govt. to offer more funds for emergency care amid protracted walkouts by doctors

Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong said Tuesday that the government will extend its financial support for emergency care services by another month, as massive walkouts by junior doctors have disrupted health services at major hospitals for nearly three months. The government has injected 190 billion won ($140 million) per month from the national health insurance system since February to support operations at emergency rooms and increase compensation for emergency doctors. Cho told a response meeting

May 7, 2024

‘Children Lunch Set’ illustration display at expo accused of child porn

A display in an illustration fair has stirred up controversy over a possible link to child pornography, triggering a police investigation. Police were dispatched Sunday to Kintex in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, where the Illusta Fes subculture illustration fair was taking place, following a report that one of the fair’s booths had illustrations of naked children on display, according to Ilsan Seobu Police Station. The “Children Lunch Set” booth sold sexual illustration products a

May 6, 2024

Medical feud leaves hospitals in financial crisis

As the medical void prolongs in South Korea with doctors continuing their walkout against the government’s medical school expansion plan since February, the number of major general hospitals struggling financially is on the rise. Kyung Hee University Medical Center, which operates seven hospitals including two affiliated Kyung Hee University Hospitals, is considering suspending salary payments and implementing voluntary retirement from next month due to a daily deficit of hundreds of mil

May 6, 2024

Korean labor force to shrink by 10 million by 2044: report

South Korea's working-age population is projected to shrink by a quarter in the next two decades, a report read Monday, suggesting a grim outlook for Asia's fourth-largest economy, which is struggling to find a breakthrough from its historically low birth rate. The working-age population, which Seoul defines as economically active people aged between 15 and 64, will stand at some 27.17 million by 2044, down by 9.4 million from 36.57 million in 2023, according to a report from the Korea

May 6, 2024

Students with history of violence will be barred from becoming teachers

High school students who have a history of school violence in high school will be barred from becoming elementary school teachers, as the government takes stronger action against school bullying. According to the college entrance plans for 2026 released by the government Monday, all 10 national universities of education have disqualified high school students with a history of violence from applying. The ban is a follow-up to the comprehensive measure for eradicating school violence announced b

May 6, 2024

Financing with gender perspective pivotal for equal, just society: UN

Despite notable progress in the recognition of gender equality, women continue to face numerous socioeconomic disparities, including limited access to education, health care and economic opportunities across the world. Such discrimination leads to women suffering higher chances of danger and poverty. Combined with fewer resources and less power, women become the first victims and the last to recover, noted the UN Women Center of Excellence for Gender Equality. To put an end to the vicious cycle,

May 6, 2024

Govt. asks hospitals to mitigate impact of medical professors' absence

The health ministry has asked hospitals to devise measures to minimize damage to patients from medical professors taking a collective action in support of a walkout by junior doctors protesting the increase in medical school quotas, officials said Monday. The Korean Hospital Association said the government has asked hospital chiefs to take appropriate measures for patients undergoing treatment when medical professors, who are senior doctors, resign or take a leave of absence. Medical professors

May 6, 2024

Pandemic left Korea more depressed than before: report

The South Korean government downgraded the COVID-19 crisis level to the lowest level on May 1, but a recent report indicates that the years of the pandemic have nonetheless left a lasting mark on people here in the form of depression. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's report on depression in South Korea, 7.3 percent of the adult population experienced depression in 2023. The study was conducted on 230,000 adults across the country, and defined depression as &quo

May 5, 2024

Seoul's one-to-one postnatal care helps new moms breastfeed

Seoul’s breastfeeding counselors provided assistance to over 5,000 new mothers in the city within nine months since the launch of the postnatal care program last year, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said Thursday. The free service involves dispatching designated postnatal assistants, totaling 43 at present, to the homes of mothers who have recently given birth to offer personalized sessions and advice. These sessions educate new mothers on proper breastfeeding and breast massage techn

May 5, 2024

40 flights canceled on Jeju Island due to bad weather

Forty flights have been canceled on the southern resort island of Jeju due to adverse weather conditions, officials said Sunday. According to officials from Jeju International Airport, 20 arrivals and 20 departures had been canceled as of noon. Strong wind warnings have been issued for the island, with an advisory for wind shear also in effect at the airport. The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) asked air passengers to check their flight schedules in advance as the bad weather is expect

May 5, 2024

Gov't appears to shelve punitive measures against mass walkout by doctors

The government appears to have shelved a plan to take punitive measures against a protracted walkout by trainee doctors and have pulled back slightly from its plan to increase medical school admission quotas amid a standoff with major doctors' associations, according to officials Sunday. Still, the doctors' associations remained adamant over the issue and renewed their call for the government to revisit the medical reform from scratch, despite some signs of an internal split. During a

May 5, 2024

Debate rages over ‘overly fatty’ samgyeopsal

As much as "samgyeopsal," the quintessential Korean pork belly cut, translates to three-layered meat, its deliciousness hinges on the perfect balance of fat and meat. This balance delivers a satisfyingly chewy texture bursting with juicy, meaty flavor. In online forums in South Korea now, a heated debate is underway over just how much fat is too much in fat-rich samgyeopsal, as people share their experiences of being served cuts they deem “overly fatty” at restaurants. Th

May 4, 2024

Underage gamblers getting younger, increasing in number: police

South Korea has seen a continued decrease in the average age of teenagers caught gambling in the past five years, reaching 16.1 years old in 2023, according to the National Police Agency. The country also saw a substantial on-year increase in the number of those aged between 14-18 years who were subject to criminal investigation for gambling, which more than doubled from 74 in 2022 to 171 in 2023. The figure does not include those who were caught but received a summary trial or a warning from po

May 4, 2024

From fake prostitution ring to nonexistent robber, prank calls hamper police

South Korea has been seeking to curb an increasing number of false emergency reports that hinder police duties, with a law revision for stricter measures set to take effect in July. The recently revised law on 112 emergency call services passed last year will kick in on July 3, allowing the court to hand out an administrative fine of up to 5 million won ($3,600) for false reports to the police, even to first-time offenders. Prank calls to the police had previously been dealt with mostly under th

May 4, 2024

Police tracking down bomb threat on public facility

South Korean police on Saturday were searching for the individual who sent an email threatening to detonate bombs at a public facility on Children's Day. Police said they received a report from a local news outlet about the email, which detailed plans to place "high-performance bombs in public facilities in Korea, where many children visit," on Sunday. Written in English, the email declared the bombs would go off Sunday, describing the act as retaliation against U.S. President Joe

May 4, 2024