Korean fathers miss out on OECD's longest paternity leave

Only approximately one in five fathers in Korea are using paternity leave, despite being entitled to the longest period of child care leave among the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's member countries, data showed Tuesday. According to the OECD Family Database, of Korea's total parental leave takers in 2021, 22.7 percent were fathers. This figure differs from countries that implement what is called a "father’s quota" system, such as Sweden, Icela

Social AffairsJune 6, 2023

S. Korea beat Nigeria to advance to semifinals at FIFA U-20 World Cup

South Korea have advanced to the semifinals at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Argentina, moving within a win of reaching the championship match for the second consecutive tournament. Choi Seok-hyun headed in the match's only goal early in extra time, as South Korea knocked off Nigeria 1-0 in the quarterfinals of the tournament at Santiago del Estero Stadium in Santiago del Estero, northern Argentina, on Sunday. Coached by Kim Eun-jung, South Korea will take on Italy in the semifinals at La Plata Sta

SoccerJune 5, 2023

[Hello Hangeul] Korea needs to talk about invasion of English alphabet in everyday signage

In one up-and-coming neighborhood in Seoul, the prevalence of English letters on cafe and restaurant signboards adds to its exotic ambiance, complementing the diverse range of foreign cuisines found there. Approximately 7 out of 10 signboards in this area, known as Yongridan-gil and situated between Samgakji and Sinyongsan subway stations in central Seoul, are exclusively written in foreign languages. English is the most commonly used, followed by Chinese and Japanese. As one strolls through t

Hashtag KoreaJune 4, 2023

LGBT festival seeks alternate venues after Seoul squashes initial request

Organizers of the Seoul Queer Culture Festival said late Thursday that they are still looking for places in Seoul to hold this year’s event, after the Seoul city government refused its initial request to use its usual venue, Seoul Plaza at City Hall. The organizing committee said that it submitted applications with the Seoul Police Station, Seoul Namdaemun Police Station and Jongno Police Station in Seoul to hold the 17-day annual festival for the LGBT community from July 1 in the nation&r

Social AffairsJune 2, 2023

[From the Scene] S. Korea’s L-SAM: vanguard of multilayered missile shield

TAEAN, South Chungcheong Province -- South Korea has made remarkable strides in enhancing its independent capabilities to effectively thwart escalating missile threats from North Korea. With resounding success, South Korea has concluded developmental tests of an indigenously developed long-range surface-to-air missile, better known as the L-SAM interceptor, which is tailored to destroy incoming enemy missiles at high altitudes. This accomplishment positions the country to establish a multi-tier

DefenseJune 1, 2023

Evacuation alerts send Seoulites into panic

Confusion, frustration and fear were what Lee Hyun-jung felt early Wednesday morning after she received a mobile emergency alert and heard sirens outside calling for Seoulites to evacuate following the news that North Korea had attempted to launch a space satellite. The sirens started at 6:32 a.m, with the city issuing a “Presidential Alert” to all Seoul residents to prepare for a potential evacuation. However, 20 minutes later the Interior Ministry sent a correction. “Notice t

Social AffairsMay 31, 2023

On the front line in the war against puppy mills in Korea

  “Up to five dogs stuffed into tiny cages, floors covered in filth, drugs and needles everywhere, and dead bodies in the freezer” -- this was the horrific scene that greeted charity workers and rescuers as they entered an illegal bichon frise and poodle breeding facility in Jinan-gun, North Jeolla Province, on May 2. “It was like a living hell,” said Kim Hye-ran, a representative from the Better Tomorrow Rescue, a small volunteer-run shelter and one of the organizat

Hashtag KoreaMay 30, 2023

[Stories of Artifacts] How Joseon strove to make exams fair: Gangseosigwon

Throughout Korean history, there has been a deeply ingrained cultural belief that pursuing a career as a public servant is a prestigious endeavor. This cultural ethos can be traced back to the establishment of the "gwageo" system, or public service examinations. Gwageo was first introduced during the reign of Goryeo's King Gwangjong (925-975) and persisted until 1894 of the late Joseon era. Despite the retirement of gwageo, which was held every three years, the country still adm

CultureMay 29, 2023

Crackdown on 'unlawful' protests materializes

South Korea's crackdown on protests it sees as unlawful is materializing amid escalating tensions between the conservative Yoon Suk Yeol administration and local labor unions voicing disapproval of Yoon's union-busting drive. On Thursday, the police detained three demonstrators at around 8:50 p.m. in front of the Supreme Court of Korea in Seocho-gu, Seoul, for staging a protest without providing proper notification. It was Seoul's first crackdown on protesters since the COVID-19 outbreak. About

Social AffairsMay 26, 2023

[Herald 70th] Al Gore calls on Korea to have bigger climate ambitions

Former US Vice President and environmentalist Al Gore called for bigger climate ambitions on the part of South Korea and the US at the “Alliance Plus” forum hosted by Herald Corp. on Wednesday in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the two countries’ alliance and the founding of The Korea Herald. Korea and the US are already working on clean energy technologies that are driving what Gore referred to as the emergent "sustainability revolution" -- the paradigm shif

Social AffairsMay 25, 2023

Why raise the medical student quota?

  The South Korean government faces strong opposition from the medical community as it resumes discussions with doctors regarding a potential increase in the enrollment quota at medical schools. The Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korean Medical Association -- the country's largest coalition of doctors’ groups with 130,000 members -- met on Wednesday to discuss various pending issues related to the medical industry, including expanding admissions to medical schools. This is the

Social AffairsMay 24, 2023

Korea should provide foreign detainees with translations of detention rules: Human rights commission

South Korea’s human rights commission has voiced the need for multilingual translations for the laws and regulations that pertain to the detention of foreign nationals in the country. In a recommendation issued Monday to the Ministry of Justice, the National Human Rights Commission said the availability of translations of what are called in Korean the “Foreigner Detention Regulations” is a matter that concerns foreign detainees' right to know and beyond that, their human

Social AffairsMay 23, 2023

[KH explains] Will Kakao Pay become Korea’s answer to Robinhood?

In a recent media event, Kakao Pay CEO Shin Won-keun unveiled the company’s ambitious goal of becoming a Korean version of Robinhood in its recent push for global expansion in partnership with Siebert Financial, the US brokerage firm. “We are considering making a solution that combines Siebert's stock trading solution with Kakao Pay Securities' mobile trading service,” CEO Shin said. “We believe we can become the next Robinhood with it." Robinhood is the re

IndustryMay 22, 2023

[Hello Hangeul] Are slang terms and abbreviations degrading the Korean language?

When Cha Mi-joo asked about her 14-year-old son's opinion on his school lunch, he nonchalantly shrugged and gave a one-word response, "kebake." She had to ask what he meant, because the term didn't align with her knowledge of the Korean language. It was during this exchange that she discovered a new slang term derived from the English phrase "case by case." "Kebake," which according to her son, is “used widely” by young Koreans, is a combinatio

CultureMay 21, 2023

[Well-curated] Nature-inspired crafts, virtual idols pop-up, artistic French dessert

Seek artistic tranquility in nature-inspired crafts For those with an appetite for the intersection of art and nature, Culture Station Seoul 284 in Jung-gu, Seoul is hosting the Korea Crafts and Design Foundation's exhibition, "Another Letter to Nature." Reimagining the 2022 Milan Korean Crafts Exhibition, this display blends human creativity and natural purity, showcasing over 300 works crafted from traditional and modern materials. On entry, Jang Sung's "Given (2023)&q

CultureMay 19, 2023

[H.eco Forum] Korea should promote eco-friendly lifestyles more, says Julian Quintart

For local Belgian TV personality Julian Quintart, South Korea, the country where he has lived for the last 19 years, is a society where consumption is highly prioritized and maximized. The 35-year-old, who has become a vegan and an environmental activist in recent years, said he believes that this aspect of Korea's culture will fade away because it is not sustainable. “Koreans are used to early morning deliveries and 24-hour services, but these cultures will ultimately change, as they are

Social AffairsMay 18, 2023

Inflation driving up costs to eat out

Prices of popular eating out options at restaurants continued to increase in April, adding more pressure to people’s consumption, a state-led agency’s data showed Wednesday. According to the Korea Consumer Agency data, the average price of a bowl of jajangmyeon, or noodles in black bean sauce, in Seoul increased by 12.5 percent on-year to 6,915 won ($5.20), up from 6,146 won a year ago. The average price of a bowl of samgyetang -- ginseng chicken soup that is popular during the summe

ConsumerMay 17, 2023

[Survive & Thrive] Reasons to forgo cash for bus fare

The sight of a bus passenger paying their fare with cash is dying out in South Korea nowadays. There are several reasons for this. Cashless payments, via Tmoney cards, credit cards or mobile payment options, are not just more convenient but safer, as the conductor can focus only on driving, which can help improve the safety of everyone on the bus. Also, cashless payments save you money -- quite a lot, in fact, if you transfer between buses and/or subways. The country’s free transfer benefi

Hashtag KoreaMay 16, 2023

Hidden lives of terminal dwellers in South Korea

In February 2020, an African man landed at Incheon Airport in South Korea, seeking asylum. He had fled his homeland, where a civil war had killed many of his family members and relatives. The South Korean immigration office, however, refused to accept his application for refugee status, on the grounds that he was a transfer passenger. His eligibility as a refugee was not even reviewed. For months that followed, the man lived in the transit zone. He slept on chairs near the terminal gates, ate fr

Hashtag KoreaMay 15, 2023

[Subway Stories] From relic of 2002 World Cup to new sports and culture mecca

Despite its name, World Cup Stadium (Seongsan) Station can get crowded for a number of reasons outside of just sports, such as couples going for a night out at the movies, families shopping at the supermarket, or even K-pop fans flocking to a concert. The station on Seoul Subway Line No. 6 opened in 2000 as the gateway to Seoul World Cup Stadium, which hosted the opening ceremony and games of the 2002 FIFA World Cup, jointly hosted by South Korea and Japan. Its beginnings, however, were humble

Hashtag KoreaMay 14, 2023