In a recent hackathon organized by Seoul City, 21-year-old Kim Do-kyoon, was one of those in charge of demonstrating how 3-D printers work. “I have never seen this many 3-D printers together in one place in my life. Maybe this could be an unprecedented scene in Seoul,” Kim told The Korea Herald as he participated in the event last weekend. “There are so many advantages of using 3-D printers especially at this kind of hackathon event, to create test products more articulate compared to ones made

Social Affairs June 29, 2016

The South Korean government said Tuesday that it will propose a revision bill to the current pharmaceutical law, in order to enhance the availability of medicine and first-aid medical supplies to citizens.The Ministry of Health and Welfare said they are preparing to propose the revision by Aug. 28. If the bill passes, pharmacists will be allowed to install medicine vending machines in front of their pharmacies.The Pharmaceutical Affairs Act states in Article 50 that an owner or a seller who runs

Social Affairs June 28, 2016

[THE INVESTOR] Household products company Oxy Reckitt Benckiser, which has been blamed for the largest number of victims from the use of toxic humidifier disinfectants, released an expanded compensation plan for victims over the weekend. The victims and their families, however, remain opposed, saying the additional compensation still neglects victims with relatively less damage and overlooks different causes of death allegedly caused by the products.In a closed-door meeting attended by some 150

June 27, 2016

Household products company Oxy Reckitt Benckiser, which has been blamed for the largest number of victims from the use of toxic humidifier disinfectants, released an expanded compensation plan for victims over the weekend. The victims and their families, however, remain opposed to the plan, saying the additional compensation still neglects victims with relatively less damage and overlooks different causes of death allegedly caused by the products.In a closed-door meeting attended by some 150 vic

Social Affairs June 27, 2016

South Korea’s private kindergartens said Sunday that they will stage a strike and hold a rally this week in protest against the government’s funding program.According to the Education Ministry and the Korea Kindergarten Association, about 3,500 private kindergartens -- 83.3 percent of private kindergartens nationwide -- and some 30,000 industry workers and parents have agreed to participate in closing down their kindergartens on Thursday to join the rally at Seoul Plaza.Children in a kindergarte

Social Affairs June 26, 2016

State-run subway operator Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transit said Sunday that it will remove subway turnstiles specially designed for children, in order to curb the increasing number of adult fare dodgers.SMRT has been operating the “child only” subway turnstiles since 2009, at about 10 subway stations around Seoul on subway lines 5 to 8.Hanging lower than regular turnstiles and decorated with colorful paintings, these facilities were built to make it more convenient for subway passengers accompan

Social Affairs June 26, 2016

The South Korean public is more sensitive to air quality these days, in light of increasing news reports on the negative impacts of fine dust and with a slew of released apps that send almost real-time updates on the concentration of harmful particles. So how bad is fine dust to one’s health?Fine dust particles do not just cause respiratory problems such as bronchial and asthmatic diseases, they also increase the chance of cerebrovascular diseases, according to the Korean Medical Association.Fin

Social Affairs June 24, 2016

A latest report from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development has sent a solemn message to the world: If we do not effectively tackle air pollution, it could cause 6 to 9 million premature deaths and economic consequences of $2.6 trillion annually by 2060.South Korea was among countries singled out as those in greater danger. The report said that South Korea could see at least 1,109 early deaths per 1 million people in 2060 -- the only OECD member to exceed the 1,000 mark -- unl

Social Affairs June 24, 2016

Gary Cook, a senior IT analyst at Greenpeace, said that he has noticed a particular trend among the younger generation in the United States -- they delay getting their driver’s license after they turn 20.“It’s interesting. America, very much defined by car culture, is seeing lowering importance of getting a car. An interesting shift over the last five years,” Cook said in an interview with The Korea Herald.He explained that many drivers in the U.S. are choosing electric vehicles as the first opt

Social Affairs June 24, 2016