Seoul third-best city in world to be a student: report

Seoul is the third-best city in the world to be a university student, according to a recent report from UK-based education consultant Studee. Studee on Tuesday released the Student Cities Index for 2021, indicating the best 100 cities for university students across the globe. “Seoul has the greatest number of high-ranking universities anywhere in the study,” the report said. “The city also offers reasonably cheap rent and above-average levels of free speech.” Studee a

Sept. 29, 2021

16.5% of S. Korea's population aged 65 and older in 2021: report

People aged 65 and older made up 16.5 percent of South Korea's population this year, a report showed Wednesday, highlighting concerns that the fast-aging demographic transition could pose a drag on the country's economy. According to the report by Statistics Korea, the number of people aged 65 and older stood at 8.53 million this year. The South Korean population is projected to peak in 2028 before going on a downward curve, the report showed. However, the graying of South Korea will accelerate,

Sept. 29, 2021

[Newsmaker] Assimilation programs begin for Afghan evacuees in S. Korea

The government on Wednesday started assimilation programs for Afghan evacuees who settled in South Korea in August upon fleeing their country after it was taken over by the Taliban. Various programs, offered by relevant ministries, are aimed at helping them learn the language, get familiar with the culture and more easily assimilate into Korean society. The Ministry of Justice runs the Korea Immigration and Integration Program (KIIP) with a goal to teach them Korean culture and language, along w

Sept. 29, 2021

New cases spike to 2nd largest; infections in greater Seoul top 2,000 again

South Korea's daily coronavirus cases stayed in the 2,000s for a fourth day Wednesday, bouncing back to the second largest since the outbreak of COVID-19 in January last year on a spike in infections in the greater Seoul area. The country reported 2,885 new COVID-19 cases, including 2,859 local infections, bringing the total caseload to 308,725, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The daily caseload touched a fresh high of 3,272 on Saturday due to a mass migratio

Sept. 29, 2021

Juvenile assault cases down; sex offense, fraud cases up last year: report

South Korean teenagers committed fewer physical assault crimes but more sex offenses and fraud last year, a judicial report showed Wednesday. According to the 2021 juridical yearbook published by the National Court Administration, the total number of juvenile protection cases was 38,590 in 2020, up 2,014, or 5.5 percent, from a year ago. Of them, theft accounted for the biggest share at 13,845 cases, followed by fraud at 4,160, assault at 1,710 and infliction of bodily harm at 1,077. The figures

Sept. 29, 2021

[News Focus] Korea, 27th of 33 OECD members in women’s employment

SEJONG -- South Korea was one of seven countries whose employment rate for women stayed under 60 percent as of June, among 33 members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. As for the employment rate for men, Korea also fell far behind its Asia-Pacific neighbors -- such as Japan, which topped the list, and New Zealand -- as well as some emerging economies. According to the OECD, the women’s employment rate in Korea posted 57.5 percent in the second quarter of this

Sept. 28, 2021

Despite record COVID-19 surge, Korea committed to return to ‘normal’

President Moon Jae-in’s top officials on Tuesday once again reiterated the administration’s commitment to beckon a return to normal next month, when 80 percent of the adult population is anticipated to be fully vaccinated. Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum, overseeing the government’s COVID-19 response headquarters, told Tuesday’s meeting of senior officials that Korea’s pursuit of a “phased return to normal,” also dubbed “living with COVID-19,”

Sept. 28, 2021

S. Korea expected to adopt 'With Corona' scheme in Oct.-Nov.: minister

South Korea seeks to gradually return to normal daily life, while managing the spread of the novel coronavirus, between late October and early November, the health minister said Tuesday. The government earlier envisioned the "With Corona" scheme, under which COVID-19 is treated as an infectious respiratory disease like the seasonal influenza, with eased distancing being implemented. "The transition is likely to be around late October when 80 percent of adults are fully vaccinate

Sept. 28, 2021

Cancer remains leading cause of death in S. Korea

Cancer remained the top cause of death in South Korea, with the number of deaths hitting a record high last year, a government report showed Tuesday. In 2020, 304,948 deaths were reported in South Korea, up 3.3 percent from a year earlier. It marked the highest annual number since Statistics Korea began compiling such data in 1983. The statistics agency said 593.9 deaths were reported per 100,000 South Koreans last year. It also said 160.1 per 100,000 people died of cancer last year. Cance

Sept. 28, 2021

New cases in 2,000s for 3rd day; infections resurge in non-greater Seoul

South Korea's daily coronavirus cases remained in the 2,000s for a third day Tuesday as infections spiked outside the greater Seoul area in the aftermath of a mass migration during the Chuseok holiday. The country reported 2,289 new COVID-19 cases, including 2,270 local infections, bringing the total caseload to 305,842, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The daily caseload touched a fresh high of 3,272 on Saturday before slightly falling to 2,771 on Sunday.

Sept. 28, 2021

Korea says COVID-19 vaccination not as urgent for healthy kids

Korea said Monday that it would only “strongly recommend” COVID-19 vaccinations for children and teenagers if they are medically vulnerable, as it plans to roll out vaccinations for under-18s in late October. In a news briefing, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency’s chief Jeong Eun-kyeong said with regards to vaccination of children and adolescents, “an informed and voluntary decision is recommended.” But children with underlying health issues -- in

Sept. 27, 2021

Enforcement decree of workplace disaster law to be reviewed by Cabinet this week

An enforcement decree for the new workplace disaster law aimed at better protecting workers from industrial accidents will be reviewed during a Cabinet meeting this week, according to labor and business community sources Monday, despite criticism from both manager and labor groups over the government proposal. In January, the National Assembly passed a bill that strengthens the punishment of business owners and CEOs of companies with five or more employees in the event of serious workplace disas

Sept. 27, 2021

Half of Koreans agree to careful inoculation of teenagers: poll

Nearly half of South Koreans are in favor of a cautious approach to the issue of COVID-19 vaccinations for teenagers aged between 12 and 17, a poll showed Monday. In the poll of 1,006 people aged 18 and above conducted by the Korea Society Opinion Institute on Friday and Saturday, 49.1 percent said the government should take some time to observe vaccination situations in other countries before administering COVID-19 vaccine shots to the teen group. In contrast, 42.6 percent said vaccinations for

Sept. 27, 2021

Tattooists again file constitutional petition against law banning tattooing by non-medical professionals

South Korean tattooists once again filed a petition with the Constitutional Court Monday against the medical law that requires tattooing to be conducted only by licensed medical personnel. A total of 153 tattooists associated with the Korea Fashion Tattoo Association and the Korea Tattoo Federation said Article 27 of the medical law that outlaws tattooing by people with no medical license violates their constitutional rights. "South Korea is the only country that punishes tattooing by non-m

Sept. 27, 2021

[Us and Them] The whiter the better: Korea’s racist hierarchy

An unspoken “caste” system based largely on race and skin color persists in South Korean society. In a matter of decades, Korea has grown into a popular destination for tourists, with iconic features like K-pop, culinary delights and cultural heritage items drawing travelers from all corners of the globe. Yet the number who come here to live is relatively small, and foreigners and experts point to an invisible ranking system based largely on race and ethnicity as one of the factors

Sept. 27, 2021

Moon says it is time to consider ban on dogs as food

President Moon Jae-in raised the need Monday for the government to consider imposing a formal ban on dog meat consumption in South Korea. "Hasn't the time come to prudently consider prohibiting dog meat consumption?" Moon told Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum during their weekly policy consultation session, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Park Kyung-mee. The president made the remarks while being briefed by the prime minister on the government's plan to improve the system to take ca

Sept. 27, 2021

Pregnant women, younger children to get jabs from mid-October; booster shots eyed for elders, healthcare workers

South Korea will begin administering COVID-19 vaccines to pregnant women and younger children starting Oct. 18 as part of its efforts to inoculate more people amid little signs of letup in the fourth wave of the pandemic, health authorities said Monday. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) announced the list of fourth-quarter vaccine recipients to achieve its goal of inoculating more than 80 percent of the country's adults by end of October and achieve herd immunity by November

Sept. 27, 2021

Moon urges all-out govt. efforts to contain coronavirus infections

President Moon Jae-in instructed his government Monday to make all-out efforts to tackle the rapid spread of COVID-19 infections across South Korea, Cheong Wa Dae said, as the country is preparing to implement measures in stages to ease social distancing rules and recover the normal life of the public. He delivered the message to Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum during their weekly meeting, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Park Kyung-mee. "In order to achieve the phased recovery of daily

Sept. 27, 2021

Over 42% of people in their 30s unmarried in 2020

More than 42 percent of 30-somethings in South Korea remained unmarried last year, census data showed Monday, underscoring the trend in which many young people delay or give up on marriage amid a prolonged economic slowdown. Out of 13.7 million singles aged 15 and older, 2.82 million people in their 30s were single last year, up from 2.68 million five years earlier, according to the 2020 census by Statistics Korea. The percentage of unmarried people in their 30s reached 42.5 percent last year, u

Sept. 27, 2021

Sejong University professor to join Engineering Structures editorial board

A professor from Sejong University has been picked to serve on the editorial board of an international research journal, the Seoul-based higher education institution announced Monday. Lee Jae-hong, a professor of architectural engineering at Sejong University, will serve as a member of the editorial board for Engineering Structures, a globally prestigious research journal in the field of structural engineering and structural mechanics communities. The biweekly journal, run by Netherlands-based

Sept. 27, 2021