More than 21 million unused coronavirus vaccine doses have been discarded as of June in South Korea due to their expiration dates, data showed on Monday. Among the 212.8 million vaccine doses that have been introduced into Korea, the discarded doses account for 10.86 percent of Korea's total contracted COVID-19 vaccine purchases, according to data released by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. As the Korean government has not disclosed the per-shot purchase price of COVID-19 v

Social Affairs July 24, 2023

A professor teaching animal welfare at a local community college was found to be allegedly operating the country's largest network of illegal dog auctions, according to an animal protection group Thursday. The Beagle Rescue Network posted a statement on their Instagram account Thursday, saying “We have been conducting closed investigations into illegal animal breeding grounds and dog auction houses that procure and distribute dogs.” “It has been revealed that Hong, a pr

Social Affairs July 21, 2023

A recent surge in reports of assaults on teachers and the suicide of an elementary school teacher have sparked a nationwide debate over teachers' rights and child discipline in South Korea. Some critics are blaming renowned child psychiatrist Oh Eun-young, whose popular television program, "My Golden Kids," promotes a "no punishment" approach to raising children. An anonymous individual posted a message Thursday on Blind, an anonymous online community, saying that "

Social Affairs July 21, 2023

South Korea's weekly new COVID-19 cases rose to over 180,000 through Wednesday, amid the summer holiday season, data showed Thursday. The country reported 186,953 new COVID-19 infections for the week of July 9-15, up 22.2 percent from the previous week, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said. During this period, the average number of new COVID-19 cases per day was 26,708, up nearly 5,000 from the previous week. The average daily number of new cases per week has been rising fas

Social Affairs July 20, 2023

A company that sells supplements for children posted an advertisement on social media in which an illustrated Black character is asked whether she is from Africa, and then told to go back to her country. The advertisement was taken after public outcry over its racist overtones. The company recently posted an animated advertisement on Instagram to promote supplements that it advertises as effective in whitening skin for children. This supplement contains ingredients such as glutathione powder, al

Social Affairs July 19, 2023

South Korea’s human rights commission is calling for children with foreign nationality residing in Korea not to be discriminated against and instead be treated equally in preschool and kindergarten tuition subsidy programs. In early July, the National Human Rights Commission of Korea determined that the Ministry of Education excludes children of foreign nationality residing in Korea from preschool and kindergarten tuition subsidies, restricting their equal rights to education, survival a

Social Affairs July 18, 2023

Most regions of the country are expected to experience ongoing heavy rainfall through this Wednesday, primarily due to the influence of a stationary front and atmospheric pressure, the national weather service said Monday. Through Wednesday morning, heavy rain is forecast in several provinces, including North and South Chungcheong, North and South Jeolla, North and South Gyeongsang, and Jeju Island, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration. The regions are expected to receive 100 to

Social Affairs July 17, 2023

Heavy monsoon rain left at least 36 people dead and left nine others missing while forcing 7,866 people to be evacuated from their homes across South Korea, authorities said Sunday. President Yoon Suk Yeol, who is on a state visit to Eastern Europe, held a video conference on Sunday with the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters to be briefed about the damage due to heavy rain and the nation's reponses to address the damage, according to Yoon’s office. “I resp

Social Affairs July 16, 2023

Unionized health care workers have begun a nationwide strike on Thursday despite the government sending a message of warning that it might consider taking actions against the protest, dismissing it as "merely political." The Korean Health and Medical Workers' Union (KHMU) is demanding the Korean government to hire more medical personnel and improve their working conditions. However, the Health Ministry says it's hospitals, not the government who should negotiate with the work

Social Affairs July 13, 2023

South Korean government said Wednesday that it will track some 4,000 unregistered babies born to mothers of foreign nationality between 2015 and 2022, although it said it technically has no legal obligation to do so. “In order to expand the protection scope for ‘ghost babies,’ the government will begin its investigation to confirm the whereabouts of babies born to foreign mothers, too,” said First Vice Health Minister Lee Ki-il. Last month, the state audit agency said it

Social Affairs July 12, 2023

The Korean Health and Medical Workers' Union (KHMU), a group of nurses, health care workers and caregivers, announced Wednesday that its members will stage a two-day general strike starting Thursday, calling on the Korean government to hire more medical personnel and improve their working conditions. The strike is the union’s first in 19 years after its members walked out in 2004 calling for a five-day workweek. Around 50,000 out of a total of 85,000 KHMU members will participate in

Social Affairs July 12, 2023

To tackle the nation's record-low birth rate, the South Korean government has committed to a slew of programs targeting individuals born in the 1990s over the next five years, according to officials Tuesday. “The government sees the next five years as the golden time for a rebound in fertility rates. This is because people born in the 1990s, a large age group in our society, are at the best age for marriage and childbirth over (that time period),” an official of the Ministry of

Social Affairs July 11, 2023

Amid the intensifying race to enter domestic medical schools among elite South Korean students, an increasing number of aspiring doctors are moving overseas to attend medical school, especially in Hungary, data showed Monday. After studying at foreign medical schools recognized by the Korean government, it is possible for Korean nationals to acquire medical licenses here upon passing two tests. However, some doctors argue that this is unfair, as domestic medical schools are much more difficult t

Social Affairs July 10, 2023

South Korea’s human rights commission said Friday that North Jeolla Province has accepted its recommendation to rectify discrimination against foreign residents by including them in COVID-19 subsidy programs. The National Human Rights Commission of Korea had previously determined in 2021 that North Jeolla Province's failure to provide COVID-19 subsidies to foreign residents constituted discrimination. Consequently, in a recommendation issued last December to the regional governor, it

Social Affairs July 7, 2023

A doctor who had been running a pediatric clinic for 20 years will shut down the establishment because of alleged malicious complaints made by a parent, the latest in a series of closures of pediatric clinics. The clinic, located in Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju, will shut down on Aug. 5 because it was subject to "malicious false complaints" from a parent, it said in a closure notice dated Thursday. The child, who was born in 2019, visited the clinic recently with a skin condition, local media

Social Affairs July 7, 2023