More than half of Korean women worry about becoming victims of sexual violence when using taxis or public bathrooms, a study showed Wednesday. The study also shed light on the rising use of digital devices in sex crimes and the strong tendency to shift blame onto the victims from both men and women. The Gender Ministry published the 2022 Sexual Violence Safety Survey, a statistical survey conducted every three years. The survey was conducted on 10,020 respondents aged 19 to 64 nationwide. Of the

Social Affairs June 21, 2023

Civic groups and activists on Tuesday launched a campaign calling for the legalization of same-sex marriage in South Korea. The groups, Solidarity for LGBT Human Rights of Korea and the Korean Network for Partnership and Marriage Rights of LGBT, held a press conference in Jung-gu, Seoul, to launch the “Marriage Equality Korea” campaign. The campaign will advocate for and promote the legalization of same-sex marriage in Korea, supported by group actions. Yi Ho-rim, an activist from So

Social Affairs June 20, 2023

Seoul City said Monday that it would increase accessibility and restore the ecosystem of Namsan with a brand-new gondola connecting visitors from Myeong-dong the top of the mountain, along with leisure facilities. The Seoul Metropolitan Government will introduce 25 ten-seater gondolas that head to the top of the mountain, which can transport more than 1,000 people per hour. It is an eco-friendly transportation that does not create pollutants such as dust during operation. The construction of the

Social Affairs June 19, 2023

The hot weather is expected to begin in earnest, with Korea's weather forecaster on Sunday issuing the first heat wave advisory of the year throughout Seoul and eastern Gyeonggi Province. The Korea Meteorological Administration issued a heat wave advisory for all parts of Seoul and eastern Gyeonggi Province on 11 a.m. on Sunday. The warning is issued when the daily maximum sensory temperature is expected to be over 33 degrees Celsius for more than two consecutive days. The Seoul Metropolita

Social Affairs June 18, 2023

The number of young people taking time off without seeking jobs or studying is on the rise, official statistics showed Sunday, as Korea struggles to tackle the world's lowest birth rate and a rapidly aging society. The number of employed people in their 20s declined 63,000 year-on-year in May to reach 3.83 million, marking a consecutive seven-month slump since November last year, according to Statistics Korea. The number of unemployed individuals also decreased by 67,000 compared to the p

Social Affairs June 18, 2023

North Korea has fired two short-range ballistic missiles towards the East Sea, the military authorities said Thursday. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff announced that it detected two short-range ballistic missiles fired from the Sunan area of North Korea from around 7:25 p.m. to 7:37 p.m. towards the East Sea. The authorities confirmed that the missiles landed in the East Sea after flying about 780 km each, adding that the details and any additional provocations are being monitored by th

North Korea June 15, 2023

When individual workers who participate in illegal industrial action are held responsible for financial damages, the degree of responsibility should be considered individually according to the degree of contribution in illegal activities, the Supreme Court ruled Thursday. The Supreme Court on Thursday returned a lower court ruling that sided with South Korean carmaker Hyundai Motor in seeking compensation from unionized workers for inflicting losses during their strike in 2010. Sending the case

Social Affairs June 15, 2023

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday ordered the office of the presidential secretary for civil service discipline to conduct a thorough investigation into the officials mired in corruption allegations over solar power projects, part of the previous Moon Jae-in government's push to increase the share of renewable energy in Korea's energy mix. "President Yoon ordered a thorough investigation into the entire decision-making line involved in the solar projects at the time," said Yoon's sp

Politics June 14, 2023

The Foreign Affairs Ministry summoned the Chinese Ambassador to South Korea to strongly warn him of remarks that could be interpreted as an intervention in domestic affairs, Friday. First Vice Foreign Minister Chang Ho-jin summoned Ambassador Xing Haiming to the ministry building Friday morning and expressed regret over Xing's unfiltered criticism of South Korea’s foreign policy, which was made during a meeting with main opposition Democratic Party of Korea leader Lee Jae-myung the pr

Politics June 9, 2023

A man of Korean nationality, acquitted on charges of murdering his pregnant wife of Cambodian nationality, has won another lawsuit against an insurance company. The Seoul High Court ruled in favor of the plaintiff in the second trial against Samsung Life Insurance filed by a man surnamed Lee, Thursday. The second trial court ruled that Samsung Life Insurance should pay about 202 million won ($155,000) to Lee and 60 million won to Lee's daughter as compensation for delayed death insurance an

Social Affairs June 9, 2023

President Yoon Suk Yeol's labor reform drive is likely to face significant hurdles, as the Federation of Korean Trade Unions, an umbrella union group the president once sought amicable ties with, declared an all-out struggle against the government on Thursday. Following its decision to suspend its participation in a trilateral consultative body between the government, management and labor on Wednesday, the FKTU said it would step up its struggle while halting communication with the governme

Politics June 8, 2023

The annual Seoul Queer Culture Festival parade this year, which had struggled to secure a venue due to the city's refusal of its request to use Seoul Plaza, will be held on July 1 starting in Euljiro 2-ga, Seoul, the organizing committee said Wednesday. The organizing committee expects more than 50,000 people to participate in the parade alone and 150,000 in all festival events. The parade starts from Euljiro but the route will include Seoul Plaza, they said. “The meaning of the Pride

Social Affairs June 7, 2023

The Federation of Korean Trade Unions, one of the two major labor umbrella groups here, announced on Wednesday it will suspend its participation in a trilateral consultative body which has served as a dialogue between labor, management and the government. The decision, which could also affect talks over next year's minimum wage, came in protest of the government's use of force against one of its members, it said. The FKTU -- the more moderate umbrella labor union relative to the more m

Politics June 7, 2023

The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea has appointed Lee Rae-kyung, the honorary chair of progressive non-profit media platform The Tomorrow, as the head of the new committee launched to renew and innovate the party. Party leader Rep. Lee Jae-myung announced at a Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly Monday that Lee Rae-kyung will be in charge of leading the party's new innovation committee. "We will leave all decisions, such as the names and roles of new innovat

Politics June 5, 2023

The Federation of Korean Trade Unions is considering whether to pull out of negotiations with the government following what it calls excessive use of force by police on one of its members. At around 5:31 a.m. last Wednesday, Kim Joon-young, an executive of the Federation of Korean Metalworkers' Trade Unions, sustained injuries from a police baton wielded by an officer while resisting a crackdown. Kim has been staging a sit-in rally since May 29 on a 7-meter-high steel structure installed on

Politics June 4, 2023