The government on Thursday unveiled plans to combat child abuse by conducting a nationwide inspection. Under the plan, the government will keep track of toddlers aged 2 or younger who have either not seen a pediatrician in the past year, or who have not completed the essential vaccination program that a baby has to go through within four months after birth. Korea estimates the number of such children to stand at around 11,000. The three-month inspection of toddlers will kick off Monday. "(S

Social Affairs April 13, 2023

The top South Korean court sided with internet users here on Thursday, ruling that Google should disclose records of how its consumer data had been transmitted to a US spy agency upon the request of consumers. The ruling by the Supreme Court of Korea, after a decadelong wait, indicates that Google's policy of prohibiting the provision of such records to consumers and mandating that lawsuits be filed in US jurisdiction are both superseded by Korean law. A customer living in Korea may file a

Social Affairs April 13, 2023

The Ministry of Justice on Wednesday announced plans to clear the way for the execution of inmates who have been on death row for over 30 years through a law revision. Those who are sentenced to the death penalty will no longer be able to avoid execution according to the revision proposed by the Justice Ministry. The government is to put up the legislative notice for the revision Thursday, after which it requires parliamentary approval. Under the current rules, an execution must take place withi

Social Affairs April 12, 2023

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and his Portuguese counterpart, Antonio Costa, on Wednesday agreed to foster development cooperation during bilateral talks held in Seoul for the first time in 39 years. Han said in a speech before the talks that there is ample room for bilateral cooperation, which would lay a cornerstone for the rules-based international order. In response, the Portuguese Cabinet leader echoed the need for supply chain restructuring to achieve the economic resilience in the face of d

Social Affairs April 12, 2023

South Korea finalized its first basic plan at a Cabinet meeting Tuesday to gradually reduce annual national carbon emissions to address climate change, so that Asia's fourth-largest economy in 2030 would emit 40 percent less greenhouse gases compared to 2018. The five-year overarching implementation plan for Korea to emit a net 436.6 million metric tons of carbon dioxide and its equivalent in 2030, compared to 727.6 million tons in 2018, gained approval at the Cabinet meeting held at the Governm

Social Affairs April 11, 2023

A soon-to-be prosecutor has been placed on probation without a sentence for assaulting a police officer while under the influence of alcohol, a South Korean court ruled Tuesday. The Seoul Central District Court handed down a suspended imposition of a fine of 3 million won ($2,300) to the woman, only identified by her surname Hwang. Prosecutors had asked the court for a six-month jail term for Hwang, who pleaded guilty during a trial. Hwang did not respond to reporters' questions on her way

Social Affairs April 11, 2023

  The South Korean prosecution announced Monday the indictment of a Korean-born man for recently allegedly smuggling in a combined 3.2 kilograms of methamphetamine, a pistol, 50 live ammunition rounds and gas pistols from the US. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office suspects the 49-year-old secretly brought in the drugs valued at 800 million won ($606,000) in September last year with the purpose of distribution. The man also allegedly used 0.1 gram of meth at home in March this ye

Social Affairs April 10, 2023

A coalition of South Korean medical technicians and doctors’ rights activist groups is considering a strike, as long-awaited bills aimed at easing nursing regulations and banning convicted doctors from returning to work are to be tabled at the National Assembly as early as Thursday. A spokesperson of the ruling People Power Party Yoo Sang-bum said Sunday the government and the PPP would try to find a middle ground after collecting opinions of the parties concerned, with a special committee

Politics April 9, 2023

BUSAN -- The inspection team of the Bureau International des Expositions, the organizing body of the World Expo, departed Korea Friday as they ended their assessment of Busan as the proposed site for the 2030 World Expo. The eight-member delegation -- chaired by BIE Administration and Budget Committee President Patrick Specht -- left Gimhae Airport in western Busan at around 8:30 a.m. to head to Incheon Airport. They then departed South Korea at around 11:30 a.m. to head back to Paris, where the

Social Affairs April 7, 2023

BUSAN -- The eight-member delegation of the World Expo organizing body said Busan is a viable candidate to host the World Expo in 2030, and its successful bid could be a starting point to build an inclusive global community as the team wrapped up a five-day on-site inspection of the city. Patrick Specht, president of the Bureau International des Expositions Administration and Budget Committee who led the BIE Enquiry Mission, said Busan's bid to host the quinquennial event is more than viabl

Social Affairs April 6, 2023

A group of 18 lawmakers led by Democratic Party of Korea Rep. Park Jae-ho proposed a resolution on March 15, earning a parliamentary nod Monday, to enable the "immediate" passage of a special bill designed for organized financial and policy support, recognizing Busan's World Expo bid as a key national agenda. The resolution also stipulates the National Assembly's active support to improve Busan's transportation infrastructure by increasing public access to the proposed W

Social Affairs April 5, 2023

BUSAN -- South Korea's southern port city of Busan is not only going to be an extravaganza for future technology, but also a stage to promote inclusive growth, catering to the aspirations of underdeveloped regions around the world, said the city mayor in an interview with The Korea Herald. "World Expos used to be exhibitions to showcase the newest technologies and products, and we are seeing more of those these days," said Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon, who has been leading the city's bi

Social Affairs April 4, 2023

South Korea promoting its southern port city of Busan as the host city for the 2030 World Expo marks the culmination of 130 years of the country's participation in the world's largest international exposition. Korea, then the Joseon Kingdom, first participated in the World's Fair in 1893 in Chicago, in honor of the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus' voyage to the American continent. Despite Japanese aggression, Joseon secured a small exhibition space of just 83.5 squa

Social Affairs April 3, 2023

The parliamentary confirmation hearings of new Constitutional Court Justice nominees kicked off Tuesday to replace two outgoing justices. Conservatives hope that the new nominees -- Judge Kim Hyung-du of Seoul High Court and Jeong Jeong-mi of Daejeon High Court, nominated by Supreme Court Chief Justice Kim Myeong-su earlier in March -- would balance out what they see as the Constitutional Court's progressive tilt. Nominee Kim told the Legislation and Judiciary Committee at the National Asse

Politics March 28, 2023

The Ministry of Justice said Tuesday a new type of identification card will be issued to foreigners staying in South Korea for more than 90 days, starting on Saturday. This is the first time in 12 years the ministry will introduce a new design for a Residence Card, formerly known as an Alien Registration Card. A new Residence Card will feature a full-color photo of the holder that is 35 percent larger than the current version. The current design has a black-and-white photo of the holder. Also, t

Social Affairs March 28, 2023