Amid the steady stream of bedbug reports nationwide, central and local government agencies have begun implementing measures to prevent the spread of the pests in the country. In mid-September, a student reported having been bitten by bedbugs in a dormitory at Keimyung University in Daegu. On Oct. 13, live bedbugs and larvae were found in a sauna in Seo-gu, Incheon. Bedbugs have also been reported in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul and Busan. The Busan Metropolitan Government a

Social Affairs Nov. 3, 2023

Labor Minister Lee Jung-sik said the government will work to set clear criteria for what constitutes workplace harassment as part of a push to foster a safe working culture, during a meeting with young workers in Seoul on Wednesday. "Creating a fair and safe workplace is the fundamental starting point of labor reform," said Lee during a meeting with young workers, labor inspectors and related experts at an event organized by the Ministry of Employment and Labor. Lee promised to consi

Social Affairs Nov. 1, 2023

A man in his 70s was arrested on Tuesday for wielding a knife in front of the main gate of the Defense Ministry in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, where the presidential office is located. Two police officers were injured in the process of subduing the man. The Yongsan Police Station arrested the 77-year-old man, who is only identified by his surname of Park, who took out a knife in front of the main gate of the presidential office at 1:20 p.m. When Park, who was passing in front of the main gate of the Defe

Social Affairs Oct. 31, 2023

The Korean government is stepping up its official development assistance support projects in developing countries as part of its bidding efforts to host the World Expo 2030 in Busan. Official development assistance is a form of government aid designed to promote economic development and welfare in developing countries. Developing countries account for about two-thirds of the 182 member countries of the Bureau International des Expositions, which are the countries that have the right to vote for

Social Affairs Oct. 30, 2023

Despite efforts being made by South Korean cattle farmers and the government to contain the outbreak of lumpy skin disease, concerns are growing over the contagious viral infection. Authorities and officials stressed that the disease does not affect the human body, assuring consumers that all food products related to cattle are safe. As of Monday morning, a total of 61 cases of lumpy skin disease were reported since the first case was confirmed on Oct. 20 in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province. A

Social Affairs Oct. 30, 2023

On the first anniversary of the Itaewon crowd crush that claimed 159 lives, bereaved families, civic groups and citizens gathered for a memorial service and march, demanding a thorough investigation and a formal apology from the government. The Itaewon Disaster Citizens’ Task Force and the Itaewon Disaster Bereaved Families group hosted the event Sunday, with the march starting from the site of the disaster near Itaewon Station and proceeding to Seoul Plaza. Wearing purple jackets symboliz

Social Affairs Oct. 29, 2023

Starting next year, foreigners must reside for at least six months in South Korea to receive health insurance coverage as dependents of the actual subscribers. A revision to the Health Insurance Act, which stipulates that foreigners must "stay in Korea for at least six months" to be registered as dependents of a worker living in Korea, received approval from a parliamentary subcommittee on Sept. 21 and is currently under review by the Legislation and Judiciary Committee. Direct family

Social Affairs Oct. 26, 2023

South Korea's central and local governments, along with livestock farmers nationwide, are making concerted efforts to curb the spread of lumpy skin disease, a highly contagious viral infection impacting cattle. South Korea's agriculture ministry has confirmed a total of 29 cases of the disease as of 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday since the first case was reported last Friday. In an attempt to contain the outbreak, around 1,000 cattle from farms where lumpy skin disease-infected cattle were bred have bee

Social Affairs Oct. 25, 2023

Nearly 4 out of 10 young unemployed Koreans have been jobless for the last three years, highlighting an emerging issue in Korean society: a growing number of young people are giving up on job searching. According to data Statistics Korea released Sunday, 218,000 Koreans aged from 15 to 29 had not been employed for more than three years as of May 2023. Among them, 80,000 were those who spent time mostly at home without seeking employment or training and education for hiring opportunities, the age

Social Affairs Oct. 23, 2023

Protestors calling for the freedom of Palestine held rally in Seoul, Friday, urging Israel to stop bombing the Gaza strip and free the region. Progressive civic group Workers’ Solidarity and local Muslim group Kore de Islam denounced the Israeli attack on Gaza Strip. About 700 Civic group members, Palestinians and other supporters gathered around Itaewon Mosque and marched to Itaewon Station, chanting slogans "No to ground invasion," "Stop Israel bombing of Gaza," and &

Social Affairs Oct. 20, 2023

An offline pitching contest for Southeast Asian startups, organized by the ASEAN-Korea Center to bolster early-stage startups in the region, came to an end Friday. Startups from Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore and Vietnam were recognized as winners. Thirty startups from a variety of sectors including artificial intelligence, e-commerce platforms, fintech, education and tourism were nominated by the 10 embassies from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Korea and the ASEAN Coordinating Commi

Social Affairs Oct. 20, 2023

Save the Children, an international children's rights non-governmental organization, launched a campaign urging South Korean politicians to require the birth registration of babies born to foreign nationals here. The campaign, titled “Here I Am: The Right to Be Registered, The Right to Exist,” is designed to raise awareness on the current status of foreign children who have not been formally registered in South Korea and the problems they face, according to the organization. Sin

Social Affairs Oct. 19, 2023

A debate about the legality of disclosing the names of victims who perished in a crowd crush in Itaewon, a commercial district in central Seoul, has persisted for a year following the tragic incident, with authorities yet to reach a conclusion. The Personal Information Protection Commission has been looking into complaints that two online news outlets breached the law on personal information protection by disclosing the list of victims. On Nov. 14 last year, the progressive news sites Mindlenews

Social Affairs Oct. 18, 2023

Supporters of Israel took to the streets in Seoul on Tuesday, urging Hamas militants to stop their killing of civilians, as war continues to escalate between the two sides. The Solidarity with Israel rally, hosted by the Korea-Israel Friendship Association and the Israel Forum civic groups, took place near the Gwanghwamun Station, in central Seoul, following two pro-Palestinian rallies last week. The rally was attended by Israeli Ambassador to Korea Akiva Tor, Korea-Israel Friendship Association

Social Affairs Oct. 17, 2023

The possibility of a strike became reality, as a majority of Seoul Metro union members voted for a strike plan to counter staff cuts, the collective negotiation team announced Monday. As Seoul Metro operates Seoul Subway Line Nos. 1 to 8 and a portion of Line No. 9, tensions are rising over the possible inconvenience to commuters. The collective negotiation team -- comprising representatives of the Korean Public Service and Transport Workers’ Union under the Korean Confederation of Trade U

Social Affairs Oct. 16, 2023