Many factors come into play determining voter turnout and conventional wisdom is a bad weather could dampen electoral participation. Yet, a look at past elections in South Korea does not show a clear correlation between weather conditions and voter participation rates. In the previous 2012 poll in which Park Geun-hye was elected as president, the morning low in Seoul recorded 10 degrees below zero. But the voter turnout was 12.8 percent points higher than in elections held in warmer times. For T

Social Affairs May 4, 2017

Police on Thursday raided the offices of Samsung Heavy Industries as part of their investigation into a crane collision that killed six people and injured 25 others at the company’s shipyard in Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province.A total of 30 investigators searched offices inside the shipyard in Geoje and secured documents such as job sheets and safety education materials, police said.(Yonhap)Investigators said it will focus on whether the crane collision was caused by miscommunication between cra

Social Affairs May 4, 2017

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries on Wednesday vehemently denied a news report that suggested the ministry intentionally delayed the salvage operation of the Sewol ferry.The ministry’s clarification followed broadcaster SBS’ report that the ministry delayed the operations due to political circumstances. Lee Cheol-jo, a ministry official in charge of the salvage operation, speaks at a press conference in Mokpo on Wednesday. (Yonhap)“The Sewol salvage operation was delayed purely due to technic

Social Affairs May 3, 2017

A Seoul citizen-led project to improve the city’s artistic appeal kicked off its second two-month run Saturday. About 101 Seoul residents gathered at Dongdaemun Design Plaza on Saturday to embark on a mission to find and promote the hidden artistic gems of Seoul.In its second year, the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s “Arts on Seoul’s street found by citizens,” will run from April through June.Participants of “Arts on Seoul’s street found by citizens” pose for a photo in Dongdaemun Design Plaza i

Social Affairs May 2, 2017

South Korean children and teenagers suffering from extreme obesity are on a sharp rise compared to decades ago, a report showed Tuesday.According to a study released by the Korea University Anam Hospital, the prevalence of extreme obesity among the age group of 2-19 has more than quadrupled to 4.7 percent in 2014 from 0.7 percent in 1998.(123RF)The research was based on nationwide health and nutrition surveys conducted on 19,593 Koreans aged 2 to 19 from 1998-2014. 　Extreme or morbid obesity ref

Social Affairs May 2, 2017

Police said Friday that it has investigated 246 people for vandalizing presidential election posters or damaging electioneering facilities since the election campaign began last week. According to the Korea National Policy Agency, as of Friday, 197 people were found to have damaged or removed election campaign posters placed by the National Election Commission. Of the remainder, 42 people allegedly damaged placards and seven damaged electioneering trucks.  Presidential election posters displayed

Social Affairs April 28, 2017

Modelled after New York’s iconic High Line, Seoul’s soon-to-open elevated park will bring visual and spatial respite to busy city life, with a stretch of greenery, cafes and street markets, the city government said Tuesday. Opening part of the “Seoullo 7017” on Tuesday, ahead of the official opening in May, Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon on Tuesday described the urban sky park as a place where “nature and humans can live side by side.”Pictured is the Seoul Road 7017 in front of Seoul Station, an over

Social Affairs April 25, 2017

In light of South Korea’s high smartphone penetration rate, the problem of smartphone addiction could emerge as a major social issue, with nearly 80 percent of users showing addictive behavior, a study showed. The survey conducted by the Gyeonggi Research Institute on 1,004 smartphone users showed that 82.4 percent said they cannot do everyday tasks and often feel anxiety if separated from their mobile devices.(123RF)According to the study, over 1 in 2 respondents said their amount of personal l

Social Affairs April 24, 2017

Seoul City said Sunday that it has successfully hosted study sessions for citizens on public art before embarking on a two-month program to find and promote the hidden artistic gems of Seoul.The study sessions, arranged and hosted by the city government’s Design Policy division, included renowned sculpture and installation artist Ahn Kyu-chul, Seoul Design Foundation head Park Sam-chul, social media expert Kim Hae-kyung and photographer Han Geun-seon as lecturers. Citizens give a presentation on

Social Affairs April 23, 2017

Less than a third of Koreans lead healthy lifestyles, a survey showed Thursday.According to the survey conducted by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last year, about 27 percent of Korean adults practice a healthy lifestyle daily.Last year’s figure was 1.2 percentage points lower than that recorded in 2015 and 7.2 percentage points lower than 2008, when the survey was first conducted.(123RF)The survey showed that slightly more than 38 percent of adults walked for more than 30

Social Affairs April 20, 2017

Years before signs of dementia became evident, Yang Min-ju’s mother became confused and delusional. Her mother would pack her luggage, saying her parents were waiting for her to come home. The symptoms gradually worsened, until Yang had to feed her mother and change her diaper every hour.“I thought she was just becoming old,” Yang told The Korea Herald.Like Yang, about one quarter of dementia patients miss the opportunity to receive timely treatment and care because they are unaware of the early

Social Affairs April 19, 2017

The search for the remains of the missing passengers of the ferry Sewol got underway Tuesday, more than three years since the accident. Of the 476 who were aboard the vessel, 295 died and nine remain unaccounted for. The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said that preparations for the search, including safety checks, cleaning and disinfection processes, have been completed.(Yonhap)At around 1 p.m., the search began from the fourth deck, where most of the missing passengers are believed to be trap

Social Affairs April 18, 2017

South Korea’s democratization has been fueled by citizens’ protests against corrupt politicians over the past few decades.The mass uprising in 1960, called the April 19 Revolution, which thousands of students had marched from Korea University in eastern Seoul to the presidential office, ended the autocratic First Republic of South Korea ruled by the nation’s first president Syngman Rhee. Although the hard-won democracy was short-lived, subsequent military regimes of Park Chung-hee and Chun Doo-h

Politics April 14, 2017

One in 4 South Koreans experience mental disorders more than once in their lifetimes, while just one-tenth of the mentally ill seek professional help, according to government data released Wednesday The Ministry of Health and Welfare’s survey of 5,102 adults showed that about 25 percent of the respondents had suffered mental disorders, such as depression, schizophrenia and alcohol addiction, at least once in their lives. About 12 percent had experienced psychiatric illnesses in the past year. Th

Social Affairs April 12, 2017

Seoul City’s controversial plan to hand out cash allowances to young job seekers has finally gotten the nod from the central government, ending a yearlong dispute. The Ministry of Health and Welfare had opposed Seoul’s plan, calling it a populist move, but it decided to endorse it Friday, citing revisions made by the Seoul Metropolitan Government to the original program at the ministry’s request.The Ministry of Health and Welfare (Yonhap)“We refused to ratify the program last year when it failed

Social Affairs April 10, 2017