Professor calls for more support for Korean studies in N. America

South Korea needs a strategy to maintain the growth of the Korean language, according to Ross King, a professor of Korean language and literature at the University of British Columbia. The Korean language has gained popularity in North America in recent years, but a lack of strategy could jeopardize its future, King said. The number of students studying the Korean language has grown by about 75 percent in the US over the past 10 years, while student enrollment in other language courses has dropp

Nov. 14, 2024

Suneung retakes hit record amid med school expansion

South Korea’s annual College Scholastic Ability Test, or Suneung, took place on Thursday, witnessing a record number of retakers, drawn by the prospect of increased medical school enrollment quotas next year. With the highest number of retakers in 21 years, a total of 522,670 students, including high school seniors and graduates, were registered to take the state-administered Suneung, up 18,082 from last year. While the proportion of graduates was 0.7 percentage points lower than the previ

Nov. 14, 2024

Sejong mayor sees Korean studies as solution for demographic crisis

The growing popularity of the Korean language could help address Korea's demographic crisis, Sejong City Mayor Choi Min-ho said Wednesday. Speaking at the Global Business Forum, held at Simone in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, Choi said Koreans should be more open to building a multicultural society, and that Hangeul could play a key role. “It is good that Hangeul is called the pride of Korea. But it could also be something more that helps with Korea’s low birth rate,” he said

Nov. 14, 2024

[Security Forum] Lawmakers urge bipartisanship, strategic planning as new Trump admin approaches

Lawmakers from rival parties emphasized the need for bipartisan cooperation focused on national interests and strategic planning, as they anticipate the incoming administration of US President-elect Donald Trump to have significant impacts on the Korea-US alliance, foreign policy strategy and the broader economic and industrial landscape. "As the saying goes, political strife stops at the border. In matters of diplomacy and security, bipartisan cooperation that prioritizes the national inte

Nov. 14, 2024

Tongyeong launches drone delivery service for island residents

The city of Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province, launched a drone delivery service across its 570 islands on Wednesday, expanding a growing trend of drone-based services in Korea to enhance the quality of life for residents in isolated areas. Island residents have long faced challenges due to geographical isolation, often needing to travel to the mainland for essential items or meals. The new drone delivery service allows them to receive various goods, including food, beverages, daily essential

Nov. 14, 2024

Man jailed for rape in his 20s and 30s, convicted again in 40s

A man who was convicted of rape in his 20s an once more in his 30s, has been sentenced to prison for rape yet again at the age of 45. The Seoul High Court on Wednesday upheld an earlier court ruling that gave a 15-year prison term to the defendant, surnamed Kim. It also ordered him to wear an electronic monitoring anklet for 20 years after he is released. "The initial ruling does not appear to be too heavy or too light in proportion to the crime," the court said in its verdict. Kim was

Nov. 14, 2024

38% of Korea's fishing vessels over 21 years old

With some experts suspecting that the worn-down hull had caused last week's sinking of a 34-year-old boat, government data showed Thursday that nearly 40 percent of the fishing boats in South Korea are at least 21 years old. According to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, 24,504 of the fishing boats in the country were aged 21 years or above as of 2023, accounting for 38.1 percent of all registered fishing boats. A total of 12,205 of them were built at least 26 years ago. Korea does no

Nov. 14, 2024

Police release info of man who murdered ex-girlfriend and injured her mother

The South Korean police on Thursday revealed the name, age and mugshot of a man accused of murdering his former girlfriend and injuring her mother. Seo Dong-ha, 34, is suspected of killing a woman in her 30s at an apartment complex in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, on Nov. 8. Seo also attacked the victim's mother, inflicting non-critical damage with his knife. He reported himself to the police and was arrested shortly after. Seo and the victim had dated for four months earlier in the ye

Nov. 14, 2024

College entrance exam kicks off amid record number of retakers

The annual college entrance exam kicked off nationwide Thursday with a record number of retakers driven in part by an increase in medical school admissions. A total of 522,670 students, including high school seniors and graduates, were registered to take the state-administered College Scholastic Ability Test, up 18,082 from last year. High school seniors numbered 340,777, accounting for 65.2 percent of the total, while graduates numbered 161,784, the largest figure since 2003. Many of the gradua

Nov. 14, 2024

Govt. unveils measures to address consumer complaints in wedding industry

The government unveiled a package of measures aimed at addressing long-standing consumer complaints in the wedding industry Thursday, which has often been cited as a significant factor driving up the high costs of marriage. The measures were introduced at an economic ministers' meeting in Seoul, led by Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok, who also serves as the deputy prime minister for economic affairs. "The high costs of wedding services have become a financial burden for young people, an

Nov. 14, 2024

[Graphic News] Tainan predicted top destination for South Koreans in 2025

Travel app Skyscanner has unveiled its Travel Trends 2025 report, capturing tourism insights based on a survey of 20,000 travelers worldwide. According to the report, next year’s key travel theme is predicted to be “shared experiences with others,” in which people will pursue experiences that can be shared with others who have similar interests. Among the survey participants, 1,000 South Koreans shared their preferred travel destinations, favoring shorter flights. Taiwan&rsqu

Nov. 14, 2024

Police mobilize over 10,000 officers for 2025 Suneung

To ensure the secure administration of the annual national college entrance exam, more than 10,000 police officers will be deployed nationwide, officials said Wednesday. For the Suneung, short for the College Scholastic Ability Test in Korean, set to be held on Thursday, a total of 10,256 officers will manage various tasks, including transporting exam papers, maintaining order at test site entrances, controlling traffic, patrolling nearby areas and ensuring the safe delivery of answer sheets aft

Nov. 13, 2024

Govt. cracks down on wedding industry

Amid prolonged controversy over excessive fees and a lack of transparency in the wedding industry, the South Korean government said it has mandated changes to contract terms at 18 major wedding planning firms. The Fair Trade Commission on Tuesday said it identified six types of unfair clauses in service agreements across 18 wedding planning companies that received the most consumer complaints over three months. These companies offer package weddings -- popular bundles consisting of pre-wedding s

Nov. 13, 2024

Only half of Koreans believe marriage is essential: study

Just over half of South Koreans believe getting married is essential, a recent government study showed Wednesday, and a growing proportion of people say it's alright for couples simply to live together without tying the knot. According to Statistics Korea's annual study on Korean society, 52.5 percent of Koreans say people should get married, while 41.5 percent say it is a matter of choice and 3.3 percent say they should remain single. The percentage of those who believe people must

Nov. 13, 2024

Suneung for all: Opportunity, redemption and the right to dream

On Thursday, more than half a million people across South Korea will converge at test sites to take what many view as a life-defining exam. This is the Suneung -- the nation’s college scholastic ability test. Held just once a year, the nine-hour marathon determines the universities students will be able to attend, and from there, their career opportunities, future earnings and even relationships, as education holds an especially revered place in Korean society. In November each year, South

Nov. 13, 2024

Elevator, escalator accidents spike among over-65s

The annual number of accidents involving senior citizens on automated transportation devices including elevators, escalators and moving walkways has been increasing since 2020, a report by the state-run consumer protection agency showed Wednesday. A total of 1,507 such accidents involving the over-65s were registered at the Consumer Injury Surveillance System from 2020 to September of this year, according to the Korea Consumer Agency. The yearly figure for these accidents of the elderly increa

Nov. 13, 2024

Korean model admits drug use, seeks help from embassy in Manila: report

A South Korean media outlet on Wednesday reported that TV announcer-turned-model Kim Na-jung had reached out to the South Korean Embassy in the Philippines for help leaving the country, after confessing to officials there that she had used drugs. According to Edaily, the 32-year-old contacted the embassy on Tuesday for help citing an unspecified danger, and received assistance going to the airport from her hotel and onto the plane from Manila to Incheon. The embassy did not elaborate on what typ

Nov. 13, 2024

[Herald Interview] 'Korea, don't repeat Hong Kong's mistakes on foreign caregivers'

Fifty-one years ago, during Hong Kong's "golden era" of social reform, then-Gov. Murray MacLehose established a framework to bring in low-wage foreign workers for domestic and care work. This policy aimed to encourage educated, upper- and middle-class local women to enter the workforce — a rationale similar to that of the Seoul city government's foreign caregiver pilot program today. Though now facing different socioeconomic conditions, some South Korean politicians and

Nov. 13, 2024

Police investigate mutilated body of kitten found in Incheon

Incheon police said Wednesday it has launched an investigation into possible animal cruelty case, after the body of a beheaded kitten was found the previous day. Officials at the Incheon Gyeyang Police Station received the report of the kitten at around 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Police said it will investigate the surveillance footage of the area around the lot, to determine whether this is a case of animal cruelty or if the kitten had been killed by another animal. Another potential animal cruelty

Nov. 13, 2024

Military commander to face 10-year sentence for trainee’s death due to 'extra punishment'

Prosecutors have sought 10 and seven-year prison terms for an Army training center’s company and deputy commanders, accusing them of ordering unauthorized “extra punishment” that led to a conscripted soldier's death. On Tuesday, the Chuncheon District Court held the final hearing for the company commander surnamed Kang and the deputy company commander surnamed Nam, who were indicted on charges of abusing their power. The defendants are accused of conducting unauthorized

Nov. 13, 2024