South Korea’s old-age dependency ratio is forecast to rise to some 80 individuals aged 65 and over for every 100 persons of working age (20-64) by year 2075, according to the OECD’s biennial “Pensions at a Glance” report.  YonhapThe ratio is expected to reach 78.8 by 2075, up from just 6.3 in 1950, making South Korea the OECD’s demographically oldest country. This means that in 2075, 1.25 working-age people would be financially responsible for one senior citizen. With prolonged increases in life

Social Affairs Dec. 17, 2017

Starting from March next year, elementary schools nationwide will be banned from running English education to first and second graders. The measure’s stated goal is to alleviate study burdens on young students by banning advanced learning. Currently, English is taught from third grade on.  　   But critics argue it would also lead to the loss of thousands of jobs of English instructors and eliminate low-income students’ access to affordable education.    “My son has received high quality English

Social Affairs Dec. 15, 2017

Over 2 million people have taken the Korean proficiency test since it was first introduced in 1997, showing the growing interest in learning the language across the globe.  YonhapAccording to the National Institute for International Education on Thursday, the accumulated number of takers of the Test of Proficiency in Korean, or TOPIK, stood at 2.12 million after the most recent test in November. The number of countries where the test is taken was 73, up from just four in 1997. TOPIK scores are a

Social Affairs Dec. 14, 2017

More than seven out of 10 Suneung test-takers chose Arabic as a second foreign language this year, a surprisingly high number given that the language is rarely taught in schools here. Students check the results of the Nov. 23 Suneung college entrance exam Tuesday. YonhapAccording to the Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation, 73.5 percent, or 51,882, of students who sat for the second foreign language test in the annual multi-subject college entrance exam, chose Arabic among nine foreign

Social Affairs Dec. 13, 2017

The traditional concept in the landscape of work is that the job you currently have is a permanent fix. But with robots and artificial intelligence forecast to replace humans in many job fields, it is increasingly becoming a bygone notion. Frederick Hill, the incoming head of Chadwick International, a US-based international school in South Korea, says today’s students must be prepared for what the future holds and schools have a tremendous role to play in it. “Your parents might have started out

Social Affairs Dec. 8, 2017

Born to a family of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Baek Jong-keon realized the price of his faith in South Korea at an early age. His father had gone to jail for refusing to take up arms, and his three older brothers chose the same path when the time came for them to serve their mandatory military service. Baek Jong-keon works as an assistant at a law firm in Seocho-dong, southern Seoul. Bak Se-hwan/The Korea HeraldIn a country where all able-bodied men are required to serve in the military to defend agai

Social Affairs Dec. 5, 2017

South Korea’s birthrate remains one of the lowest in the world, data showed Sunday, with the average number of children expected to be born per woman standing at 1.26 this year. YonhapAccording to the World Factbook of the US Central Intelligence Agency, the country’s estimated total fertility rate ranked 219th out of 224 countries in the world.Only five countries were behind South Korea. They were Puerto Rico, whose total fertility rate marked 1.22, Hong Kong (1.10), Taiwan (1.13), Macau (0.95)

Social Affairs Dec. 3, 2017

If you happen to be near middle or high school students during the morning commute, you may be surprised at the striking uniformity of their attire. Students are decked out in identical-looking, black, padded jackets that come down to their knees or even longer. Photos of groups of students wearing the coats -- making it look part of the school uniform -- went viral on social media showing the incredible popularity of the coats among teens. A group of students wearing long padded coats at school

Social Affairs Dec. 1, 2017

MH Group, which has accused South Korean authorities of mistreating and violating the rights of former President Park Geun-hye, claimed Park “is too unwell” to be tried in detention, calling for her provisional release.Former President Park Geun-hye. YonhapIn a statement sent to The Korea Herald on Wednesday, the group’s head Mishana Hosseinioun said that “beyond the highly politicized nature of the trial and the arbitrary extension of her detention for a further six months, Park is too unwell t

Social Affairs Nov. 29, 2017

박근혜 전 대통령이 구치소에서 인권침해를 당하고 있다는 주장에 나선 법무컨설팅기업 MH그룹이 다음달 한국을 전격 방문한다. 박근혜 전 대통령 (사진=연합뉴스)MH그룹 측은 29일 코리아헤럴드와의 전화통화에서 "다음달 17일부터 3일 간 한국을 방문할 예정"이라고 밝혔다.관련 영문 기사 방문 이후 박 전 대통령을 만날 것인지에 대한 질문에는 “구체적인 사항은 말씀드리기 어렵다”면서도 “UN인권이사회 제소 관련 사항도 방문 목적 중 하나”라고 답했다. 또한 MH그룹 측은 박 전 대통령이 궐석재판을 받기 시작한 것과 관련 “(법원 측이) 박 전 대통령의 불참석에 대한 정당한 사유가 없다고 설명했는데, 이것은 사실을 왜곡하고 있는 것”이라고 비판에 나섰다. 미샤나 호세이니언(Mishana Hosseinioun) MH그룹 대표는 같은 날 코리아헤럴드에 보낸 이메일을 통해 “재판부가 박 전 대통령의 건강 상태가 재판 참석에 문제가 없다고 여긴다면 그 주장을 뒷받침할 객관적인 증거를 공개해야 할

한국어판 Nov. 29, 2017

The trial of former President Park Geun-hye, who was indicted for a massive influence-peddling and corruption scandal earlier this year, will continue in her absence, the court decided Tuesday as the defendant showed no sign of ending her boycott of the process. 　 Former President Park Geun-hye (Yonhap)“We have notified the defendant about a trial in absentia, as she continued to reject a subpoena (for court appearance). But Park did not show up today (again),” lead Judge Kim Se-yoon said during

Social Affairs Nov. 28, 2017

North Korea is likely to launch another nuclear missile soon amid a more than two-month pause in provocations by the regime, Kyodo News reported Tuesday, citing multiple government officials.  North Korea`s leader Kim Jong-un. YonhapCiting the officials, the Japanese news agency said the country received radio signals that suggests the totalitarian state may be preparing for the bomb test. It added the signals could be from the North’s winter military training. The US said it continues to watch

North Korea Nov. 28, 2017

The trial of former President Park Geun-hye, who was indicted for a massive influence-peddling and corruption scandal, resumed Monday, 42 days after her lawyers resigned en masse, calling her case a “political vendetta.”  Former President Park Geun-hye (Yonhap)Park refused to appear at Monday’s hearing, which began at 10 a.m. at the Seoul Central District Court, citing back pain in an explanatory statement submitted earlier in the morning to the court.Due to her absence, Judge Kim Se-yoon, one o

Social Affairs Nov. 27, 2017

When Yana was six, living in Damascus, Syria, her school was destroyed in an aerial bombardment. Since then, she had been out of education. Now 12 years old and resettled in South Korea, Yana said she wants to study more and become an interpreter here in the future -- an opportunity that seemed out of reach in Syria where a 6-year civil war has left many children and youth without an education.(From left) Sadeed, Yana, Bakri and Park Jung-eun (Bak Se-hwan/The Korea Herald)“In Syria, I was kept a

Social Affairs Nov. 23, 2017