South Korea’s demands on natural resources have been outstripping supply for the past four decades or so. And the deficit has been widening at such an alarming pace that environmentalists both here and overseas call for immediate attention to the issue. Calculated by the Global Footprint Network, a country’s ecological balance shows how much natural resources a country has and how much it uses. The supply is measured by biocapacity, which is the capacity of a given biologically productive area t

Social Affairs Oct. 17, 2016

Korean businesses seeking to tap the Chinese market and Chinese investors searching for investment opportunities here gathered in Seoul on Monday for the city’s inaugural Seoul China Investment Week. The two-day event kicked off with an investment forum, attended by 300 participants from 148 local companies and 56 Chinese investment firms. “Seoul China Investment Week will work as an opportunity for Korean and Chinese companies to boost cooperation and investment, while this is just a beginning

Social Affairs Oct. 17, 2016

Employees at a well-known general hospital just outside Seoul handed over approximately 4,000 blood samples of patients to a local medical supplier without patients’ consent for two years, it was revealed Wednesday. The hospital, CHA Bundang Medical Center in Seongnam, wasn’t aware of the irregularity until a former staff member blew the whistle last month. It said it has fired the three employees involved in the illegal transfer of blood samples.“We will also improve the current medical waste d

Social Affairs Oct. 12, 2016

In a world where innovation is driven by technology, creating a vision of innovation starts with designers, who can give consumers an experience through innovative designs, according to Dick Powell, co-founder and chairman of design and innovation company Seymourpowell.“Years ago, when we did research about the future of TV, we expected some interesting opportunities beyond an ordinary TV in the living room, and now we are seeing slimmer and aesthetically designed TVs that are changing our lives

Arts & Design Oct. 11, 2016

On a crisp autumn Sunday, 10 Seoulites gathered at a subway station near Gyeongbok Palace. From an architect to a housewife and retiree, the group was composed of people from different walks of life, but their mission for the day was the same: discover the hidden charm of a town called Seochon. “Many may consider Seochon as an area that has recently gained popularity among foreign tourists, but Seochon has numerous historical sites that boast rich traditional value as well as an artistic atmosph

Social Affairs Oct. 10, 2016

After 14 years of working at the United Nations Environment Program, Monika Macdevette believes today’s youth hold the key to the future of both the Earth and humankind. Environmental problems will only get worse, more diverse and complicated, as long as civilization continues to develop along its current path. That’s why youths need to “bring inquisitiveness to ask questions why these problems are happening, where they come from and force answers,” the UNEP deputy director of environmental poli

Social Affairs Oct. 9, 2016

 The Korean government is close to recognizing fetal deaths and premature births as being linked to the use of a toxic humidifier disinfectant, paving the way for state compensation, the environment ministry said Wednesday. “The matter is still under discussion between ministry officials and experts, but it is true that we found medical evidence linking between fetal deaths and a mother’s use of toxic humidifier disinfectant,” Seo Hong-won, an official at the Environment Ministry, told reporters

Social Affairs Oct. 5, 2016

The Ministry of Environment said Tuesday that it had ordered a recall of tattoo inks after it found toxic substances such as zinc and lead in them.The ministry said that 12 out of the 25 tattoo inks tested by the Korea Consumer Agency exceeded the permissible levels of heavy metal content. One of the tested products contained up to six different heavy metal substances that exceeded the ministry-set health limits.The ministry added that two of the tattoo ink products even contained three times mo

Social Affairs Oct. 4, 2016

Seoul plans to resume this month the operation of the hugely unpopular water taxi services on the Han River, it revealed Tuesday, in response to an inquiry from Rep. Hong Chul-ho.According to the ruling Saenuri Party lawmaker, the 3.7 billion won ($3.34 million) water taxi project was a money-losing disaster before the service was suspended in April 2014, with daily average passengers of just seven.  (Herald DB)Seoul spent the 3.7 billion won on installing 17 taxi stands and operating 10 water t

Social Affairs Oct. 4, 2016

현직 큐레이터·예술계 종사자들이 말하는 공공미술좀 더 유연하고 열린 관람 문화 정착도 중요예술과 문화는 작가들과 큐레이터들만의 전문 영역이라고 생각하던 과거와 달리 최근 들어 시민과 예술 간의 벽이 허물어지고 있다.이 같은 변화에 따라 공공미술의 중요성 또한 대두되고 있다. 우리 나라 예술계에도 동일한 움직임이 감지되는 가운데 8월, 서울시는 10명의 현직 큐레이터들과 100여명의 서울시민을 대상으로 서울시 공공미술 시민 발굴단을 선발, 공공미술의 가장 큰 주체이자 향유자인 시민들의 참여를 유도하는 2달간의 프로젝트를 시작했다. (왼쪽부터) 서울시 공공미술 시민발굴단에 참여한 서지은, 권연희, 김현지 씨.10개 그룹으로 나눠 그룹별 주제에 맞는 공공미술작품을 찾아내고, 페이스북, 인스타그램, 트위터 등 SNS를 통해 시민에게 알리는 활동을 맞게 된 시민발굴단은 그룹별로 시민 10인과 전문가 1인이 함께 공공미술 작품과 한 팀을 이뤘다.이 프로젝트에 전문 큐레이터로 참가하게 된 현 코

한국어판 Oct. 4, 2016

STOCKHOLM (AP) -- Japanese scientist Yoshinori Ohsumi was awarded this year's Nobel Prize in medicine on Monday for discoveries on how cells break down and recycle parts of themselves in an internal garbage disposal process.The Karolinska Institute honored Ohsumi for "brilliant experiments" in the 1990s on autophagy, a phenomenon that literally means "self-eating" and describes how cells gobble up damaged content and provide building blocks for renewal. Japanese scientist Yoshinori Ohsumi speaks

World Oct. 3, 2016

Seo Ji-eun, 30, curator at Coreana Museum of Art in Gangnam, is one of the supervising curators for some 100 Seoul residents who are participating in a two-month-long municipal citizen program to uncover public art on the city’s streets.Under the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s project “Art on Seoul’s streets found by citizens,” participants find and promote lesser-known public art and landmarks in groups of 10, joined by field experts and art connoisseurs.After a five-year career as a curator w

Social Affairs Oct. 3, 2016