The Seoul metropolitan government’s Hangang Project Headquarters said Thursday that it would help fandoms, organizations and citizens create forests named after celebrities in the Han River Park. Starting this spring, the headquarters plan to build a 10,000 square meter forest dubbed the “Star Forest” in Seoul’s Nanji Hangang Park as it expects a surge in fans’ donations following the increasing popularity of Korean culture. The headquarters said it would actively s

Social Affairs Feb. 2, 2023

Two professors from Sejong University were named among the academics listed on the Highly Cited Researchers 2022. Professor Han Hee-sup at the Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management was named on the list for four consecutive years, where he was recognized for conducting research in sustainable consumer behavior, Muslim tourism and green marketing. Myung Seung-taek, a professor at the Department of Nano Technology and Advanced Materials Engineering, was named in HCR’s cross-field

Social Affairs Feb. 2, 2023

Korea International School held the Massachusetts Institute of Technology International Science and Technology Initiatives in January for the first time in three years to offer new learning experiences to students. During the weeklong sessions between MIT and KIS students offered context-rich learning to middle and high school students in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Some sessions included learning how to design programs using CAD, Onshape and Adobe Illustrator

Social Affairs Feb. 2, 2023

Actor Song Duk-ho is under investigation by a joint investigation team of the prosecution and the Military Manpower Administration on allegations that he illegally evaded military service through a broker, media outlets reported Tuesday. The joint investigation team suspects that the actor had contacted a military broker and asked for help demonstrating false symptoms of epilepsy during a military examination. After submitting an allegedly fraudulent report of his diagnosis, Song was deemed unfi

Social Affairs Feb. 1, 2023

South Korea’s anti-corruption watchdog said Tuesday that Korea ranked 31st out of 180 countries around the world in a survey that gauged the perceived levels of public sector corruption. The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission said in its analysis of the 2022 Corruption Perceptions Index that the country's latest corruption perception ranking and score rose by one spot and one point from No. 32 and 63 points, respectively, from the 2021 index. This is the sixth consecutive yea

Social Affairs Jan. 31, 2023

A father in northeastern Seoul turned his 27-year-old son in to the police as he created disturbance with scissors after using drugs at home, police said Monday. According to Nowon police station, five needle syringes believed to have been used by the son were seized as investigators entered the house on Sunday evening. Police said they would decide whether to seek an arrest after investigating how he bought the drugs and the types of drugs he had used. The case was revealed a day after data rel

Social Affairs Jan. 30, 2023

After over two decades of climbing the corporate ladder, Park, a 48-year-old who wished to be identified by her surname, resigned from an executive role two years ago to be a stay-at-home mom. The reason was simple: to micromanage her then-middle school and 10th-grade daughters through Daechi-dong’s cutthroat educational landscape. “It’s where ‘Sky Castle’ takes place. Moms give up time and money to send kids to prominent universities starting from elementary school

weekender Jan. 28, 2023

The Ministry of Unification aims to disclose more information on North Korea to the general public in 2023, it said Friday during a New Year’s policy briefing to President Yoon Suk Yeol. The ministry said it would focus on improving accessibility and convenience by releasing more North Korean newspapers and broadcasts to the public. It added that it would operate a pilot program by publishing information from Rodong Sinmun, an organ of the ruling Workers’ Party and the regime’s

North Korea Jan. 27, 2023

Face masks or coverings will no longer be required indoors in Korea starting Monday, except in high-risk places such as hospitals and on public transportation like buses and trains. Places that will be mask-free include schools, kindergartens, child care centers and department stores. Also on the mask-free list are outdoor and indoor spaces at subway and train stations and airports. The requirement to wear face masks at virus-prone facilities such as hospitals, long-term care facilities, pharm

Social Affairs Jan. 24, 2023

Sejong University ranked 397th in the annual listing of the world’s best global universities in 2023, the ranking released by the US News showed Thursday. It is also the seventh-best global university in South Korea and the 79th-best global university in Asia now. The university's world ranking climbed up sharply from No. 506 last year. Its ranking among domestic peers went up by two notches. The US News provides an assortment of universities in the world by region or country and subj

Social Affairs Jan. 19, 2023

South Korean health authorities will decide on Friday whether to lift the indoor mask mandate as early as the end of this month. On Tuesday, health experts on the government advisory committee for COVID-19 held a video conference to discuss ending indoor mask requirements. As they agreed to phase out the indoor mask requirement, some experts also reportedly suggested lifting the mandate as early as Jan. 30, the first Monday after the Lunar New Year holiday. “The latest winter resurgence of

Social Affairs Jan. 18, 2023

A Chinese national was sentenced to prison for 4 1/2 years for the attempted murder of a coworker who demeaned his native country, according to legal professionals and local reports Wednesday. The 60-year-old was indicted on charges of attempting to murder a 50-something coworker with a knife in a parking lot in Ulsan in June. It was reported that the attack happened after a dispute with the Korean worker broke out during a staff dinner in which the assailant claimed that the coworker had insult

Social Affairs Jan. 18, 2023

Kim Seong-tae, the fugitive former chairman of underwear maker Ssangbangwool Group, arrived in South Korea on Tuesday morning after he was arrested in Bangkok last week, roughly eight months after fleeing abroad. Kim is facing multiple charges, including a charge involving main opposition Democratic Party of Korea's leader Lee Jae-myung. Immediately after his arrival, Kim was taken to the Suwon District Prosecutors’ Office in Gyeonggi Province. Kim denied a link with the main opposition le

Social Affairs Jan. 17, 2023

The National Human Rights Commission said Monday it asked the chief of the Daejeon Immigration Office to take precautions against an official at an investigation department for "forcing" a Chinese national to submit a statement apologizing for driving under the influence. According to the NHRC, a Chinese national with an F-5 visa or a permanent residency visa was told to write a statement when the person visited the immigration office to get the registration card reissued in November 2

Social Affairs Jan. 16, 2023

Personal information of convicts will be disclosed to the public regardless of the crime if their whereabouts are unknown after removing their GPS-equipped electronic monitoring anklets. On Thursday, the Ministry of Justice began implementing the rules for revealing information if criminal offenders’ locations are unknown, in a bid to prevent offenders from committing secondary offenses. Previously, only the personal information of felons who had committed serious crimes like murder, sexua

Social Affairs Jan. 16, 2023