Saemangeum is a reclaimed tidal flat area of Buan, North Jeolla Province, which was dammed by the government’s Saemangeum Seawall Project in 2006. The area was first introduced as a potential location to host the event in 2015 when the Korea Scout Association chose Saemangeum over Goseong, Gangwon Province, in its bid to host the 2023 World Scout Jamboree. In 2015, the Park Geun-hye administration pushed for Korea’s victory in the bid, saying that the government will provide the su

Social Affairs Aug. 7, 2023

All 36,000 scouts remaining at the World Scout Jamboree site in the Saemangeum reclaimed tidal flat area of Buan, North Jeolla Province will be withdrawing from the campsite starting on Tuesday morning as precautionary measure for a strong typhoon approaching the peninsula, the government said Monday. The participants will start withdrawing sequentially from 10 a.m. on Tuesday and move to the metropolitan area, as Typhoon Khanun is likely to hit the east coast of South Korea on Thursday. "A

Politics Aug. 7, 2023

Amid the consecutive withdrawals of several countries' delegations, the Jamboree Organizing Committee and the Korean government said they were urgently seeking to salvage the ongoing World Scout Jamboree, which has been plagued by weather-related safety and health issues, hygiene woes and the spread of COVID-19. A day after deciding to continue the 12-day event, the government said it mobilized all necessary forces to provide a better environment for participants still facing the scorching

Social Affairs Aug. 6, 2023

Three Korean nationals in West Africa's Niger, which was hit by a military-led coup d'etat on July 26, have safely departed from the country, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday. The three left Niger on a flight provided by the French government and arrived in Paris at around 1:45 a.m. there. Eleven other Korean nationals are to remain in Niger, and have not expressed the will to leave the country. On Wednesday, Foreign Minister Park Jin held a joint videoconferenc

Social Affairs Aug. 3, 2023

A US soldier and two women were detained for allegedly distributing and taking synthetic cannabinoids, according to local reports Thursday quoting police. According to the Pyeongtaek Police Station, a Korean national is accused of taking and bringing synthetic cannabinoids into Korea via the military postal service through her boyfriend, who is a US soldier stationed at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province. She is also accused of finding potential buyers and distributing the drugs wit

Social Affairs Aug. 3, 2023

The number of civil service workers who resigned from their positions after less than a year on the job has doubled over the last two years. According to data released by Rep. Lim Ho-seon of the Democratic Party of Korea, up to 3,064 civil servants voluntarily resigned after being on the job for less than a year in 2022, double the 1,583 who voluntarily resigned in 2020. The number of those who resigned after two years on the job also doubled over the last three years. In 2022, 6,136 civil serva

Social Affairs Aug. 2, 2023

Typhoon Khanun’s predicted path has changed, such that it could land in South Korea, according to the Korea Meteorological Association on Tuesday. As of 9 a.m. on Tuesday, the typhoon was heading in a west-northwest direction 260 kilometers southeast of Okinawa, Japan. Typhoon Khanun is expected to continue its west-northwest trajectory to Okinawa before stalling for around five to six days in the East China Sea near Shanghai on Thursday. The typhoon’s intensity is expected to stagna

Social Affairs Aug. 1, 2023

Four subway stations in Seoul will test out a tagless fare payment system operating with a mobile app in October and November, said Seoul Metro on Monday. The tagless fare payment system will allow each passenger to pass through an entry turnstile without having to tap the card reader with their transportation card. Seoul Metro will install the tagless fare payment system on 10 gates in four different subway stations -- Yongdap Station on Line 2, Oksu Station on Line 3, and Dongjak Station and S

Social Affairs July 31, 2023

More than half of Korean underage girls and women between the ages 19 to 39 that engaged in sexual intercourse in the past year used some form of contraception, while fewer women in higher age groups did so, a study showed Monday. According to the report “Status of Female Contraceptive Practices” released by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, 54.6 percent of underage girls and 52.2 percent of women aged 19 to 39 replied that they “always use contraception during

Social Affairs July 31, 2023

President Yoon Suk Yeol nominated Lee Dong-kwan, his special adviser for external relations, as the next head of the Korea Communications Commission on Friday. “Lee is well-qualified for the position as he has served as spokesperson and senior secretary for public relations to the presidential office,” said Kim Dae-ki, presidential chief of staff, during a briefing at the presidential office. “Based on his experience in the media and in various areas of human relations, as well

Social Affairs July 28, 2023

Dr. Oh Eun-young has risen to prominence as a South Korean TV personality in recent years thanks to her medical assessments and advice on parenting and mental health, captivating audiences still concerned about seeking psychiatric help due to the social stigma surrounding such treatments. The star psychiatrist, however, has recently found herself at the center of controversy, with some internet users and teachers blaming her that teachers are becoming more powerless because of Oh's parentin

Social Affairs July 28, 2023

A man died after being struck by a Gyeongbu Line KTX train Wednesday morning after he illegally entered railway tracks near Gasan Digital Complex Station in Geumcheon-gu, western Seoul. According to police and railway officials, the man entered the KTX railway tracks near the subway station at 5:30 a.m. and was hit by a KTX train heading to Busan. Due to this incident, subway trains on Line No. 1, KTX and other passenger trains that pass through the station were delayed as services were redirect

Social Affairs July 26, 2023

When British veteran Colin Thackery first heard Korean military men singing Arirang on the battlefield during the 1950-53 Korean War, he could not have known what the song was about and that he himself would be belting it out 70 years later in the country he had fought for. “When we first heard Arirang, we didn't know what it was. We thought it was a lullaby or a national anthem because we heard it so often. But it’s very familiar to everybody now. It has such a pretty tune,&rdq

Defense July 25, 2023

Despite masks no longer being required for about six months, some young Koreans have refused to give them up, not only to stay healthy and protect themselves from potential viruses, but for personal reasons as well. Min Kyeong-chae, a 13-year-old student, told The Korea Herald that she feels reluctant to take her mask off because of her insecurities. “My face breaks out very easily, which is something that I feel the most insecure about,” said Min. “I think I look prettier with

Social Affairs July 24, 2023

South Korea plans to loosen COVID-19 restrictions and lower its infectious disease rating as early as the beginning of August, said the Ministry of Health and Welfare and Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on Sunday. The government also plans to completely implement its “second phase of daily recovery measures” in August. Its first phase and a part of its second phase have been implemented since June 1. Under the second phase, the official infectious disease rating for COVID

Social Affairs July 23, 2023