Articles by Lee Jaeeun
Lee Jaeeun
jenn@heraldcorp.com-
Seoul to make all public facilities earthquake-resistant by 2030
The Seoul Metropolitan Government on Sunday announced its plan to complete seismic reinforcement of all public facilities by 2030. The "Comprehensive Plan on Earthquake Disaster Prevention" is a response to public concerns about the nation's earthquake preparedness, particularly in the aftermath of the recent powerful and fatal earthquakes in western Japan, according to the Seoul city government. Under the plan, the Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to raise the percentage of 2,
Social Affairs Jan. 7, 2024
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[Weekender] Savor the season: Indulge in Korean winter delicacies
Winter in South Korea means withstanding severe cold. At the same time, it also means stuffing yourself with the delicious Korean winter foods that are in season. Korea is renowned for its four distinct seasons. And each of those seasons features a different set of foods taking the spotlight. In winter, three of Korea's most popular kinds of seafood take center stage -- gwamegi, yellowtail and oysters. Other seasonal delicacies include red bean porridge and even citrus fruit. Many Koreans
weekender Jan. 6, 2024
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Verdict upheld against disclosing names of deadbeat dads
The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a guilty sentence for the operator of a website that discloses the names of uncooperative parents refusing to pay child support. The Supreme Court found Koo Bon-chang, 61, who runs the name-and-shame website Bad Fathers, guilty of naming and publicly sharing personal information, such as the name, facial picture, age, residence and workplace, of men and women accused by their former partners or spouses of refusing to pay child support. The court upheld the se
Social Affairs Jan. 4, 2024
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New minimum wage set at 9,860 won
Korea's new minimum wage took effect Monday, increasing to 9,860 won ($7.60) per hour, which is equivalent to about 2.1 million won a month, based on a 40-hour workweek. The new minimum wage level increased by 240 won compared to 2023's level of 9,620 won per hour, corresponding to a daily wage of 78,880 won and a monthly wage of nearly 2.07 million won, based on the same measure. The 2023 figure monthly wage was equivalent to about two-thirds of South Korea's average salary of 3.
Social Affairs Jan. 2, 2024
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E-9 visa holders to be able to work in hotels starting next year
Foreign workers with E-9 visas will be able to legally work at hotels and rented overnight accommodations across South Korea starting in 2024, officials said Friday, as the government seeks to tackle labor shortages in major industries. Previously, E-9 visa holders could only work in the agriculture, fishing, manufacturing and construction sectors. The visa is issued for migrant workers wanting to engage in jobs that require manual or nonprofessional labor. The announcement came after a foreign
Social Affairs Dec. 29, 2023
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Seoul to increase AI-backed surveillance to prevent crime
More artificial intelligence-backed surveillance cameras will be installed in Seoul to prevent and deter crime, Seoul city officials said Thursday. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said it will install extra closed-circuit television cameras equipped with artificial intelligence technology in public parks and along hiking trails throughout the capital to reduce crime blind spots. Those cameras use AI technology to detect movements such as wandering, falling or even assault, and automatically tr
Social Affairs Dec. 28, 2023
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Seoul’s New Year’s bell-tolling ceremony to feature ‘Midnight Sun’ installation
The Seoul city government announced Thursday that this year's bell-tolling ceremony on New Year's Eve will feature the installation of a 12-meter-radius artificial sun in downtown Seoul to mark the new year. Right after the bell rings 33 times at midnight on Dec. 31, the orb, which is described as a sun-shaped structure, will be lifted 15 meters into the air to signify the rise of a new dawn. Weighing about 2.5 metric tons, the orb will emit light for three minutes, illuminating the ni
Social Affairs Dec. 28, 2023
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Gender gap at work improving, albeit slowly
The gender gap at South Korean workplaces has shown signs of narrowing over the past decade, signaling that the country might be breaking away from the long-standing division of labor between the sexes and outdated stereotypes toward women who work. The gender gap in the employment rate has narrowed slightly from 22.5 percentage points in 2012 to 18.6 percentage points last year, according to the 2023 Women’s Participation in Economic Activities White Paper, jointly published by the Minist
Social Affairs Dec. 27, 2023
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Govt. pays out most for whistleblowers in 2023
The state anti-corruption agency on Tuesday announced that it recorded the highest ever amount in rewards provided to those who reported corrupt officials or companies in 2023. The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission said it disbursed some 4.243 billion won ($3.273 million) as rewards to whistleblowers whose reports led directly to recovery or increase in public institution revenue in 2023, marking a 40 percent increase from the previous year. This annual figure represents the highest am
Social Affairs Dec. 26, 2023
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Not just pay, SME workers lag behind in benefits, too
The welfare benefits offered to employees at small to medium companies were around one-third of those provided by major corporations last year, amid widening gaps between the two groups, government data showed Monday. Smaller companies with less than 300 employees provided nonstatutory welfare benefits, also called fringe benefits, averaging 136,900 won ($105) per month as of the end of last year, according to data compiled in a report called "Corporate Labor Cost Survey for the 2022 Fiscal
Social Affairs Dec. 25, 2023
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Moroccan marvels: Dive into North Africa's diverse cultural heritage
RABAT, Morocco — The Kingdom of Morocco is expanding its presence in South Korea's travel market as tourists seek new destinations for travel from Korea. Morocco presents itself as a richly diverse "melting pot" in terms of beliefs, ethnic groups and ways of life. The country is located on the African continent, but only one hour away from southern Spain by ferry, spanning from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea, bordered by Mauritania and Algeria. Due to its strategic positio
Travel Dec. 23, 2023
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Seoul holds first-ever gathering of global influencers
The Seoul city government said Thursday it will host 2023 Seoul Con together with Seoul Business Agency from Dec. 30 to Jan. 1, 2024. Seoul Con is billed as the world’s first-ever convention for social media influencers. Taking place at Dongdaemun Design Plaza, a whopping 3,000 groups representing 50 countries, are to participate in the Seoul Con in its first year, according to city officials. The Seoul Metropolitan Government hopes to promote Seoul through YouTube and TikTok to boost the
Social Affairs Dec. 21, 2023
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Seoul invites 18 special guests to ring in new year
The Seoul city government on Wednesday announced a list of 18 people who will join the city‘s bell-tolling ceremony on New Year’s Eve. The 12 civic bell ringers, selected by the city as “People of the Year,” include 18-year-old Yoon Do-il, who risked his life to help others when a knife attack occurred at Seohyeon station in Bundang, Gyeonggi Province, in August; Park Sang-woo, a radiology technologist who performed CPR on a person who had collapsed in an Itaewon alley fo
Social Affairs Dec. 20, 2023
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Korea to offer up to W39m for parental leave
The South Korean government has decided to expand financial support for working parents so that both can take parental leave starting next year, as part of efforts to boost the country's dwindling birth rate, according to the Labor Ministry. The Ministry of Employment and Labor announced that the government approved a revised Employment Insurance Act reflecting expanded parental benefits at a Cabinet meeting Tuesday. Under the revised law, set to go into effect on Jan. 1, working parents wi
Social Affairs Dec. 19, 2023
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College probed for allegedly forcing repatriation of Uzbek students
The National Human Rights Commission of Korea announced Monday that it has initiated an investigation into Hanshin University in Osan, Gyeonggi Province, after claims that the university's staff forced 23 students from Uzbekistan to leave Korea. The NHRCK received a petition, lodged by the husband of one of the students, about the incident and referred it to the relevant department on Dec. 11. "The investigation has just begun," an official from the NHRCK said Monday. The commis
Social Affairs Dec. 18, 2023
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