Some 25 percent of all elderly South Koreans -- defined as those aged 65 or older -- ate every meal by themselves throughout the past year, and they were 30 percent more likely to develop depression than those who had company while eating, a study showed Tuesday.　Researchers at Sungkyunkwan University reached that conclusion after analyzing a survey of 4,959 elderly Koreans concerning lifestyle and depression. Of all the respondents, 25 percent said they had habitually eaten alone throughout the

Social Affairs Nov. 6, 2018

　The ongoing parliamentary review of the Moon Jae-in government’s 2019 budget proposal is expected to be a bumpy one, as the main opposition party strongly opposes some of the spending plans, including those on inter-Korean projects.　　The National Assembly last week began reviewing the record budget proposal of 470 trillion won ($420 billion) that features increased spending for welfare programs and job creation, especially for the young population. 　　The main opposition Liberty Korea Party has

Politics Nov. 4, 2018

A total of 402 crimes committed by foreign nationals, including the sale of illicit drugs and gambling, were uncovered during a special 100-day operation, police said.The cases involving 886 suspects were uncovered during a special inspection period from July 16 to Oct 23. Eighty-nine suspects are in custody, according to police.The largest number of cases, 115, involved physical violence, followed by 89 cases linked to illegal gambling. Also, 81 cases involving illegal drugs and 53 cases relate

Social Affairs Nov. 4, 2018

The Yongsan Garrison, which served as the US military headquarters in South Korea until the headquarters’ relocation to Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, in June, opened to the Korean public for the first time in 114 years on Friday.　　A special bus tour program was jointly launched by the Ministry of Land and the Seoul Metropolitan Government, for those who are interested in visiting the army base in central Seoul that has been inaccessible to Korean civilians since 1904.　The bus tour program runs

Social Affairs Nov. 3, 2018

The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that religious and conscientious beliefs are to be considered as valid reasons for refusing the country’s mandatory military service, overturning its 2004 decision and fueling debate as to what alternative service would entail.　In a 9-4 vote, the full bench led by Chief Justice Kim Myeong-su ordered an appellate court to retry the case of Oh Seung-hun, effectively stating that he should be cleared of the conviction. 　The top court’s decision, which comes after th

Social Affairs Nov. 1, 2018

The South Korean government on Wednesday acknowledged for the first time the rape and sexual torture of women by the military during the crackdown on pro-democracy uprising in Gwangju in May 1980.　The joint heads of the government investigation team apologized for more than 17 cases of sexual violence that were committed by soldiers during the bloody military crackdown on the pro-democracy demonstrators. The apology came alongside the announcement of the results of the investigation, jointly con

Social Affairs Oct. 31, 2018

Finance Minister Kim Dong-yeon on Monday said it is “appropriate” for the central government to consider partially abolishing the program for free subway rides for the elderly in the Seoul metropolitan area, which costs the Seoul subway operators billions of won in losses every year. As the senior population -- those aged 65 or older -- accounts for 14.3 percent of the entire population now, and is only expected to rise, many politicians have shied away from tackling the sensitive issue, fearing

Social Affairs Oct. 30, 2018

Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon announced Monday that students at all private and public schools in Seoul will receive free school lunches starting from 2021, extending the provision to high schools and private schools at an annual cost of 700 billion won ($615 million)　Just a day before, Park had revealed a plan to make all day care centers -- both private and public -- free of charge starting next year. The Seoul Metropolitan Government has set aside a total of 2.4 trillion won for the program for t

Social Affairs Oct. 29, 2018

A recent murder case that has been in the headlines for about a week is fueling a public debate on South Korea’s handling of domestic abuse and the consequences its victims often face.An “angry” man stabbed his ex-wife to death four years after their divorce, and his three daughters have since filed an open petition demanding his execution.“We want to solely live and remain as the victim’s daughters, not the criminal’s,” the three daughters said in a recent newspaper interview, saying the suspec

Social Affairs Oct. 28, 2018

More than 20 Korean NGOs, including human rights groups, protested the Seoul Peace Prize Cultural Foundation’s recent decision to award Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi this year’s Seoul Peace Prize, saying he does not deserve the honor as he has a history of being complicit in violence against Muslims in India.　“We demand (the Seoul Peace Prize Cultural Foundation) retract its decision to give the Seoul Peace Prize to Mr. Modi,” the 26 groups, including the Center for Refugee Rights in Korea

International Oct. 26, 2018

South Korea has been selected as the host country for the upcoming 19th International Anti-Corruption Conference, one of the biggest events of its kind, slated for June 2020, the country’s Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission announced Thursday.　　The conference is a biannual global anti-corruption event co-hosted by the host country and Transparency International, a Berlin-based international nongovernmental organization devoted to combating global corruption. Each event brings together s

International Oct. 25, 2018

South Korea’s Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun is visiting Japan on Wednesday and Thursday to meet his Japanese counterpart Takeo Akiba to discuss the controversial compensation fund Tokyo offered in 2015 for Korean victims of Japan’s wartime slavery, which the Korean victims have been refusing to accept, a government official said. 　　The 1 billion yen ($9 million) fund was provided by Tokyo as part of the controversial 2015 Seoul-Tokyo deal to settle the issue of “comfort women”-- South Korean vi

Foreign Affairs Oct. 24, 2018

A woman who identified herself as the daughter of a murder suspect filed an online petition with the presidential office Wednesday, demanding that her father be executed for the alleged murder of her mother. About 60,000 South Koreans have signed the petition as of Wednesday afternoon.　　Police on Wednesday requested an arrest warrant for the 49-year-old suspect, surnamed Kim, for the alleged murder of his 47-year-old ex-wife, surnamed Lee. Lee’s body was found Monday morning in the parking lot o

Social Affairs Oct. 24, 2018

The number of South Korean women who chose to freeze their eggs increased 12-fold from 2013-2017, the country's major medical firm said. According to CHA Medical Group, a health care firm which owns a number of major medical facilities nationwide, 288 women froze their eggs at three of their hospitals -- CHA Gangnam Medical Center, CHA Bundang Medical Center and CHA Fertility Center Seoul Station -- a steep rise from the 23 in 2013.The three hospitals currently store the largest number of frozen

Social Affairs Oct. 23, 2018

Opposition parties on Monday submitted a proposal to launch a joint parliamentary probe into Seoul Metro and other public agencies’ alleged illicit hiring practices that involve giving jobs to the relatives and family members of those employed at the government entities.　　Seoul Metro, which is run by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, is at the center of the controversy at the ongoing parliamentary inspection. It was recently revealed that 11.2 percent of its 17,084 employees, some 2,000, were r

Politics Oct. 22, 2018