Seoul Metro on Monday announced its decision to ban ads that contain “personal opinions or motivations,” such as contents in favor of certain religions, ideologies and political activism -- including those by feminist organizations.　The new restriction means that such ads will not be allowed on all metro stations in Seoul and Subway Lines 1-8. Labor rights groups and feminist activists denounced the move. 　The decision was made after a number of ads triggered controversy. In January, an ad that

Social Affairs July 9, 2018

About two months after a reinvestigation on the 2009 sex abuse case of the late actress Jang Ja-yeon was ordered, a news report has claimed that none of the 20 key suspects at the time were indicted by the prosecution, although there was “sufficient evidence” that they had assaulted Jang as she claimed in a letter attributed to her.Jang, 29 at the time, took her own life in 2009 leaving behind a letter accusing her agency of sexually exploiting her. In the letter, she claimed that she was forced

Social Affairs July 6, 2018

At least 32 Yemeni asylum seekers on South Korea’s Jeju Island are in need of medical attention, despite Seoul’s announcement last month that it has offered food and medical assistance to the refugees, the National Human Rights Commission of Korea has found.“We have found that most of the support programs for the Yemeni asylum seekers on Jeju are in fact being organized and provided by nongovernmental bodies and groups,” the agency said in a statement.“We hope the central government and Jeju pro

Social Affairs July 6, 2018

Seoul on Thursday introduced a set of measures to boost the country’s chronically low birthrate, including more support programs for single parents and infertility treatment coverage for common-law couples. 　The measures reflect the Moon Jae-in government’s espousal of diverse forms of families, in a country where single parenthood and common-law marriages are still often stigmatized. 　The 900 billion won ($804 million) measures, which go into effect next year, were announced with statistics tha

Social Affairs July 5, 2018

A group of conservative, elderly Koreans who are ardent supporters of former President Park Geun-hye attacked a memorial site of a late laid-off worker in central Seoul on Wednesday, calling mourners and other laid-off laborers “commies” and “germs,” among other names. 　“You  trade union members are ruining our country, you are ruining our country,” an elderly Korean woman shouted at the mourners, waving a South Korean flag frantically. 　“This guy did not even die for our country. Why create suc

Social Affairs July 4, 2018

The high profile rape trial of former South Chungcheong Provincial Gov. An Hee-jung, accused of raping his secretary, has sparkled a public outcry after his lawyer made a controversial remarks on who should be recognized as potential victims of sexual violence.　At the center of the controversy is a comment from An’s lawyer that implied that highly educated and independent women -- “unlike those with disabilities or children” -- cannot be a subject of power abuse at work.　The plaintiff, Kim Ji-eu

Social Affairs July 3, 2018

Almost 80 percent of Koreans who reside in Seoul consider the city as their “home” or de facto birthplace, even though many of them were born elsewhere.  　According to the latest study by the Seoul Metropolitan government, 76. 5 percent of Seoul residents felt Seoul is their home; last year, only 67.8 percent felt the same way.  　Teenagers residing in Seoul had the highest proportion of those who consider Seoul as their home -- 85.2 percent -- and those in their 50s had the lowest at 73. 6 perce

Social Affairs July 3, 2018

One death and one missing person were reported as of Monday afternoon as typhoon Prapiroon lashed South Korea, causing floods and flight cancellations. 　Authorities have confirmed that a 53-year-old woman, a Thai national living in Yeonggwang, South Jeolla Province, died Saturday after being struck by lightning while working at a farm. 　Also on Sunday, a 73-year-old woman, living in Boseong, South Jeolla Province, was sent to a hospital after suffering minor injuries in a mudslide. South Korea`s

Social Affairs July 2, 2018

 The first trial session of former South Chungcheong Provincial Gov. An Hee-jung, who stands accused of sexual assault by his former secretary, was held Monday as women’s rights activists rallied outside the Seoul Western District Court. 　Appearing at the court wearing a dark navy suit without a tie, An refused to answer questions from the press. 　His former secretary Kim Ji-eun made her first public accusation on live TV on March 5, saying that she was raped by An four times over the course of

Social Affairs July 2, 2018

Another elderly Korean victim of Japan’s wartime sexual slavery has died, the Ministry of Gender Equality announced Sunday.　The death of Kim Bok-deuk, 99, puts the number of known surviving victims at 27. This year alone, four other victims have died, including Choi Duk-nye, who passed away in late April.　Kim was born in 1918 in Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province, and was forcibly taken by the Japanese military in 1939 to work as a sex slave for its soldiers at a number of different locations,

International July 2, 2018

South Korea officially dropped its maximum workweek to 52 hours on Sunday, in an effort to improve the quality of life among its citizens by tackling the country’s notoriously long work hours.The new law, which was a campaign promise by President Moon Jae-in, went into effect for businesses with more than 300 employees, state-run agencies and government offices starting Sunday.  Under the law, which slashed the maximum weekly work hours to 52 from 68, workers in Korea will be allowed to work 40

Social Affairs July 1, 2018

Kim Ha-jin, a 30-year-old working professional in Seoul, loves buying chocolates after work. “I don’t buy boxes of chocolates,” she told The Korea Herald. “I usually buy one or two pieces at high-end chocolatiers, such as Godiva or Laderach. It usually costs about 5,000 won. It’s a treat that I give myself after long, grueling hours in the office.”Before getting into chocolates, Kim said, she was into “luxurious but small” beauty products. “I would get the cheapest products, such as pink lipstic

Food June 29, 2018

South Korea’s Constitutional Court on Thursday ordered the revision of current laws by next year to give conscientious objectors -- those who refuse mandatory military service on grounds of conscience or religious beliefs -- the option to perform an alternative service of a civilian nature. The order was announced following the ruling which found that not providing alternative measures for the objectors is against the Constitution. The nine-judge panel, headed by Chief Justice Lee Jin-sung, anno

Social Affairs June 28, 2018

With some 500 Yemeni nationals seeking asylum on Jeju Island, many in South Korea say the country is facing its first “refugee crisis.” 　Indeed, the influx of the refugees from Yemen has triggered a fierce backlash among Koreans against immigration rules of Jeju Island, where, unlike the rest of South Korea, most foreign passport-holders can stay for a month without a visa. 　Many of those who oppose the visa-waiver program say Yemenis will only “create problems” in Korea, especially against loca

Social Affairs June 27, 2018

One of the owners of the now-defunct, illegal file sharing site known for its rampant circulation of revenge porn and spy cam porn has been arrested, police said Tuesday. 　It was also revealed that some of the remaining suspects are foreign-passport holders and currently live overseas. 　The arrested person, who is only identified by her last name Song, is known to be one of the four individuals, including her husband, who had been running the illegal site from 1999 to 2016, using overseas server

Social Affairs June 26, 2018