Articles by Lee Jaeeun
Lee Jaeeun
jenn@heraldcorp.com-
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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Number of flu patients hits 5-year high
The number of suspected influenza cases in South Korea has surged to a five-year high in the second week of December, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said Friday. The rate of patients exhibiting symptoms suggestive of influenza per 1,000 outpatients for the week of Dec. 3-9, stood at 61.3, up 26.1 percent from the previous week. This is the highest figure since 2019. The younger age groups have been more likely to have suspected flu with 120.1 per 1,000 outpatients aged 7-12 and
Social Affairs Dec. 15, 2023
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Nighttime, weekend, holiday telehealth services permitted for first-time patients
Telehealth services at night and on public holidays have become available for first-time patients nationwide as the government expanded the scope of such services on Friday. The changes also allow access to telehealth services for first-time patients residing in regions categorized as "medically vulnerable areas" at any time. Previously, first-time patients under 18 could receive only a contactless consultation at night and during public holidays and weekends, but were not able to rece
Social Affairs Dec. 15, 2023
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Cold weather to follow heavy rain
Rain is expected to continue drenching the nation until Friday night, before a cold snap hits the country over the weekend, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration Friday. From Thursday, the nation had up to 50 millimeters of rain as of Friday 8 a.m., with up to 60 millimeters more predicted until Friday night. The central region and northern areas of North Gyeongsang Province were forecast to see more than 100 millimeters of rainfall on Thursday and Friday. “Low pressure deve
Social Affairs Dec. 15, 2023
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Army to end exemption for severely obese men
The Ministry of Defense announced on Thursday that it would revise criteria exempting men with weight issues, allowing the enlistment of severely obese men for mandatory military service. The proposed change will lower the bottom threshold from the current BMI of 16 to 15 while raising the upper limit from the current 35 to 40. Therefore, the number of those who are underweight and overweight who can join the Army as active duty soldiers will increase. In general, a BMI of 18.4 or less is consid
Social Affairs Dec. 14, 2023
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Korea bans cafes exhibiting exotic animals
A ban on the operation of exotic animal cafes, where people can see, touch and interact with the animals, begins Thursday, according to the Ministry of Environment. Under the amendment to the Wildlife Protection and Management Act approved at a Cabinet meeting on Dec. 5, beginning Thursday it is illegal to exhibit "wild animals" in facilities not registered as zoos or aquariums, in a bid to protect the animals better. Owners of such animal cafes should either reregister their establi
Social Affairs Dec. 14, 2023
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Ministry to expand support for early morning delivery workers
The Ministry of Employment and Labor on Monday urged South Korean retailers operating early-morning deliveries to care for workers’ health. Labor Minister Lee Jeong-sik had a meeting on Monday at a distribution center of Kurly in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, with the top retailers offering early-morning delivery services, including Kurly, Coupang, SSG.com, and Oasis Market. “To protect the health of workers on early-morning delivery services, the government plans to expand support for i
Social Affairs Dec. 12, 2023
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S. Korea to expand telemedicine services in remote areas
South Korea is moving to permit telemedicine services for first-time patients residing in regions categorized as "medically vulnerable areas" during the nighttime and holidays, starting from mid-December, the Ministry of Welfare and Health announced Friday. The initiative aims to enhance patient accessibility to essential medical care, especially during emergencies. The temporary allowance of non-face-to-face medical services, commonly referred to as telemedicine, was first introduced
Social Affairs Dec. 1, 2023
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Two umbrella unions declare revenues for first time
South Korea’s two major umbrella labor organizations disclosed their revenues for the first time since their establishment, Thursday. The Federation of Korean Trade Unions announced an annual revenue of 39.25 billion won ($30.16 million) for 2022, according to the Labor Union Accounting Disclosure System administered by the Ministry of Employment and Labor. In detail, the FKTU revealed that 22.9 billion won was carried over from the previous year. They further said that 5.99 billion won ca
Social Affairs Dec. 1, 2023
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Labor Ministry to investigate alleged gender discrimination in hiring
South Korea's Labor Ministry will launch an investigation into workplaces suspected of screening out job applicants who graduated from women's universities, a ministry official said Thursday. The investigation plans have come after a post on anonymous online employee forum Blind went viral. “As a corporate recruiter, It's not like we exclude all women but if (the applicant) is from a women's college, we don't even read the resume," the author of the post, who
Social Affairs Nov. 30, 2023
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Korea to showcase advanced climate technologies at COP28 Dubai
A total of 16 South Korean climate tech companies, ranging from promising startups to well-established companies, have been chosen to represent the country at the United Nations’ 28th COP28 climate conference, slated for Nov. 30 to Dec. 12 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, according to the Ministry of Environment. Korea will set up a national pavilion, themed “Green Industry for a Sustainable Future,” at the venue and will present various technologies. The 16 companies, represent
Social Affairs Nov. 29, 2023
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Drug addiction treatment to be covered by national insurance
Starting in the first half of 2024, people who have an addiction to illegal drugs in South Korea will be able to have their rehabilitation expenses covered by the National Health Insurance plan, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said Wednesday. Previously, only those with a court order were given such health insurance coverage. However, from next year, every person “subject to treatment protection” will have health insurance coverage. People “subject to treatment protection&
Social Affairs Nov. 29, 2023
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