The issue of LGBTQ rights has come to the fore again in South Korea’s political circles, sparked by the recent remarks from one of the leading candidates to be Seoul mayor. The controversial remarks from minor opposition People’s Party leader Ahn Cheol-soo was made during a televised debate between him and rival candidate Keum Tae-sup last week while discussing an annual LGBTQ Pride parade held in central Seoul since 2000. The Seoul Queer Culture Festival, held every year since 200

Social Affairs Feb. 23, 2021

Doctors are once again in conflict with the government, this time over a legislative revision on the revocation of medical licenses, and are threatening industrial action that could disrupt the country’s COVID-19 vaccination program. The conflict, if unresolved, could cause delays and disruptions to the operations of hospitals, as well as to the nationwide COVID-19 inoculation program slated to start Friday. The Korean Medical Association announced Sunday that it would stage a general st

Social Affairs Feb. 22, 2021

Four North Korean defectors in South Korea are filing a criminal defamation complaint against Unification Minister Lee In-young over remarks he made earlier this month questioning the reliability of defectors’ statements about human rights issues in the North. Mulmangcho, a Seoul-based nongovernmental group that supports North Korean defectors, said Sunday that four defectors would file a complaint with the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office on Monday afternoon over comments

North Korea Feb. 21, 2021

Children’s rights activists welcomed a move by the Ministry of Justice toward the establishment of a birth registration system for non-Korean children born in South Korea, as a means to ensure that every child has legal status regardless of nationality. A network of advocacy groups said in a statement Wednesday that the ministry’s decision would help Korea better track all children and protect them from mistreatment. It is expected that more than 20,000 unregistered foreign children

Social Affairs Feb. 18, 2021

A four-day workweek is emerging as a hot-button campaign issue as Seoul mayoral candidates promise a compressed work schedule ahead of the April by-elections, with debate ensuing as to whether the pledge is realistic and economically viable for South Korea and its capital. Former SMEs Minister Park Young-sun said in a meeting earlier this month that she wants to introduce a 4.5-day workweek for Seoul citizens if she wins the Seoul mayor seat in the coming months. Park has so far been picked as

Politics Feb. 17, 2021

There is light at the end of the tunnel for domestic workers, as the ruling Democratic Party of Korea hopes to pass a bill this month that would ensure better working conditions for them after a decadelong wait. Ruling party lawmakers in the National Assembly Environment and Labor Committee are pushing to pass the bill during this month’s provisional session, in keeping with the party’s vow to expand protection for the working class and categorize domestic workers as wage laborers u

Social Affairs Feb. 16, 2021

The idea of ensuring that everyone has at least some income has gained momentum in South Korea as the country experiences a major economic letdown during the COVID-19 pandemic. The idea, championed first by Gyeonggi Province governor and president hopeful Lee Jae-myung, has quickly become a fiercely debated topic among presidential contenders from all sides. Proponents say it is a means to narrow the growing wealth gap and make up for future job losses. Naysayers worry that what they call the

Politics Feb. 16, 2021

Seoul’s public transportation operators are in serious financial trouble as the number of bus and subway users sharply dropped last year due to the coronavirus outbreak. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Wednesday that 1.45 billion passengers used regular city and local “maeul” buses last year, down 23.6 percent from 1.95 billion a year earlier. The number of airport bus users dropped 85.4 percent on-year to 2.12 million passengers. The sharp decline in passengers caused

Social Affairs Feb. 10, 2021

Local authorities remain cautious over a potential uptick in virus cases as South Korea approaches its second Lunar New Year holiday under COVID-19 pandemic. While the daily addition of new cases has been staying comparatively low for the past week, officials are keen on preventing people from traveling across regions this week as possibilities still remain high for the virus to stay strong during and after the holiday weekend. The government has also remained vigilant on maintaining its antiv

Social Affairs Feb. 9, 2021

A local court on Tuesday rejected an arrest warrant for former Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Paik Un-gyu for his role in the controversial closure of South Korea’s second-oldest nuclear reactor. The Daejeon District Court on Tuesday denied the prosecution’s request for an arrest warrant made Thursday against Paik on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of business. The court said the prosecution’s arguments are insufficient to prove Paik’s criminal involve

Social Affairs Feb. 9, 2021

Former Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Paik Un-gyu on Monday faced potential arrest for his role in the controversial closure of South Korea’s second-oldest nuclear reactor. The Daejeon District Court on Monday afternoon started an arrest warrant hearing for Paik on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of business following a request from the prosecution on Thursday. Paik is under investigation for allegedly abusing his authority to negatively influence the viability assessme

Social Affairs Feb. 8, 2021

The number of fatalities from traffic accidents in Seoul fell to its lowest recorded level last year, police said Sunday. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, the number of people who died from traffic accidents reached 218 throughout 2020, down from 247 people from a year earlier. The number of traffic accident fatalities has been steadily falling from 399 deaths recorded in 2014. Pedestrians accounted for more than half, or 115, of all traffic accident deaths in Seoul recorded

Social Affairs Feb. 7, 2021

The number of food poisoning cases last year was the lowest ever recorded as the COVID-19 pandemic forced cafeterias to close and increased an emphasis on personal hygiene, data showed Sunday. According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, the number of reported food poisoning cases reached 178, down 52 percent from five-year average of 343 cases since 2015. The number of food poisoning patients reached 53 per million, down 40 percent from an average of 133 patients per million from 2015 t

Social Affairs Feb. 7, 2021

South Korea on Thursday impeached a sitting judge for the first time in its history, as lawmakers voted to remove Lim Seong-geun, a senior judge at the Busan High Court for meddling in a number of politically controversial trials during the Park Geun-hye administration. During the extraordinary session of the National Assembly, 179 lawmakers voted to impeach Lim while 102 voted against it, marking the first time a judge has been removed from the post while in service. There were two motions in

Politics Feb. 4, 2021

Supreme Court Chief Justice Kim Myeong-su acknowledged that he had considered politicians’ plans to impeach Lim Seong-geun, a senior judge at the Busan High Court, when he refused to accept Lim’s resignation in May. Kim said in a statement to reporters Thursday that he regretted making the erroneous claim that he had never mentioned anything about impeachment during the conversation he had with Lim at the time. “I apologize for responding falsely based on uncertain memories o

Politics Feb. 4, 2021