South Korea outperformed in tests that compare educational attainment among 15-year-olds around the world, despite COVID-19 having wrought havoc on global education systems, according to a survey released Tuesday. Program for International Student Assessment is a study of 15-year-old students’ performance in mathematics, reading and science literacy conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Typically conducted every three years, this year’s assessment, f

Social Affairs Dec. 5, 2023

South Korea is set to record the lowest number of first graders entering elementary school next year, signaling the consequences of an apparent demographic crisis driven by the world’s lowest birth rate. According to local reports quoting the statistics agency's birth rate data, fewer than 400,000 children are expected to enter elementary school next year. This will be the first time the number has dropped below 400,000 since the agency started compiling data. This comes amid a sharp decli

Social Affairs Dec. 3, 2023

An online threat claiming a bomb had been sent to Yonsei University in Seoul sparked a midnight scramble for police and firefighters, resulting in the evacuation of some 100 people on campus. Police received a report at 11:38 p.m. Wednesday of an online post that claimed a package carrying a bomb would be delivered to the campus, according to Seodaemun Police Station and Seodaemun Fire Department on Thursday. The post had been uploaded at around 10 p.m. on the bulletin board for Yonsei Universit

Social Affairs Nov. 30, 2023

Using an AI-powered IoT system and blockchain technology, Thekie aims to create a future where users can voluntarily participate in reducing energy usage and strengthening environmental sustainability. Developed with its own solutions, the carbon credit market platform Lucia allows users to trade and offset carbon credits. Blockchain-implicated carbon credits assure transparency, providing secure and reliable trading. Users can also explore and participate in diverse crowdfunding that contribu

Social Affairs Nov. 29, 2023

Daehan E&C is a company with over 25 years of experience in environmental technology, tackling the issue of improperly managed waste by turning it into usable energy. “Many countries still do not manage their waste properly, and most of it ends up in landfills. In this process, the waste decays and produces methane gas, which is a major contributor to global warming,” the firm said. The company provides facilities that convert waste into high-quality alternative fuel called Refus

Social Affairs Nov. 29, 2023

Korean company Blakstone utilizes smart sensors to tackle the problem of rising temperatures in “heat islands.” Heat islands refer to urban areas that experience higher temperatures than its surrounding regions. As urban structures such as buildings, roads and other infrastructure absorb and re-emit the sun’s heat more than natural landscapes, cities are prone to becoming “islands” of higher temperatures relative to outlying areas. Blakstone’s Clean Road Syste

Social Affairs Nov. 29, 2023

The Ministry of Health and Welfare rejected a request to devise guidelines of hospitalization for transgender people, said the state human rights watchdog. The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) announced on Tuesday that the Health Ministry failed to give clear answers on how the country will accommodate trans patients. Under current medical law, patient rooms are operated separately for men and women. The human rights group pointed out that this puts trans and nonbinary people in

Social Affairs Nov. 28, 2023

One in 8 commercial flights entering South Korea was found to be contaminated with pathogens that cause intestinal infectious diseases, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said Monday. The pathogens were detected through hygiene inspections on 58 out of 493 direct international flights from July 31 to Nov. 14 this year, according to the agency. Among the pathogens detected was E. coli, which causes diarrhea. Transmitted by food or water contaminated with animal or human feces,

Social Affairs Nov. 27, 2023

진행자: 최정윤, Naomi Ng 1. Choosing children over career: Fatherhood changing in modern Korea 기사 요약: 커리어 대신 양육을 우선시하는 한국 아빠들의 바뀐 모습 Men’s gradual pivot to parenting comes in line with women’s career progress, past paternal trauma, experts say [1] A 37-year-old executive at a tech startup in Seoul surnamed Choi made what seemed a bold decision after welcoming the birth of his first child two years ago: he took three months of paternity leave. *paternity leave: 남자의 출산 휴가 (maternity leave

Podcast Nov. 23, 2023

RM, Jimin, Jungkook and V of South Korean mega group BTS have started their military enlistment process, BTS' label, BigHit Music, announced Tuesday. According to the company, the group's remaining four musicians have undertaken procedures to fulfill their national service obligations, following the other three members, Jin, Suga and J-Hope, who are already serving their duties. Specific details on the enrollment are expected to be announced later. All men of South Korean nationality a

K-pop Nov. 22, 2023

The Supreme Court on Thursday confirmed the 1-year prison sentence given to President Yoon Suk Yeol's mother-in-law, and rejected her application for bail. Yoon's mother-in-law, Choi Eun-soon, 76, was detained in July on charges of forging a financial document to purchase real estate in the Dochon-dong neighborhood of Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province in 2013. Choi also falsified bank balance records on four separate occasions to indicate that she had 34.9 billion won ($26.7 million) in depo

Social Affairs Nov. 16, 2023

A fodder plant in the southwestern city of Suncheon, South Jeolla Province, exploded Sunday, killing two, including a foreign worker. According to the Suncheon Fire Department, the explosion occurred at 3:19 p.m., killing two welders. One of the victims is a 50-year-old Thai national. Following the accident, eight rescue and emergency vehicles were dispatched to the scene, while the National Institute of Forensic Science is now conducting an on-site investigation. Police and fire authorities hav

Social Affairs Oct. 22, 2023

진행자: 최정윤, Naomi Ng 1. Seoul to add more public trash cans by 2025 기사 요약: 길거리의 쓰레기통이 부족하다는 불만이 지속적으로 제기되자 서울시에선 2,500여 가량의 쓰레기통 추가 설치 계획을 발표. [1] The city of Seoul said Thursday that it will add over 2,500 new trash bins on the streets by 2025. The difficulty in disposing of trash in public spaces has been among the most common complaints from foreign visitors to the capital, as well as residents. Across Seoul, a city of some 10 million residents, there are currently fewer than 5,000 trash can

Podcast Oct. 19, 2023

진행자: 최정윤, Beth Eunhee Hong 1.Korea to enforce public release of mugshots, identities of those who commit serious crimes 기사 요약: 중대범죄 피의자의 머그샷을 공개할 수 있도록 하는 ‘머그샷 법’이 국회에 통과됨에 따라 피의자의 최근 사진이 공개됨. [1] South Korea's parliament on Friday passed a bill that will allow law enforcement to release the mugshots of suspects arrested for serious crimes without their consent. *enforcement: (법률 등의) 집행/ 강요하다, 집행하다 *mugshot: 범인 식별용 얼굴 사진 *consent: 동의 [2] The passage of the law will create l

Podcast Oct. 12, 2023

진행자: 최정윤, Beth Eunhee Hong 1. What drove Korea's once-revered teachers to despair? 요약: 논란이 계속 되고 있는 교사들의 교권 침해, 무엇이 한 때 존경 받던 선생님들을 절망으로 몰아 넣었나 [1] For Kim, a retired teacher in her late 60s, teaching was one of the greatest gifts of her life. Recalling students’ laughter and small parties in classrooms celebrating Teachers’ Day every year, she was a teacher who was revered and appreciated by both students and parents. *despair: 절망/ 체념하다 *revere: 숭배하다, 존경하다 (respect, admire, th

Podcast Sept. 21, 2023