More waste sorting in Korea: Will it help?

With the government mandating the separate disposal of paper beverage cartons from October, critics wonder whether the new policy will effectively raise the recycling rate or make recycling more tedious for residents. On Oct. 1, South Korea began voluntary implementation of the new recycling policy that requires separating paper beverage cartons from other recyclable paper. The policy will be mandatory from Jan. 1, 2027, at apartment complexes with 300 or more households, covering about 144,000

2026-10-08 15:04:21:00

Regional hospital crisis deepens in Korea as staffing shortages persist

Korea’s push to rebuild medical care outside the capital faces a persistent challenge — regional hospitals have struggled to restore services disrupted by the government-doctor standoff, while training new specialists will take years. Data released Tuesday showed average bed occupancy at nine national university hospitals outside the Seoul area remained at 56.4 percent in 2025, unchanged from 2024 and well below 73.6 percent in 2023. Surgical volumes also remained sharply below pre-dispute level

2026-10-07 12:07:31:00

Active social media use linked to loneliness among seniors: study

Active use of social media may have a bigger impact on the loneliness of those aged at least 60, a South Korean study has found. A statistically significant correlation was found between social media use and the tendency to feel lonely in this age group, according to research led by Min Kyoung-bok, a professor of preventive medicine at Seoul National University College of Medicine. Min’s team analyzed data from 34,142 Seoul residents aged 20 and older, collected through the 2024 Seoul Survey. Th

2026-10-05 15:13:42:00

Minors including babies, toddlers held in Korea’s immigration detention

Seventeen foreign nationals under the age of 18 were being held in immigration detention facilities in Korea as of August, raising concerns over their health and rights, according to a lawmaker’s office. According to the office of Rep. Park Eun-jung of the Rebuilding Korea Party, eight foreign nationals under the age of 18 were being held at the Foreigners’ Protection Center in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, while another nine were being held at a center in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province. Th

2026-10-05 14:05:43:00

Vanishing bus routes leave travelers taking the long way

Jeong, a woman in her 60s, once had a direct bus for her trips from Yongin to Ulsan. Now she travels more than an hour to Seoul to catch a train — if she can get a ticket. The bus service between the two cities ended during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jeong, who makes the trip several times a year, said reduced services from nearby cities have left her with few convenient alternatives. “Trains are often sold out on weekends, even when I try to book three weeks in advance,” she said. “People going to

2026-09-28 11:39:17:00

Bar to get mental illness accepted as work-related appears to be rising

Applicaitons to have mental health problems recognized as work-related are increasingly likely to be turned down by the South Korean government, government data shows. According to Rep. Park Jee-hye of the Democratic Party of Korea on Wednesday, the rate at which mental health problems were recognized as work-related illnesses by the Korea Workers’ Compensation and Welfare Service fell consistently over the past four years, from 70.5 percent to 55.8 percent. Despite an increase in applications f

2026-09-23 12:41:34:00

Foreign-national children should qualify for childcare support: report

Foreign-national children are largely excluded from South Korea's national childcare subsidies. This leaves immigrant families to depend on a patchwork of local programs even as the country seeks to encourage foreign residents to settle long term. The Korea Women’s Development Institute has called on the central government to establish a nationwide childcare support system for immigrant families, citing wide regional disparities and the long-term social costs of leaving children without adequate

2026-09-22 14:43:26:00

Adverse events from growth hormone shots hit new high amid rising prescriptions

Reports of adverse events following growth hormone injections in children approached 2,000 in Korea last year as use of the drugs continued to increase, government data cited by a lawmaker showed Monday. The number of reports rose from 1,189 in 2021 to 1,910 in 2025, according to Ministry of Food and Drug Safety data obtained by Rep. Heo Jong-sik of the Democratic Party of Korea. The figures do not establish that growth hormone injections caused the reported conditions. An adverse event report r

2026-09-22 07:00:00:00

Suicide among top causes of int'l student deaths in Korea

Suicide accounted for nearly one in five deaths among international students in Korea since 2021, Education Ministry data showed Monday. Fifteen international students died by suicide out of 84 who died while studying in Korea during the period, according to data obtained by Rep. Kim Moon-soo of the Democratic Party of Korea. The figures were compiled through a ministry survey of more than 350 universities nationwide. Accidents were the leading cause of death, accounting for 34 cases, followed b

2026-09-21 14:27:41:00

Parental leave benefits paid to foreign nationals double in 2025: lawmaker

Data showed Sunday that the amount of parental leave benefits paid to foreign nationals in South Korea has doubled in a year, indicating that more foreign workers are putting down roots and raising families here rather than coming solely for short-term employment. According to Ministry of Employment and Labor data cited by Rep. Park Soo-min of the People Power Party, a total of 36.45 billion won ($26.2 million) was paid to foreign nationals in parental leave benefits in 2025, more than double th

2026-09-20 17:18:56:00