One year after the mistreatment of teachers and the protection of their rights became a major social issue in the wake of the death of a young teacher in July last year, waves of tributes to the deceased have risen across South Korea this week, with many coming from other education workers. The Korean Federation of Teachers' Associations, one of the country's two major teachers' unions, set Monday to July 23 as a period of remembrance, bringing together online and offline spaces t

Social Affairs July 15, 2024

Wheelchair lifts, also known as platform lifts will be removed in subway stations across Seoul after some 30 years since their implementation over continuously raised safety issues. Seoul Metro, an operator of the city's subway service from Line Nos. 1 to 8, said Sunday it will demolish lifts, once thought as a mobility support for the physically impaired, issuing a tender notice for the removal of 23 wheelchair lifts in 17 subway stations, including Seoul Station, Sinseoldong Station, Yong

Social Affairs July 14, 2024

A total of six educators have been awarded for their dedication to the spread of Korean language education and localization, at a celebration event for the 22nd International Conference of Korean Educators Abroad on Thursday at Hana Global Campus in Incheon. Among the winners was Tran Thi Huong, a professor at Hanoi National University in charge of Korean language education in Vietnam. He was awarded for his contribution to the adoption of Korean as a second language in primary and secondary c

People July 12, 2024

Dozens of students gathered in Busan to participate in the first US-ROK-Japan Trilateral Global Leadership Youth Summit that kicked off Thursday, as the program aims to nurture potential leaders from three countries. Under the agenda of trilateral security, economic and technological cooperation, Indo-Pacific strategy and expanded civilian exchanges, 50 youths -- 15 each from the US, Korea and Japan, and five from Indo-Pacific island countries -- gathered at APEC House in Busan for a three-day s

Social Affairs July 11, 2024

Five months into medical students' boycott of classes in protest over the government's decision to increase the quota for students at the schools, the Ministry of Education announced guidelines Wednesday to grant universities the flexibility needed to prevent these students from failing out due to their prolonged absence. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Lee Ju-ho said at the Government Complex Seoul that schools can individually apply different timing, criteria and stan

Social Affairs July 10, 2024

Kim Beom-su, the founder of tech giant Kakao Corp., the operator of South Korea's top mobile messenger, was summoned by prosecutors Tuesday to address allegations of stock price manipulation related to Kakao's acquisition of K-pop megacorp SM Entertainment last year. The Financial Investigation Division 2 of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office called in Kim earlier in the day and said it was investigating him for alleged violations of the Financial Investment Services

Industry July 9, 2024

Unionized workers of Samsung Electronics launched their first-ever strike Monday, demanding higher pay and warning of potential further action if the country's largest conglomerate does not meet their demands. The National Samsung Electronics Union, the biggest labor union of the conglomerate with over 30,000 members, making up some 25 percent of the workforce, said it kicked off the three-day strike starting with a rally at 11:00 a.m. in front of the main entrance of the company's pla

Companies July 8, 2024

The average smoothie served in a cafe contains the equivalent of 13 teaspoons of sugar, a recent study showed. The Health and Environment Institute of Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Monday the results of its analysis of 93 smoothie drinks from small and medium-sized cafes, where the nutritional content of drinks is not labeled. The cafes subject to investigation, which ran from April to June, were located near hagwons, or private cram schools, particularly frequented by teenagers. The a

Social Affairs July 8, 2024

Amid growing concerns over digital sex crimes in South Korea, 3.9 percent of middle and high school students nationwide have experienced being asked to send or share sexual images, a state survey showed. The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family announced the results of the 2023 survey on awareness and experience of child and youth concerning sexual exploitation on Thursday. The survey is conducted every three years in accordance with Article 53 of the Youth Sexual Protection Act. Conducted wit

Social Affairs July 6, 2024

Sejong University ranked third in Korea in the US News 2024-2025 World University Rankings released by US News. Globally, it secured the 241st position. The university's domestic ranking has shown rapid improvement, moving from 15th in 2020 to third this year. Globally, Sejong climbed from 629th in 2021 to 241st in 2024, an impressive jump of 156 places from last year. This growth is largely due to the excellent research capabilities of Sejong University's faculty members, who are reco

Social Affairs July 5, 2024

Among the 15-year-olds in South Korea, 26.1 percent said they were satisfied with their lives, 7.7 percentage points lower than the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, a recent study showed. According to the report released by the National Center for the Rights of the Child (NCRC), 22.3 percent of children reported low life satisfaction, 4.4 percentage points higher than the OECD average of 17.9 percent. The OECD used a 10-point scale for life satisfaction and looked at the pr

Social Affairs July 5, 2024

South Korea unveiled measures to tackle the welfare blind spots of people with borderline intellectual functioning on Wednesday, the government's first comprehensive plan to support the group, who are estimated to make up 13.59 percent of the total population. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Lee Ju-ho addressed the importance of identifying people with borderline intellectual abilities at the sixth Social Affairs Ministers' Meeting at Government Complex Seoul. He pointe

Social Affairs July 3, 2024

Cho Hee-yeon, superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, pledged to put his utmost efforts into creating inclusive classrooms for minorities and students of multicultural backgrounds, while emphasizing the successful implementation of digital textbooks. Speaking at a press conference at the Education Office on Tuesday to mark the 10th anniversary of his inauguration, Cho highlighted his goal of bringing diversity and inclusiveness to schools across Seoul, addressing the import

Social Affairs July 2, 2024

President Yoon Suk Yeol ordered related government agencies to respond swiftly to the deadly car accident that took place late Monday near Seoul city hall. “President Yoon was briefed about the car accident and ordered the minister of interior and safety, and the chief of the National Fire Agency to ‘focus all resources to rescue and treatment of the victims,” Kim Soo-kyung, the president spokesperson said in a written briefing Monday evening. The incident took place at around

Social Affairs July 1, 2024

A major traffic accident occurred near Seoul's City Hall Station in Jung-gu, Seoul, killing at least nine pedestrians and injuring four others, according to fire authorities. According to the National Fire Agency, a vehicle drove onto the sidewalk at an intersection near Exit 12 of City Hall Station at around 9:26 p.m., hitting pedestrians who were waiting to cross the street. Police arrested a man in his 60s at the scene. The driver is reportedly claiming that the accident was caused by a

Social Affairs July 1, 2024