[팟캐스트] (620) 추석 연휴에도 쉬지 못하는 한국인들

진행자: 김혜연, Paul Kerry 1 in 4 Korean workers extend Chuseok holiday with paid leave: survey 기사 요약: 명절에도 쉬지 못하는 한국인들, 4명 중 1명만이 추석 연휴 기간 중 유급휴가 [1] Chuseok is one of South Korea’s two biggest traditional holidays, bringing families together under the full moon to wish for a bountiful harvest and honor ancestors. But for hardworking ordinary people in Korea, the holiday's true significance perhaps lies in the rare opportunity it offers for people to escape the daily grind of their jobs.

PodcastSept. 19, 2024

[Graphic News] Soaring rent in Seoul’s university areas strains students

Rampant rental deposit fraud and high loan interest rates are driving university students to opt for paying monthly rent instead of lumpsum “jeonse” deposits for leased housing. However, with a surge in the monthly rent due to limited property availability in university areas and more demand, students are facing significant financial pressure. As of July 2024, real estate big data from Dabang shows the average monthly rent in major university areas in Seoul has risen to 608,000 won

Social AffairsSept. 19, 2024

[Frank Pasquale] Industrial policy for the real world:

Google CEO Sundar Pichai has characterized AI as “the most profound technology humanity is working on. More profound than fire, electricity, or anything that we have done in the past." The hype around “existential risk” in AI follows a similar narrative, analogizing it to Oppenheimer’s atomic bomb. Such grand pronouncements have stirred many a corporate board and government agency to develop AI deployment plans. The problem, though, is that it’s not yet clear i

ViewpointsSept. 19, 2024

4th case of lumpy skin disease confirmed in S. Korea

South Korea reported its fourth case of lumpy skin disease in cattle this year, the agriculture ministry said Wednesday. The case was confirmed at a livestock farm in Yeoju, 66 kilometers southeast of Seoul, breeding 116 cows, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. It is the fourth LSD case confirmed in South Korea since the first outbreak at a livestock farm in Anseong, some 65 kilometers south of Seoul, on Aug. 12. To prevent further infections, the government has co

Social AffairsSept. 18, 2024

MBK Partners says no plan to sell Korea Zinc to China

Private equity firm MBK Partners said Wednesday it has no plans to sell Korea Zinc Inc. to China after acquiring a stake in the world's largest zinc smelter. MBK Partners announced last week that it will acquire shares in Korea Zinc through a tender offer, aiming to secure a 15 percent stake in the company with a budget of 2 trillion won ($1.5 billion). The equity firm said the share purchase was agreed upon with Young Poong, the largest shareholder of Korea Zinc, which holds a 33 percent s

IndustrySept. 18, 2024

Ukrainian drones strike a large military depot in a Russian town northwest of Moscow

Ukrainian drones struck a large military depot in a town deep inside Russia overnight, causing a huge blaze and prompting the evacuation of some local residents, a Ukrainian official and Russian news reports said Wednesday. Meanwhile, a senior US diplomat said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s recently announced -- but still confidential -- plan for winning the war “can work” and help end the conflict that is now in its third year. Ukraine claimed the strike destro

World NewsSept. 18, 2024

N. Korea again sends suspected trash balloons toward S. Korea: JCS

North Korea has launched balloons likely carrying trash toward South Korea, the South's military said Wednesday. "North Korea is once again launching balloons likely carrying trash directed towards the South," the Joint Chiefs of Staff said, noting the balloons could travel toward the northern part of Gyeonggi Province, and the Seoul metropolitan area. Citizens are advised not to touch any balloons if found. Instead, the JCS urged people to report sightings to the nearest military

North KoreaSept. 18, 2024

Heat wave warning issued for Seoul in latest-ever Sept. alert

A heat wave warning was issued for all parts of Seoul during the Chuseok holiday Wednesday, marking the latest-ever red alert in September, weather authorities said. Seoul was put under a heat warning, after a heat advisory was upgraded to a heat warning in the southwest 10 a.m., followed by the rest of the capital city at 2 p.m., according to the Korea Meteorological Administration. This was the latest heat warning ever issued in Seoul in September since the introduction of the heat warning sys

Social AffairsSept. 18, 2024

Exports of instant noodles surpass $800m in Jan.-Aug.

South Korea's exports of instant noodles, also known as ramyeon, were estimated to have reached $800 million in the first eight months of this year, data showed Wednesday. The figure represents a 31.7 percent hike from the January-August period of last year, according to data compiled by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. By country, outbound shipments to China grew 26.9 percent on-year to $160 million and exports to the United States jumped 61.5 percent to $140 million, m

ConsumerSept. 18, 2024

USFK commander nominee says 28,500 American troops in S. Korea are 'essential'

Maintaining 28,500 American troops in South Korea is "essential," the nominee for US Forces Korea commander has said, amid concerns that former President Donald Trump could weigh a USFK troop reduction should he return to the White House. Lt. Gen. Xavier Brunson staked out his position in written answers to lawmakers' questions ahead of his Senate confirmation hearing on Tuesday. If confirmed, he would lead the South Korea-US Combined Forces Command, United Nations Command and USF

DefenseSept. 18, 2024

N. Korea apparently modifying Russian plane to possibly build airborne warning aircraft

North Korea appears to be making progress in converting a Russian heavy transport plane into what could be the country's first airborne early warning platform, a report showed Wednesday, citing commercial satellite imagery. Joseph Dempsey, a research associate at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, made the analysis based on recent satellite imagery taken of the Ilyushin Il-76 aircraft at the Pyongyang Sunan International Airport. In the report, Dempsey identified the aircraf

North KoreaSept. 18, 2024

Quarrel over faulty investment leads to attempted murder

The Seoul High Court said recently it upheld a six-year prison term for a 67-year-old North Korean defector for the attempted murder of another defector over a faulty investment opportunity. A defendant was found guilty of attempted murder, after he stabbed the 70-year-old victim nine times and assaulted him with his fist at 11:40 p.m. on Nov. 14. The court turned down his claim of not intending to murder the victim, pointing out that he called the police after the crime and said he had "ju

Social AffairsSept. 18, 2024

Ex-Premier Leaguer Lingard apologizes for unlicensed e-scooter riding

FC Seoul’s soccer player Jesse Lingard posted an apology Tuesday for riding an electric scooter without having a driver’s license or wearing a helmet. Lingard revealed a video on his Instagram story with the caption “Safety first always,” where he said “Obviously I was on an e-scooter yesterday, I was driving around for a couple of minutes on an e-scooter. The policy, you know, I didn’t know the rules of the policy of wearing a helmet, of having a license as w

SoccerSept. 18, 2024

Man jailed for deepfake porn seeks state compensation after acquittal

A man whose conviction for making deepfake pornography of an acquaintance was overturned is now seeking state compensation for his legal fees, local media outlets reported Wednesday. The former university student surnamed Lee recently requested the Seoul High Court to compensate him for his losses from the conviction. Although he did actually make the images, he was cleared by the Supreme Court in April 2024, partly because the relevant legislation was not in place at the time of his actions. Le

Social AffairsSept. 18, 2024

[Off the Pages] German bestseller gets new twist in ‘Snow White Must Die -- Black Out’

German mystery crime writer Nele Neuhaus’ 2010 international bestseller “Snow White Must Die” is getting a fresh take as the Korean drama series “Snow White Must Die -- Black Out,” kicked off Aug. 16. The fourth installment of Neuhaus’ series set in the Taunus region near Frankfurt sold more than 3.5 million copies globally and had its German TV adaptation in 2013. Now just five episodes away from its finale, the MBC series is gaining momentum with its latest

BooksSept. 18, 2024

[Bills in Focus] Streamlining construction, promoting ESG compliance

Proposed Bill: Act on Special Cases Concerning the Promotion of Reconstruction and Redevelopment Projects Proposed by Rep. Kim Eun-hye (People Power Party) ● Rising construction costs and complex authorization procedures have caused delays in housing provision. To accelerate the completion of reconstruction and redevelopment projects and accommodate the growing demand for housing in city centers, this bill streamlines approval procedures, offers mediation support for construction cost disputes,

PoliticsSept. 18, 2024

15% of unmarried people won't disclose assets to future spouses: survey

Some unmarried South Koreans do not plan on revealing their entire fortune to their soon-to-be spouses, a recent survey by a matchmaking firm showed Tuesday. According to the survey by Gayeon conducted on 250 unmarried men and 250 unmarried women between 25-39 years of age, 15 percent of respondents said they would not disclose 100 percent of their assets. The most popular reason (49.3 percent) was "even spouses need some secrets," followed by "I might need emergency funds only fo

Social AffairsSept. 18, 2024

W624b spent on corporate cards for 'lavish entertainment' in S.Korea

South Korea’s high-end entertainment industry marked 624 billion won ($469 million) in sales with corporate credit cards last year, with over half spent in hostess clubs. The sales, supposedly generated for entertainment in business dealings, increased by 61 billion won from the previous year’s 563 billion won and accounted for 0.4 percent of total corporate credit card expenditure, according to the South Korean National Tax Service data submitted to Rep. Park Seong-hoon of the rulin

Social AffairsSept. 18, 2024

Fintech rivals K bank, Toss gear up for IPOs

South Korea’s online banking firm K bank is gearing up for what could be one of the biggest market debuts this year, while its crosstown rival Toss seeks to follow suit in 2025. The country's first internet-only lender K bank is taking the final steps for its listing on the benchmark Kospi at the end of October. K bank said on Sept. 13 it filed a securities registration statement with the Financial Services Commission for review. It plans to offer 82 million new shares, with a target

IndustrySept. 18, 2024