Parents with higher education levels spend more on children’s private education: study

Parents with higher levels of education spend more on their children’s private education, data showed on Friday. Parents holding master’s degrees spent an average of 600,000 won ($450) to 640,000 won per child per month on private education last year, according to Statistics Korea. This is 3.8 times more than the monthly average of 170,000 won to 200,000 won spent per child by parents with educational backgrounds below middle school. Mothers with a high school degree spent an avera

March 15, 2024

New space agency hints at ‘no salary cap’ for workers

South Korea on Thursday began the official recruitment process for its new space body, Korea Aerospace Administration, or KASA, hoping to attract the best talent from in and outside the country. The government’s preparatory office for KASA held its first offline recruitment presentation in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province, where the KASA headquarters will be launched on May 27. As Korea has repeatedly underlined its interest in drawing in top-tier space professionals regardless of nation

March 14, 2024

An apple a day fritters savings away? Apple price rises to all-time high

The price of apples in South Korea recently skyrocketed to an all-time high as fruit prices in the country continue to soar amid ongoing inflation, data from a state-run agency promoting and supporting agriculture trade showed Wednesday. The wholesale price of 10 kilograms of apples as of Tuesday was 91,700 won ($70), more than double the 41,060 won for same amount at the same time last year, according to the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation. The price for 10 kilograms of apples

March 13, 2024

[Out of the Shadows] A defense attorney's perspective on Korea's real drug challenges

Many Koreans perceive drug offenders as fundamentally different from ordinary people. An Jun-hung, a defense attorney who specializes in drug crimes, knows from his decade-long experience of representing them in court that this is not the case. He likens the experience of trying illegal drugs to getting into an unexpected car accident. "Most people who get caught doing illegal drugs first encounter them unknowingly or out of curiosity," the attorney from law firm Son & Partners s

March 12, 2024

PSG's Lee Kang-in makes national squad despite Asian Cup dispute

South Korean men's national soccer team head coach Hwang Sun-hong announced his 23-man squad Monday, which included Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Lee Kang-in who fell from favor with the public for his recent scuffle with team captain Son Heung-min. The interim coach for the team acknowledged the public's concern over Lee, and said addressing the issue could provide a chance to strengthen team chemistry. "I've talked to both players, and resolving (such conflict) can bring (the team) close

March 11, 2024

[AtoZ into Korean mind] Envy: Emotional toll triggered by social comparison

Koreans, particularly of younger generations, are often compared to an imaginary rival by the name of “Eomchina.” This rival, whose name literally translates as “mom’s friend’s son,” represents an idealized peer against whom one is constantly measured in various aspects of life, from academic achievements and career success to marital status and monthly income. “Eomchina” as a benchmark for success stems from parental comparisons and envy for the a

March 10, 2024

Travel ban lifted for ex-defense chief appointed as ambassador

South Korea's Justice Ministry on Friday lifted the ban on leaving the country placed on former Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup, who has been named ambassador to Australia, amidst ongoing controversy surrounding the appointment. The Justice Ministry announced that its travel ban review committee has determined that Lee's formal complaint against his travel restriction was justified. The ministry elaborated that the ban on him leaving the country had been repeatedly extended without any o

March 8, 2024

Haley drops out of race, doesn't endorse Trump

CHARLESTON, South Carolina -- Nikki Haley ended her long-shot challenge to Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump on Wednesday, ensuring the former president will be the party's candidate in a rematch with Democratic President Joe Biden in November's election. Haley, the former South Carolina governor and Trump's ambassador to the United Nations, bowed out a day after Super Tuesday, when Trump beat her in 14 of 15 Republican nominating contests. "The time has now co

March 7, 2024

Trump, Biden sweep Super Tuesday races, moving closer to rematch

WASHINGTON -- President Joe Biden and his predecessor, Donald Trump, were romping to coast-to-coast victories on Super Tuesday, all but cementing a November rematch and increasing pressure on the former president’s last major rival, Nikki Haley, to leave the Republican race. Biden and Trump had each won Texas, Alabama, Colorado, Maine, Oklahoma, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas, Minnesota and Massachusetts. Biden also won the Democratic primaries in California, Utah, Vermont a

March 6, 2024

Allies aim to wrap up talks on defense costs before US election

South Korea and the United States on Tuesday appointed veteran diplomats as their chief delegates for upcoming negotiations on the next defense-cost sharing agreement, clearly signaling an early initiation of the talks. The move stands out as it precedes the expiration of the current agreement by almost two years, scheduled to end in 2025, and gains significance in light of the looming US presidential election. Lee Tae-woo, a seasoned diplomat with a career at the Foreign Ministry since 1996, br

March 5, 2024

What's next for protesting doctors?

South Korean government on Monday refused to give in to doctors' protests against its plan to increase the medical school enrollment quota, as the threat of the mass suspension of medical licenses for striking trainee doctors loomed over the country. Second Vice Health Minister Park Min-soo said the government is moving to take "irreversible" measures against trainee doctors who left work, warning of suspensions of their medical licenses for at least three months. "If (the li

March 4, 2024

[From the Scene] Day of Rage: Doctors resist pressure to bend

Expressing frustration and anger at the South Korean government’s recent decision to increase the annual medical school quota by 2,000 starting in 2025, tens of thousands of doctors, interns, residents and medical students walked the picket line Sunday afternoon to urge a reversal of the planned hike. Chants of “Let’s fight together, let’s win together” reverberated through the crowd, reflecting determination even as the government has issued repeated warnings that

March 3, 2024

[KH explains] Why is S. Korea mulling ease on marriage ban between blood relatives?

The debate on consanguineous marriage is heating up, as the government appears to be moving toward easing laws related to intrafamily marriage. Currently, South Korea prohibits marriage between blood relatives within eight degrees of relations ("chon" in Korean), according to the Civil Act, Article 809 and Article 815. That means that Koreans may not marry third cousins -- their grandparents' cousins' grandchildren -- or closer relatives. Article 809, Section 1 states that &l

March 3, 2024

[EYE] A Buddhist temple where animal spirits find peace

GANGNEUNG, Gangwon Province -- At a secluded temple tucked away on a snow-covered mountain, a Buddhist monk stood before a wooden altar, praying for a departed soul. On the altar, next to a spirit table, there was a framed photo of the deceased: a dog named after the temple itself, Hyundeok. “Hyundeok passed away recently,” said Venerable Hyunjong, the temple's founder and chief monk. “He was 8 years old.” In honor of the departed pup, which was one of two who live

March 2, 2024

Police raid striking doctors' homes, offices, after deadline passes on return-to-work order

As the Thursday deadline the government set for striking doctors to return to work passed, most residents stayed off work Friday, leading the government to introduce stronger measures. Police raided the offices of the Korean Medical Association in Seoul and Gangwon Province the same day, as doctors affiliated with the organization were accused of violating medical laws regarding the ongoing mass walkout by trainee doctors. The police reportedly seized mobile phones and computers from the homes o

March 1, 2024

Bitcoin soars to record high in Korea

The price of bitcoin traded in Korea climbed to its highest ever Thursday, fueled by a global rally initiated from spot exchange-traded funds and an impending halving. Bitcoin, the world’s biggest cryptocurrency, traded in Korea at up to 90 million won ($67,490) on the country’s largest crypto exchange, Upbit, at 3:47 p.m. On the previous day, it broke its previous high of 82.7 million won at around 6 p.m. for the first time since November 2021. After peaking at 90 million won, bitco

Feb. 29, 2024

More than half of people in 24 countries dissatisfied with their democracy: report

A survey by a US-based think tank on Thursday showed growing criticism of how democracy is working across 24 nations, with a median of 59 percent expressing dissatisfaction with how their democracy is functioning and a small minority even being open to a form of military rule. Between Feb. 20 and May 22, 2023, the Pew Research Center surveyed 30,861 adults in 24 countries including South Korea, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Japan, Mexico, Nigeria, Poland, Sweden,

Feb. 29, 2024

South Korea’s fertility rate drops to new low

South Korea's fertility rate continued its steep fall last year as it hit a record low of 0.72, darkening prospects for the country that already has the world's lowest fertility rate, data showed Wednesday. The country's fertility rate -- the average number of children a woman has during her lifetime -- came to 0.72 last year, down from 0.78 in the previous year, according to the preliminary data presented by Statistics Korea. It is the lowest level since 1970 when the state-run s

Feb. 28, 2024

Sweden set to join NATO after Hungary approves bid

STOCKHOLM - Sweden on Monday cleared its final obstacle to joining NATO after Hungary's parliament ratified the bid in what Sweden's prime minister called a "historic day," while other alliance members expressed relief at the move spurred by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said Sweden would make the alliance "stronger and safer" while the United States, the main alliance power, as well as Britain and Germany welcomed Sweden's now

Feb. 27, 2024

[From the Scene] 12 hours to get ER treatment -- it could get worse

Kim, a mother in her 30s, arrived at Seoul National University Hospital’s emergency room on 5 a.m., Friday, after her preschool son’s temperature surged at midnight and he was losing energy. But she was not able to meet a doctor until 3 p.m., after almost 12 hours waiting on a bench outside of the ER with her crying son. “(My son) wasn’t feeling well last night. His temperature went too high, his face got red and he was sweating for days, so ... (I had to come here),&rdqu

Feb. 26, 2024