Only 3 in 10 families with children under the age 14 have both parents working in South Korea, markedly lower than the average for Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development member economies, the government said in a report Monday. According to the report by the Ministry of Employment and Labor, 29.4 percent of Korean families with children aged 14 or younger were dual-income households, far less than the OECD average of 58.5 percent. The largest number of Korean households with child

Social Affairs July 4, 2017

North Korea on Sunday condemned the South for what it called Seoul's "submission to the U.S.," as leaders of the two countries joined their voices last week in urging Pyongyang to give up its nuclear ambition. Kim Jong-un (Yonhap)The Rodong Sinmun, the North's main newspaper, published a commentary that assessed Seoul's senior officials as having "revealed their miserable appearance seized with sycophancy and submission to the U.S. occasioned by the chief executive's first junket to the U.S.," r

North Korea July 2, 2017

A 10-day annual youth network workshop organized by the ASEAN-Korea Centre kicks off Monday in Incheon to forge strong networks among Asian students in achieving a sustainable and clean environment in the region.　Under the theme of “Promoting Clean and Green Environment through the Establishment of Environmentally Sustainable Cities,” students will participate in various lectures, field trips and cultural activities for the 2017 ASEAN-Korea Youth Network Workshop to be held in Korea from July 3-

Diplomatic Circuit July 2, 2017

A two-hour drive from Seoul and a long ascent up a steep mountain -- it is only a small price to pay to watch endangered Korean gorals roaming through the lush green grass. At the site stretching about 200,000 square meters located in Yanggu-gun, Gangwon Province, the Association of Korean Goral Conservation is trying to restore Korean gorals -- a goat-like animal native to Korea. There, the association is currently raising 26 gorals -- designated as a natural monument No. 217 and grade I endang

Social Affairs June 30, 2017

South Korea’s second-largest umbrella labor union is set to go on a general strike nationwide Friday, calling for a minimum wage raise and better conditions for irregular workers. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, which encompasses some 734,000 workers across industries and regions, will hold rallies nationwide, with the main event in Seoul scheduled to start at 3 p.m. at Gwanghwamun Square. About 40,000 unionists are expected to join, the KCTU said.  (Yonhap)Some workers were already on

Social Affairs June 29, 2017

A ruling party lawmaker on Thursday proposed a bill that would ban the physical detention of foreign nationals under the age of 18 awaiting deportation. As of 2016, nearly 200 foreigners under 18 -- whose parents are mostly unregistered migrant workers -- are being held at detention facilities, which human rights activists describe as “prison-like.” Drafted by Rep. Keum Tae-sup of the Democratic Party of Korea, the bill intends to revise the Immigration Control Act to end such practices. Twelve

Social Affairs June 29, 2017

Eating a tasty meal with chana dal or doenjang washed down with a gin daisy could well foster a nice feeling of  hygge. Just hope you don't find any zyzzyva on your plate.If you need to look up any of those words, the unofficial custodian of the  English language now has the answers. (123rf)In its latest update, the Oxford English Dictionary identified more than  600 words, phrases and senses that have entered common parlance.They include "zyzzyva", a genus of tropical weevils native to South Am

World News June 27, 2017

MUJU -- South Korean Lee Dae-hoon captured gold at the ongoing taekwondo world championships at home on Tuesday.Lee easily defeated Huang Yu-Jen of Chinese Taipei 26-8 to claim the men's under-68kg title at the World Taekwondo Federation World Taekwondo Championships at Taekwondowon's T1 Arena in Muju, some 240 kilometers south of Seoul.Lee now has three gold medals at the world championships. He previously won world titles in 2011 and 2013 in the under-63kg category. Lee Dae-hoon of South Korea

More Sports June 27, 2017

South Korean minor leaguer Hwang Jae-gyun said Tuesday he will opt out of his contract with the San Francisco Giants if he doesn't make the big league club by the weekend.Hwang said in an interview carried on a South Korean portal site that he'll exercise his contractual right to opt out of his deal if he isn't called up by the Giants by July 1. He will then become a free agent, in which case he can either try to land with another major league club or return to the Korea Baseball Organization, w

Baseball June 27, 2017

In South Korea, 49.9 percent of the population of 51.4 million is female, standing at 25.6 million as of 2017. Among those aged 60 or over, women outnumber men. The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family released annual statistics Tuesday that give a glimpse into Korean women’s changing lives and perceptions, as well as the existing gender-based disparity in terms of income and social status. 　According to data mainly based on figures from 2016, women on average live longer than men. They are mo

Social Affairs June 27, 2017

The government said Monday that it will issue vouchers for housekeeping services to working parents starting in 2019, as part of efforts to ease the burden of child-rearing and housework. The Ministry of Employment and Labor on Monday released a public notice for the new legislation, which envisions the voucher system along with measures to better protect housekeepers and improve housekeeping services.  (Yonhap)The ministry said it plans to encourage companies to adopt the voucher system for the

Social Affairs June 26, 2017