More than quarter of young couples have no kids: study

More than a quarter of Korean couples aged between 25 and 39 were childless in 2022, a study showed Monday, with a substantial increase in the ratio of DINK -- double income, no kids -- couples among young South Koreans. The Korea Labor Institute report analyzed the trend of young married couples, particularly related to households with the head of the family aged between 25 and 39. The study showed that the percentage of couples without kids in the 25-39 age group came to 27.1 percent, up almos

Social AffairsMay 13, 2024

[LLG] Unseen inheritance: Trauma of transnational adoption 'trickles down' to adoptees' children

As South Korea’s dark past of international adoptions continues to unravel, an unexpected second storm has emerged. Intergenerational trauma -- a concept from the field of counseling psychology that has come into wider use in recent years -- is connecting a generation of adoptees' children feeling the effects of their parents’ adoption experiences. With their newfound collective voice, adoptees' children are raising awareness for their community and the need for clarity on

Hashtag KoreaMay 12, 2024

Ador CEO's dismissal to be decided on last day of May

Amid the ongoing dispute between Hybe and its subsidiary Ador, the latter held a board meeting on Friday and decided to convene an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders on May 31. Ador also claimed that Hybe conducted an illegal audit Thursday night. Ador's Friday board meeting lasted about 10 minutes and was attended by company executives, including CEO Min Hee-jin, and the auditor appointed by Hybe. At the extraordinary general meeting scheduled for the last day of May, discussion

CultureMay 10, 2024

Yoon rebuffs opposition's call for special probe into wife

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday rejected the main opposition's proposal to pass a bill that mandates a special independent counsel investigation into stock manipulation allegations and anti-graft law violation suspicions surrounding his wife. While apologizing for first lady Kim Keon Hee’s “unwise conduct” in accepting a luxury bag from a Korean American pastor in 2022, Yoon stressed that such in-depth probes should only be launched when the outcome of an official prosecuto

PoliticsMay 9, 2024

US halts bomb shipment to Israel over Rafah concerns

WASHINGTON -- The US paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the US, a senior administration official said Tuesday. The shipment was supposed to consist of 1,800 900-kilogram bombs and 1,700 225-kilogram bombs, according to the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter, with the focus of US concern being the

World NewsMay 8, 2024

Israeli forces take control of Rafah crossing with Egypt

An Israeli tank brigade seized control Tuesday of the Gaza Strip side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, authorities said, moving forward with an offensive in the southern city even as cease-fire negotiations with Hamas remain on a knife’s edge. The move comes after hours of whiplash in the Israel-Hamas war, with the militant group on Monday saying it accepted an Egyptian-Qatari mediated cease-fire proposal. Israel, meanwhile, insisted the deal did not meet its core demands. The high

World NewsMay 7, 2024

Value-up program: Market disappointment does not mean a failure, just yet

The Korean government's corporate value enhancement guidelines revealed last week may have disappointed investors, yet experts believe there is room for improvement. After a three-month wait following the initial announcement of the corporate value-up program in February, the Financial Services Commission on Thursday issued several pages of guidelines detailing how companies should create their value enhancement plans and associated regulations. Under the guidelines, companies first select

EconomyMay 6, 2024

Debate rages over ‘overly fatty’ samgyeopsal

As much as "samgyeopsal," the quintessential Korean pork belly cut, translates to three-layered meat, its deliciousness hinges on the perfect balance of fat and meat. This balance delivers a satisfyingly chewy texture bursting with juicy, meaty flavor. In online forums in South Korea now, a heated debate is underway over just how much fat is too much in fat-rich samgyeopsal, as people share their experiences of being served cuts they deem “overly fatty” at restaurants. Th

Social AffairsMay 4, 2024

Some junior doctors are returning: Health Ministry

More than 590 resident doctors who left their hospitals in protest of the government’s medical school quota expansion have returned, the Health Ministry said Friday, without providing the names of the hospitals, citing the possibility of future disadvantages from the medical circle. Currently, a little more than 590 out of 9,900 resident doctors, or six percent of the total, have returned to their training hospitals as of Thursday, the ministry explained. Second Vice Health Minister Park M

Social AffairsMay 3, 2024

US Fed says rates will stay at 2-decade high

The Federal Reserve emphasized Wednesday that inflation has remained stubbornly high in recent months and said it does not plan to cut interest rates until it has “greater confidence” that price increases are slowing sustainably to its 2 percent target. The Fed issued its decision in a statement after its latest meeting, at which it kept its key rate at a two-decade high of roughly 5.3 percent. Several hotter-than-expected reports on prices and economic growth have recently undercut

World NewsMay 2, 2024

Trump rekindles criticism: US forces defending 'wealthy' S. Korea 'free of charge'

Former US President Donald Trump has criticized South Korea's contribution to US Forces expenses, claiming they were "free of charge," and scrutinized the Biden administration's defense cost-sharing talks with South Korea. "I want South Korea to treat us properly," Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for the 2024 presidential election in November, said during his interview with Time magazine released Tuesday. Trump reiterated his long-standing personal belief

Foreign AffairsMay 1, 2024

Hopes rise for possible Gaza truce deal

JERUSALEM -- Hopes rose Monday for a long sought-after cease-fire and hostage release deal after almost seven months of war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas. Washington's top diplomat said he was "hopeful" Hamas would accept the offer, which his British counterpart said could see the release of thousands of Palestinian prisoners. After meeting in Cairo, the Hamas delegation left Egypt and returned to Qatar "to discuss the ideas and the proposal ... and we are keen to respond as qu

World NewsApril 30, 2024

[News Focus] Lee tells Yoon that he has governed without political dialogue

In their first meeting ever after President Yoon Suk Yeol seized power in 2022, main opposition party leader Lee Jae-myung on Monday told the conservative president that his two years in office has been a "time of dominance and ruling with the absence of politics." Ahead of their first official one-on-one meeting held Monday afternoon behind doors, Lee kicked off the event by thanking Yoon for setting up the meeting and expressed hope that it would become a cornerstone to present "

PoliticsApril 29, 2024

[KH Explains] No more 'Michael' at Kakao Games

Kakao Games has decided to scrap using English names among its employees, becoming the first Kakao affiliate to backtrack on the IT front-runner’s attempt to make a more bottom-up working environment with open communication. Kakao Games CEO Han Sang-woo, whose English name is Michael, announced the decision in a meeting with employees on April 17, noting that there had been confusion as its workers had to use English names inside the company but went by their Korean names for external comm

TechnologyApril 28, 2024

Hybe-Ador feud should have limited effect on Hybe's overall performance: analysts

Analysts say that while the recent feud between Hybe Entertainment and its sublabel Ador could result in short-term fluctuations in Hybe's stock prices, any long-term effects on Hybe's performance will be limited due to Ador's limited contribution to Hybe's overall performance. On Friday, shares of Hybe started at 206,000 won ($149) per share, a 11.7 percent drop compared to when the main bourse, Kospi, opened Monday, when they were 233,500 won per share, before the Hybe-Ador

K-popApril 26, 2024

Over 9,000 hotline calls made by stalking victims in 2023

The number of calls made by stalking victims to the state-run women's counseling hotline jumped more than three-fold over the past three years, government data showed. A total of 9,017 cases of over-the-phone counseling were provided by the 1366 emergency counseling service, according to a joint report by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and the ministry-affiliated Women's Human Rights Institute of Korea. The figure has increased exponentially, having recorded 2,710 in 2021. The emerge

Social AffairsApril 25, 2024

[Herald Interview] 'Amid aging population, Korea to invite more young professionals from overseas'

As South Korea grapples with a shrinking population, it is increasingly turning to foreign workers to fill crucial roles. Today, labor from overeseas is concentrated in low-paying unskilled jobs, but in the future, many will be hired to perform highly skilled work, according to Kim Young-Jung, president of the Korea Employment Information Service. Highly skilled jobs may include engineers, scientists, teachers, managers and IT professionals, he said. “Korea is getting more and more in need

Social AffairsApril 24, 2024

S. Korea calls on Japan to confront history amid Yasukuni Shrine visit

The South Korean government on Tuesday expressed regret over the visit of a Japanese minister and more than 90 lawmakers to pay respect at the Yasukuni Shrine, which commemorates those who died in service to Japan over several wars, including war criminals from the World War II period. "The government urges responsible leaders of Japan to squarely face history, and demonstrate through action their humble reflection and sincere remorse for Japan's past," Foreign Ministry spokespers

Foreign AffairsApril 23, 2024

North Korea fires several short-range ballistic missiles into sea: JCS

South Korea spotted several short-range ballistic missiles fired from North Korea toward the sea west of the Korean Peninsula on Monday. The South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a release that the missiles, the launch point of which is believed to be around Pyongyang, flew for more than 300 kilometers before landing in the sea at 3:01 p.m. The JCS said the missiles were “immediately detected, tracked and monitored” as they were launched and that the related information was &ld

DefenseApril 22, 2024

Journalist-turned-lawmaker named new chief of staff

President Yoon Suk Yeol’s new chief of staff, Rep. Chung Jin-suk, is a former journalist from a family with a political legacy. His appointment as presidential chief of staff follows his defeat in the April 10 election for the National Assembly against the rival Democratic Party of Korea candidate and former lawmaker Park Soo-hyun. Chung is the president’s third chief of staff and the first with experience in the Assembly. His two predecessors, Lee Kwan-sup and Kim Dae-ki, were bot

PoliticsApril 22, 2024