The vast majority of Korean men who take parental leave are either civil servants or full-time workers at the nation’s large conglomerates, with male employees at small and midsized businesses either unable to take it or choosing not to, a lawmaker’s office revealed Wednesday.　　According to Rep. Shin Bo-ra of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, 70 percent of Korean men who have taken parental leave were either employed in the public sector or at big conglomerates, such as Samsung or Hyundai

Social Affairs Sept. 26, 2018

Almost 75 percent of North Korean defectors currently living in South Korea were unaware of the existence of the term “human rights” while living in the communist state, and they have significantly different views from South Koreans when it comes to a number of social issues such as conscientious objection, a study showed. 　“Our study suggests that many North Korean defectors are either unaware of their rights or reluctant to exercise them, especially when the violation of one’s rights is a resu

North Korea Sept. 25, 2018

More than 80 percent of South Koreans have experienced some form of sexism — including body shaming and women having to cook large meals for male members of the family — during national holidays, such as Lunar New Year and Chuseok, a study showed.　The study, compiled by the Seoul Foundation of Women and Family, came to the conclusion after surveying some 1,170 Korean men and women earlier this month. Some 70 percent of the respondents were women, and 90 percent were in their 20s, 30s and 40s.　Am

Social Affairs Sept. 25, 2018

The recent death of a puma, killed by police after it escaped from its enclosure in a Daejeon zoo, has triggered a wave of criticism concerning animal rights abuses in South Korea, with some saying all zoos in the country must shut down.　　The puma, named Bbo-rong, was shot to death Tuesday, about four hours after it escaped its enclosure at Daejeon O-World through a door left unlocked by staff at 4:50 p.m. While the search was ongoing, all Daejeon residents were advised to stay indoors.　　Authori

Social Affairs Sept. 20, 2018

South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s visit to Pyongyang’s Mansudae Art Studio has been creating a buzz at home and overseas -- even after a UN official said the visit did not violate UN sanctions that ban international transactions with the North Korean art establishment.　So what do we know about the studio and why has it been banned by the UN?　The Mansudae Art Studio was founded in 1959. It is believed be one of the largest art production studios in the world, with some 4,000 workers. Among its

North Korea Sept. 20, 2018

Seoul Metropolitan Government on Tuesday announced a set of measures to cut the use of plastic by 50 percent by 2022, including a plan to ban plastic use at all city organizations. The announcement came in response to a massive plastic waste crisis in the country, and follows China’s ban on plastic waste imports in January. Previously, China had imported about half of the world’s waste, including that from South Korea.Starting next year, people will be banned from bringing plastic cups into the

Social Affairs Sept. 19, 2018

South Korean President Moon Jae-in has a history of eating at local restaurants on his overseas visits. Visiting Vietnam in March, he enjoyed pho at a noodle house. In Beijing last year, he had breakfast local style: Chinese-style deep-fried doughnuts and soymilk at a local eatery.Moon continues his so-called “local restaurant diplomacy”-- an effort to connect with the people -- in Pyongyang. South Korean President Moon Jae-in (left) and his wife Kim Jung-sook (right) have pho at a local Vietnam

North Korea Sept. 19, 2018

Political parties responded to the third inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang along partisan lines, with some opposition lawmakers calling for North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s “official announcement” of the country’s complete denuclearization before talking about any future economic collaborations. 　　Others were visibly touched, tearing up as they watched President Moon Jae-in arriving in Pyongyang on live television.　　Kim Sung-tae, floor leader of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, said he h

Politics Sept. 18, 2018

Most parents of children aged up to 5 will be given a monthly allowance of 100,000 won ($88) per child starting from Friday, with the exceptions of some high-earners and overseas residents, the country’s Welfare Ministry said.Of 2.3 million applications submitted from June 20 to Sept. 14, 1.9 million have been accepted for the allowance scheme aimed at boosting the country’s critically low birthrate. This means 94.3 percent of all South Korean children aged up to 5 will benefit from the program,

Social Affairs Sept. 18, 2018

More than 60 percent of South Korean unwed mothers have not been able to receive medical care due to low income, while 70 percent have suffered depression at least once, according to a newly released study.　　The report, published by the Korea Population, Health and Welfare Association, came to the conclusion after surveying 359 Korean unwed mothers nationwide in April. Among those who participated in the survey, 61.6 percent said they had no earned income. 　　All of the surveyed women on average 

Social Affairs Sept. 15, 2018

A total of 23 Yemeni asylum seekers – many of them minors -- have been granted a one-year stay in Korea, the Jeju Immigration Office said Friday. The Jeju Immigration Office, however, did not grant legal refugee status to any of the Yemeni applicants.The 23 are among some 500 Yemenis who have arrived on the country’s southernmost island of Jeju since January, fleeing a civil war in their home country. Some 440 of them have applied for asylum status in South Korea and the 23 are the first to rece

Social Affairs Sept. 14, 2018

More than 80 percent of South Koreans support the idea of “dignified death” -- meaning they do not wish to receive life-prolonging treatment should they become terminally ill without the possibility of medical treatment curing their illness or relieving pain -- according to a newly released study.The study by Seoul National University Hospital researchers came to the conclusion after surveying 1,241 members of the general public, 1,000 cancer patients, 928 medical doctors as well as 1,000 Korean

Social Affairs Sept. 14, 2018

A local feminist group that has been actively organizing rallies ever since May announced that it will hold a fifth protest against spy-cam porn near Hyehwa Station in Seoul on Oct. 6. The activists say spy-cam porn is a form of violence against women that is rampant in South Korea.　　The first rally, held May 19, drew some 12,000 women demanding stronger punishment for men who produce sexually explicit videos of women by using hidden cameras, as well as for those who share them online. 　　The fou

Social Affairs Sept. 12, 2018

Forty of the 50 foreign nationals who may have been in contact with South Korea’s recently confirmed Middle East respiratory syndrome patient have been located, health authorities said Wednesday.　　The Korean government is still searching for the 10 remaining individuals, using public CCTV footage as well as collaborating with local accommodation providers in hopes of locating all of the travelers who arrived in Incheon from Dubai on the same flight with the patient on Friday. 　　Once located, the

Social Affairs Sept. 12, 2018

A webtoon artist accused of defaming late activist farmer Baek Nam-gi -- who died in 2016, 10 months after being blasted by a police water cannon – maintained his innocence after the prosecution Tuesday sought a one-year prison sentence.　　Authorities believe that the artist, Yoon Suh-in, created and distributed a series of online cartoons that depicted Baek’s daughter on vacation overseas as her father lay unconscious and critically ill after being struck by a police water cannon in 2015. Baek’s

Social Affairs Sept. 12, 2018