The parliamentary leaders of South Korea and the United Arab Emirates signed a memorandum of understanding on bilateral cooperation to strengthen parliamentary ties on Monday, according to Seoul officials. Korean National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang and Amal Abdullah Al Qubaisi, speaker of the UAE’s Federal National Council, met in Abu Dhabi to discuss the bilateral relationship of the two legislatures.  South Korean National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang (left) shakes hands with his United

Politics Dec. 18, 2018

Tanka Lungeli, a Nepali who works at a factory in Korea, wants to change jobs because his employer does not pay him properly. But when he told his boss and requested the move, he says he received death threats and was treated as if he were a slave.“The employer deducted my wage for reasons I do not know. He also raised the dormitory fee arbitrarily, and it became hard for me to live and pay my debt with the salary,” Lungeli, 34, told The Korea Herald last week. “So I told him I wanted to work at

Social Affairs Dec. 17, 2018

Critics pointed out Sunday the mismanagement of safety by original contractors and dodgy safety inspections as major causes of an accident that killed a 24-year-old subcontract worker at a thermal power plant last week.Kim Yong-kyun, who was a temporary worker at the Taean thermal power plant in South Chungcheong Province, died Tuesday after getting stuck between a conveyer belt and machinery while working his night shift alone. His death sparked public outrage as his harsh working conditions we

Social Affairs Dec. 16, 2018

Despite worldwide calls for efforts to slow down climate change, a recent report revealed that Korea ranked lowly in terms of its response to climate change. According to the Climate Change Performance Index 2019, Korea ranked 57th out of 60 countries in terms of climate-related performance. The report looked at 56 countries and the European Union, which account for about 90 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. (Global Strategic Communications Council)The report was released Monday at COP

Social Affairs Dec. 13, 2018

The government will conduct comprehensive safety inspections of public facilities following a recent spate of accidents, including a telecom network failure caused by a fire at a mobile carrier’s building and the derailment of a bullet train.In a meeting with ministries and regional governments, Interior and Safety Minister Kim Boo-kyum expressed regret over the series of accidents and highlighted the need to come up with a safety system. Interior and Safety Minister Kim Boo-kyum“As safety minis

Social Affairs Dec. 13, 2018

15-floor office building in Gangnam, Seoul, was evacuated and left vacant Wednesday after signs of its impending collapse were reported the day before. City officials who inspected the building concluded that it was dangerous.Seoul’s Gangnam District Office designated the Daejong Building in Samseong-dong, Gangnam, as a “Class-3 Establishment,” the lowest safety level, meaning that it presents a “high risk of disaster” or requires “continuous management to prevent disasters.”(Yonhap)Wide cracks

Social Affairs Dec. 12, 2018

The Democratic Party of Korea’s leadership on Wednesday deferred taking any disciplinary action against Gyeonggi Provincial Gov. Lee Jae-myung, who has been indicted on several charges, including violating the election law.The ruling party has been reviewing what action to take against its member Lee, who has been investigated by police over a series of allegations regarding his family and his election campaign for the governorship. On Tuesday, the prosecution indicted him without physical deten

Politics Dec. 12, 2018

The main opposition Liberty Korea Party elected four-term lawmaker Rep. Na Kyung-won as its new floor leader Tuesday, amid escalating internal strife ahead of a leadership election next year.In the general meeting held at the National Assembly, Rep. Na decisively beat three-term lawmaker Rep. Kim Hack-yong, garnering 68 votes to 35. Among the 112 party lawmakers, 103 could vote, as memberships of nine lawmakers are currently suspended. Newly elected Liberty Korea Party floor leader Rep. Na Kyung

Politics Dec. 11, 2018

The conflict between the country’s taxi industry and information technology giant Kakao has escalated to new heights after a taxi driver burned himself to death in protest.The taxi unions, which have staged multiple protests demanding that Kakao withdraw its plans to engage in the transportation business in South Korea, said Tuesday that they will hold another rally Dec. 20 in front of the National Assembly. Beginning Wednesday, some union members will set up tents and hold sit-in demonstrations

Social Affairs Dec. 11, 2018

The recent passage of the budget bill has sparked public fury, as it included a plan to increase the annual salaries of lawmakers, while the budget for job creation was reduced.The ruling Democratic Party of Korea and the main opposition Liberty Korea Party on Saturday approved the 2019 budget bill of 469.6 trillion won ($416 billion), which included the plan to increase their wages by 1.8 percent. (Yonhap)The three minor parties 00 the center-right Bareunmirae Party, center-left opposition Part

Politics Dec. 10, 2018

A slow news day? Look no further than the electronic petition system run by the presidential office for raging public debates on everything from the highly personal request of extending summer vacations to highly divisive and unaddressed grievances that all ask for the immediate attention of the Blue House. The online petition system, which allows people to file a petition anonymously, has seen more than 357,000 petitions made since it was launched in August 2017 by the Moon Jae-in administratio

Social Affairs Dec. 10, 2018

The trial of Lim Jong-hun began Monday, marking the first trial in a massive judicial power abuse case involving former top court officials. At the Seoul Central District Court, the first trial was held against Lim, the former deputy head of the National Court Administration, who was indicted Nov. 14 for power abuse, dereliction of duty and obstruction of justice, among other charges. Lim was not present in the trial, as it was a preparatory trial. Lim Jong-hun (Yonhap)He is suspected of aiding

Social Affairs Dec. 10, 2018

The National Assembly is set to open a plenary session Friday evening to vote on a revised government budget for 2019, having postponed the vote in a bid to get minor parties to participate. The three minor parties vehemently oppose larger parties’ decision to put it to a vote, as they had sought to link the budget bill passage to the introduction of a new proportional representation system.The ruling Democratic Party and the main opposition Liberty Korea Party agreed Thursday to cut some 5.2 tr

Politics Dec. 7, 2018

The Education Ministry announced Thursday that 1,080 new national and public kindergarten classes will open up next year as part of an initiative to lessen dependence on private kindergartens.In a press briefing, Education Minister Yoo Eun-hye announced the expansion plan and proposed measures to improve the quality of service at state-operated kindergartens. Education Minister Yoo Eun-hye (Yonhap)“The Education Ministry and regional education offices agreed to open 1,080 classes next year. In M

Social Affairs Dec. 6, 2018

GOYANG, Gyeonggi Province -- When Kim, a worker at a diner, opened the door to look outside at around 8:40 p.m. Tuesday, she found the ground was flooded with hot water, and the air was thick with steam.“It was chaos. There was hot muddy water on the ground. And as we tried to evacuate the building, we could not see anything ahead of us because of the steam,” Kim, who only gave her surname, told The Korea Herald on Wednesday.“I cannot fully describe the fear. I thought to myself ‘This is how I’m

Social Affairs Dec. 5, 2018