On Saturday afternoon, thousands of South Koreans took to the streets to protest against the deployment of a US anti-missile system here, struggling to penetrate thick lines of police and besiege the US Embassy in downtown Seoul. An estimated 3,000 people chanted in unison “Retract the deployment of THAAD” and “THAAD out. Peace in.” Some were carrying placards reading “Koreans Hate THAAD” or “No THAAD, No Trump.” They were accusing Washington of “forcing” Seoul to station a Terminal High Altitud

Social Affairs June 25, 2017

In 2010, Surafel Assefa Hailesilassie, a young TV producer in Ethiopia, witnessed election observers rigging ballots in favor of the ruling party during a parliamentary vote in the nation’s capital Addis Ababa. “The cameraman who was with me filmed the scenes and I interviewed six people exposing the election fraud,” Hailesilassie, now living in South Korea as a refugee, told The Korea Herald.  Just two years into his career, Hailesilassie was a fierce journalist, believing in his role as “the e

Social Affairs June 23, 2017

A global gay rights organization has launched an online petition campaign to call for an end to an alleged crackdown on gay soldiers in South Korea. “Authorities can scrap the ‘anti-gay hunt’ provision from South Korea’s military criminal code. But they won’t do it unless they see a massive global outcry,” the group, All Out, said on its campaign page. “Sign the petition and help stop the anti-gay hunt in South Korea.”Having opened Tuesday, the petition had collected over 23,000 signatures by Th

Social Affairs June 22, 2017

Hundreds of people, many with their eyes fixed on books, hurriedly walked past the main gate of Yeonsei University in Seoul on Wednesday morning to take the “exam of destiny” -- the nation’s very last state bar exam.If their efforts pay off, spanning several years, they will advance to the final round of the three-stage exam -- an interview -- to become a legal professional in the country. Only 50 people will pass this round. Following the exam, which will continue until Saturday, there will be

Social Affairs June 21, 2017

A South Korean court again on Tuesday rejected an arrest warrant for the daughter of Choi Soon-sil, who is at the center of the corruption scandal that led to former President Park Geun-hye’s downfall. "It is hard to acknowledge the reason, necessity and appropriateness for her arrest at the current stage (of the investigation),” the Seoul Central District Court said, citing a lack of evidence.Chung Yoo-ra (Yonhap)It was a second attempt by the prosecution to arrest her. The same court rejected

Social Affairs June 20, 2017

One in 9 female migrant workers in the manufacturing sector in South Korea experience sexual abuse, a report showed Tuesday. According to a survey by the National Human Rights Commission of Korea on 385 female migrants, 11.7 percent of the women said they had been sexually harassed or assaulted by their coworkers or managers while working in Korea. In the poll, which allowed multiple responses, they said they had been exposed to vulgar jokes, forced to pour drinks for coworkers at office meals,

Social Affairs June 20, 2017

A migrant woman whose marriage ended in divorce due to spousal abuse is still eligible for Korean nationality, a court said Monday. The Seoul Administrative Court ruled in favor of a Chinese woman who asked the court to cancel the Justice Ministry’s decision not to allow her to become a naturalized Korean citizen. The ruling came after the Justice Ministry disapproved the 47-year-old woman’s application for Korean citizenship last October, citing that she was responsible for the divorce.(123RF)A

Social Affairs June 19, 2017

In South Korea, revealing that you are a vegetarian would often be met with blank looks, as the country is not exactly veggie-friendly -- at least until recently. 　There are signs that Koreans are beginning to take vegetarianism more seriously, as they are increasingly exposed to reports of the destructive impact that meat consumption can have on their health, on animals and on the planet. 　“When I was young, I wondered why human beings destroy the environment when trees, mountains and other ani

Social Affairs June 16, 2017

The nominee for South Korea’s justice minister on Friday apologized for a string of allegations but said he would not withdraw his nomination. “If given a chance, I will achieve the public’s aspirations -- overhaul of the prosecution and freeing the Justice Ministry from the prosecution,” Ahn Kyong-whan said, making clear his intension to go through a parliamentary confirmation hearing.  Ahn Kyong-whan (Yonhap)Speaking at a press briefing, which he had asked for, Ahn sought to explain and defend

Social Affairs June 16, 2017

Talks to set next year’s minimum wage for workers in South Korea began Thursday, with a tough road ahead amid fierce clashes between workers and employers.It was the first meeting of the Minimum Wage Commission to adjust the lower limit of wages, currently at 6,470 won ($5.75) per hour, after President Moon Jae-in was sworn in with a promise to raise it to 10,000 won by 2020. The commission comprises of 27 representatives of businesses, workers and the government.(123RF)Workers walked out of the

Social Affairs June 15, 2017

When President Moon Jae-in picked Ahn Kyong-whan as justice minister, his apparent lack of ties to established powers and ample experience of advocating human rights made him look like a good fit to reform the country’s law enforcement system. The choice was seen as a reflection of Moon’s determination to overhaul the powerful law enforcement body, which has been criticized for holding too much power with its exclusive rights to indict. But the former head of the nation’s human rights watchdog h

Social Affairs June 14, 2017

Chung Hyun-back, the nominee for gender equality minister, is a history professor and women’s rights activist who has devoted her career to tackling gender inequality and labor disparity. Chung, 64, served as a co-head of the People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, a liberal civic group, from 2010-2016. She also headed the Korean Women’s Association United from 2002-2007.Chung Hyun-back, the nominee for gender equality ministerCheong Wa Dae expressed hopes for the nominee to take a lead

Social Affairs June 13, 2017

The number of reported sex crimes in 2015 has more than doubled over the past decade, according to a new governmental report, triggering calls for enhanced measures to prevent them. While other felonies -- arson, robbery and murder -- saw a decline during the period, sex crimes soared by 117.6 percent from 14,277 in 2006 to 31,063 in 2015, according to the 2016 White Paper on Crime published by Institute of Justice. 　 The total number of offenses increased by 10.5 percent from 1,829,211 in 2006

Social Affairs June 13, 2017

The justice minister nominee on Monday signaled bold steps to reform law enforcement. “There is now a social consensus that the Justice Ministry doesn’t have to be filled by excellent prosecutors,” Ahn Kyong-whan told reporters near his residence in southern Seoul. Ahn Kyong-whan, the justice minister nominee (Yonhap)A former head of the nation’s human rights watchdog with no ties to the established powers, Ahn has been nominated by President Moon Jae-in with a mission to reform the prosecution.

Social Affairs June 12, 2017

A Korean-American was picked by the US space agency as a new astronaut, the US Embassy in Seoul announced Monday. Jonny Kim was one of 12 new astronaut candidates chosen from among 18,000 applicants for the class of 2017 by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, it said.Jonny Kim (US Embassy in Korea)Kim trained as a Navy SEAL and earned a medical degree from Harvard Medical School. NASA introduced its new astronaut candidates Wednesday at Johnson Space Center in Houston, the US. The

Social Affairs June 12, 2017