Over the past 70 years, Suwon has transformed itself from a small town with about 70,000 inhabitants into a thriving provincial capital with a population of about 1.25 million.It is not only the capital of South Korea’s most populous province, Gyeonggi, but its largest metropolis too. Now Suwon is embarking on another transformation by seeking greater autonomy through designation as a city with special status. Suwon Mayor Yeom Tae-young, who was elected in 2010, said Suwon would become a global

Social Affairs March 5, 2019

It has been nearly year since Kim Na-yoon, 16, came forward with a revelation of sexual harassment by male students against the backdrop of the nationwide #MeToo movement. But there has been little change at schools, she says. “In society as a whole, there is a wave of changes, but they are being denied,” she said.In her final year at a middle school in Busan, she found out that her male friends had long made sexual jokes about her behind her back. She was terrified of going to school to face th

Social Affairs March 4, 2019

Some 2 kilometers away from where a protest for liberation from Japan began at a park 100 years ago, thousands of South Koreans poured into the streets of central Seoul on Friday to mark the March 1 Independence Movement. Participants wave Korean national flags in a ceremony to mark the March 1 Independence Movement at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, Friday. (Yonhap)Turning central Seoul into a sea of national flags, nearly 10,000 citizens came together to remind themselves of March 1, 1919

Social Affairs March 1, 2019

A manual for handling sexual violence in school settings has been distributed across the country as part of efforts to prevent incidents and improve schools’ response, encouraging greater sensitivity toward victims, education authorities said Wednesday. 　The distribution of the manual, the first of its kind here, follows a series of revelations by victims of sexual violence at schools in line with the ongoing #MeToo movement nationwide. 　The manual outlines a five-point response to sexual harass

Social Affairs Feb. 28, 2019

The South Korean government’s first artificial rain experiment this year over the West Sea failed to remove toxic dust particles in the air because it barely induced precipitation, environment authorities said Wednesday.(The Korea Meteorological Administration)Announcing the results of the experiment in detail, the Ministry of Environment and the Korea Meteorological Administration said a process called cloud seeding -- in which chemicals such as silver iodide are injected into clouds to increas

Social Affairs Feb. 27, 2019

A festival advocating equality for sexual minorities will open at the end of May and run for two weeks in central Seoul, with the main event parade planned for June 1, organizers said Tuesday. Under the slogan “The 20th Fight for Rights,” the 20th annual Queer Culture Festival, including a pride parade, film festival and lectures, will run for about two weeks from the end of May to early June, with exact dates to be confirmed later.  (Seoul Queer Culture Festival Organizing Committee)The committ

Social Affairs Feb. 26, 2019

An Angolan family had been stranded for 60 days in Incheon Airport’s transit zone as of Monday, and that stay at the airport is likely to be protracted as late as May, prompting human rights activists  to call for action. (Yonhap) Nkuka Lulendo, his wife and four children aged under 10 arrived to South Korea on a tourist visa on Dec. 28. They have been staying at the transit zone, fighting the immigration o

Social Affairs Feb. 25, 2019

Police said Sunday they plan to conduct an intensive crackdown on drug-related crimes over the next three months amid escalating allegations involving drug use and sexual abuse at Gangnam-based nightclub Burning Sun.  (Yonhap)The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency will clamp down on drug-related crimes from Feb. 25 to May 24 to root out sexual abuse linked to the use of drugs and cozy ties between nightclubs and some police officers.A total of 1,063 officers specializing in investigating drug-rela

Social Affairs Feb. 24, 2019

More air purifiers will be installed in classrooms across South Korea, the Education Ministry said Sunday, as concerns are growing over children’s health amid toxic levels of dust particles. (Yonhap)The plans were laid out at a meeting among some 17 officials from 17 regional education offices to boost students’ safety at schools. This year, 58.2 percent of the classrooms in the country have air purifiers installed, up from 29.1 percent last year, according to government data. Some 88.3 percent

Social Affairs Feb. 24, 2019

A video clip showing a woman who appears to be Cho Hyun-ah, formerly Korean Air vice president, shouting at her husband, and photos showing his injuries were revealed late Wednesday.  (Yonhap)In the video, the woman shouts “Die! Die!” at her husband, surnamed Park, who filed for divorce last year citing physical and verbal abuse against him and their twin sons. Photos released along with the video show injuries to the man’s neck -- apparently strangle marks.The photos and video footage, which ai

Social Affairs Feb. 21, 2019

The number of foreign residents in Korea continues to grow and now accounts for some 3.6 percent of the country‘s population. This is part of a series that examines how Korea is grappling with the issue of multiculturalism, as well as the challenges facing new arrivals. -- Ed.Yemeni asylum seekers learn about Korea’s language and culture in Itaewon, central Seoul, at the Union of Yemen Community in Korea. (Union of Yemen Community in Korea)When hundreds of Yemenis fleeing war and the humanitaria

Social Affairs Feb. 17, 2019

(Yonhap)Q. ‘Fine dust’ vs. ‘ultrafine dust’?A particle of “ultrafine dust,” or particulate matter 2.5 is smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter. The width of PM2.5 is about 30 times less than that of a human hair. “Fine dust,” or PM10, is particulate matter 10 micrometers or smaller in diameter. In South Korea, the average level of PM2.5 was 25.1 micrograms per cubic meter in 2017, the worst among 35 member states of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The OECD average

Social Affairs Feb. 14, 2019

South Korea’s Special Act on the Reduction and Management of Fine Dust went into effect across the country Friday to tackle fine dust pollution amid growing concerns over public health.　This comes as Korea grapples with massive air pollution; it ranked bottom in air quality among 35 member states of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. 　The government is working on a range of measures -- including artificial rain -- which center on cutting emissions produced domestically an

Social Affairs Feb. 14, 2019

A long-delayed commencement ceremony was held Tuesday for 250 Danwon High School students who died in the Sewol ferry disaster on April 16, 2014. (Yonhap)The students were on a school trip to Jeju Island when the ferry carrying 476 passengers sank off the southwestern coast near Jindo, killing 304 aboard. Only 75 students survived, and they graduated in 2016. The victims’ families had asked the school to postpone the honorary commencement ceremony until all the bodies of the victims had been rec

Social Affairs Feb. 12, 2019

The prosecution indicted Yang Sung-tae, former Supreme Court chief justice, Monday on charges he abused his power to influence politically significant trials and disadvantage justices critical of him.　Ending an eight-month investigation, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office filed 47 charges against Yang, including abuse of power and dereliction of duty for approving or orchestrating the use of trials in backdoor deals with the previous Park Geun-hye administration. 　In a dramatic fall

Politics Feb. 11, 2019