Korean students outperform OECD average amid pandemic havoc: data

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

Dec. 5, 2023

Requirements for zoo licenses set to be toughened

The Ministry of Environment said on Tuesday that the ministry will toughen requirements for zoo and aquarium licenses as part of efforts to ensure the welfare of animals at these facilities. According to an amendment to the Act on the Management of Zoos and Aquariums approved by the Cabinet on Tuesday, facilities must go through a separate licensing system following the requirements set by the ministry to operate as zoos and aquariums. To be licensed as a zoo or aquarium, the facilities must pro

Dec. 5, 2023

Warmer winter temperatures expected this week

Temperatures are expected to become warmer this week compared to previous years, the Korea Meteorological Administration said Tuesday. “Over Tuesday and Wednesday, temperatures are expected to reach up to 12 degrees Celsius in Seoul,” said a KMA official. On average, low temperatures in South Korea were expected to reach up to 6 C on Tuesday morning, with high temperatures expected to rise to 16 C. Normally, temperatures at this time of the year are colder, with lows of around 4 C an

Dec. 5, 2023

South Korea unveils plan to tackle ailing mental health

South Korea on Tuesday rolled out a comprehensive plan to offer mental health checkups every two years for young Koreans aged 20 to 34 and other counseling services tailored to all age groups, in the first-ever detailed state policy aimed at tackling the country’s consistently high suicide rates. Korea has recorded the highest suicide rate among member nations of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development for almost 20 years, with 25.2 deaths per 100,000 people in 2022, more

Dec. 5, 2023

Drunk driver who killed father of two gets 10 years

A 49-year-old has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for killing a man in a drink driving incident, exceeding the Supreme Court's sentencing guidelines. The Incheon District Court on Tuesday handed down the sentence on account of the victim suffering from extensive pain due to his injuries before his death, and the defendant not being forgiven by the victim's family. The sentence is within the legally permitted limit, but higher than the range of punishment recommended by the state i

Dec. 5, 2023

Seoul to provide 10,000 portable safety alarms in December

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Tuesday that it has teamed up with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency to provide portable personal safety devices to some 10,000 potential victims of gender-based violence. The set of devices was unveiled by Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and Kim Kwang-ho, chief of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, at a ceremony held on Tuesday at Seoul Square. Police arrived less than four minutes after Oh activated the alerting device, according to Oh's office. Th

Dec. 5, 2023

Over 70,000 teens homeless, urgent support needed: professor

More than 70,000 children and teenagers are identified as “homeless” in South Korea, wandering the streets or living in poor conditions, signaling an urgent need to enhance support for them. Professor Lim Se-hee of Seoul Cyber University, speaking at a recent Children Policy Forum, reported that there were 73,399 homeless individuals under the age of 18. Citing government data, the professor said that among them, 55,407 wander around with no place to spend the night after leaving the

Dec. 5, 2023

Court upholds police officer's suspension for 'barmaid' comment

The Chuncheon District Court on Tuesday ruled that Gangwon Police were justified in a recent decision to suspend an official for comparing his female subordinate to a barmaid. The plaintiff, who had been serving as the unit leader at a police office in Gangwon Province, had told the subordinate that "local bars would have far more customers if someone like you worked there" in 2021. He also alluded to sexually suggestive lyrics from a song and boasted to her about seeing an exposed fem

Dec. 5, 2023

Bomb scare hits Hongdae station, police search turns up empty

An anonymous memo was found Tuesday claiming that a bomb had been planted at Hongdae subway station, but after a search, police found no evidence of an explosive device. Police said subway officials received a report around 5:05 a.m. of a note found in a men's bathroom in the station, saying, "I'll install a bomb. You'll suffer." Police blocked off the station bathroom area, where they conducted a search until 7 a.m. Station functions were maintained during the search. S

Dec. 5, 2023

Taxi app, AI translation in metro added to Seoul tourist services

The Seoul Metropolitan Government on Monday announced two new services for foreign tourists: a taxi-hailing app and real-time translation services in subway stations. The city government has launched Taba, a taxi-hailing service specifically designed for overseas visitors to the city. The new app is expected to resolve limitations in existing domestic taxi-hailing apps, making it easier for tourists to request taxis with their phones. Existing taxi-hailing services require authentication to occu

Dec. 4, 2023

Majority of seniors want work, as 1 in 5 engage in job search

As over half of Korean senior citizens expressed a desire to work, nearly 1 in 5 seniors are actively engaged in job seeking, reports showed Monday. According to a report from Korea Employment Information Service, which analyzed Statistics Korea’s data, among individuals aged between 65 and 79, 55.7 percent expressed a desire to continue working. That is an increase of 0.9 percentage point from a year ago and 12.1 percentage points from a decade prior. Of the older individuals aspiring f

Dec. 4, 2023

Bills, budget plan left in limbo ahead of elections

Several key bills aimed to provide stronger social safety nets and confirm next year’s budget plan were stuck in limbo as of Monday, as rival parties continued to lock horns ahead of the general elections in April. With less than a week remaining for the plenary session of the 21st National Assembly, observers expressed concern that the bills could be scrapped altogether, with the ruling People Power Party and the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea remaining in a standoff. "We

Dec. 4, 2023

[Out of the Shadows] Surviving drug addiction: Peers from Korea, Japan share their stories

For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, hundreds of recovering drug users from South Korea and Japan gathered in Seoul on Saturday to support each others’ path to sobriety. The 19th edition of the workshop took place as a one-day event with the members of Narcotics Anonymous from the two countries. NA is a community organization made up of peers to support those in recovery from drug addiction using a non-professional approach. It aims to remove the stigma surrounding drug addict

Dec. 4, 2023

Majority of Korean office workers sleep deprived

More than half of Korean company employees report for office duty on less than seven hours of sleep, a recent report showed. According to a survey conducted on 880 participants by the online job portal Incruit, 56.3 percent of office workers get only four to six hours of slumber daily. In second place, 41.6 percent of participants listed an average of seven to nine hours. The Korean Society of Sleep Medicine recommends at least six to eight hours of sleep, warning that sleeping less than six hou

Dec. 4, 2023

Province office raided in probe into wife of opposition leader

Prosecutors raided the Gyeonggi provincial government office Monday as part of an investigation into allegations that opposition leader Lee Jae-myung's wife misused an official credit card while Lee was serving as Gyeonggi governor. The Suwon District Prosecutors Office sent investigators to the provincial government office to seize evidence connected to the investigation, officials said. The investigation follows a disclosure by a former Gyeonggi government employee last year that Lee'

Dec. 4, 2023

Buddhists, political leaders bid farewell to late Ven. Jaseung

Buddhists and political leaders bade their final farewell to late Ven. Jaseung, a former leader of South Korea's largest Buddhist sect Jogye, at the funeral held Sunday. Ven. Jaseung, who served as president of the Jogye Order from 2009 to 2017, was found dead at a burnt dwelling at a temple in Anseong, south of Seoul, on Wednesday, in an apparent self-immolation, or a Buddhist practice of burning oneself alive as an offering to Buddha. Police have discovered several notes from the monk

Dec. 3, 2023

Schools brace for impact of record-low enrollment

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

Dec. 3, 2023

Seoul City to operate autonomous night bus

The Seoul Metropolitan Government on Sunday announced it would launch autonomous overnight buses for a pilot run beginning Monday. The Seoul Autonomous Night Bus pilot run will include two buses that travel 9.8 kilometers between Hapjeong Station in western Seoul to Dongdaemun Station in eastern Seoul between 11:30 p.m. and 5:10 a.m. Starting Monday, the buses will operate at an interval of 70 minutes at each stop across a total of 40 stops, and will pass through the Hongdae neighborhood and th

Dec. 3, 2023

Day laborers, low-income earners fear lonely death

Day laborers and low-income earners in South Korea feel that they have a high chance of dying alone and remaining unnoticed for days, compared to peers with regular jobs earning higher incomes, a survey showed Sunday. Those employed and paid daily without a regular job feared they would have an average 41.8 percent chance of suffering a "lonely death," compared to 28.6 percent for those with regular jobs, according to data from a survey by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Af

Dec. 3, 2023

Concerns over bedbugs rise among pet owners

Concerns over bedbugs are rising among pet owners in Korea following the recent string of reports of the pest spreading here. "I usually enjoy camping with my dog, but lately, with news of bedbugs being found everywhere, I'm refraining from outdoor activities," said Kim, an office worker in his 30s. He expressed concerns about camping with his dog, fearing bedbugs might transfer in such environments. Online forums also reflect pet owners seeking advice on the likelihood of bedbug

Dec. 2, 2023