[Herald Interview] GPE Deputy CEO urges global support for better education

Funding education is crucial in developing countries, particularly for those vulnerable to natural disasters and climate change. According to Charles North, Deputy CEO of the Global Partnership for Education, a World Bank-supported initiative focused on enhancing education in low-income nations, investing in education not only builds a future workforce but also strengthens communities' resilience and ability to recover and progress in the face of adversity, as evidenced by the experience

Social AffairsSept. 10, 2024

Busiest spots in Seoul? Seoul shows foot traffic in popular districts

Seoul Metropolitan Government said Tuesday it has added information on foot traffic in major shopping districts to the real-time information service it provides on the most popular areas in the city. The service, accessible at the Seoul Open Plaza website, provides an overview of popular areas in the city with information including the estimated foot traffic, road and weather conditions, empty parking spots, adjacent public transportation routes and rentable bicycles. For example, Seoul Plaza ne

Social AffairsSept. 10, 2024

Kenya studying Korean tech for housing

Kenya is studying South Korea's advanced technology to improve housing infrastructure and address the African country's housing challenges. “Our goal is to build 200,000 housing units annually, and we’ve already started over 100,000 units since July 2023,” Charles Hinga, principal secretary of Kenya's State Department for Housing and Urban Development, said in an interview with The Korea Herald on Saturday. Kenya plans to use Korean technology, such as aluminum f

Foreign AffairsSept. 10, 2024

India's Rajasthan government woos Korean investors

The Indian state of Rajasthan sought to encourage Korean companies at the Rising Rajasthan Roadshow event in Seoul on Monday. The roadshow comes in the lead-up the Rajasthan's government's Rising Rajasthan Global Investment Summit, to be held from Dec. 9-11 in Jaipur, the capital city of the state. Led by Rajasthan’s Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, the roadshow delegation highlighted the state's opportunities in renewable energy and automotive manufacturing, electronics an

Foreign AffairsSept. 10, 2024

Mapo-gu to offer house call pet funeral services

Mapo-gu, a district in Seoul, is set to introduce a house call pet funeral service in collaboration with Petmun, a local pet services firm, district official said Tuesday. This service centers around a specialized vehicle equipped with a smokeless, odorless cremation facility. This vehicle will visit the home of the deceased pet, conduct a funeral service there and transport the pet’s body for cremation. Although the vehicle itself is a moving crematorium, the district plans to set a rul

Social AffairsSept. 10, 2024

Govt. to temporarily raise health insurance payments to hospitals for Chuseok holiday

President Yoon Suk Yeol said Tuesday the government will temporarily raise health insurance payments to hospitals for the upcoming Chuseok holiday to better reward their services and to prevent disruptions in emergency medical care. During a Cabinet meeting, Yoon addressed concerns over possible disruptions to the medical system during the extended holiday, which starts later this week, as a majority of junior doctors have stayed away from the job since February in protest of a sharp hike in the

PoliticsSept. 10, 2024

FSS chief urges banks to curb household debts

The head of the financial watchdog on Tuesday called for banks to curb a continuing rise in household lending. Lee Bok-hyun, chief of the Financial Supervisory Service, made the call in a meeting with the heads of 18 banks. "Should we fail to keep household debts at a proper level in the future, it may lead to increased economic burden by expanding market volatility and working as an obstacle to economic growth," Lee told the meeting. Tuesday's meeting follows reports that househo

PoliticsSept. 10, 2024

Seoul records season's latest tropical night as heat wave continues into fall

Overnight temperatures in Seoul stayed above 25 C, marking the season's latest tropical night since meteorological observation began, the state weather agency said Tuesday. The lowest nighttime temperature overnight in the capital city was 25.6 C at 6 a.m., another tropical night that refers to a phenomenon where temperatures do not drop below 25 C until 9 a.m., according to the Korea Meteorological Administration. It marks the season's latest tropical night record in Seoul since recor

Social AffairsSept. 10, 2024

Harris, Trump set to face off in high-stakes presidential debate this week

Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and her Republican rival Donald Trump are set to face off against each other in their first -- potentially only -- debate this week, with its outcome expected to substantially impact their final sprint to Election Day in November. The high-stakes 90-minute debate will take place at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia in the battleground state of Pennsylvania on Tuesday night, as recent polls have shown Vice President Harris and former

Foreign AffairsSept. 10, 2024

N. Korea's leader vows push for exponential increase in nuclear weapons

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has vowed to bolster the country's nuclear capabilities to deter any threats by enemies, saying it is steadily carrying out a policy to increase the number of nuclear weapons exponentially, state media said Tuesday. Kim made the vow during a speech in a meeting with senior party and government officials on the occasion of the 76th founding anniversary of the regime, according to the Korean Central News Agency. The North's leader delivered a speech for th

North KoreaSept. 10, 2024

[Graphic News] Korea’s electricity demand soars to record high in August

South Korea’s electricity demand hit a historic peak in August, driven by the intense summer heat wave. According to the Korea Power Exchange, the nation’s peak power demand averaged 87.8 gigawatts, a 6.1 percent increase from the previous year. This surge in energy consumption was largely attributed to increased air conditioning usage amid the sweltering conditions. The Korea Meteorological Administration reported that August experienced 16 days where temperatures exceeded 33 degr

Social AffairsSept. 10, 2024

New defense chief inspects readiness at frontline Marine Corps unit

New Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun visited a western frontline unit Monday in his first on-site inspection after taking office last week, the defense ministry said. Kim checked troop readiness at the 2nd Marine Division's observation post at an undisclosed location after assuming his new role Friday, according to the ministry. "If the enemy undertakes a provocation ... punish them fully and sternly until they are unable to carry out more provocations," Kim was quoted as saying. No

Social AffairsSept. 9, 2024

S. Korea sees spike in confiscation of illegal drugs

South Korean customs officials confiscated 769 kilograms of illegal drugs being smuggled into the country last year, 18 percent more than the year before, data from state-run bodies showed Monday. The confiscated drugs are reportedly worth about 61.3 billion won ($45.7 million), according to the data compiled by the Incheon International Airport Corp. and the Korea Customs Service, submitted to Rep. Jeon Yong-gi of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea. The amount of drugs seized by auth

Social AffairsSept. 9, 2024

First lady likely to escape 'Dior bag' indictment

First lady Kim Keon Hee is unlikely to be indicted for alleged antigraft rule violations, as the final legal procedure concerning her acceptance of luxury gifts totaling over 5 million won ($3,730), including a Christian Dior bag, has been cleared. Outgoing Prosecutor General Lee One-seok told reporters on Monday on his way to his office in Seocho-gu in southern Seoul that he "respects" the recommendation Friday by a 15-member independent review panel of the Supreme Prosecutors' O

PoliticsSept. 9, 2024

KAIST, NYU to implement joint degree for AI

South Korea's science and technology university KAIST and New York University signed an agreement in Seoul to introduce a joint degree program in artificial intelligence on Monday. The agreement came after both universities shared a consensus that strengthening capabilities in the field of artificial intelligence and fostering global talent is an essential element that can contribute to the future development of society as a whole, beyond mere technical education, KAIST explained. The two u

Social AffairsSept. 9, 2024

Ex-police officer behind murder of Korean in Philippines vanishes after guilty verdict: report

The whereabouts of a dismissed Filipino police officer, reportedly the main culprit behind the 2016 killing of a South Korean businessperson in Angeles City, the Philippines, remain unknown as of Monday, nearly two months after a local court sentenced him to life without parole. According to local sources cited by Yonhap News Agency on Monday, the Philippine National Police has been unsuccessful so far in locating Rafael Dumlao, former head of the Philippine National Police’s Anti-illega

Social AffairsSept. 9, 2024

[Feature] Constant competition drives Koreans to despair

Kim, a 25-year-old corporate worker, often wonders if others are living better lives than her. She thinks about who might be making more money, getting better recognition at work or more opportunities. When Kim feels she’s falling behind her colleagues, those her age job-wise or in her love life, she feels blue and uneasy. “I’m grateful for what I have -- working at a large conglomerate, being raised in a good family and graduating from a prestigious school. But everything alwa

Social AffairsSept. 9, 2024

Not just deepfake porn, concerns rise over 'cyberflashing’

Amid growing concerns of fast-spreading digital sex crimes like deepfake pornography, there has been an increase in the number of social media users falling victim to "cyberflashing," or sending someone unsolicited sexual images or videos. According to an official report released jointly by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and the Women’s Human Rights Institute of Korea, the number of people seeking help at the institute for cyber harassment increased from 251 individua

Social AffairsSept. 9, 2024

Provincial patients continue to prefer top hospitals in Seoul

Patients from outside Seoul coming into the capital still heavily favor the city's "Big 5" hospitals, government data showed Monday. According to data from the National Health Insurance Service provided by Rep. Kim Mi-ae of the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee, 60 percent of patients from outside Seoul who sought treatment in the capital's large hospitals during the first half of 2024 went to those hospitals, which have suffered from staff shortages for m

Social AffairsSept. 9, 2024

S. Korea to expand support for single parent households

With families becoming increasingly diverse in South Korea, support for single-parent households will be expanded, including the introduction of a new budget to increase housing provisions and the amount of the advance payment system for child support. Next year's budget to support single-parent families will be 590.1 billion won ($440 million), an increase of 46 billion won or 8.5 percent from this year's budget, according to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family on Monday. To ea

Social AffairsSept. 9, 2024