Wednesday marked the coldest day so far this fall in South Korea, with many regions reporting subzero temperatures. Cold, crisp weather is in the forecast for Thursday too, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration. On Wednesday, most inland areas in the central region reported morning lows below zero degrees Celsius as a cold air mass moved in from the northwest. The mercury dipped to minus 8 degrees in Yeoncheon and minus 6.2 degrees in Yeoju, both in Gyeonggi Province, while Se

Social Affairs Nov. 4, 2020

Amid a prolonged battle against the coronavirus, South Korea is set to hold another massive-scale national event next month, the annual college entrance exam, more widely known here as the Suneung. On Dec. 3, approximately 500,000 students will sit the back-to-back marathon tests from 8:40 a.m. to 5:40 p.m. at 1,352 exam sites across the country set up in accordance with quarantine protocols. Education Minister Yoo Eun-hae on Tuesday vowed a successful administration of the Suneung, asking for

Social Affairs Nov. 3, 2020

Serial killer Lee Chun-jae apologized to his victims during a court hearing Monday, as well as to those who were targeted for investigation for the murders and rapes he committed. Appearing as a witness at a court in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, Lee also admitted that he had killed 14 women and raped nine others throughout the 1980s and 1990s. He was brought in as a witness at a retrial hearing for Yoon Sung-yeo, who was wrongfully convicted of raping and murdering a 13-year-old girl in Hwaseong

Social Affairs Nov. 2, 2020

Former President Lee Myung-bak was placed behind bars Monday, after the Supreme Court upheld his conviction for bribery and embezzlement and revoked his bail. The 78-year-old, who led the country from 2008 to 2013, faces 16 more years in jail. Lee left his residence in Gangnam-gu, southern Seoul, at around 1:45 p.m., as supporters and longtime aides, including former Rep. Lee Jae-oh, gathered to bid him farewell.　 “They can arrest me, but they can’t confine the truth” his

Politics Nov. 2, 2020

Front-line medical professionals taking care of COVID-19 patients are at risk of developing mental illnesses, a study said Sunday. According to a study conducted by Yeungnam University researchers published in the Journal of Korean Medical Science, 33.3 percent of 1,003 health care workers at a hospital in Daegu were found to be highly susceptible to depression. It also found 12.5 percent of them to be at a high risk of anxiety disorder. When compared to the general population, the figure was

Social Affairs Nov. 1, 2020

Those who violate the face mask mandate may face fines beginning next week, as South Korea aims to continue preventing the spread of the coronavirus with mandatory mask-wearing. 　 After a one-month grace period, which ends Nov. 12, the government will begin imposing fines of 100,000 won ($88) on those who do not wear face masks in public. A face covering is mandatory for those using public transportation, participating in rallies, visiting medical and care facilities, as well as other designat

Social Affairs Nov. 1, 2020

South Korean authorities and farmers are on alert after a highly pathogenic avian influenza was detected in wild bird droppings for the first time in 32 months. The first case was reported on Oct. 25 in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, and was soon followed by another discovery of the contagious H5N8 strain in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. The discoveries prompted the Agriculture Ministry and local governments to step up quarantine and biosecurity measures to block a bird flu outbreak among d

Social Affairs Nov. 1, 2020

Seoul will provide all first-year students in the city’s middle and high schools with a one-off stipend of 300,000 won ($265), starting from next year, the city‘s education office announced Thursday. “When children advance to middle or high schools, households have to provide them with new uniforms, textbooks, stationery items and, in the coronavirus situation, smart devices,” said Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education Superintendent Cho Hee-yeon, explaining the stipen

Social Affairs Oct. 29, 2020

Former Vice Justice Minister Kim Hak-ui was sentenced to 30 months in prison for accepting bribes in exchange for business favors. The Seoul High Court handed down the sentence Wednesday, overturning a lower court ruling last year that cleared Kim of all charges due to lack of evidence and the statute of limitations. Kim, who served as vice justice minister in 2013, was accused of having received sexual services arranged by a local developer, Yoon Joong-chun, on 13 occasions and having recei

Social Affairs Oct. 28, 2020

A former high school counselor suspected of leaking copies of a US college entrance exam was arrested in Seoul late Tuesday night. The man, identified only by the surname Lee, is under police investigation for allegedly taking photos of US Scholastic Aptitude Test papers for three years beginning in 2017 while he was working as a career counselor at the Hankuk Academy of Foreign Studies, a high school in Gyeonggi Province, and selling them to a broker. The broker, arrested last month, is alleg

Social Affairs Oct. 28, 2020

A local court on Tuesday began reviewing whether to issue an arrest warrant for a high school counselor suspected of leaking test papers for a US college entrance exam. The Seoul Central District Court is expected to reach a decision Wednesday. The suspect is a former career counselor for the Hankuk Academy of Foreign Studies, a prestigious boarding high school in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. Police accuse him of selling photos of US Scholastic Aptitude Test papers to a broker for three years

Social Affairs Oct. 27, 2020

Salaries in Korea vary by up to 23 percent depending on where workers went to high school, college and found first employment, a study showed Tuesday. According to the study published by the Korean Labor Economic Association, the average monthly pay of workers who went to high school, graduated college and earned their first jobs outside Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province was 1.86 million won ($1,650). That is 5.1 percent lower than the monthly salary of 1.96 million won for all Koreans stu

Social Affairs Oct. 27, 2020

Koreans are divided over which authority should take charge of the investigation into controversial fund scams, a poll showed Monday, following reports suggesting politicians and prosecutors may have been involved in the cases surrounding two asset management firms. According to a Realmeter poll of 500 adults conducted last week, 43.6 percent of respondents said a special counsel probe should be launched for the probe, a measure that has been demanded by the main opposition People Power Party.

Politics Oct. 26, 2020

  The government will introduce stricter rules for emergency text alerts starting next year in response to growing public fatigue over the notifications amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to an inquiry from Rep. Park Soo-young of the People Power Party, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said that starting in 2021 it plans to refrain from sending emergency text alerts between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., unless deemed absolutely necessary. Using the text alert system to promote governme

Social Affairs Oct. 26, 2020

The government is providing 50.9 billion won ($44.9 million) to six cities and provinces that sustained damages from back-to-back typhoons in September. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced Friday that the government will provide 22.3 billion won to Gangwon Province, 19.8 billion won to North Gyeongsang Province and 4.7 billion won to South Gyeongsang Province as special budgetary support. The government will also provide Ulsan with 2.1 billion won, Jeju Island with 1.2 billion wo

Social Affairs Oct. 23, 2020