Thousands of people, including grieving families, gathered Saturday at Seoul Plaza to commemorate the second anniversary of the Itaewon crowd crush, a tragedy that claimed 159 lives -- most of them young adults -- during Halloween celebrations on October 29, 2022. Organized by the 10.29 Itaewon Disaster Bereaved Families Committee and estimated to have drawn around 5,000 participants, the ceremony began at 6:34 p.m., the exact time of the first emergency call from Itaewon that night, hours befor

Social Affairs Oct. 27, 2024

The Seoul city government announced a campaign to promote standardized foreign-language names for Korean foods on Thursday, aiming to boost culinary tourism by providing accurate translations for international visitors. The initiative, in collaboration with the Seoul Tourism Organization and the Korea Food Service Industry Association, runs until Nov. 1 and focuses on correcting mistranslations of famous Korean dishes. Foreign tourists often encounter baffling translations on menus, including no

Social Affairs Oct. 24, 2024

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced its plan on Wednesday to convert 68 kilometers -- or 94 percent -- of the city’s above-ground railway network into an underground network. The space for ground railways as well as station buildings will be turned into parks, and commercial and cultural facilities. Currently, Seoul has 71.6 kilometers of above-ground railway across six lines, running through 15 out of 25 districts. The conversion includes 34.7 kilometers of the Gyeongbu Line and 3

Social Affairs Oct. 23, 2024

A South Korean court has recently granted refugee status to a Ugandan woman who fled her country to escape severe domestic violence, court officials said Tuesday, showing greater acceptance of gender-based violence as grounds for granting refugee status here. The Seoul Administrative Court ruled in favor of the woman, who had filed a lawsuit against the Seoul Immigration Office to overturn a previous decision denying her refugee status, on Sept. 25. The court determined that she demonstrated a w

Social Affairs Oct. 22, 2024

The Seoul Metropolitan Government on Monday released a comprehensive plan to support a growing number of Seoul residents struggling with loneliness and social isolation. The initiative, called “Loneliness-Free Seoul,” aims to intervene early to tackle loneliness at its root and prevent people from dying alone, known as “lonely deaths,” which have been rapidly increasing in the city. Over the next five years, the city plans to invest a total of 451.3 billion won ($326 mill

Social Affairs Oct. 21, 2024

Bereaved families erupted in outrage following the acquittal of former Seoul Metropolitan Police Chief Kim Kwang-ho and two senior officials in a case concerning the Itaewon crowd crush. The court’s Thursday ruling sparked widespread anger among the families and their advocates, who accuse the judiciary of failing to hold top officials accountable for the disaster, which they attribute to inadequate planning and emergency response measures. The Itaewon Disaster Bereaved Families group stro

Social Affairs Oct. 18, 2024

Animal rights organizations have rescued 455 dogs from an illegal breeding facility in Busan, highlighting the ongoing issue of unlawful puppy mills in South Korea, a coalition of 15 organizations announced Friday. The dogs, including various high-value breeds, were found crammed into filthy cages across the 230-square-meter site in Daejeo-dong, Gangseo-gu, which had been operating illegally for 25 years, according to the coalition. The coordinated rescue was led by the Lucy's Friends, whic

Social Affairs Oct. 18, 2024

An appellate court ruled Tuesday that the assault on a female convenience store clerk by a man in Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province, allegedly motivated by her short haircut, constituted a misogynistic hate crime. The landmark ruling is the first time a Korean court has explicitly recognized misogyny as a condemnable motive in a criminal case. The Changwon District Court upheld the lower court's decision to put the attacker behind bars for three years for aggravated assault, destruction of p

Social Affairs Oct. 16, 2024

Various projects driven by the Seoul city government, such as the foreign caregiver scheme involving 100 Filipina workers and the Hangang River Bus, came under fire during a parliamentary audit on Tuesday. Mayor Oh Se-hoon also denied allegations that controversial pollster Myeong Tae-gyun was involved in a mayoral election he won in 2021. In response to questions from Rep. Cho Seung-hwan of the ruling People Power Party regarding Seoul's foreign caregiver pilot program, Oh argued the progr

Social Affairs Oct. 15, 2024

The number of female workers receiving wages and salaries in South Korea has surpassed the 10 million mark this year, government data showed Monday. According to data released by Statistics Korea, the female wage and salaried workforce in 2024 reached 10.15 million, an approximately 17.7-fold increase since the government began collecting such data in 1963. Specifically, 6.962 million of these female workers were regular employees, 2.907 million were temporary workers, and 283,000 were categoriz

Social Affairs Oct. 14, 2024

North Korea's recent claim that the South had sent uncrewed aerial vehicles over Pyongyang three times since last week has stirred a contentious debate on the veracity of the claim and the implications. As of Sunday, the South Korean government has maintained a noncommittal stance, neither confirming nor denying the allegations, while North Korea has yet to present definitive evidence. In a message delivered Friday through the Korean Central News Agency, the North's Foreign Ministry cl

North Korea Oct. 13, 2024

An exhibition program hosted by the Seoul city government last week explored innovative ideas for urban challenges in areas such as transportation, environment and safety, with private companies showcasing tailored solutions to global cities from 18 countries. The Presentation for Your City program was the centerpiece of Seoul Smart Life Week, held from Thursday to Saturday at Coex in southern Seoul, as it conveyed fresh urban solutions that can be applied not only to Seoul, but other metropolit

Social Affairs Oct. 13, 2024

The number of medical students opting for military enlistment instead of continuing their medical studies has surged, surpassing 1,000, in response to the government's decision to expand medical school quotas, government data showed Tuesday. Data obtained by Rep. Jin Sun-mee of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea from the Ministry of Education reveals that as of Aug. 23, military leave had been granted to 1,059 students from 37 of the nation's 40 medical schools. This exclude

Social Affairs Oct. 8, 2024

The head of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Jee Young-mee, has expressed concern over the risk of bioterrorism posed by the trash-carrying balloons from North Korea and said the agency is planning to stockpile vaccines in preparation, Monday. Jee was responding to Rep. Lee Ju-young of the minor conservative Reform Party, who raised concerns about North Korea's intentions with its trash balloons, during a National Assembly audit held in Yeouido, Seoul. Lee asked if it wouldn

Social Affairs Oct. 8, 2024

As Seoul's six-month foreign caregiver pilot program marks its first month on Thursday, significant unresolved issues -- particularly over pay. The initiative, led by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Ministry of Employment and Labor, aims to offer affordable child care and light and incidental help with housework. The six-month pilot, limited to Seoul households, primarily dual-income with multiple children, and employing only Filipino national women aged 24-38, began on Sept. 3 wi

Social Affairs Oct. 3, 2024