Wealthy and impoverished neighborhoods in Seoul suffer significant disparities in medical treatment, education and other facilities, a report has shown. According to research on different living environments conducted by the Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements, the number of hospitals and doctors per capita was significantly higher in areas where house prices were higher. The number of hospitals was higher in expensive neighborhoods. High-priced neighborhoods had 25.5 hospitals per 10

Social Affairs Jan. 8, 2024

"Chimaek," a beloved combination of fried "chicken" and "maekju" (beer), could no longer be allowed in public parks across South Korea. Local governments in South Korea have started banning the consumption of alcohol in public spaces, and fines of up to 100,000 won ($76) could now be imposed. The measures were announced in 2023, with municipalities providing a grace period for a ban on public drinking. However, starting from the New Year, drinking alcohol in most

Social Affairs Jan. 5, 2024

A South Korean national was killed in a gun attack in the US territory of Guam on Thursday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Friday. According to the ministry, a South Korean tourist visiting Guam was taken to a hospital, where he died, after being shot in a robbery. Local media outlets reported the shooting happened at Gun Beach in Tumon at around 8 p.m. Thursday. The victim, assumed to be in his 50s, was promptly taken to a hospital in the area. The beach is located at the northern end of

Social Affairs Jan. 5, 2024

South Korea is expecting to see record-low numbers of first graders entering elementary school this year due to knock-on effects from the country's falling birth rate. The number of children eligible for enrolling in elementary school nationwide in March was 413,056 as of December, according to the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Public Administration and Security on Wednesday. However, only around 90 percent of eligible children are actually expected to enroll in elementary sch

Social Affairs Jan. 3, 2024

진행자: 최정윤, Beth Eunhee Hong Farewell to credit cards: Cash-only trend surges as young Koreans tackle overspending 기사 요약: 고물가 시대 속 MZ들의 새로운 돈관리 법 "현금 챌린지" 유행 [1] Despite digital progress and surging online transactions, a notable consumption trend is emerging among South Koreans in their 20s and 30s, as an increasing number of them are opting to use physical cash over credit card transactions in their daily lives. *emerge: 생겨나다, 부상하다/ 어둠 속에서 모습을 드러내다 *opt to: ~를 선택하다 [2] Referred to a

Podcast Jan. 1, 2024

"Mungwa," which broadly refers to studies in the liberal arts in Korea, is crumbling due to a sharp decline in the number of students choosing to pursue a career in the humanities, the arts and social sciences. According to recent data released by Jongro Academy, one of the biggest education firms in Korea, among 166 classes on offer at some 16 private high schools in Seoul, only 53 classes (31 percent) were categorized as mungwa. The remaining 113 classes were classified as "igwa

Social Affairs Jan. 1, 2024

South Korea on Thursday revealed plans to boost support for single-parent households and troubled teenagers by increasing funding for related welfare programs. The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family has extended the period during which single-parent families can spend living in residential welfare facilities assisting low-income single-parent households to prepare for independence in a stable environment. The single-parent residential welfare facilities, with 122 locations nationwide, prov

Social Affairs Dec. 28, 2023

진행자: 최정윤, Beth Eunhee Hong More strollers sold for furry companions than infants 기사 요약: 초저출산 효과일까? 반려동물용 유모차가 유아용 유모차 판매 비율 6: 4로 앞질러 [1] In perhaps yet another sign of the country's declining number of births, South Korea’s largest online marketplace reported Monday that sales of pet strollers exceeded those of baby strollers for the first time this year. * declining: 감소하는 * stroller: 유모차 [2] According to Gmarket, of the total strollers sold on the platform during the first three

Podcast Dec. 28, 2023

As the era of the "fourth industrial revolution" dawns, Seoul Cyber University is working to create diverse majors and education programs with a focus on artificial intelligence. Established in 2000, Seoul Cyber University is an online university in Korea with the largest number of enrolled students as of 2023, according to data from the government. The university has seven campuses across the nation, including in cities such as Seoul, Incheon and Busan. Composed of 11 departments and

Social Affairs Dec. 28, 2023

South Korea's Education Ministry confirmed changes for the college entrance exam starting in the year 2028 on Wednesday, largely by consolidating the test topics, aiming to "ensure fairness and stability" in the country's highly competitive education system. Currently, the standard score for each test taker of the same subject might differ among those who got the same raw score, depending on their choices of elective topics for the subject, prompting questions about the test&

Social Affairs Dec. 27, 2023

  Over 2,600 cases of sexual violence and harassment were reported in public organizations nationwide over the past two years, with the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family responding to just over 50 cases for on-site inspection, the ministry's data showed Tuesday. Some 18,000 government offices, institutions and schools recorded 2,620 cases of sexual abuse from July 2021 until June this year, according to data provided by the ministry to Rep. Yangyi Won-young of the main opposition Democ

Social Affairs Dec. 26, 2023

Severe weather conditions accompanied by heavy snowfall and strong winds caused major disruptions in flight operations at Jeju International Airport, with its runway suspended from the early morning on Friday. According to the airport, the runway reopened after 7 hours and 40 minutes, after the completion of snow removal operations on the runway. Back-to-back delays beginning at 8:30 a.m. on Friday had stalled more than 8,000 departing passengers in the airport. A total of 261 flights were cance

Social Affairs Dec. 22, 2023

The Ministry of Health and Welfare has announced measures to attract young foreigners to work as caregivers, as the country faces a dramatic shortage in the sector to care for a rapidly aging society. The ministry is seeking ways to allow D-10 visa holders to acquire nursing qualifications, it said Thursday. D-10 is considered a "job-seeker visa," which is designed for individuals who have graduated from Korean universities or have worked in the country for at least one year. Once a D-

Social Affairs Dec. 22, 2023

Seo Ji-hyun, a former prosecutor who ignited a nationwide #MeToo movement in 2018 with her disclosure of sexual misconduct and abuse of authority by a senior prosecutor, lost a damages suit against him and the state on Thursday. The Supreme Court upheld the lower courts' decision to reject Seo's claim for compensation from former senior prosecutor Ahn Tae-geun over allegations that he sexually harassed her and abused his authority to retaliate against her in personnel reshuffles. Seo f

Social Affairs Dec. 21, 2023

South Korea’s ruling and main opposition parties on Wednesday agreed to pass the 2024 government budget through the National Assembly, propelling the rival parties into a full-fledged election race, widely expected to serve as a litmus test for the Yoon Suk Yeol administration. The parliament’s special committee for budget settlement and floor leaders of the ruling People Power Party and the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea announced they agreed on a budget plan with a reduc

Politics Dec. 20, 2023