With public interest of veganism and vegan food growing, the Seoul Metropolitan Government is hosting the fourth vegan festival this weekend.  Vegan Festival KoreaTo be held at the Seoul Innovation Center in Eunpyeong-gu on Sunday, this free-admission event will offer a variety of plant-based cuisine such as textured vegetable protein, as well as cruelty-free cosmetics and all other things free of animal products.The festival is co-hosted by the Seoul Innovation Center, Vegan Festival Korea and

Social Affairs Oct. 11, 2017

With increased interest in clean energy around the globe, now is the time for countries to jump into action, said the head of Global Green Growth Institute, a Seoul-based global organization on environmental-friendly development.Frank Rijsberman, the GGGI’s director-general, also urged Korea to focus on renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power. Frank Rijsberman, the Global Green Growth Institute’s director-general, speaks at a conference. (GGGI)“(It’s time for) South Korea to demons

Social Affairs Oct. 10, 2017

Quarantine authorities held an emergency meeting Monday to combat infestations of stinging fire ants, after they were discovered in Busan where a potential nest was found last week.Authorities inspect a potential fire ant nest at a harbor in the southern port city of Busan, Tuesday. YonhapFound for the first time in the South Korea, the species native to South America is known to inflict painful bites that in some cases lead to anaphylactic shock and death. According to news reports, workers at

Social Affairs Oct. 2, 2017

For Kim Mi-hee, a 55-year-old housewife, it has become a routine recently for her to pick up Chuseok gift parcels from her doorstep, un pack them, and then lug cardboard boxes full of packing materials to her Seoul apartment block’s trash recycling area. “I try my best to dutifully separate the recyclables from the garbage, but I did not know this much bubble wrap and Styrofoam was used in gift sets,” Kim said, adding that she often felt a sense of guilt and frustration when she opened the boxes

Social Affairs Oct. 1, 2017

On Sunday, the second day of the 10-day Chuseok holiday, expressways across the nation continued to become congested as more travelers hit the road. The expressway in Seoul is seen congested on Sunday, the second day of the 10-day Chuseok holiday period. YonhapThe Korea Expressway Corporation said that as of 9 a.m., the travel time on the 428-kilometer-long expressway between Seoul and the southeastern port city Busan is expected to be 4 hours and 20 minutes. It is expected to take 1 hour and 50

Social Affairs Oct. 1, 2017

The result of Seoul City’s probe into soil and groundwater in areas near a US military base in central Seoul over alleged oil leaks came out Tuesday, showing below average levels of contamination in the samples from six of nine sites around the military base in Yongsan. YonhapIn August, the Seoul city government conducted its own survey on soil and water near the US base for possible contamination with toxic chemicals, amid growing calls for the disclosure of pollution levels in the area. Accord

Social Affairs Sept. 26, 2017

Seoul’s tap water Arisu was produced at a quarter of what it costs to produce in New York and London, the city government said Monday, promoting its efficient management of water supply facilities. YonhapAccording to Seoul Metropolitan Government, the city spent some 775 billion won ($685 million) last year on producing 1.1 billion cubic meters of tap water, which translates into 679 won per cubic meter.The production cost of tap water in Seoul is far cheaper than New York’s 2,690 won per cubic

Social Affairs Sept. 25, 2017

Three years and six months since the Sewol ferry sank in waters off Jindo, the bereaved families of two Danwon High School victims held a farewell ceremony on Monday.Bereaved families of Danwon High school students Cho Eun-hwa (left) and Huh Da-yoon hold a farewell ceremony at Seoul Plaza on Monday. YonhapAttended by victims’ grieving families, officials in charge of the salvage operation and some 30 other people, the ceremony was held following the wishes of the mothers of Cho Eun-hwa and Heo D

Social Affairs Sept. 25, 2017

President Moon Jae-in convened a National Security Council meeting on Sunday to monitor North Korea and review South Korea's countermeasures for potential provocations by the communist country, the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said.President Moon Jae-in. YonhapThe plenary NSC meeting was held in the evening for more than two hours and brought together Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon, the chiefs of the unification, defense, and home ministries as well as the presidential chief of staff, Moon's ch

Defense Sept. 24, 2017

대한민국 노인 복지 개선을 위한 기금 마련 자선 파티가 개최된다.비영리 자선 단체인 코리아 레거시 커미티 (Korea Legacy Committee)는 대한민국의 높은 노인 빈곤율과 관련된 문제들을 해결하고자 오는 10월 13일 광화문 포시즌스 호텔에서 ‘노인 복지 개선' 기금 마련을 위한 갈라 (gala) 형식의 자선 파티를 연다고 밝혔다. (사진=코리아 레거시 커미티)이번 자선 파티는 한국의 젊은 세대에게 노인 복지 개선에 대한 인식을 고취시키고, 노인 복지 개선 활동에 필요한 기금 모금을 위해 마련됐다.코리아 레거시 커미티는 2015년에 설립된 이후 연간 3, 4차례의 자선 파티를 직접 기획하고 진행하여 약 2천만원의 수익금을 전액 NGO 단체에 후원한 바 있다. 뿐만 아니라 정기적인 배식 봉사와 노인 문화 활동 지원 등 다양한 활동을 통해 노인 복지 개선 활동에 앞장서고 있다.이번 자선 파티에서는 걸그룹 플레이백의 공연을 비롯해 서울노인복지 센터 시니어 하모니카 연주단의 공연

한국어판 Sept. 24, 2017

The Korea Legacy Committee will launch an annual fundraising gala to implement an awareness to eliminate Korea’s senior poverty and engage young generations to join to enhance senior welfare across the country.The event will take place on Oct. 13 at Four Seasons Hotel in Seoul.Korea Legacy CommitteeAll proceeds go to the Seoul Senior Center, the largest non-profit dedicated to supporting impoverished elderly in Seoul.Launched in 2015, KLC holds monthly events for volunteers to interact with seni

Social Affairs Sept. 24, 2017

Park Ye-in’s home since March has been a “gosiwon” in Sinchon, a tiny one-room unit in a share house. But she doesn’t usually tell acquaintances where she lives. “My friends gave me a mixed look of pity and concern when I said I live in a gosiwon,” Park, 22, told The Korea Herald. A 3.5-square-meter Goshiwon room in Sinchon, one of the university neighborhoods in Seoul, is furnished with a desk, bookshelf and bed. Kim Da-sol/The Korea HeraldGosiwon are a form of low-cost, cocoon-like accommodati

Social Affairs Sept. 24, 2017

Bribery in schools has been curbed significantly since the introduction of the anti-graft law last year, a recent survey showed. YonhapAbout 83 percent of parents and 85 percent of school faculties said they do not see the offering of under-the-table gifts or money anymore, according to the survey conducted online earlier this month by the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education on some 36,947 parents and 18,101 school faculties and teaching staff. Another 76 percent of the parents and 82 percent

Social Affairs Sept. 24, 2017

At least 400 dog meat farmers staged a protest in Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul on Friday, calling on the government to legalize the dog meat trade and classify dogs used as pets separately from those raised for human consumption. Unleashed dogs are inside cages during the dog meat farmers' protest in central Seoul, Friday. YonhapIn one of the largest pro-dog meat rallies ever held in South Korea, an association of Korean dog meat farmers marched toward the presidential office Cheong Wa Da

Social Affairs Sept. 22, 2017

Nearly a year after the implementation of an anti-corruption law, 9 in 10 Koreans said the law was effective, a recent survey showed, despite an ongoing debate on whether to raise price ceilings, as the law bans those subject to it from receiving meals and gifts exceeding designated prices.A flower shop owner looks at the empty store. YonhapAccording to a survey conducted last month by professor Lim Dong-kyun from University of Seoul, 89.5 percent of some 1,202 respondents said that the new law

Social Affairs Sept. 21, 2017