Torrential rain, accompanied by lightning and thunder, battered the country Sunday, with at least one person dead, several roads closed, trains halted and houses flooded.Seoul, Incheon and cities in Gyeonggi Province were the hardest hit, with more than 100 millimeters of rain pouring down till Sunday afternoon, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration. A 96-year-old man died at his home when it was flooded in Incheon at around 10 a.m. He was found floating on the water inside the ho

Social Affairs July 23, 2017

GANGNEUNG/SOKCHO, Gangwon Province -- Just a two-hour drive from the sleepless metropolis that is Seoul, South Korea’s eastern coast feels like a different world: white sandy beaches, laid-back shore towns and surfers paddling in the sea.No wonder beaches along the East Sea are popular holiday destinations for locals seeking to escape the city. Songjiho Beach, located in Goseong County, Gangwon Province, some 200 kilometers east of Seoul.“We often come to the beaches off the East Sea as the wate

Travel July 21, 2017

Beaches along the East Sea draw vacationers for their soft sand and clear water. Below are The Korea Herald’s top four picks to check out this summer. 　Gyeongpo Beach, the biggest on East SeaThe Gyeongpo Beach located between the East Sea and Gyongpo Lake in South KoreaWith a sand beach stretching some 6 kilometers, Gyeongpo Beach is a sand bank located between the East Sea and Gyeongpo Lake. It is the biggest beach along the east coast, attracting an average 6.5 million people each summer.　Loca

Travel July 21, 2017

Former President Park Geun-hye, who is on trial for a string of corruption charges, refused to take the witness stand Wednesday at the trial of Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong.It was the third time that she was asked to attend Lee’s trial by Special Counsel Park Young-soo who looked into a massive corruption scandal that led to Park’s removal from office and arrest.  (Yonhap)The Samsung heir is accused of bribing Park and her friend Choi Soon-sil, also on trial, in exchange for th

Social Affairs July 19, 2017

Skilled foreign workers in the fields of manufacturing, fishing and agriculture may apply for a new visa scheme to extend their stay here, the government said Wednesday. As part of efforts to secure experienced workers in the sectors facing chronic labor shortages, the Justice Ministry has created the E-7-4 visa for those with proven skills. “The ministry believes that the system will greatly contribute to stable supply of skilled laborers for employers facing labor shortages,” an official from

Social Affairs July 19, 2017

Deen Islum, a 34-year-old worker from Bangladesh, now expects his life here to improve, as South Korea’s minimum wage is set to increase by 16.4 percent next year. “I think the minimum wage hike would be good for me. When I asked my boss to raise the wage, the boss has refused it,” Islum told The Korea Herald. “The legal minimum wage hike will allow me to take home more money.”Islum said that he does a very “difficult” job at a stone processing factory, spending some 11 hours a day at work and t

Social Affairs July 18, 2017

South Korea's minimum wage for next year was set at 7,530 won ($6.64) per hour, up 16.4 percent from this year, officials said Saturday. The decision came after last-minute negotiations among representatives from labor and management before a deadline. This year's minimum wage, mainly used for part-time workers, was 6,470 won per hour, up 7 percent from a year ago. (Yonhap)The minimum wage level is the lowest possible pay a local worker is lawfully entitled to receive.A trilateral council of rep

Social Affairs July 15, 2017

Tens of thousands of people marched through central Seoul on Saturday to stand up for equality for sexual minorities in South Korea’s biggest pride parade, despite vocal opposition from anti-gay protesters.　Despite sporadic rain, 85,000 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and their supporters gathered at Seoul Plaza, rally organizers said. It was the largest crowd that the pro-gay event, held as part of the Korea Queer Culture Festival, has attracted since the inaugural event in 2000.

Social Affairs July 15, 2017

A queer festival advocating equality for sexual minorities will open on July 14 in central Seoul, with a large-scale parade planned for July 15.Under the slogan of “There is not later, we change it now!” the 18th annual Queer Culture Festival, which consists of a pride parade, main party and film festival, will run from July 14-23. The opening event will take place at Seoul Plaza from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Friday, with several bands to give musical performances onstage.On Saturday, a total o

Social Affairs July 7, 2017

The South Korean part of the annual youth network workshop organized by the ASEAN-Korea Centre ended Friday, with a closing ceremony attended by some 80 students from Korea, China, Japan and ASEAN countries. 　The second part of the 2017 ASEAN-Korea Youth Network Workshop will continue in Malaysia from Saturday to Wednesday. 　Under the theme of “Promoting Clean and Green Environment through the Establishment of Environmentally Sustainable Cities,” the students took part in lectures, field trips a

Diplomatic Circuit July 7, 2017

The government’s announcement to implement a “blind” recruitment system for all public jobs to ensure fair competition in the hiring process drew mixed reactions from job seekers, triggering controversy over reverse discrimination.Under a plan unveiled Wednesday, all state-run organizations will be banned from asking job candidates to reveal their academic and family backgrounds, personal details and physical attributes in order to ensure a level playing field. (123rf)While some job seekers hail

Social Affairs July 7, 2017

An illegal migrant worker who was hailed as a hero for rescuing a stranger from a house fire now fears being kicked out of the country, the Sri Lankan man told The Korea Herald. Nimal Siri Vandara, 38, lost his job and source of income, which was a lifeline for his family back home, after rescuing a 90-year-old woman from a fire in Gunwi-gun, North Gyeongsang Province, in February. He suffered burns and smoke inhalation injuries, which require continued medical treatment. He will also have to le

Social Affairs July 6, 2017

First lady Kim Jung-sook visited the gravesite of Korean-German composer Isang Yun in Berlin on Wednesday, local time, in symbolic recognition of the musician who still remains controversial in South Korea for “pro-North Korean activities.” Kim paid her respects to Yun (1917-1995), who led a life as an internationally acclaimed musician in the European country and was never allowed to visit his home country, as he was convicted of espionage.  First lady Kim Jung-sook (center) pays silent tribute

Social Affairs July 6, 2017

The government on Wednesday introduced plans to implement a “blind” recruitment system in the public sector and expand it into private firms to ensure fair competition in the hiring process.　Starting this month, state-run agencies will be banned from asking job candidates to reveal personal details such as names of the schools they attended, birthplace, family relations and physical attributes in the job application process. Attaching photos to application forms will also be prohibited. 　“The hi

Social Affairs July 5, 2017

President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday nominated an incumbent prosecutor as the country’s top prosecutor, completing the lineup to push for making the prosecution more transparent and politically neutral. Prosecutir-General nominee Moon Moo-il (Yonhap)Moon Moo-il, the incumbent head of the Busan High Prosecutors’ Office, has been designated for the prosecutor-general post, which has been left vacant for nearly two months, to lead the reform of the prosecution as well as stabilize the law enforcement b

Social Affairs July 4, 2017