A highly pathogenic aviation influenza virus appears to be spreading throughout Gyeonggi Province, the country’s largest poultry production base and most populated province, putting authorities on alert. On Sunday, another possible outbreak of the H5N6 virus bird flu was reported at a chicken farm in Yangju. If confirmed, it will be the fourth confirmed case of bird flu in Gyeonggi Province, and the second in Yangju. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs has banned stockbreeders at

Social Affairs Nov. 27, 2016

Nearly 6 in 10 South Korean adults have an abnormal health status due to diseases or suspected diseases, a government report based on a public health examination showed Sunday.According to the report issued by the National Health Insurance Service, 57.2 percent of South Koreans who received health examinations in 2015 were diagnosed with or were suspected of having diseases. It said 18.7 percent have diseases, with 38.5 percent having suspected cases of diseases.Only 7.9 percent were found to be

Social Affairs Nov. 27, 2016

The South Korean government stepped up quarantine measures to contain the outbreak of avian influenza Thursday, as a highly pathogenic strain of the bird flu virus shows signs of spreading across the nation. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs raised the watch level to “alert” from “caution,” ordering every provincial government to run emergency operation centers and strengthen disinfection measures in all farming areas. “The spreading pace of the animal disease is so fast that i

Social Affairs Nov. 24, 2016

With an increasing number of consumers wanting to know where their food comes from, eco-labeled food is becoming more popular, according to marine conservation expert Patrick Caleo.“Fishing has an impact on our marine environment and it’s not just fish stocks that are affected. Sensitive habitats, endangered species and the marine food chain need to be maintained to keep the oceans healthy and productive,” said Caleo, who visited Seoul for the second series of Panda Talks hosted by World Wide Fu

Social Affairs Nov. 22, 2016

When companies in global markets use credible production standards, consumers will be able to push commodity markets to a tipping point where sustainability becomes the norm, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature, the world’s largest environmental group. WWF’s second series of Panda Talks in Korea was held at Seoul City Hall on Monday, aiming to raise awareness and public consensus by taking steps toward sustainable market transformation.Attended by some 200 participants, the Panda Talks w

Social Affairs Nov. 22, 2016

Following the confirmation on bird flu cases at two poultry farms last week, the government said Monday that it received additional reports on highly pathogenic aviation influenza, or AI, outbreaks. The Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Rural Affairs said that ducks at four farms were culled over the weekend in suspected AI outbreaks. The virus -- confirmed to be the highly contagious H5N1 -- appears to be traveling along the west coastline after two confirmed cases last week, putting authoritie

Social Affairs Nov. 21, 2016

CHEORWON, Gangwon Province -- From October, hundreds of winged guests arrive at Cheorwon, a rural town near the northern border. On a long, arduous journey to southern wintering grounds, about 800 cranes make a stopover at Cheorwon for its some 10,500 hectares of rice fields, which provide abundant food and resting places for them. Kim Su-ho, a local vet for wild birds with over 20 years of experience, says he is able to tell the difference between cranes that have been there before and those vi

Social Affairs Nov. 18, 2016

Some 100 meters of walkway by the famous stone wall surrounding Deoksugung in Seoul will be opened to the public next August. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said earlier this week that it has begun work on the section of the walkway that is currently on the property of the British Embassy, following an agreement between Seoul City and the embassy last year.A 170-meter section of the 1.1-kilometer wall is currently off limits to pedestrians, as it is part of the British Embassy compound. After

Social Affairs Nov. 16, 2016

A new Seoul City Tour Bus debuted this week with a single deck and half open top. This adds to the existing three types of sightseeing buses operated for tours of the capital city: a fully open top double-decker bus, a normal single-decker bus and a trolley bus.Seoul City Tour BusHalf of the back portion of the new vehicle is equipped with windows that can be removed and a foldable top, so that it can flexibly respond to weather conditions, explained the city tour bus operator Honeymoon Travel.

Social Affairs Nov. 16, 2016

Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon has been awarded the Gothenburg Award for Sustainable Development for his efforts to develop Seoul as a “Sharing City.” Park, who worked as a civil rights lawyer and activist before becoming mayor, is recognized for having integrated social issues into “sharing economy” projects, as well as raising public awareness and supporting initiatives in the sharing of information and assets, the award organizer said in a statement. Park is the first Korean, and the second in Asi

Social Affairs Nov. 16, 2016

A Seoul court ruled Tuesday that a local manufacturer of humidifier disinfectants should compensate victims who died of lung disease allegedly due to toxic substances in its products.This marks the first time that a local court has recognized damage in the “killer disinfectant” debacle, four years after the authorities pinpointed chemicals used in disinfectants as the likely reason behind what was then perceived as a mysterious lung disease mostly affecting pregnant women. So far, 189 deaths --

Social Affairs Nov. 15, 2016

The number of people in South Korea with multicultural backgrounds has more than tripled in the past decade to reach 1.71 million as of November 2015, latest government data showed Tuesday. This marks 3.4 percent of the county’s total population of 51 million. The multicultural population has risen steadily, moving from 540,000 in 2006, to 1.57 million in 2014 and 1.71 million last year. The tally includes foreign nationals, naturalized Koreans as well as their children. Fifty-seven municipaliti

Social Affairs Nov. 15, 2016