Doctors, government lock horns over medical school expansion

Medical circles continue to lock horns with the government following the announcement of an increase in medical school enrollment quotas by 2,000 from the current 3,058, as they mull joint action in protest of the decision. In response, the Health Ministry said Thursday afternoon it had issued orders to prohibit doctors from engaging in collective action and specialists from resigning en masse. The ministry raised the national health crisis level to alert -- the third highest in the four-tier

Feb. 8, 2024

Foreign nanny plan put on hold as Philippines suspends worker deployment

A moratorium set by the Philippine government on sending their workers to South Korea has put the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s plan to bring in foreign domestic workers on hold, while also leaving some local farms with a shortage of workers as they will have fewer seasonal workers from the Philippines than in previous years. The Seoul city government said last year that it would bring in around 100 Filipina domestic helpers during the second half of 2023 in a pilot program to tackle the

Feb. 7, 2024

King Charles diagnosed with cancer

King Charles III has been diagnosed with cancer and has begun treatment, Buckingham Palace said on Monday, sparking a flood of support from around the world. Charles, who became king upon the death of his 96-year-old mother, Queen Elizabeth II, on Sept. 8, 2022, has generally enjoyed good health, barring injuries from polo and skiing. But the palace said that during his recent hospital procedure for benign prostate enlargement "a separate issue of concern was noted." "Subsequent d

Feb. 6, 2024

Home prices drive Seoulites out of town

More than 5.47 million Seoulites have moved to a different metro area in the last 10 years, government data showed Monday, as home prices and uncertainties in the real estate market drive many to relocate to cities with more affordable housing. Of the total, some 1.74 million people said their main reason for leaving the city between 2014 and 2023 was housing, according to the Korean Statistical Information Service data on the number of people who relocated from Seoul to other cities and provinc

Feb. 5, 2024

[KH Explains] US Election: calm before the storm for Korean auto, battery makers

South Korean automakers and battery firms are closely monitoring this year's US presidential election and calmly bracing for negative impacts in the case of the Joe Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act possibly being repealed in a second Donald Trump term. The IRA, which is intended to boost American manufacturing and keep China in check, offers incentives to buyers of electric vehicles with certain battery parts and materials secured from US soil or via international partne

Feb. 4, 2024

[Weekender] Born to battle: Decoding Korea's hypercompetitive society

Han, a 30-year-old living in Seoul, was once a promising student. She entered Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul on a scholarship and secured a well-paying job at a large company upon graduation. However, the constant competition and long work hours eventually took a toll. Despite being promoted to assistant manager before her colleagues, Han started to experience burnout. "The cycle of competition just didn't end. I had to beat my colleagues to get promoted. I wasn't happy," H

Feb. 3, 2024

Women, old men in military? Korea debates solutions for looming conscript shortfall

Reforming military obligations for men in South Korea has always been a flashpoint for heated debate. But recently, fuel has been added to the fire with the emergence of two rather radical ideas. One idea came from professor Choi Young-jin of Chung-Ang University in Seoul, who proposed in an op-ed for a local daily the formation of a "senior army" composed of men aged 55 to 75 to address an anticipated shortfall in military personnel. In South Korea, which faces the nuclear-armed, bell

Feb. 2, 2024

Will cheaper foldable phones become a reality?

Samsung Electronics, a pioneer in foldable smartphones, is ramping up efforts to expand the still-nascent and high-priced segment, fueling speculation that the tech giant could come out with cheaper versions with mass-market appeal as soon as this year. A recent news report said Samsung is expected to launch two models for the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold6 later this year, including a cheaper one without the pricey S-Pen stylus. Foldable displays are priced higher to support the scribble function on t

Feb. 1, 2024

Zuckerberg apologizes to child abuse victims

Sexual predators. Addictive features. Suicide and eating disorders. Unrealistic beauty standards. Bullying. These are just some of the issues young people are dealing with on social media — and children’s advocates and lawmakers say companies are not doing enough to protect them. On Wednesday, the CEOs of Meta, TikTok, X and other social media companies went before the US Senate Judiciary Committee to testify as lawmakers and parents grow increasingly concerned about the effects of s

Feb. 1, 2024

[KH Explains] What’s behind unusual popularity of imported milk in Korea?

Imported milk has been enjoying unexpected popularity in Korea recently, with the import volume more than tripling over the past three years alone. According to the Korea Customs Service, imports of pasteurized milk totaled 3.74 metric tons, worth 41.5 billion won ($31.1 million), last year, up 32 percent from a year prior and a threefold surge from 2020. Almost 90 percent of the imports came from Poland, followed by Australia (4.1 percent), Germany (3.9 percent) and France (2.2 percent). Despit

Jan. 31, 2024

S. Korea’s echo chambers grow, study finds

South Koreans' tendency to search only the information matching their own political inclination has been rising while their general interest toward politics has been on a downward trajectory, a recent survey by a local research company indicated. Last year the online research company Embraine conducted a survey of 1,000 adults aged 19 to 59 to find how much they are affected by the filter bubble, which refers to when an internet user encounters information that conforms to and/or reinforces

Jan. 30, 2024

'SNL Korea' lawsuit sheds light on streaming shows' working conditions

The legal disputes surrounding the popular Korean entertainment show "SNL Korea" is shedding light on the poor working conditions experienced by staff working at production companies that supply content to streaming services, according to experts, Monday. South Korean production company Astory, which produces content for various streaming services, said on Thursday the company has filed a lawsuit claiming 7 billion won ($5.2 million) in damages for restraint of trade against CP Enter

Jan. 29, 2024

[KH Explains] Will OpenAI, Korean chipmakers team up to take on Nvidia?

Sam Altman, the chief executive officer of OpenAI, visited Seoul last week to hold a series of meetings with top executives of Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, the world’s top two memory chipmakers, fueling speculation that the “father of ChatGPT” is in search of allies to take on Nvidia, the unrivaled market leader in chips for artificial intelligence. For Samsung and SK, being part of a possible alliance would provide a chance for them to step up their game in the heated com

Jan. 28, 2024

Concerns rise as workplace safety law extends to smaller firms

The business community and President Yoon Suk Yeol conveyed their profound disappointment following unsuccessful parliamentary negotiations on extending the grace period for the country's workplace safety law for small businesses by an additional two years. Labor groups, on the other hand, have embraced the latest developments, viewing them as positive steps in ensuring enhanced worker safety standards. The workplace safety law, known as the Serious Accident Punishment Act is, set to be exp

Jan. 26, 2024

[Newsmaker] SK hynix posts surprise Q4 profit, signaling chip recovery

SK hynix will upgrade its legacy chip fab in China to produce high-value-added products to enhance profitability and meet the demand for recovery, the company said on Thursday. In its regulatory filing on the same day, the world's second-largest chipmaker reported an earnings surprise for the October-December period in 2023, marking a turnaround after struggling from losses for four straight quarters earlier. "Unlike in the past, we will focus our investment decisions to deliver value

Jan. 25, 2024

Loved like idols, canceled like demons

The news that actor Lee Sun-kyun was being investigated for allegations of illegal drug use broke out on Oct. 19. Within days, Korean telecom giant SK Telecom pulled an advertisement featuring Lee and his wife. He was replaced by another actor in the drama series, "No Way Out," which was about to start shooting. The release of two of his films, which were in post-production at that time, became uncertain. In short, Lee was "canceled" less than a week after the allegations w

Jan. 24, 2024

[KH Explains] How Dior bag footage shook Korean politics

When a YouTube video of South Korea's first lady receiving a Dior handbag went viral last year, it initially made few waves in mainstream news media. In the weeks before April's general election, the footage has become a wedge that is straining relationships among People Power Party lawmakers, as well as a piece of political ammunition for the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea. Opposition lawmakers have been raising their suspicions that first lady Kim Keon Hee violated anti-gr

Jan. 23, 2024

Landslide in China buries 47 people in freezing temperatures and snow

BEIJING — A landslide buried 47 people in a remote village in mountainous southwestern China on Monday, state media said. Hours later, two survivors were rescued amid freezing temperatures and falling snow. The disaster struck just before 6 a.m. in the village of Liangshui in the northeastern part of Yunnan province. By evening, nine bodies were retrieved and about 500 people were evacuated from the area. Rescue crews continued to try and find victims who were buried in about 18 homes, t

Jan. 23, 2024

DeSantis ends campaign, endorses Trump over Haley

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis ended his fading presidential campaign on Sunday and endorsed Donald Trump just two days before the pivotal New Hampshire primary, leaving former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley as Trump's last long-shot challenger for the Republican nomination. DeSantis' decision, less than a week after his deflating loss to Trump in Iowa despite an enormous investment there, caps a stunning fall, after DeSantis had been seen as Republicans' most promising alternative to T

Jan. 22, 2024

[Newsmaker] Government neglect of single moms sends babies abroad despite S. Korea's low birth rate

Born as Yoon-hwa in South Korea in 1974, she became Petra Zwart of the Netherlands at the age of 1. Her adoptive Dutch family provided a warm and welcoming home to both Zwart and her biological brother, who was adopted at age 5. Even so, Zwart recalls finding it difficult to fit in as a child, due to her East Asian appearance being different, "like an ugly duckling." She and her brother were among the nearly 170,000 babies that Korea has sent overseas for adoption since 1953. Despite

Jan. 21, 2024