Among household consumption expenditures last year, expenses for children's private education increased by nearly 20 percent year-on-year, recording the highest since 2019. In addition to inflation, the demand for private education appears to have increased due to concerns about gaps in the education system during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Statistics Korea, spending on children’s private education by married couples averaged 363,641 won ($280) per month, up 18.3 percent from

Social Affairs March 1, 2023

A South Korean research team has confirmed Wednesday that some COVID-19 variants -- delta and omicron -- can be transmitted between dogs. Although there have been many reports on the transmission of the coronavirus from humans to dogs, this is the first study that proves transmission of the virus among dogs. A joint research team, led by Professor Song Dae-sub of Seoul National University's College of Veterinary Medicine and researcher Yoo Kwang-soo of Jeonbuk National University, unveiled

Social Affairs March 1, 2023

The Constitutional Court on Tuesday ruled that the law that dictates that students who commit school violence can face measures such as a mandatory apology to the victim, prohibition of contact or retaliation and changing classes is constitutional. The Constitutional Court rejected an appeal that claimed the law forcing perpetrators to apologize to victims infringes on their freedom of conscience and personal rights. Six judges out of nine voted that the law is constitutional. The case was filed

Social Affairs Feb. 28, 2023

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family will conduct a joint inspection of sexual exploitation and unsuitable businesses to protect children and adolescents from harmful environments. In order to keep children away from potentially damaging environments, the ministry will conduct a crackdown on businesses deemed inappropriate for adolescents to visit or work at. The ministry will first clarify the type of facilities and businesses that teenagers should stay away from, and then conduct a joint

Social Affairs Feb. 27, 2023

Seoul International School offers Maker Education that focuses on the STEAM disciplines -- science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics -- through elementary and middle school programs. Maker Education, also known as hands-on learning, is rooted in the Maker movement that began in 2005, it said. It encourages students to engage in creative processes to gain knowledge and experience rather than simply observing them. Maker Education enhances students' creativity and thinking skills

Social Affairs Feb. 26, 2023

More than a half of women said that marriage and childbirth are not an essential part of their lives, a survey showed Sunday, suggesting a growing trend of women defying the expectations of traditional gender roles in Korean society. According to a survey by the Korean Association for Social Welfare Studies, only 4 percent of the female respondents said marriage and childbirth are "mandatory," while 12.9 percent of male respondents answered the same. In the survey conducted on 281 sing

Social Affairs Feb. 26, 2023

GWANGJU -- Kim Volodymyr, a 17-year-old fourth-generation Koryoin, had no particular interest in K-pop, Korean language or food before coming to the country. He heard his parents talking about South Korea from time to time, but never thought that he’d be living in the country. Escaping from his hometown Kremenchuk, an industrial city in Ukraine that became the target of massive bombing, Kim entered his ancestors' land in July last year with a flight ticket sent by a friend who left Uk

weekender Feb. 25, 2023

A 15-year prison sentence has been confirmed for a mother in her 20s who killed her two-month son by pressing the child with her body. The Daejeon High Court said the 25-year-old mother, who had been convicted of child murder, did not file a petition for appeal. She confessed that she pressed him for a significant time because he wouldn't stop crying. The defendant committed the crime while undergoing an appeals trial over another child abuse case involving her two other children, who were

Social Affairs Feb. 21, 2023

Ministers of finance and labor on Monday urged the opposition party to stop pushing a bill that would prevent unionized workers from being sued by companies to recover financial losses from sit-in protests, calling it "illegitimate." In an emergency press briefing, Labor Minister Lee Jung-sik said the bill lacks “legal stability and predictability" and could lead to "strike omnipotence." “If the revision is passed, the labor union will be able to resolve the

Politics Feb. 20, 2023

The South Korean government on Friday announced its plan to introduce an "anti-drone system" to prevent terrorist attacks from targeting key national facilities with drones. The meeting of the 16th National Counter Terrorism Committee, convened by Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, approved the government's plan of deploying the anti-drone system to key facilities, including oil refineries and power plants, in stages of order of importance. The government will also seek to actively supp

Social Affairs Feb. 17, 2023

South Korea's main opposition party has ratcheted up criticism of the prosecution and President Yoon Suk Yeol and rallied in support for its chairman, Rep. Lee Jae-myung, who has become the first incumbent leader of the main opposition party wanted for arrest. Members of the Democratic Party of Korea held an outdoor rally denouncing the Yoon government and the prosecution in front of the National Assembly on Friday. It said about 2,000 people took part. In a speech, Lee accused the Yoon adm

Politics Feb. 17, 2023

The number of international flights between South Korea and China, currently 62 per week, will be increased to 100 per week next month. The decision to drop other quarantine measures, including mandatory PCR tests for entrants travelling from China, will be announced next week. "We will gradually increase the number of international flights between Korea and China to 80 per week by the end of this month, and to 100 per week next month," said Prime Minister Han Duck-soo at a COVID-19

Social Affairs Feb. 17, 2023

The Blue Tree Foundation, an institution for victims of school violence, held a meeting Monday on the sidelines of the 61st Session of the United Nations Commission for Social Development, to discuss the prospect of sustainable development in the era of digital transformation. The 61st plenary session of the UN Commission for Social Development was held online and offline at the UN headquarters in New York from Feb. 6 to Wednesday with the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United

Social Affairs Feb. 16, 2023

A state reconciliation panel confirmed Thursday that a civilian was shot by soldiers during a military coup 62 years ago, recommending compensation be paid by the state. The victim, who suffered a lifetime of pain from the gunshot wound, has finally been granted the possibility of receiving financial reparation. On May 16, 1961, then-Major General Park Chung-hee led a military coup against former President Yun Po-sun's government. The victim, who is only identified by the surname Cho, was s

Social Affairs Feb. 16, 2023

South Korea, located on the relatively stable Eurasian Plate, has generally been considered safe from earthquakes. But authorities and experts here are voicing concerns that it is not a safe zone anymore, citing the growing number of earthquakes detected in recent years, changes in geology making Korea more vulnerable to big quakes in nearby regions, and most importantly, inefficient regulations that could minimize the damage if a quake happens. According to Korea Meteorological Administration&#

Social Affairs Feb. 15, 2023