Samsung General Labor Union plans to launch a 17-day tour through Europe in December as part of its campaign to condemn what they see as Samsung Group’s crackdown on labor unions. Kim Seong-hwan, head of Samsung General Labor Union, said in a press briefing Wednesday that the Euro tour aims to raise awareness around the world of Samsung Group’s unethical business practices, anti-union policy and human rights violation. 　　The legally unauthorized union, along with volunteers, plan to stage rallie

Social Affairs Sept. 28, 2016

Local toothpastes and personal care products were found to contain a toxic chemical substance also used in deadly humidifier disinfectants, albeit in small amounts, an opposition lawmaker said Tuesday. After a two-week investigation of various products, Rep. Lee Jeong-mi of the minor Justice Party found that some 3,000 tons of Chloromethyl-methylisothiazolone, a synthetic biocide and preservative commonly referred to as CMIT/MIT, were distributed to 30 local and foreign manufacturers through Miw

Social Affairs Sept. 27, 2016

Controversy escalated Monday over the call by the police for an autopsy on the body of farmer Baek Nam-gi, who died after being struck by a police water cannon during an anti-government protest last year. 　Baek, a 69-year-old farmer, died at 1:58 p.m. on Sunday at Seoul National University Hospital, 317 days after he fell into a coma due to a water cannon blast that directly hit his head during the Nov. 14 rally. Baek was at the rally to protest against the government’s decision to liberalize im

Social Affairs Sept. 26, 2016

For 25-year-old student Chung Yu-jin, it has become routine to head to a cafe every morning to search for job openings and squeeze her life story into the limited space on application forms in the hope that she can finally land a job. At a glance, her job prospects look bright. Besides a degree in business administration from a prestigious university in Seoul, she has a near perfect English score and Chinese language skills, as well as various overseas internship experiences. (Bloomberg)“I could

Social Affairs Sept. 23, 2016

The South Korean appeals court Friday ruled in favor of leprosy patients who were allegedly forced by the government to undergo sterilizations and abortions, upholding a lower court’s decision.The Seoul High Court admitted to the government’s responsibility in implementing childbirth policies in violation of leprosy patients’ human dignity and values, ordering it to offer 20 million won ($18,144) in financial compensation to 139 victims. “It seems that female patients have felt a sense of loss a

Social Affairs Sept. 23, 2016

The government said Thursday it has designated quake-stricken Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, as a special disaster zone, in the aftermath of the country’s strongest recorded quake that hit the historic city last week. 　Gyeongju is set to be granted emergency relief and the financial support needed to restore the area. Its residents will receive tax benefits and cuts in utility bills, as well as counselling services to help them overcome post-traumatic stress disorder.　 Members of a civic e

Social Affairs Sept. 22, 2016

Aftershocks following the strongest recorded quake on Sept. 12 will continue to take place in the Korean Peninsula for months to come, though there will be no more quakes stronger than 5.8 magnitude tremors, the Korea Meteorological Administration said Thursday.The KMA said that it decided to install additional seismic monitors nationwide to detect earthquakes within 7 seconds of a disaster striking the county. “It is very unlikely that a quake stronger than the magnitude 6.5 will hit the nation

Social Affairs Sept. 22, 2016

The government and ruling Saenuri Party decided Wednesday to designate quake-stricken Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, a special disaster zone as the historic city suffered from the country’s strongest quake on record last week and more than 400 weaker aftershocks since. The decision came as South Korea’s presidential office, the prime minister, and ruling Saenuri Party held high-level talks Wednesday to discuss measures to deal with the string of quakes that have rattled the southeastern pa

Social Affairs Sept. 21, 2016

A magnitude 4.5 earthquake struck near the historic city of Gyeongju in the nation’s southeastern region Monday night, a week after two strong earthquakes jolted the same city. The Korea Meteorological Administration said that the quake hit a depth of 14 kilometers at 8:33 p.m., with the epicenter located some 11 kilometers south of Gyeongju in what is believed to be the biggest aftershock. Seismic monitors recorded more than 400 aftershocks as of Tuesday morning since the quake -- the largest e

Social Affairs Sept. 20, 2016

South Korea has the fourth highest number of students pursuing studies abroad in the world, with the most favored destination being the United States, recent data showed. According to statistics from UNESCO on the mobility of students in 2014, the number of Korean students studying abroad was 116,942. Among South Korean students, the most popular destination was the United States, with 64,693 students, or more than half of the total, choosing to study in the country. Japan was the second most fa

Social Affairs Sept. 18, 2016

The number of serious crimes such as murder and robbery has decreased, but sex crimes against women surged over the past decade, with the arrest rate having declined, a study showed Sunday. According to the Korean Institute of Criminology, the total number of crimes stood at 1.93 million in 2014, which marks 3,767 offenses per 100,000 in the country with a 50 million population. The number of criminal offenses has remained at around 1.9 million since 2010 after it reached a peak of 2.16 million

Social Affairs Sept. 18, 2016

At a parliamentary hearing Monday, rival parties clashed over the legitimacy of the use of force by police during an anti-government rally last year that left 69-year-old farmer Baek Nam-gi unconscious.  The opposition The Minjoo Party of Korea and People’s Party lashed out at the police for using force to crack down on rallies and failing to apologize over the protestor’s collapse. The ruling Saenuri Party called it a regrettable accident that occurred as police were carrying out their duties.

Social Affairs Sept. 12, 2016