A group of Japanese college students are in South Korea for a weeklong cultural exchange trip as part of an annual program re-enacting the Joseon Tongsinsa missions, or “goodwill sharing,” from Korea to Japan in the 17th century.Twenty-four students from Waseda University and Keio University are here t. 10 from Septhrough Sept. 19, aiming to promote mutual cultural understanding as part of the Japanese government’s Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths. The group will atten

Social Affairs Sept. 12, 2017

South Korea’s education authorities on Tuesday declared an upcoming strike by private kindergartens illegal, warning that such collective action “will not be tolerated.” Members of the Korea Kindergarten Association hold a banner reading “Equal Support for Public and Private Kindergartens!” at a rally in Yeouido, western Seoul, Monday. YonhapAn association of private kindergarten operators is planning a general strike next week to demand a hike in government subsidies and protest the government’

Social Affairs Sept. 12, 2017

Contract teachers in public schools will be an exception to the Moon Jae-in administration’s campaign to give all public-sector irregular workers permanent employee status, the Education Ministry said Monday in a decision that looks sure to stir controversy. Members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions hold a press conference Monday to denounce the Ministry of Education’s guideline to not convert contract teachers to regular ones. YonhapThere are over 40,000 irregular teachers in South Ko

Social Affairs Sept. 11, 2017

The Korea International School held its annual Gaelic Football Season at its campus in Seoul on Sept. 2, co-organized by the Gaelic Athletic Association and the Irish Embassy, the school said. The event was to promote global friendship and was joined by family members and students from KIS’s another campus in Pangyo, Gyeonggi Province, it added. Students participate in a Gaelic Football game held at Korea International School Seoul Campus, Sept. 2, 2017. (Photo: KIS)With campuses on three differ

Social Affairs Sept. 9, 2017

In the 1990s, Son Joo-eun was a much sought-after tutor offering only a select few affluent students tips on how to score well in the national college exam. Having grown up poor and landed a place at the elite Seoul National University, he easily took home 50 million won ($47,000) from his tutoring work, enough to buy a standard two-bed room house in Seoul back then, each month. The life of the star hagwon teacher soon got on a fast track to fame and fortune.Son Joo-eun, head of MegaStudy (Photo

Social Affairs Sept. 8, 2017

As people age, so do their looks. In the hopes of reversing the ravages of time, a growing number of people are willing to pay for the privilege: The anti-aging industry in South Korea is expected to gross more than 28.3 trillion won ($25.1 billion) by 2020. Yet aging is a natural process of life, and experts warn against manipulating the pace using therapies that have not yet been proven to have significant benefits. 123rfA growing number of beauty clinics across the nation are offering stem ce

Technology Sept. 8, 2017

 진행자: 박세환, Anita McKay1. 전쟁 시 알아야 할 생존요령 4가지 기사요약: 북한의 지속적인 도발에도 전쟁 시 생존법을 관심있게 살펴보는 국민은 많지 않다. 코리아헤럴드가 행정안전부를 통해 전쟁 유형별 시민행동요령을 알아봤다.아이튠즈(아이폰): https://itunes.apple.com/kr/podcast/koliaheleoldeu-paskaeseuteu/id686406253?mt=2팟빵 (안드로이드): http://www.podbbang.com/ch/6638Four steps to take if war breaks out[1] The basics Despite living under constant threat of war, South Koreans rarely possess emergency supply kits at home or know how to assemble one. This may be an opportunity to put one together,

Podcast Sept. 6, 2017

It appears experts and government officials here and abroad have yet to decide just what to think of North Korea’s latest nuclear test Sunday. But for ordinary South Koreans, one thing looks clear: North Korea’s weapons program has made significant progress. In other words, those in South Korea are now at greater risk. The possibility of the ongoing military tension evolving into a full-blown war is still deemed low, but there is no harm in preparing for the worst-case scenario. Even in a nuclea

North Korea Sept. 5, 2017

“여성, 4차산업혁명시대의 산업패러다임에 충실히 대비해야”“게임업계, 정치권 대부분이 남성…전문 기술 비대칭 극복해야”“여자대학의 정체성 확립하는 것이 중요” 김혜숙(63•사진) 이화여대 총장이 2일로 취임 100일을 맞았다. 관련 영어기사‘최순실 국정농단’ 청문회에서 눈물을 보였던 김 총장은 그간 새로운 ‘이화의 꽃’을 피우기 위한 다양한 행보를 보였다. 특히 지난 100일간 김 총장은 ‘익명청원제’와 학생인권센터 설립 등을 의욕적으로 추진하면서 소통과 철저한 자기반성에 주력했다는 평가를 받고 있다. 김 총장은 지난 5월26일 131년 이대 역사 최초의 직선제 선거에서 당선된 이후 같은 달 31일 취임했다. 취임식에서 김 총장은 “이대의 명예를 회복하고 우수한 여성 인재 발굴에 힘쓰는 등 여성종합대학으로서의 위상을 확고히 하겠다”고 포부를 밝혔다.28일 취임 100일을 맞는 김 총장과 마주앉았다. 다소 긴장한 듯 경직된 표정의 그는 “이 세상에 쉬운 일은 하나도 없다”는 짤막한 말

한국어판 Sept. 1, 2017

In South Korea, women earn less than men. Traditional gender norms still hold sway in many sectors of the Confucian society. The country has the largest gender wage gap amongst the world’s developed countries, while women still remain a rare species in corporate Korea’s C-suite. But for Kim Hei-sook, head of the elite Ewha Womans University, women’s distinct sensibility and empathy which enable them to better connect with people, will be a valuable asset in the new age of the “fourth industrial

Social Affairs Sept. 1, 2017

The number of sexual abuse cases involving minors stands at 5,104 over the last five years, according to police data. This translates to three cases a day. (photo: Yonhap)Among them, rape and sexual assault were the most frequent offenses, accounting for 94.1 percent, or 4,804, of all cases that occurred from 2013 to July 2017 against children aged under 13, according to the data released by the National Police Agency on Friday. The second-most common sexual offense against minors was the exchan

Social Affairs Sept. 1, 2017

The validity of South Korea’s 2012 presidential election, in which now-jailed former President Park Geun-hye beat the current President Moon Jae-in by a narrow margin, is now in doubt, after then spy agency chief was found guilty of conducting a secret operation to help Park win the race. Former President Park Geun-hye, who is now in jail over corruption charges, is taken to the Seoul Central District Court on May 30, 2017. (Yonhap)Won Sei-hoon, who led the National Intelligence Agency from 2009

Social Affairs Aug. 31, 2017

The Seoul High Court on Wednesday gave a four-year jail term to a former spy agency chief for his role in a covert operation to manipulate public sentiment in the run-up to the 2012 presidential election. Won Sei-hoon, 66, who led the National Intelligence Agency from 2009 to 2013 under the conservative Lee Myung-bak administration, was found guilty of election and NIS law violations. He was accused of directing his agents to conduct an illicit smear campaign online to sway voters in favor of th

Social Affairs Aug. 30, 2017

A new tea farming method that Japan registered as its own agricultural heritage with a UN body last year is not uniquely Japanese as touted, as a study in Korea precedes it by many years, a local scholar has claimed. The tea production system -- officially designated Japan’s Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations -- involves growing native grass between tea bushes to help enhance the soil and encourage biodiversity. A bookl

Social Affairs Aug. 29, 2017

Following the conviction of Samsung Group heir Lee Jae-yong for bribery, attention is now shifting to the validity of a 2015 merger between two Samsung companies, which Lee allegedly used bribery to ensure. People watch a TV screen showing Samsung Electronics vice chairman Lee Jae-yong's arrival for his verdict hearing at the Seoul Central District Court, Aug. 25, 2017. (Photo credit: Yonhap)The controversial deal, which combined Cheil Industries and Samsung C&T to give birth to the new Samsung

Social Affairs Aug. 27, 2017