Seoul City to offer glimpse of Nodeulseom's makeover

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that it will hold an open panel discussion to explore ways to transform Nodeulseom, a small artificial islet on the Han River, into a popular destination for Seoul residents. The event, titled "Let's Nodeul," is set to take place at the Nodeulseom Live House on Friday at 10 a.m. All Seoul residents are invited to present their ideas for improving Nodeulseom, according to a statement from the Seoul municipal government. Joining the panel

Social AffairsSept. 11, 2023

Brazil hopes to realize undertakings with Korea

Brazil's Ambassador to Korea Marcia Donner Abreu hoped to realize common undertakings with Korea, as they celebrated the 201st anniversary of Brazilian independence on Sept. 6. Brazil gained independence from Portugal on Sept. 7, 1822. Expressing her hopes for deeper cooperation and the establishment of a Brazil-Korea Strategic Partnership next year, Abreu cited the establishment of Korean companies in Brazil drawn by the vast domestic market and abundant natural resources, making Brazil th

Foreign AffairsSept. 11, 2023

Sex discrimination still widespread issue in S. Korean workplace: survey

South Korean women face widespread sex discrimination in the workplace, experiencing inappropriate comments or remarks three to four times more frequently than men, a new survey found. The survey, conducted online by Embrain Public on behalf of nonprofits Gapjil 119 and the Beautiful Foundation Aug. 2-10, was of 1,000 working adults, including 435 women. Of the respondents, 55.9 percent of women reported being addressed or referred to in inappropriate terms, a rate 4.5 times higher than that of

Social AffairsSept. 11, 2023

[Photo News] NET ZERO 2050

Officials, industry leaders and stakeholders from the Korean-German energy sector pose for photos at a forum held on offshore wind energy in Seoul, Friday. Discussing offshore wind auction design, ramping up the supply chain to support offshore wind at scale and optimizing the grid for offshore wind deployment, experts underlined the common vision of Korea and Germany for technological innovation, sustainable energy transition and offshore wind energy’s role in ensuring a stable energy sup

Foreign AffairsSept. 11, 2023

Monthly Seoul transit pass to launch in 2024

An all-inclusive, rechargeable monthly transit pass will be introduced in Seoul from January 2024 at a price of 65,000 won ($49), said Seoul Metropolitan Government on Monday. Transit pass holders will have unlimited access to Seoul’s subway and bus lines, as well as bicycle-sharing services. Called “Climate Card,” the city government designed the pass to help alleviate increasing living and transit costs, and encourage public transportation usage to cut greenhouse gas emission

Social AffairsSept. 11, 2023

Unregistered 4-year-old found near body suspected to be his mother

A 4-year-old boy found last week near the lifeless body of a woman at a home in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, was not registered in official documents, sparking further concerns over loopholes in the nation’s birth registration system. According to the Jeonbuk Provincial Police Agency on Monday, the child, whose name was withheld, was found lying unconscious at around 9:55 a.m. on Friday in a low-rise apartment unit in Jeonju. Near him was the body of a 41-year-old woman thought to be his

Social AffairsSept. 11, 2023

Woman accused of attempting to murder acquaintance met online

A woman in her 20s has been arrested on charges of attempted murder, after she allegedly attacked with a knife an acquaintance who blocked her online. According to Seoul Dongdaemun Police Station, the 24-year-old suspect allegedly stabbed the 27-year-old victim on Friday. The victim sustained injuries to her back and hands, and the suspect was apprehended later the same day. The attack is said to have been motivated by the victim having blocked the suspect on social media after the two had a fal

Social AffairsSept. 11, 2023

Opposition demands Yoon sack entire Cabinet

The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea on Monday demanded that President Yoon Suk Yeol replace his entire Cabinet, starting with Minister of National Defense Lee Jong-sup, who the party is accusing of being behind the alleged cover-up of the death of a marine soldier in July. Rep. Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party’s chair who is on day 12 of his hunger strike against what he calls “Yoon's tyranny,” said in a statement released Monday that the president, by refusin

PoliticsSept. 11, 2023

Kim departs for potential summit with Putin

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has embarked on a train journey on Monday, government sources confirmed to The Korea Herald, strongly indicating the possibility of a forthcoming meeting with President Vladimir Putin in Russia. The move comes amid blistering criticism of talks between the two leaders on arms trade, which has raised concerns about potential support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The armored train, presumably carrying Kim, was slowly advancing toward the northeastern border

North KoreaSept. 11, 2023

S. Korea plans to send quake aid for Morocco

South Korea is planning to send aid to help Morocco recover from its deadliest earthquake in more than six decades, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Monday, a day after President Yoon Suk Yeol spoke of supporting the North African kingdom. “We will provide aid matching our status on the international stage,” a senior Foreign Ministry official said in a statement, adding the government first needs to see what kind of support Morocco wants, including a team of relief workers. The 6

Foreign AffairsSept. 11, 2023

Ministry aims to reduce household private education expenses by 7% this year

The Ministry of Education has set the goal of reducing household spending on private education by 6.9 percent to 24.2 trillion won ($18.15 billion) this year, from last year’s record high of 26 trillion won, according to a plan submitted to the National Assembly. “(The ministry) is currently making efforts to reduce (households’) expenses on private education, and such initiatives will be pushed ahead in the latter half of this year and the first half of this year. … The

Social AffairsSept. 11, 2023

[Bills in Focus] Fair practices in e-commerce, legal grounds for carbon capture tech

Proposed bill: Act on Protection of Digital Service Users Proposed by Rep. Jung Pil-mo (Democratic Party of Korea) ● The rapid advancement of digital services has led to new forms of user rights infringement, highlighting the need for a new act to protect the rights of digital service users. This bill requires business operators planning to deliver personalized services to clearly inform users about how their browsing and search history is used. It also requires digital service providers that us

PoliticsSept. 11, 2023

Yoon likely to reshuffle Cabinet this week

President Yoon Suk Yeol is likely to carry out a Cabinet reshuffle upon his return to South Korea following his weeklong trip to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Indonesia and Group of 20 summit in India. According to sources from the presidential office, Yoon, who arrived at the Seoul Air Base at around 6 a.m. Monday, is set to revamp the Cabinet later this week. Yoon is mulling tapping Rep. Shin Won-sik of the ruling People Power Party for defense minister, according

Social AffairsSept. 11, 2023

S. Korean, Russian foreign ministers discuss bilateral ties, regional security

The top diplomats of South Korea and Russia held consultations to discuss regional security on the Korean Peninsula and other pending bilateral issues, Seoul's foreign ministry said Monday. Foreign Minister Park Jin and his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, met on the sidelines of the Group of 20 meeting in India on Sunday amid speculation North Korean leader Kim Jong-un could visit Vladivostok to meet President Vladimir Putin this week for a potential arms deal. At their meeting, Park st

Foreign AffairsSept. 11, 2023

Deputy nat'l security adviser departs for Britain for cybersecurity, defense talks

Second Deputy National Security Adviser Lim Jong-deuk departed for Britain on Monday to discuss cooperation in the cybersecurity and defense sectors, according to the Office of National Security. During his six-day visit to London, Lim plans to hold meetings with ranking officials in the defense, foreign and national security sectors, as the two countries prepare to mark the 140th anniversary of diplomatic ties. "We expect his visit to Britain will strengthen cybersecurity cooperation and a

PoliticsSept. 11, 2023

Yoon's approval inches up to 36.7 pct on overseas trip assessment

President Yoon Suk Yeol's approval rating inched up to 36.7 percent, primarily due to positive public assessments of his recent overseas trip to attend summits involving the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the Group of 20, according to a poll Monday. In the survey of 2,515 eligible voters conducted by Realmeter from Monday to Friday last week, the positive assessment of Yoon's performance increased by 1.3 percentage points from the previous week, while disapproval of Yoon�

PoliticsSept. 11, 2023

N. Korean leader has photo session with paramilitary parade participants

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has had a photo session with participants of a paramilitary parade to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the country's founding, state media said Monday, amid speculation about his possible trip to Russia for talks with President Vladimir Putin. In the photo shoot session held Sunday, Kim called the parade a "powerful demonstration of the invincible spirit of socialist Korea" in a march to "achieve the great cause of building a powerful nation,&

North KoreaSept. 11, 2023

Yoon returns home from trip to Indonesia, India

President Yoon Suk Yeol returned home Monday after visiting Indonesia and India to attend summits involving the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the Group of 20. Yoon traveled to Jakarta on the first leg of the trip to attend a South Korea-ASEAN summit, an ASEAN Plus Three summit and an East Asia Summit, demonstrating his commitment to strengthening ties with the 10 ASEAN member states and the wider Indo-Pacific region. From Jakarta, Yoon traveled to New Delhi, where he attended the G2

PoliticsSept. 11, 2023

Yoon meets with leaders of Italy, Germany, Mauritius

NEW DELHI -- South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol held a series of bilateral meetings with the leaders of Italy, Germany and Mauritius on Sunday as he sought to expand cooperation and win support for South Korea's bid to host the 2030 World Expo in Busan. During his meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, which was held on the sidelines of a Group of 20 summit in New Delhi, Yoon asked for Italy's cooperation on their competition to bring the Expo to their respective countri

Foreign AffairsSept. 10, 2023

Yoon, Modi agree to boost cooperation in defense, space

NEW DELHI -- President Yoon Suk Yeol and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed Sunday to boost cooperation in defense and space as the two countries look to strengthen strategic ties in the Indo-Pacific region. The two leaders reached the agreement during a bilateral meeting, which was held on the sidelines of a Group of 20 summit in New Delhi and coincided with the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between South Korea and India. Yoon and Modi agreed to continue

Foreign AffairsSept. 10, 2023