South Korea’s Ministry of Education on Wednesday unveiled a five-year plan aimed at attracting 300,000 international students to tackle the nation’s rapidly declining school-age population and to strengthen the competitiveness of local universities already reeling from enrollment shortages. To attract more foreign students to enroll in Korean universities, the Education Ministry plans to revise the International Education Quality Assurance System, which stipulates that more than 30 p

Social Affairs Aug. 16, 2023

Fears of malaria are growing in South Korea as the country is seeing an increase in the mosquito-borne disease. According to data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency’s Infectious Disease portal, a total of 509 cases of malaria have been reported so far this year. The figure amounts to a nearly fourfold increase compared to last year, when 193 malaria cases were reported during the first seven months of the year. The number of total malaria cases here has not gone beyond 70

Social Affairs Aug. 15, 2023

Yoon Ki-jung, the father of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and an emeritus professor in the applied statistics department at Yonsei University, has died, the presidential office announced Tuesday. He was 92. Yoon had recently been admitted to Seoul National University Hospital. The cause of death was not disclosed. President Yoon went to be by his father‘s side during his final moments, after delivering a speech marking the nation’s 78th Liberation Day in the morning, according

Politics Aug. 15, 2023

As the 25th World Scout Jamboree concluded amid controversy over mismanagement and alleged misuse of funds, the governor of North Jeolla Province publicly bowed his head in apology, but he also said legal action would be taken against the spread of false information. “Many people expected and supported a large-scale international event in North Jeolla Province, but we are very sorry that we could not reap the beauty of the end,” Gov. Kim Kwan-young said in a press briefing Monday. &l

Politics Aug. 14, 2023

Moving forward from South Korea's dynamic seven decades, The Korea Herald identifies the seven most crucial challenges the nation must overcome for a sustainable and prosperous future. – Ed. Climate crisis becomes irreversible reality Climate change has long been considered a future disaster rather than a present threat by many Koreans. However, it has now become a largely irreversible reality, manifesting as a series of extreme weather events that significantly affect people'

Social Affairs Aug. 13, 2023

The Ministry of Education said late Thursday that it had launched an investigation into a case where a deputy director-level official at the ministry reported their child’s elementary school for child abuse. Following the complaint, the teacher was immediately removed from their post. According to reports citing the Elementary School Teachers’ Union, the ministry official used their position to file a complaint in November against the then-third-grade teacher, accusing them of child

Social Affairs Aug. 11, 2023

Typhoon Khanun was weaker than initially predicted, as it lost speed while moving north along the peninsula, the Korea Meteorological Administration said Friday. The weather agency added that Khanun had left the country at around 6 a.m. Friday and entered North Korea, where it was heading toward the capital Pyongyang. Typhoon advisories were lifted across the country, and the alert level was lowered from "serious" to "alert." There were 379 reports of damage from Typhoon Khan

Social Affairs Aug. 11, 2023

South Korea was bracing for one of the most destructive typhoons in years as Typhoon Khanun, accompanied by copious rainfall and destructive winds, pummeled the country on Thursday. The Korea Meteorological Administration said Khanun, which means “jackfruit” in Thai, could be the first to traverse the entire Korean Peninsula from south to north, threatening to bring extensive destruction in its wake. The projected route also could mirror that of Typhoon Rusa in 2002, which was the co

Social Affairs Aug. 10, 2023

As murder threats are sparking grave fears in South Korea following the recent deadly stabbing rampage in Bundang, the Justice Ministry said Wednesday that it would create new legal provisions to seek punishment for writers of online murder threats or those possessing weapons in public places. Upon the recommendation of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office to amend laws related to public intimidation, the ministry said it would set up new criminal punishment provisions after reviewing legislati

Social Affairs Aug. 9, 2023

As teachers struggle with maintaining authority over unruly students and dealing with assertive parents, a survey released Wednesday shows that a majority of South Koreans support granting educators immunity from child abuse charges concerning actions taken for educational reasons. A joint poll conducted by Yonhap News Agency and Yonhap News TV showed that 74.3 percent of respondents answered “yes” when asked if they agreed with granting immunity from child abuse during life skills e

Social Affairs Aug. 9, 2023

Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon said Monday that the use of force by police and the general public when confronting a suspect harming or threatening to harm people’s lives and bodies should be considered self-defense. Han’s remarks come after Thursday night’s deadly knife attack in a department store in Bundang, Gyeonggi Province, and the stabbing incident near Sillim Station, in Seoul’s Gwanak-gu, in July, which left a total of two dead and 16 people injured. Han said

Social Affairs Aug. 7, 2023

Self-defense products are on the rise as people are turning to such items to arm themselves in the case of a random stabbing incident. The number of transactions involving personal defense equipment saw a 123 percent increase on e-commerce platform Interpark compared to the same period last year, according to the company. Sales of self-defense items increased by 202 percent July 9-21, over the same period last year. In the event of a knife threat or attack, local experts here on Sunday said it&r

Social Affairs Aug. 6, 2023

Police said Sunday that they had opened investigations into 46 people on suspicion of making online murder threats, as fear grows among South Koreans following the back-to-back knife attacks. One suspect in Seoul, who threatened to kill people in Sillim-dong, in Gwanak district, southern Seoul, has been referred for prosecution, and another based in Busan has been handed over to the military police. Following the deadly knife attack Thursday night in a shopping mall in Bundang, an expensive neig

Social Affairs Aug. 6, 2023

진행자: 박준희, Beth Eunhee Hong 1. More suspected cases of cats with avian influenza reported in Seoul 기사 요약: 서울에서 '고양이 AI' 감염 의심 사례가 잇따라 발생하고 있다. [1] Four days after two cats were confirmed to have been infected with avian influenza, commonly called bird flu, at an animal shelter in Seoul, three more suspected bird flu cases in cats were reported in the city on Saturday. *be infected with a virus: 바이러스에 걸리다 *Animal shelter: 동물 보호소 *Shelter: (비바람·위험·공격으로부터의) 피신[대피]; 피하다 *suspected: 미심쩌

Podcast Aug. 3, 2023

Parents in Seoul will have to make reservations through an app to meet or speak over the phone with teachers under a voluntary pilot program to be rolled out in November, Seoul Education Superintendent Cho Hee-yeon said Wednesday. The reservation system is aimed at putting more safeguards in place for teachers at schools, after educators complained of being harassed by parents who have appeared unannounced at schools or called them after workhours, Cho said. The education office aims to launch t

Social Affairs Aug. 2, 2023