Half a million took the Suneung, South Korea’s national college entrance exam, on Thursday, as this year’s test saw the scrapping of the so-called highly difficult “killer questions” for the first time. All eyes are on whether the new test format will reduce reliance on private education, as a slew of test takers assessed this year’s Suneung to be more difficult, despite the absence of such questions. In the run up to the test, many examinees expected the difficulty

Social Affairs Nov. 19, 2023

Hundreds of students showed up at Dongsung High School in Jongno-gu, central Seoul, Thursday, carrying backpacks and clutching study materials for last-minute cramming before sitting for South Korea’s college entrance exam, known as the Suneung. Some busied themselves taking pictures with classmates. Others waited nervously. A student hugged his parents before entering the school gate, saying, “You guys believe in me, right? I can do this.” The parents shed tears of relief and

Social Affairs Nov. 16, 2023

The bereaved family of a 23-year-old elementary school teacher who took her own life in July on Wednesday protested the police's decision to close the investigation into the case, holding a press conference with foreign media in Seoul. The press conference was in response to the police's announcement on Tuesday saying they found no evidence of any crime and wrapped up the monthslong probe. The family said the closure was "too hasty" and that there were other factors and poten

Social Affairs Nov. 15, 2023

The Suneung, South Korea’s national college entrance exam, has been administered on a Thursday every year since 2006. The nationwide test, regarded as the most important exam Koreans take in their lifetimes, is held on the same weekday every year to secure the test distribution process, according to officials. Transporting the examination papers to 84 cities, counties, and districts across the country takes three days. This process involves not only the travel time but also a cross-checkin

Social Affairs Nov. 15, 2023

Park, 61, had a long list of questions he wanted to ask about his health and what he should do to recover after being diagnosed with heart failure, a chronic condition in which the heart muscle doesn’t pump blood as well as it should. His doctor, however, was busy staring at the computer screen to prescribe him medication and set up his next appointment. “I was barely even allowed to speak or ask questions (about my condition or the causes of it) during the consultation, before the d

Social Affairs Nov. 14, 2023

Amid growing calls for stronger punishment for stalking, the Supreme Court’s Sentencing Committee on Monday said it had decided to recommend a maximum prison term of five years, depending on the gravity of the offense. The decision comes after the commission, affiliated with the Supreme Court of Korea and consisting of 13 commissioners, held its 128th meeting on Friday to review sentencing guidelines for stalking. For what it calls a general stalking crime with mitigating factors, the Sent

Social Affairs Nov. 13, 2023

South Korea’s two top courts are facing a leadership vacuum following Constitutional Court President Yoo Nam-seok’s retirement on Friday, while the position of chief justice has remained vacant for 47 days. President Yoon Suk Yeol named Lee Jong-seok as the nominee for the president of the Constitutional Court of South Korea last month and a parliamentary confirmation hearing for Lee is set to take place on Monday. Lee is currently one of nine justices in the Constitutional Court. Si

Social Affairs Nov. 10, 2023

A group of delegations from Vietnam held a conference in Seoul on Thursday to promote the Vietnamese province of Bac Ninh to rise as an industrial zone, calling for active investments from South Korean companies. The event -- co-hosted by the Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the province’s provincial people’s committee and sponsored by Viglacera, the country’s leading building materials manufacturer and industrial parks operator -- sought to introduce the area&r

Diplomatic Circuit Nov. 10, 2023

The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea on Thursday afternoon passed a contentious pro-labor bill and three broadcasting bills during a plenary session at the National Assembly, a move that comes after the ruling People Power Party announced that it would withdraw threats of a filibuster. The partial amendments to all three broadcasting bills and the pro-labor “yellow envelope bill” were unilaterally passed, with all participating members voting in favor. Members of the ruling

Politics Nov. 9, 2023

South Korea’s Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission on Wednesday stressed its pivotal role in handling and resolving civil complaints and mitigating against the unfair treatment of citizens and foreign residents alike. Over the past five years, some 30,000 complaints have been lodged to the ACRC, while 23,887 cases have been addressed, including those filed by foreign residents. “Handling a complaint not only means dealing with the unjust situation of an individual citizen, b

Social Affairs Nov. 9, 2023

Graduate students at Seoul National University’s Colleges of Medicine and Nursing reported experiencing a higher incidence of abuse compared to graduate students in other departments, data showed Wednesday. According to a survey jointly conducted by the SNU’s Human Rights Center and the Institute for Social Development and Policy Research Center, 24.8 percent of respondents pursuing education in the medical field answered “yes” when asked if they had been subject to offen

Social Affairs Nov. 8, 2023

After a dayslong search for a fugitive who escaped custody Saturday, police officers on late Monday captured Kim Gil-soo after he was seen at a public phone booth in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province, just to the north of Seoul. The 36-year-old escapee was caught at around 9:26 p.m. He was reportedly calling his girlfriend at that moment, according to police. “I didn’t plan it,” the fugitive told local reporters when asked if he had premeditated his escape. He also denied that he ha

Social Affairs Nov. 7, 2023

Breaking his silence since rumors began emerging nearly two weeks ago, Kwon Ji-yong, more widely known as G-Dragon of K-pop boy band Big Bang, showed up before police on Monday afternoon for questioning over alleged illegal drug use. The 35-year-old singer and rapper arrived at the Incheon Metropolitan Police building at around 1:20 p.m. to undergo an interrogation and drug test conducted by the drug crime investigation unit. “I have no relation to drug-related crimes. That is why (I came

Social Affairs Nov. 6, 2023

Eight in 10 South Koreans think they should be able to decide whether to mute or enable their camera shutter sound on their phones, a survey showed Sunday. According to a survey conducted by the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission from Oct. 23 until Saturday on 3,476 respondents, 86.2 percent of those polled answered “yes” when asked if they think individuals should be able to adjust the camera shutter noise settings. Muting the camera shutter sound is disabled for all device

Social Affairs Nov. 5, 2023

Authorities in Seoul are struggling to control the spread of bedbugs, as a total of 17 bedbug infestations have been reported in seven Seoul districts as of Sunday, according to local reports. The city has set aside 500 million won ($381,000) to prevent bedbug infestations from spreading, particularly in facilities vulnerable in terms of hygiene. As part of this initiative, the city will distribute checklists to residents to know if they’ve got an infestation in those areas. Last Thursday,

Social Affairs Nov. 5, 2023