Around 50% of people with disabilities aged 65 or above: report

As South Korea is predicted to soon become a super-aged society, more than half of the population with disabilities were found to be age 65 or above for the first time in 2023, said the Ministry of Health and Welfare on Tuesday. According to the Health Ministry’s report released on Tuesday, up to 2.65 million of the total population were registered as having some sort of disability. The total population was 51.71 million as of last year according to Statistics Korea. Out of the number of p

April 30, 2024

Medical profs at top hospitals suspend surgeries, clinics

Some medical professors at the country’s three major hospitals, Seoul National University Hospital, Severance Hospital and Korea University Hospital, suspended surgeries and outpatient clinics on Tuesday for one day, as previously announced, to protest the government’s plan to expand the number of new medical students by 2,000 a year. The main hall at SNUH’s Cancer Hospital was without medical staff Tuesday, while a number of patients wandered around the ward, having just learn

April 30, 2024

S. Korea ramps up parental education

The Ministry of Education unveiled measures Tuesday to strengthen support and education for parents, understanding that the capabilities of parents, who are in charge of educating children, should be reinforced for the healthy growth of students, according to officials. The fourth ministerial social affairs meeting introduced new comprehensive policies to offer parents more opportunities to participate in school activities, conduct active communication with teachers and learn how to be "goo

April 30, 2024

Unions to hold Labor Day rallies nationwide

South Korea‘s labor groups, including the nation’s two major umbrella unions, are set to hold large-scale rallies nationwide on Wednesday to commemorate Labor Day. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, one of the country‘s two major umbrella trade unions, known for being independent and run democratically, plans to organize the “World Labor Day Convention” rally from Gwanghwamun in the central district of Jongno-gu to Daehan Gate in Jung-gu, Seoul at 2 p.m. Warm

April 30, 2024

Ex-pro baseball player who killed debtor appeals sentence

A former South Korean baseball player who beat his debtor to death with a baseball bat recently appealed the 15-year prison term he was sentenced by the court on Thursday, challenging the fairness of the punishment. The prosecution, which initially requested a 20-year prison term, also appealed the ruling, contending the punishment was too lenient. It said that given the brutal nature of the murder and the bereaved family's demands of a strict punishment, the court should issue the defendan

April 30, 2024

Police to open alleged stalking probe over pastor over Dior bag scandal

South Korean authorities announced Monday that they would investigate a Korean American pastor named Choi Jae-young, who gifted first lady Kim Keon-hee a 3 million won ($2,295) Dior bag, on allegations of stalking. National Office of Investigation chief Woo Jong-soo said at a press conference held at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency in Seoul that “Last year, Choi was accused of stalking (Kim), and (the police) completed a brief legal review of the case. The police determined that furth

April 29, 2024

Med school professor convicted for fake COVID-19 'vaccine card'

A medical professor was recently handed a suspended prison term for making and distributing cards, falsely claiming that they would function as a vaccine to prevent and even cure COVID-19. Seoul Central District Court sentenced the defendant surnamed Kim to eight months in prison, suspended for two years, for violating the Medical Devices Act. "It was necessary to punish (the defendant) as his actions presented risks for the public health, endangering the people's lives and safety,&quo

April 29, 2024

Forklift exam draws more test-takers in 50s seeking new skills

A record number of South Koreans in their 50s took exams last year for government-issued occupational certifications, with forklift licenses topping the list. The trend reflects a surge in interest in pursuing second careers and highlights the significant difficulty many face in finding new employment related to one's previous experience. According to the Human Resources Development Service of Korea, the number of test-takers in their 50s exceeded 218,000 in 2023, accounting for 12.2 percen

April 29, 2024

Liberal bloc moves to rewrite student rights ordinance

The debate over Seoul Metropolitan Government's abolition of its student human rights ordinance is set to expand to the National Assembly as the opposition Democratic Party of Korea plans to draft student rights legislation that would take precedence over regional offices’ decisions. The Democratic Party, which holds a parliamentary majority, on Monday criticized the People Power Party's removal of Seoul's student rights ordinance, calling it "political regression"

April 29, 2024

From sleeping to space-out contests, Seoul to host 120 events at Han River

Parks near the Han River in Seoul will play host to 120 cultural, leisure and recreational events, including a sleeping contest and a space-out competition, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Monday. Starting with the 2024 Han River Festival in May, the city government announced during Monday’s press briefing that the festivities will last until the end of the year. According to city government officials, the Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to host 25 percent more events

April 29, 2024

Seoul to deploy more military doctors to fill med prof void

The Korean government said Monday it would deploy additional medical personnel to maintain health care services as medical professors are due to resign or take weekly breaks starting this week. During Monday’s government response meeting, Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong said the government would mobilize “all possible measures” to support the emergency medical system by dispatching more health care staff, such as public health doctors or military medical doctors, so that patients

April 29, 2024

ReWorld Forum hosts large, small firms to discuss energy transformation plans

Officials from large and small firms, business experts and government officials gathered at the ReWorld Forum 2024 in Seoul on April 24 to exchange ideas on how South Korea should realize RE100 and work toward decarbonization. RE100 is the global corporate renewable energy initiative of businesses committed to achieving 100 percent renewable electricity. According to the SDX Foundation, the non-profit organization responsible for hosting the event, the forum saw around 400 participants. ReWorld

April 29, 2024

Police investigating 10 men after suspected gang fight near Haeundae Beach

Police in Busan on Monday said they are investigating 10 men in their 30s in connection to a violent incident that took place near Haeundae Beach last week. Police suspect the men are members of a local gang. According to the Busan Haeundae Police Station, a fight broke out between two men in the entertainment district near the beach on April 24. The situation escalated as the two men called for back up and more men joined in the brawl about 90 minutes later. The men reportedly fought in group

April 29, 2024

Medical tourists to Korea rises to record high of 606,000

South Korea attracted a record number of 606,000 foreign national patients in 2023, mainly for dermatological treatments and plastic surgery, the Health Ministry said Monday. The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced that the number of foreign national patients visiting Korea has hit a record high at 606,000, up 2.4 times from a year earlier, 248,000. This is the highest ever since 2009 when the ministry started to compile the number of foreign patients. Also, this figure is 1.2 times higher

April 29, 2024

Govt. to deploy more medical staff as senior doctors at 5 major hospitals take weekly breaks

Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong said Monday that the government plans to deploy more medical staff as senior doctors at five major hospitals in Seoul decided to take a weekly day off starting this week. Cho also renewed a pledge to accomplish medical reform, although a mass walkout by trainee doctors has crippled public health services at major hospitals for more than two months. The government will "further strengthen the emergency treatment system by sending more medical personnel to preven

April 29, 2024

[Graphic News] Korean farming households fall below 1m for first time in 2023

The number of farming households in South Korea fell below 1 million for the first time ever in 2023, and half of farmers were aged 65 or older, data showed. The number of farming households came to 999,000 as of December 2023, down 2.3 percent from a year earlier, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea. It marked the first time that the figure has fallen below the 1 million mark since 1949 when the agency began compiling related data, though the data has a margin of error of about

April 29, 2024

Woman gets suspended term for injuring boyfriend with knife

A 23-year-old woman received a six-month prison term, suspended for two years, for injuring her boyfriend who assaulted her, a court said Sunday. The Chuncheon District Court found the defendant guilty of inflicting special bodily injury on another but took into consideration the fact that the woman had no previous criminal record and that the victim asked for her not to be punished. The defendant is accused of injuring the victim during a fight in February. The defendant's boyfriend had ac

April 28, 2024

Nominee for chief of anti-corruption body pledges 'independence, effectiveness'

Oh Dong-woon, the nominee for the chief of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials, pledged on Sunday to strengthen the agency's role as an independent investigative body and ensure its effectiveness. “I have a heavy heart because I have been nominated as the chief of the CIO during a difficult time,” Oh told media while en route to his office in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, south of Seoul, on Sunday, to prepare for his confirmation hearing at the National

April 28, 2024

Rapper jailed after public street fight with another rapper

A South Korean rapper recently received a one-year prison sentence following a public fight with another rapper, as well as for posting a video of a forced apology and drug use. The Seoul Western District Court found the 26-year-old defendant guilty of coercion by collective force, defamation and marijuana use. It also ordered him to participate in an 80-hour drug treatment program. The defendant got into an argument on Instagram with a 21-year-old rapper last year, which led to them schedulin

April 28, 2024

Med schools expect 1,500+ new admission slots next year

Medical schools that have been allocated additional seats anticipate opening a minimum of 1,500 new slots for the upcoming year, as they are set to make final decisions on their admissions availability following the government’s decision to grant flexibility in the quota allocation. The government earlier said it would allow medical schools to freely adjust new seats within a 50 to 100 percent range of the enrollment quota given to them for the 2025 academic year. It announced in February

April 28, 2024