Seoul envisions design giants like Ikea

Seoul city will invest 172.3 billion won ($126 million) over the next five years to support the design industry in the city with an aim to nurture "Korean versions" of overseas design and home furnishing giants Ikea and Muji. The Seoul Metropolitan Government on Wednesday unveiled a five-year plan prioritizing a stable foundation for Seoul's design industry, strengthening the self-reliance of design companies and fostering connections between companies, as well as promoting Seoul&

Oct. 16, 2024

1 in 4 seniors prefer using assets over leaving them to children

One in four South Korean senior citizens wish to use their assets for themselves and their spouses rather than passing them on to their children, according to government data on Wednesday. The 2023 survey of 10,078 senior citizens by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, Gallup Korea and the Health Ministry between Sept. 4 and Nov. 12 last year showed that 24.2 percent of the respondents chose to prioritize using their assets for their own and their spouse during their lifetime inst

Oct. 16, 2024

Korea's well-to-do live longer, healthier lives: report

People with higher incomes are likely to live longer and healthier lives than those with lower incomes, government data showed Tuesday. The "healthy life expectancy" -- defined as the period of years one is expected to live with no major health issues -- was 73.4 years in 2021 for South Koreans in the top 20 percent of incomes, according to Ministry of Health and Welfare data submitted to Rep. Kim Nam-hee of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea. But for those in the bottom 20

Oct. 16, 2024

Court recognizes misogyny as motive for hate crime for 1st time

An appellate court ruled Tuesday that the assault on a female convenience store clerk by a man in Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province, allegedly motivated by her short haircut, constituted a misogynistic hate crime. The landmark ruling is the first time a Korean court has explicitly recognized misogyny as a condemnable motive in a criminal case. The Changwon District Court upheld the lower court's decision to put the attacker behind bars for three years for aggravated assault, destruction of p

Oct. 16, 2024

'Rapping granny' of Chilgok passes away at age 87

Octogenarian rapper Seo Mu-seok, who inspired many by pursuing her musical dreams into her late 80s, passed away Tuesday at the age of 87. Seo died Tuesday morning at a hospital in Daegu, according to North Gyeongseong Province's Chilgok-gun officials. She had been diagnosed with stage three lymphoma in January, and doctors had told her that she had three months to live. Seo made her musical debut last year as a member of the seven-member musical act, Suni and the Seven Princesses, made up

Oct. 16, 2024

Top 0.1% of Koreans make 1.8b won a year; 126 pay no tax

Government data showed Wednesday that the top 0.1 percent of earners in South Korea made an average of 1.8 billion won in 2022, and that 126 of them paid no tax due to various deductions and exemptions. The combined income of a total of 26.2 million South Koreans came to 1.59 quadrillion won ($1.17 trillion) in 2022, while the combined income of the top 0.1 percent -- a group consisting of 26,231 individuals -- amounted to 47.1 trillion won, according to National Tax Service data submitted to Re

Oct. 16, 2024

[Graphic News] School violence reports reach 11-year high

A national survey by the Ministry of Education revealed that reports of school violence among elementary, middle and high school students in 2024 have increased for the fourth consecutive year, reaching the highest level in 11 years. The survey, conducted on 3.98 million students from fourth grade through high school and across 17 metropolitan and provincial education offices, showed that 2.1 percent of students experienced school violence. Up from 1.9 percent last year, this represents the hi

Oct. 16, 2024

Woman found dead in tent near Gunsan rest area

A woman in her 30s was found dead in a tent near a rest area in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province, police said Tuesday. According to the Gunsan Police Station, the woman, 37, was discovered dead at around 5:10 p.m. by a man who was with her at the time, near the Geumgangho Service Area. The man immediately reported it to police upon finding her unresponsive. When the police arrived at the scene, the woman showed signs of rigor mortis – stiffening of the muscles which usually occurs three or fo

Oct. 15, 2024

Ex-prosecutors make up over 20% of conglomerate execs with civil service background

Former officials from the judiciary and finance-related branches of the government appear to be popular recruits for conglomerates across the country, as industry data showed Tuesday that over 20 percent of former civil servants working as directors at companies used to be prosecutors. Of the 11,208 directors at the 30 biggest conglomerates in South Korea by assets, 337 of them -- or 3 percent -- were ex-civil servants, according to a corporate analysis firm Leaders Index. Of these, 75 were fo

Oct. 15, 2024

Construction worker falls to his death at 5-star hotel in Incheon

A 39-year-old construction worker replacing an elevator at a five-star hotel in Yeongjongdo, Incheon sustained a critical injury on Monday, after he fell 12 stories from the building. According to the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency, he was working to remove an old elevator when he fell around 5:36 p.m., all the way to the sub-level floor of the hotel. He died despite the medical treatment he received at a nearby hospital. Police will request the National Forensic Service to perform an autops

Oct. 15, 2024

[Exclusive] Primary health care workforce expansion needed for future challenges: WHO

The World Health Organization, when asked about the monthslong medical standoff in South Korea, said Tuesday that expanding the primary health care workforce is needed to cope with future challenges. "Challenges of the future -- including aging, prevalence of noncommunicable diseases and new patterns of accessing health services -- require expanding the supply of services, particularly at primary health care settings, where most health needs should be addressed," said the UN agency

Oct. 15, 2024

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