Sogang University, one of Seoul’s elite schools, has come under fire for forcing students living in dormitories to sign a pledge that would hold them both financially and legally responsible when they are infected with COVID-19 from visiting high-risk areas. According to the school’s online student community, two dormitories started requiring its residents to sign the “agreement” after the first infection case was confirmed in one of the buildings on March 25. “I

Social Affairs April 4, 2021

South Korea officially kicked off its annual procedure to set the country’s minimum wage level for the following year, with the labor and business sides presenting wildly divergent views on how the rate should be adjusted. Minister of Employment and Labor Lee Jae-kap on Wednesday sent a written request to the Minimum Wage Commission to start the procedure to negotiate and determine the minimum wage level for 2022. The request authorizes the commission to gather 27 representatives -- nine

Social Affairs April 1, 2021

Beginning Thursday, the South Korean government is instituting a “vaccination leave” program that would allow up to two days of recovery time for people with immune responses after getting their COVID-19 vaccines. But questions are raised as to how the program will be followed in the private sector, as the program is advised rather than required for employers, some of which are already short on labor power. Some are asking the government to make the measure mandatory for employers

Social Affairs March 31, 2021

JECHEON, North Chungcheong Province -- Over 2.75 trillion liters of water behind the Chungju Dam in North Chungcheong Province, dozens of solar panels are laid out to generate power. While it may seem odd to some as to why these solar panels are over water as opposed to other, more conventional places, the idea is one of many projects that South Korea is betting on to generate renewable electricity as it promised to the international community. The country has announced plans to achieve carbon

Social Affairs March 31, 2021

South Korea will expand in-person classes and accelerate the vaccination of key school employees to restore educational opportunities lost to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Education said Monday. Education Minister Yoo Eun-hae told reporters Monday that the ministry is prioritizing an expanded proportion of in-person classes for middle school students, especially those in Greater Seoul, as the country continues to fight the coronavirus pandemic. “We have been in talks with region

Social Affairs March 29, 2021

The zero-waste movement has been growing globally with increasing public interest toward a sustainable lifestyle with less reliance on extra packaging. Yet South Korea remains largely unprepared to accommodate the eco-friendly mindset at least in terms of shopping for groceries, as most supermarkets, retailers and stores are yet to step away from single-use plastic bags and packaging for their fresh produce and protein options. When The Korea Herald visited grocery stores of varying sizes in S

Social Affairs March 26, 2021

A foreign workers’ representative group has called for improved working conditions at logistics firms, as the South Korean government mulls allowing migrant laborers to be dispatched as couriers to tackle the industry’s manpower shortage. In a statement released Wednesday, the Migrants’ Trade Union criticized the government for “effectively trying to make up industries short of local manpower with migrant workers.” The union said migrant laborers would be put at ri

Social Affairs March 24, 2021

Foreign workers in many parts of South Korea are still being required to undergo COVID-19 testing even after Seoul withdrew its own order Friday. Testing mandates remain in force in other regions, apparently due to less influence from white-collar foreign workers, who tend to be more vocal and active on social issues. The Seoul Metropolitan Government on Friday withdrew its earlier order to require coronavirus testing for all foreign workers after facing backlash from diplomatic circles, commu

Social Affairs March 22, 2021

Warmer spring weather is concerning authorities in South Korea as the country battles community infections amid the third COVID-19 wave to date. As flowers blossom across the country, traffic has surged nationwide with an increasing number of people traveling for gatherings in the warmer weather. Although most regions have canceled their flower festivals for the season, the number of travelers is expected to stay high, especially on weekends. The situation is alarming, as the number of daily n

Social Affairs March 21, 2021

　Local expat communities are expressing anger and disappointment over the Seoul and Gyeonggi Province government mandates for all foreign workers to submit themselves to be tested for COVID-19. The Seoul city government said Tuesday that all foreign workers will be required to take COVID-19 tests by the end of this month. The measure follows Gyeonggi Province’s order made days earlier to have all foreigners in the province undergo COVID-19 testing by March 22. The measures drew mixed res

Social Affairs March 18, 2021

At any time of the day, on any day of the week, Seoul residents are used to being “greeted” by pigeons fearlessly roaming the roads alone or in packs. It’s hard not to notice these “flying rats” if they are near, and people in Seoul became used to sharing the space with them when visiting populous areas. Many have come to accept them as the norm, but there don’t seem to be many in the public eye anymore. “Now that you speak of it, I don’t know,&r

Social Affairs March 17, 2021

Authorities are under pressure as fine dust levels remain threateningly high in South Korea despite emergency measures to reduce air pollution. An ultrafine dust alert was issued in Seoul on Monday at 11 a.m., as the concentration level reached 76 micrograms per cubic meter, according to the Korea Environment Corporation. Similar alerts were issued for 13 cities and counties in Gyeonggi Province, where ultrafine dust levels were as high as 81 micrograms per cubic meter. Alerts are issued when

Social Affairs March 15, 2021

South Korea will extend its social distancing rules in place for two more weeks, as the country reported the highest daily addition of COVID-19 cases in three weeks. Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said in a meeting Friday that the government will continue to impose Level 2 social distancing rules in Greater Seoul, which includes Incheon and Gyeonggi Province, until March 28. Level 1.5 rules will be maintained throughout the rest of the country, while the ban on private gatherings of five or more

Social Affairs March 12, 2021

An online community post has once again shed light on the prevalence of hazing among nurses. In a post uploaded onto local community website Nate Pann on Friday, a user who claimed to be a nurse accused a nursing professor of verbally and physically harassing her over a 13-month period around nine years ago. The post alleged that the female professor, who was then a senior nurse, had bullied the younger staff member when both worked in an intensive care unit at the Chungbuk National Universit

Social Affairs March 11, 2021

The Ministry of Environment will prioritize the needs of the industrial sector and provide necessary support for businesses as South Korea looks to move forward with its carbon neutrality plan, the ministry said Wednesday. Environment Minister Han Jeoung-ae said in a press briefing Wednesday that the ministry understands the financial burden companies will face as the government fulfills its goal to have Korea become carbon-neutral by 2050 with increased emphasis on renewable energy sources and

Social Affairs March 10, 2021