South Koreans will continue to take to the streets for rallies before the year-end holidays to call for President Park Geun-hye to immediately resign and the Constitutional Court to promptly carry out her impeachment trial.According to rally organizers, candlelight vigils are planned for the two remaining Saturdays of the year, Dec. 24 and Dec. 31, to show that the “people’s democracy at Gwanghwamun will not die down until President Park Geun-hye resigns.”“Our gathering (for the candlelight vigi

Social Affairs Dec. 19, 2016

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Monday a set of countermeasures to stop a highly pathogenic bird flu strain that is spreading toward the capital at an unprecedented pace.The city’s Citizens Health bureau said it has culled eight mandarin ducks at Seoul Grand Park in Gwacheon, just outside Seoul and banned at least 40 zookeepers from leaving the zoo for a week, as part of its preventive measures.Authorities sent feces of a total of 1,200 fowl collected inside the zoo to the National I

Social Affairs Dec. 19, 2016

A highly pathogenic bird flu is spreading at an alarming pace toward the capital, with confirmed cases in Gimpo, west of Seoul, and another suspected case near the capital. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Sunday that it temporarily closed the Seoul Grand Park in Gwacheon, just south of Seoul, over the weekend after it found two dead storks over consecutive days.Authorities said it did not find anything significant from the autopsy results, while the examinations have been sent to the Nati

Social Affairs Dec. 18, 2016

South Koreans now consume about 19 percent less sodium compared to five years ago, data showed Sunday.According to the Korea Health Promotion Foundation, the average Korean’s daily sodium intake in 2015 was 3,871 milligrams, about a 19 percent decrease from 4,785 milligrams in 2010.The KHPF attributed the reduction in sodium intake to a well-being trend in the local food industry -- in particular the introductions of new MSG-free, low-sodium instant noodles and traditional paste products for hea

Social Affairs Dec. 18, 2016

Representatives of foreign residents in Seoul on Wednesday shared ideas on how to make the city a better place to live. Celebrating the first year since the launch of the Seoul foreign residents’ council, a total of 38 representatives from 23 countries and different walks of life gathered for a general assembly at the Seoul City Hall.“We represent some 460,000 foreigners residing in Seoul,” said Taki Yukari, a Japanese office worker who settled in Seoul five years ago.“As a chair of the counsel,

Social Affairs Dec. 15, 2016

The slaughter of dogs will be abolished and butchery facilities removed from South Korea’s largest dog meat market, in a move which officials described as a step toward ending the animal welfare controversy over the industry. The decision was announced Tuesday by Seongnam City Government and the vendors’ association of Moran Market, which, among others, represents its 22 dog meat dealers. According to their agreement, the dog meat vendors will start removing slaughter facilities and dog cages fr

Social Affairs Dec. 13, 2016

South Korean soldiers will now receive up to three years of paternity leave per child, three times longer than the Army’s previous policy.The Ministry of Defense said Tuesday that it has revised the Military Personnel Management Act to grant the same period of child care leave to male soldiers. Currently, female soldiers receive up to three years of maternity leave per child. Parents with an 8-year-old child or younger are eligible for the leave.  stock image(123rf)The ministry hopes that the ch

Social Affairs Dec. 13, 2016

South Korea’s Constitutional Court on Monday began preparations for the impeachment trial of President Park Geun-hye, holding the first assembly of its justices. The meeting was attended by eight of the nine judges, including Kang Il-won, who will lead the coming trial as head justice. They discussed the formation of a task force, the hearings schedule and other related issues, the court’s spokesperson said. Park Han-chul (left), head of the Constitutional Court, arrives at the court in Seoul on

Social Affairs Dec. 12, 2016

As the Constitutional Court gears up for the impeachment trial of President Park Geun-hye, scholars, politicians and the media are revisiting the 2004 trial of late President Roh Moo-hyun for a hint of what is to come.   It took 63 days for the top court to overturn Roh’s parliamentary impeachment, but opinions are split as to whether the upcoming trial of President Park will produce a similar result or take a similar amount of time. The nine justices of the Constitutional Court will decide whet

Social Affairs Dec. 12, 2016

Twelve years ago, South Korea’s parliament impeached the president only to face unforeseen consequences: an overwhelming outpouring of public anger. The president was the now deceased Roh Moo-hyun. Key players in the 2004 parliamentary impeachment are back. But they are in different positions, this time. Rep. Choo Mi-ae, chief of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, was then leading the Millennium Democratic Party pushing for Roh’s impeachment. National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun

Social Affairs Dec. 8, 2016

As nearly 1 in 2 elderly households are living in poverty in South Korea, the poverty rate among senior citizens who live alone has almost doubled since 2006, a study found Monday.According to a report issued by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs recently, about 45.9 percent of elderly in the poverty group were living alone in 2015, up from 27.1 percent in 2006.The poverty rate refers to the ratio of households that make below 50 percent of the median household disposable income,

Social Affairs Dec. 6, 2016

Twenty days after a highly pathogenic avian influenza virus was first detected in South Korea, the epidemic shows no sign of abating. Nearly 3.4 million poultry had been culled as of Monday morning. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, some 2.5 million chickens, 790,000 ducks and 71,000 quails have been slaughtered nationwide as part of the quarantine, after nearly 70 farms were confirmed or suspected of having avian influenza, or bird flu, outbreaks.Most of the duck

Social Affairs Dec. 5, 2016