When Song Ah-young started dating her ex-boyfriend in 2008, she thought he was one of the kindest people she’d ever met. She had just broken up with her ex, who left her for another woman.　“I was just 23 at the time and I was heartbroken,” Song said. “The breakup really affected my self-esteem. And then there was this guy, who would say the kindest things and shower me with gifts. The only thing he didn’t buy me was an engagement ring.”　But things took an unexpected turn about two months into th

Social Affairs July 9, 2015

 South Koreans feel burdened by the cost of child care and tend to believe being a parent limits their career chances, a study showed Wednesday. 　The results show that the high cost of education and poor work-life balance of young parents were among the reasons behind the nation’s low fertility rate, the researcher said. 　The study, organized by Kim Mee-sook at the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, analyzed how parents in nine different countries viewed parenthood in 2012.  Koreans

Social Affairs July 8, 2015

Another South Korean victim of Japan’s sex slavery during World War II died Sunday, bringing the total number of living victims down to 48. Her death came 12 days after another victim died on June 24.　Choi Geum-seon, who had been suffering from sepsis and pneumonia since 2012, died at Shinhwa Hospital in Yeongdeongpo, Seoul, Sunday. She was 89.　Born in Pyongyang in 1925, Choi was kidnapped while she was on her way to visit her friend’s house in her hometown at age 16 in 1941. She was eventually

Social Affairs July 6, 2015

When Yoon Ji-hee, a 43-year-old single mother, divorced in 2010, the court had ordered her ex-husband to pay her 800,000 won ($711) as child support for their two children every month.But until March of this year, Yoon had never received anything from him. Diabetic and unemployed, she had been living in a tiny single room at a “goshiwon” -- cheap, dormitory housing mostly utilized by young students -- with her two teenage children.  Her eldest son, now 20, had been the sole breadwinner of the fa

Social Affairs July 2, 2015

The Middle East respiratory syndrome outbreak in South Korea continued to show signs of abating Wednesday as no additional cases were reported for the fourth straight day and more patients recovered from the deadly disease.　Health authorities reported no deaths and no additional cases Wednesday, keeping the death toll at 33 and the fatality rate at 18.1 percent. Meanwhile, two more patients were discharged from hospitals. The recovered patients accounted for 53.3 percent of all 182 infected indi

Social Affairs July 1, 2015

While Seoul reported no additional Middle East respiratory syndrome cases for three consecutive days for the first time since the index case was confirmed in May, many families of the deceased victims have been reported to be suffering from depression and insomnia.　Health authorities reported one more death on Tuesday, raising the toll to 33 and the fatality rate of the disease to 18 percent. Meanwhile, two more patients have been discharged from hospitals, bringing the number of recovered patie

Social Affairs June 30, 2015

South Korea reported no additional Middle East respiratory syndrome cases for two consecutive days, while announcing it would give out 16 billion won ($14 million) to support MERS-affected hospitals and expand the coverage of the national health insurance for patients with infectious diseases.　As of Monday afternoon, the virus has killed 32 and infected 182. Two more patients have been discharged from hospitals, raising the number of recovered patients to 93. This means more than half of all inf

Social Affairs June 29, 2015

South Korean health authorities announced Sunday that a total of 91 confirmed Middle East respiratory syndrome patients have been discharged from hospitals, meaning half of all patients have recovered from the virus so far.　Korea marked the lowest daily increase of confirmed MERS cases Sunday since June 20. No additional cases were reported, keeping the total number of MERS cases at 182. Authorities however confirmed one MERS death, raising the death toll to 32 and the fatality rate of the disea

Social Affairs June 28, 2015

A caregiver who had not been informed about her exposure to Middle East respiratory syndrome virus died just two days after her official MERS diagnosis on Wednesday, raising questions once again about the government’s handling of the outbreak. 　Her death was one of two reported by Seoul on Thursday, raising the nation’s death toll to 29 and the fatality rate of the disease to 16.1 percent. Health authorities also confirmed one new case at a Busan-based hospital, bringing the total number of MERS

Social Affairs June 25, 2015

South Korea’s Women’s Development Act, implemented in 1995 to protect women’s rights and combat discrimination against women, will be renamed the Gender Equality Act on July 1 to expand the scope of protection against discrimination of both genders, officials said Tuesday.　“We have realized it is important to promote gender equality, the needs of both men and women, rather than focusing on women only,” said Lee Ki-soon, director general of the women’s policy bureau at the Ministry of Gender Equa

Social Affairs June 23, 2015

A South Korean woman who was infected with Middle East respiratory syndrome while pregnant safely gave birth to a son Tuesday through a cesarean section, the nation’s health authorities said Tuesday. Both the mother, who was told of her full recovery from MERS on Tuesday, and her baby are doing well, they added.　The 39-year-old is the world’s first MERS patient to have given birth to a healthy child, while also having recovered from the virus at the same time. The woman became Korea’s 109th MERS

Social Affairs June 23, 2015

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) -- U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Saturday urged Southeast Asian nations to deal with the causes behind a growing humanitarian crisis that has forced thousands of people from Myanmar and Bangladesh to flee by sea, leaving many still stranded in boats.  Rohingya migrants sit inside their temporary shelter in Bayeun, Aceh province, Indonesia, Sunday, May 24, 2015. Thousands of migrants - about half of them Bangladeshi and the others minority Rohingya Muslims from Myanma

International May 24, 2015