South Korean men and women have differing opinions on the reason behind the country's gender wage gap, the largest among the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development states, with women attributing the gap to sexual discrimination while men say it is because frequent career breaks result in shorter careers for women. The state-run Korean Women's Development Institute surveyed 1,504 wage workers between the ages of 19 and 59 in August last year. The results showed that 54.7

Social Affairs March 24, 2024

South Korea's anti-corruption watchdog on Thursday recommended the government to implement measures to provide incentives for public sector workers who took paternity leave, and to ensure they are not penalized for taking leave to take care of their children. The state-run Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission made the suggestion to the Ministry of Personnel Management and the Ministry of Interior and Safety, in a bid to address the low fertility rate that has been ailing the country.

Social Affairs March 23, 2024

A South Korean mailman recently received a six-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, for dumping 16,003 pieces of mail due to stress from an excessive amount of work, a court said Thursday. The 37-year-old defendant surnamed Lee, who was delivering mail in Gangseo-gu, western Seoul, was found to have discarded the mail between January 2021 and September 2022. The Seoul Southern District Court found Lee guilty of violating the Postal Service Act, Article 48 of which stipulates that any

Social Affairs March 21, 2024

Actors Ryu Jun-yeol and Han So-hee, newly announced lovebirds in the South Korean entertainment scene, recently vowed legal action against a barrage of what they say are malicious comments targeting their romance. In just three months, Han in particular went from being voted "female celebrity most people want to spend Christmas with" to losing endorsement deals. The mere accusation of "hwanseung yeonae" -- which roughly translates to "transferring between dating partne

Culture March 21, 2024

A 50-year-old South Korean man received a certificate of commendation from police on Tuesday for helping to catch a suspected kidnapper. Park Gwan-yong, who works as a delivery driver, was awarded the certificate at a ceremony at the Gangbuk Police Station in Seoul, for his contributions to the arrest on March 10. "This is the first certificate I received since the perfect attendance award I got in school. ... I feel so proud and honored, thinking someone like me can be commended," Par

Social Affairs March 20, 2024

Recent statistics from a state-run agency showed that people living in Seoul marry later than residents of any other region in South Korea, a possible indication of challenges presented by the high cost of living and housing in the nation's capital. Men living in Seoul, on average, had their first marriage at 34.4 years of age in 2023, while the first marriage for women in the region happened when they were 32.4-years-old, according to Statistics Korea. The average first marriage age for me

Social Affairs March 20, 2024

South Korean police on Wednesday said they are looking for a local man who is on the run after reportedly assaulting a Vietnamese woman on a bus at around midnight in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province. The victim in her 20s told police that the man, with whom she was not acquainted, punched her in the face "just because she was staggering on the vehicle." The incident occurred at around 12:15 a.m. Wednesday while the bus was passing by Seryu Station of the Seoul Metro Line No.1, in Gweonseon-gu

Social Affairs March 20, 2024

South Korean police on Wednesday said they are investigating an anonymous bomb threat on the MLB regular season opener, slated to be held at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul later in the day. According to Guro Police Station, the threat was made via email at around 6 a.m. Wednesday. The threat, issued in English, was traced back to Japan and was sent to the email account of an employee of the South Korean consulate in Vancouver. An initial probe of the arena showed no indications of explosives, but

Social Affairs March 20, 2024

A woman who fell victim to a sex video scandal involving soccer star Hwang Ui-jo complained Tuesday that the court disrespected her during the recent trial of Hwang's sister-in-law, who was convicted for spreading the video in question and threatening Hwang. Last week, the Seoul Central District Court sentenced Hwang's sister-in-law to three years in prison for uploading intimate pictures and videos of Hwang and blackmailing the 32-year-old soccer player. The woman featured in the vid

Social Affairs March 19, 2024

The South Korean government said Tuesday it is pushing to increase the benefits for conscripted soldiers by counting their entire service periods towards National Pension plan credits. The National Pension Service requires one to have been enrolled for a minimum of 10 years to receive benefits, but those who have fulfilled their mandatory military duties can currently have their mandated subscription period cut by six months via the "military credit" system. The recent plan by the Mini

Defense March 19, 2024

Former South Korean singer Jung Joon-young was released from Mokpo Prison in South Jeolla Province on Tuesday morning after serving five years in prison for a string of sex crimes that included the group rape of an intoxicated woman and the distribution of illicitly filmed videos of sexual acts. The 35-year-old exited the prison at around 5:05 a.m., wearing a mask and a hat. He did not address the reporters stationed outside the prison. Jung, who rose to fame after appearing in the 2012 audition

Social Affairs March 19, 2024

A fire that broke in Incheon late Monday spread to three factories before being extinguished after more than four hours. No one was reported as injured or killed in the process, officials of the Incheon Fire Service said Tuesday. According to rescue authorities, the fire started at a makeshift building in the district of Seo-gu, northwestern Incheon, at around 8:55 p.m. Monday. It spread to three adjacent factories, which were mostly vacant as it was after working hours. The sole employee at one

Social Affairs March 19, 2024

The South Korean government said Monday that the recent law revision banning the use of macro tools to buy tickets will take effect Friday as part of its measures to fight widespread ticket scalping in the country. The revision of the Public Performance Act specifies that no one shall illegally buy tickets for performances by using computer programing tools for automated repetitive inputs -- the macro programs -- for the purpose of reselling them, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and

Social Affairs March 18, 2024

The organs donated by a 62-year-old woman who worked as a volunteer caregiver for elderly citizens were used to save the lives of two people, the state-run organ donation agency said Monday. The bereaved family of Im Bong-ae agreed to donate her liver and both of her kidneys after she was declared brain dead on Feb. 29, according to the Korea Organ Donation Agency. Im had collapsed and lost consciousness as she was coming home after making a meal for a senior citizen on Feb. 11 and never recov

People March 18, 2024

A South Korean man has been sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for one year, for internet posts he made advocating for the dictatorial regime of North Korea, a court said Monday. Ulsan District Court found the defendant in his 50s guilty of violating the National Security Act, which bans any activities that are seen to be compromising the safety of the state. "The defendant wrote posts of anti-state sentiments that present a clear threat to the existence of South Korea and its dem

Social Affairs March 18, 2024