Seaweed, anchovies, squid and pollock, you name it -- it’s rare to see so many fish all at once, especially all in their dried forms. Seoul’s Chungbu Market is a rare spot for locals and visitors alike to experience what Korea has to offer when it comes to dried seafood. All sorts of dried seafood ae available at prices 20 to 30 percent less than most other stores in the nation’s capital. Drying as a method of fish preservation, which works by removing the water and then hanging it to dry in the

Social Affairs July 19, 2018

The government announced a plan to criminalize workplace harassment on Wednesday, saying that some 70 percent of all Korean employees have been bullied by their work superiors and colleagues at least once in their lives. Citing a report by the National Human Rights Commission, Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon said that a vast majority of working Koreans suffer from workplace harassment, and about 60 percent of the victims have never taken any action, fearing possible disadvantages. Lee also added that

Social Affairs July 19, 2018

A South Korean conscientious objector was sentenced to a jail term Tuesday, despite the recent Constitutional Court order for the government to introduce civilian forms of service for them.Seoul Western District Court ruled Tuesday that the man, surnamed Oh, must serve 18 months in prison for not complying with the country’s mandatory military service. Oh, 30, says that his political beliefs go against serving in the armed forces. In its ruling, the court said Oh’s motives are “unclear,” especia

Social Affairs July 18, 2018

Two additional deaths were attributed to the heat in South Korea as of Wednesday morning, bringing the heat-related death toll in the country to six this year. A 4-year-old girl was found dead in a minibus on Tuesday afternoon after being left inside alone for nearly seven hours in scorching heat, in Dongducheon, Gyeonggi Province. An elderly man in his 80s was also found dead at a farm on the same day in Namwon, South Jeolla Province. Daytime highs reached 35 degrees Celsius in most provinces o

Social Affairs July 18, 2018

A lawyer who is suspected of being a key figure behind a high-profile opinion rigging scandal involving a former presidential aide was arrested Tuesday, according to the authorities.The lawyer, 61, who is only identified by his last name Doh, is suspected of being one of the key people behind the “Druking” scandal, which involved a number of bloggers who allegedly manipulated “likes” of certain online comments in an effort to sway public opinion in favor of the now-ruling Democratic Party last y

Social Affairs July 17, 2018

At least two deaths have been linked to the heat wave that has gripped South Korea over the last few days, health authorities confirmed Tuesday.As of Tuesday afternoon, heat wave warnings have been issued in most regions across the country, including Seoul, South Jeolla and South Gyeongsang provinces. Daytime highs reached 35 degrees Celsius in most provinces nationwide.The “tropical night” phenomenon -- defined by nighttime low temperatures staying above 25 degree Celsius -- has prevailed in ma

Social Affairs July 17, 2018

About 1 in 6 Korean medical professionals are estimated to have latent tuberculosis, and a stronger measure is needed to prevent the potentially infectious disease, a newly released study showed Monday.　Latent TB is a condition in which inactive TB bacteria are present in the body with no symptoms. Without treatment, about 5 to 10 percent of latent TB patients will develop symptoms of TB sometime in their lives. 　Researchers came to the conclusion after testing some 1,650 medical professionals i

Social Affairs July 16, 2018

When Ryu Hee-seon, 25, attended her first queer parade in 2011, she could not help but burst into tears. A young lesbian who had very limited exposure to the queer community at the time, she had never seen so many sexual minorities all at once before.　　“Not many universities (in Korea) have queer groups on campus, and my school had none. I had nowhere to turn to,” she told The Korea Herald. 　　“I’m an introvert and always have been, and at the time I felt very uneasy opening up to others (on camp

Social Affairs July 15, 2018

Korea International School hosts 2018 WLSA College FairA college admissions fair featuring some of the most prestigious universities around the world will be held in Pangyo, Gyeonggi Province, on July 21.Thirteen institutions will participate in this year’s fair including Cornell University, Vanderbilt University, Emory University, University of Rochester, and University of Southern California. 　The 2018 College Fair and Ivy League Seminar is co-hosted by the Korea International School and the W

Social Affairs July 13, 2018

The latest sexual assault trial session of former South Chungcheong Provincial Gov. An Hee-jung, accused of raping his secretary, was filled with testimonies in favor of the now-disgraced politician.One after another, the witnesses testified that An and the plaintiff had a “seemingly equal” working relationship, and that it was unlikely for An to have abused his professional authority to sexually exploit her.Among those who testified at Wednesday’s trial session were An’s former driver whose las

Social Affairs July 12, 2018

Those in South Korea feel least healthy among the people of Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development countries, although indicators, such as life expectancy at birth and deaths from cancer, show otherwise, a newly released government report showed Thursday.Korea also continued to have the highest suicide rate among OECD states, with the rate having more than doubled since 2000, the report showed.The report, which analyzed the latest OECD Health Statistics, showed that only 32.5 perc

Social Affairs July 12, 2018

A common, off-patent drug that had often been used to treat high blood pressure but which was banned in Korea after it was revealed to contain a chemical that poses a cancer risk has become the center of heated debate among doctors and pharmacists.　　Valsartan is commonly used for heart and high blood pressure medications. It is manufactured in a number of different locations worldwide, and it was recently revealed that those manufactured in China have been contaminated with a potential carcinoge

Social Affairs July 11, 2018

More than 200,000 Koreans signed an online petition asking the presidential office to disallow the upcoming queer parade, which is scheduled to be held in central Seoul on Saturday. 　The petition, which was first filed on June 14, asked the authorities to ban two queer events -- the upcoming parade in Seoul and another event that was held in Daegu on June 23. 　“We are not discriminating against sexual minorities,” the petition reads. “But Seoul City Square belongs to all citizens.” The petitione

Social Affairs July 11, 2018

Almost 20 percent of all Seoulites who used foreign hotel booking sites last year for overseas accommodation were misled, encountering hidden charges and deceptive price claims, according to a Seoul Metropolitan Government report Tuesday.The report came to the conclusion after monitoring seven major booking sites, including Expedia, TripAdvisor, booking.com and hotels.com, among others, as well as surveying consumers in Seoul.The city also found that it is sometimes cheaper to book rooms directl

Social Affairs July 10, 2018

South Korea's Constitutional Court on Tuesday ruled in favor of banning private detective agencies, claiming the existing laws are the only way to protect the privacy of the general public.The unanimous ruling was the court’s response to a complaint filed by an ex-police officer who claimed Article 40 of the Credit Information Use and Protection Act violates the freedom to pursue careers of one‘s choosing.South Korea is currently the only country among the 34 member states of the Organization fo

Social Affairs July 10, 2018