Articles by Choi Jeong-yoon
Choi Jeong-yoon
jychoi@heraldcorp.com-
Doctors start voting on whether to strike over medical school quota
The Korean Medical Association, South Korea's largest group of medical doctors, began collecting votes on Monday on whether they should launch a general strike against the government’s plan to expand the medical school enrollment quota. The organization will collect votes until Dec. 17, and announced that doctors will stage a mass rally on the same day near Gwanghwamun in central Seoul. The majority of the association's membership consists of doctors running their own clinics. Ahead of suc
Social Affairs Dec. 11, 2023
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1 out of 7 teenagers thought of suicide: data
The rate of South Korean teenagers who had thought of suicide recently has been on the rise, with some 1 in 7 students now having considered taking their own lives. Of some 50,000 middle and high school students asked across the nation in 2022, 14.3 percent have thought of suicide over the past 12 months, according to a survey released by the Korea Center for Disease and Prevention Agency on Sunday. First conducted in 2005, the rate had exceeded the 20 percent mark in its first three years, but
Social Affairs Dec. 10, 2023
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Suneung without 'killer questions' still not easy, results show
Test-takers of South Korea’s national college entrance exam, known as the Suneung, are set to receive their test results Friday, amid lingering controversy over whether this year's test succeeded in completely scrapping the highly difficult “killer questions.” Results and analysis of over 440,000 examinees released by the Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation on Thursday suggested that exams in all subjects, including Korean language, mathematics and English, were
Social Affairs Dec. 7, 2023
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Korean students outperform OECD average amid pandemic havoc: data
South Korea outperformed in tests that compare educational attainment among 15-year-olds around the world, despite COVID-19 having wrought havoc on global education systems, according to a survey released Tuesday. Program for International Student Assessment is a study of 15-year-old students’ performance in mathematics, reading and science literacy conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Typically conducted every three years, this year’s assessment, f
Social Affairs Dec. 5, 2023
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Schools brace for impact of record-low enrollment
South Korea is set to record the lowest number of first graders entering elementary school next year, signaling the consequences of an apparent demographic crisis driven by the world’s lowest birth rate. According to local reports quoting the statistics agency's birth rate data, fewer than 400,000 children are expected to enter elementary school next year. This will be the first time the number has dropped below 400,000 since the agency started compiling data. This comes amid a sharp decli
Social Affairs Dec. 3, 2023
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Bomb threat causes midnight fuss at Yonsei university
An online threat claiming a bomb had been sent to Yonsei University in Seoul sparked a midnight scramble for police and firefighters, resulting in the evacuation of some 100 people on campus. Police received a report at 11:38 p.m. Wednesday of an online post that claimed a package carrying a bomb would be delivered to the campus, according to Seodaemun Police Station and Seodaemun Fire Department on Thursday. The post had been uploaded at around 10 p.m. on the bulletin board for Yonsei Universit
Social Affairs Nov. 30, 2023
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Thekie's energy solutions create user based sustainability
Using an AI-powered IoT system and blockchain technology, Thekie aims to create a future where users can voluntarily participate in reducing energy usage and strengthening environmental sustainability. Developed with its own solutions, the carbon credit market platform Lucia allows users to trade and offset carbon credits. Blockchain-implicated carbon credits assure transparency, providing secure and reliable trading. Users can also explore and participate in diverse crowdfunding that contribu
Social Affairs Nov. 29, 2023
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Daehan E&C turns waste into energy
Daehan E&C is a company with over 25 years of experience in environmental technology, tackling the issue of improperly managed waste by turning it into usable energy. “Many countries still do not manage their waste properly, and most of it ends up in landfills. In this process, the waste decays and produces methane gas, which is a major contributor to global warming,” the firm said. The company provides facilities that convert waste into high-quality alternative fuel called Refus
Social Affairs Nov. 29, 2023
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Blakstone's clean road system tackles 'heat island'
Korean company Blakstone utilizes smart sensors to tackle the problem of rising temperatures in “heat islands.” Heat islands refer to urban areas that experience higher temperatures than its surrounding regions. As urban structures such as buildings, roads and other infrastructure absorb and re-emit the sun’s heat more than natural landscapes, cities are prone to becoming “islands” of higher temperatures relative to outlying areas. Blakstone’s Clean Road Syste
Social Affairs Nov. 29, 2023
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Transgender blind spot in hospitalization: NHRCK
The Ministry of Health and Welfare rejected a request to devise guidelines of hospitalization for transgender people, said the state human rights watchdog. The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) announced on Tuesday that the Health Ministry failed to give clear answers on how the country will accommodate trans patients. Under current medical law, patient rooms are operated separately for men and women. The human rights group pointed out that this puts trans and nonbinary people in
Social Affairs Nov. 28, 2023
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1 in 8 commercial flights exposed to pathogens: KDCA
One in 8 commercial flights entering South Korea was found to be contaminated with pathogens that cause intestinal infectious diseases, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said Monday. The pathogens were detected through hygiene inspections on 58 out of 493 direct international flights from July 31 to Nov. 14 this year, according to the agency. Among the pathogens detected was E. coli, which causes diarrhea. Transmitted by food or water contaminated with animal or human feces,
Social Affairs Nov. 27, 2023
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[팟캐스트] (535) 아빠가 달라졌다? 변화하는 아버지상/ 백양사 템플스테이 음식 맛 그 이상의 경험
진행자: 최정윤, Naomi Ng 1. Choosing children over career: Fatherhood changing in modern Korea 기사 요약: 커리어 대신 양육을 우선시하는 한국 아빠들의 바뀐 모습 Men’s gradual pivot to parenting comes in line with women’s career progress, past paternal trauma, experts say [1] A 37-year-old executive at a tech startup in Seoul surnamed Choi made what seemed a bold decision after welcoming the birth of his first child two years ago: he took three months of paternity leave. *paternity leave: 남자의 출산 휴가 (maternity leave
Podcast Nov. 23, 2023
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Remaining BTS members to head to military
RM, Jimin, Jungkook and V of South Korean mega group BTS have started their military enlistment process, BTS' label, BigHit Music, announced Tuesday. According to the company, the group's remaining four musicians have undertaken procedures to fulfill their national service obligations, following the other three members, Jin, Suga and J-Hope, who are already serving their duties. Specific details on the enrollment are expected to be announced later. All men of South Korean nationality a
K-pop Nov. 22, 2023
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Jail term confirmed for president's mother-in-law
The Supreme Court on Thursday confirmed the 1-year prison sentence given to President Yoon Suk Yeol's mother-in-law, and rejected her application for bail. Yoon's mother-in-law, Choi Eun-soon, 76, was detained in July on charges of forging a financial document to purchase real estate in the Dochon-dong neighborhood of Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province in 2013. Choi also falsified bank balance records on four separate occasions to indicate that she had 34.9 billion won ($26.7 million) in depo
Social Affairs Nov. 16, 2023
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2 killed in boiler pipe explosion in Suncheon
A fodder plant in the southwestern city of Suncheon, South Jeolla Province, exploded Sunday, killing two, including a foreign worker. According to the Suncheon Fire Department, the explosion occurred at 3:19 p.m., killing two welders. One of the victims is a 50-year-old Thai national. Following the accident, eight rescue and emergency vehicles were dispatched to the scene, while the National Institute of Forensic Science is now conducting an on-site investigation. Police and fire authorities hav
Social Affairs Oct. 22, 2023
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