-
BOK official says higher pay for wives may be key to boosting birthrates
A Bank of Korea official’s column appeared in the central bank's internal newsletter drew unexpected media attention Monday for suggesting that wives’ income may be linked to the nation’s persistently low birthrates. Choi Yeon-kyo, a mid-level manager at the central bank's curreny policy department, in her guest column for the November-December issue of the bimonthly newsletter, said that when wives have higher income, husbands tend to take on more household chores and child care, which in turn
Nov. 24, 2025 -
6 in 10 parents of twins in S. Korea burdened by child care costs
With multiple-birth families increasing rapidly in Korea, 6 in 10 twin parents reported feeling significant financial pressure, prompting renewed calls for stronger government support, a survey showed Monday. Over 67 percent of the 718 parents raising twins surveyed by the Korea Population Health and Welfare Association in September said their biggest source of parenting stress was the financial burden of child rearing. Among them, 45.3 percent cited child care and education as their heaviest ex
Nov. 24, 2025 -
Winter festa gets Seoul into holiday spirit
Seoul is turning its plazas and palaces into a giant winter wonderland for the Seoul Winter Festa, a 24-day celebration of light shows, skating and K-culture that drew more than five million visitors last year. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Monday it will host a large-scale winter festival in December, along with city-wide cultural experiences and interactive performances. Also known as Seoul Winter Festa, the city government will showcase its winter festivities from Dec. 12 to Jan. 4 a
Nov. 24, 2025 -
Illegal lending ring busted after exploiting over 9,000 migrant workers
An illegal loan ring operated by a Korean father-son duo, which lent a total of 16.2 billion won ($11 million) to more than 9,000 foreign workers at interest rates as high as 154 percent a year, has been busted, Busan police said Monday. The Busan Metropolitan Police Agency said it has referred six members of the ring to the prosecution — three with detention and three without — for violating the Registration of Credit Business and Protection of Finance Users Act. The mastermind is a 60-year-old
Nov. 24, 2025 -
Plan to let unions negotiate separately sparks backlash
South Korea is preparing to loosen its union bargaining rules by permitting subcontractor unions to negotiate with employers separately, prompting pushback from both labor and business groups. The Labor Ministry on Monday proposed an enforcement decree for the so-called "Yellow Envelope" Act that would enable authorities to split unions into separate bargaining groups before they begin the country’s single-channel bargaining procedure. The revised law, which takes effect in March, will for the f
Nov. 24, 2025 -
Seoul's last red-light district fades into history as demolition begins
Full-scale demolition is underway at Seoul’s last remaining red-light district in Hawolgok-dong, northern Seoul, better known as "Miari Texas," to make way for a massive redevelopment project. The Seongbuk-gu Office announced Monday it has begun tearing down buildings as part of the project led by Lotte Engineering and Construction, which envisions the construction of 11 residential-commercial complexes reaching up to 46 stories above ground and six below, with a total of 2,201 units. Lee Seung-
Nov. 24, 2025 -
Government reviews placing doctors of Korean medicine in rural public health centers
The government is reviewing whether doctors of Korean medicine can be deployed to help address a shortage of medical staff in rural areas. The Ministry of Health and Welfare said Tuesday it agrees with a parliamentary proposal calling for expanding the roles and participation of doctors of Korean medicine “in light of the decreased number of public health doctors.” The ministry plans to examine how Korean medicine services could be strengthened in public medical facilities, including local publi
Nov. 24, 2025 -
Nuclear design pre-review, network security violation fines
Proposed Bill: Partial Amendment to the Nuclear Safety Act Proposed by Rep. Hwang Jung-a (Democratic Party of Korea) Proposed Bill: Partial Amendment to the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection Proposed by Rep. Lee Ju-hee (Democratic Party of Korea) Pending Bill: Partial Amendment to the Act on Prohibition of Age Discrimination in Employment and Elderly Employment Promotion Proposed by Rep. Lee Yong-woo (Democratic Party of Korea) Prom
Nov. 24, 2025 -
Thai national sole victim in factory fire
A Thai national in his 60s was killed in a factory fire in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province, Sunday, according to South Korean rescue officials. The fire broke out at a corrugated cardboard manufacturing plant at 11:34 a.m., and was mostly extinguished by 1:17 p.m. Officials initially believed the accident caused no casualties, but a search of the site revealed the victim's body inside the rest area on the second floor. It is believed that the victim and two Thai workers with him at the time tried to
Nov. 24, 2025 -
ICOMOS Korea urges joint impact assessment for high-rise project facing Jongmyo Shrine
Heritage experts in South Korea on Monday urged the Seoul city government to undergo a Heritage Impact Assessment for a contentious redevelopment project near Jongmyo Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage site, warning that unchecked construction could threaten the area's historical integrity. The Korean National Committee of the International Council on Monuments and Sites also proposed a joint review involving the Seoul metropolitan government, the Korea Heritage Service, and independent experts to
Nov. 24, 2025 -
Marine Corps marks anniversary of N. Korea's 2010 shelling of border island
The Marine Corps on Sunday held a ceremony to mark the anniversary of North Korea's 2010 shelling of a border island that killed two soldiers and two civilians. The ceremony was held at Daejeon National Cemetery in Daejeon, some 140 kilometers southeast of Seoul, with the attendance of family members of the two Marines -- S. Sgt. Seo Jeong-u and L. Cpl. Mun Gwang-uk -- Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back and Marine Corps Commandant Ju Il-suk. "The Marine Corps will not forget the spirit of a soldier's
Nov. 23, 2025 -
Overcharging scandal at Gwangjang Market escalates into fight among merchant groups
A controversy over alleged overcharging at Seoul’s tourist-favorite Gwangjang Market has escalated into a legal battle among its merchant groups. According to local media reports on Sunday, the Gwangjang Market Merchants’ Association plans to file a lawsuit seeking 300 million won ($204,119) in damages from the similarly named Gwangjang Traditional Market Merchants’ Association. The former represents some 200 stores located inside the main Gwangjang Market building. The latter oversees roughly 2
Nov. 23, 2025 -
Teen's death after 14 hospital rejections exposes ER crisis
A South Korean student died in Busan last month after reportedly being turned away by several hospitals over the course of more than an hour, intensifying alarm over the country's worsening shortage of emergency-care specialists. Despite early signs of a medical emergency that later progressed to cardiac arrest, more than a dozen hospitals refused to admit the 18-year-old, citing either a lack of pediatric neurological services or restrictions on treating minors in cardiac arrest. In Korea, pedi
Nov. 23, 2025 -
Husband arrested after wife found with fatal bedsores
A woman in her 30s died after being found at home with bed sores so severe that they had been infested with maggots, news reports said Sunday. Her husband has been arrested on suspicion of neglect resulting in death. Police said the husband called 119, the emergency hotline, at about 8:18 a.m. on Nov. 17, reporting that his wife was “semiconscious.” When emergency responders arrived at the couple’s home in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, they found the woman suffering from severe bedsores on her lower
Nov. 23, 2025 -
Coast Guard seeks arrest warrant for captain over ferry grounding
The Coast Guard on Sunday sought an arrest warrant for the captain of a passenger ferry that ran aground last week, leading to the rescue of all 267 people aboard. The captain, in his 60s, is accused of causing injury by gross negligence and violating the Seafarers Act by abandoning his duties at the time of the accident last Wednesday. The 26,546-ton Queen Jenuvia II ran aground on the uninhabited islet of Jok, off the coast of Sinan, about 350 kilometers south of Seoul, en route from the south
Nov. 23, 2025