The Korean tripartite Minimum Wage Commission with representatives from businesses, labor and the general public has decided not to expand application of the minimum wage to include gig workers for the coming year, despite calls from labor unions to do so. The 27-member Minimum Wage Commission, comprising nine representatives from each of the three sectors, convened its fourth full session on Thursday in Sejong to discuss the 2025 hourly minimum wage. After hours of discussion, the committee dec

Social Affairs June 14, 2024

South Korea announced a crackdown Wednesday on false or exaggerated advertisements for growth hormone treatments, as the private market for height-enhancement products grows here. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said it has launched the crackdown in collaboration with 17 local governments. The initiative will continue through June 21. Hospitals, pharmacies, and pharmaceutical companies found to be overstating or falsely advertising information will be subject to administrative guidance and

Social Affairs June 12, 2024

"Godoksa," or lonely death, has recently become a nationwide concern in South Korea, challenging the deeply rooted Confucian belief in filial piety. According to the health ministry's 2023 report, approximately 1.525 million people in Korea are at risk of dying alone. The number of lonely deaths has increased by 8.8 percent over the past five years, reaching 3,378 in 2022. Mapo-gu, a university neighborhood in northwestern Seoul, has been particularly attentive to this rising soci

Social Affairs June 12, 2024

The prosecution has recently launched an investigation into accusations that former first lady Kim Jung-sook spent an “excessive” amount of taxpayers’ money to fund her 2018 trip to India, which has resurfaced in recent days, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office said Tuesday. The decision to open the investigation comes nearly six months after the complaint was filed. In December last year, Lee Jong-bae, a People Power Party member on the Seoul Metropolitan Council, fi

Social Affairs June 11, 2024

Moving up one spot from 2022, Seoul ranked 9th in the 2024 Global Startup Ecosystem Report released Monday by Startup Genome at The London Tech Week. GSER 2024, informed by data across 300 global ecosystems in 100 countries, includes a top 100 ranking of global startup ecosystems. Seoul ranked ninth out of 300 cities worldwide, its highest ranking ever. Seoul was previously ranked 10th in 2022 and 12th in 2023. Four Asian cities are included in the top 10 ranking of global startup ecosystems, in

Social Affairs June 10, 2024

The state anti-corruption agency said Monday that it had closed an inquiry into allegations that first lady Kim Keon Hee broke anti-graft legislation when she received a high-end designer bag from a pastor in 2022 because it has found no violation of the law. “Under the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act, there is no provision for presidential spouses. Therefore, the case has been closed,” Deputy Chairman Jeong Seung-yoon of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission said durin

Social Affairs June 10, 2024

A South Korean court has allowed the family of a South Korean fisheries official, killed by North Korea in 2020, to continue their damage suit against North Korea through service by public notice, which enables the plaintiffs to serve legal documents through public circulation. The Seoul Central District Court’s Appellate Division recently issued a retrial order to the Seoul Central District Court. This retrial concerns a 200 million won ($150,000) damages suit initiated in April 2022 by t

Social Affairs June 9, 2024

An international non-government organization committed to protecting the rights and welfare of migrant workers has issued a statement expressing concerns about a pilot program for introducing Filipino caregivers to South Korea. Migration Forum in Asia recently issued a statement, saying the plan for a pilot program for Filipino domestic workers has a “discrepancy in terminology” and a “lack of clarity in the scope of work” they can be asked to do. “The program has

Social Affairs June 4, 2024

Seoul's police chief said at a press conference Monday that there was no human rights violation during the police investigation of Kim Ho-joong, a trot singer who was arrested for an alleged DUI hit-and-run last month, saying that he had been treated the same as the other suspects and people involved in the case. The embattled trot singer has said that his human rights were violated during the police investigation because officers had forced him to exit the police station through its main e

Social Affairs June 3, 2024

A committee under the International Labour Organization recently requested the South Korean government to provide details on a planned amendment to the Trade Union and Labor Relations Adjustment Act. The Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations under the United Nations agency aiming to advance social and economic justice by setting international labor standards, said Tuesday that it had filed a "direct request" with the Korean government in March for f

Social Affairs May 31, 2024

One in every 10 households in Seoul has a dog registered as a pet, with Maltese being the most common breed, a report showed Thursday. Some 612,000 dogs are registered in Seoul, 17.5 percent of the total dogs registered across the country. Of the total, some 20 percent of dog owners said they had a Maltese, according to the report released by the Seoul Digital Foundation, affiliated with the Seoul metropolitan government. The list of common breeds also included Poodles, mixed-breed dogs, Pomeran

Social Affairs May 30, 2024

Former Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup had multiple phone calls with President Yoon Suk Yeol on the day that an internal investigation over a marine corporal's death was transferred to and returned from civilian police in August last year, communication records show. Yoon called Lee directly three times on Aug. 2 between 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. soon after the internal report by a Marine investigator was sent to the police in the morning, according to the records obtained by Yonhap News Agency. T

Social Affairs May 29, 2024

Seoul will open the first-ever hotel built on a bridge, connecting the northern and southern parts of the city, the city government announced Tuesday. Named Sky Suite, the hotel is located on the northern end of the Hangang Bridge, where scenic views of the Han River can be enjoyed all day. The hotel is set to open to the public in July. “With the opening of Sky Suite Hangang Bridge, the city is looking forward to sharing the charms of the Han River and Seoul with the world," said

Social Affairs May 28, 2024

The 1st Sium Sium Han River Triathlon Festival inviting participants to complete swimming, cycling, and running events within 48 hours will take place along the Han river in Seoul in June. The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on Monday that the festival would take place on June 1 and 2 at the Ttukseom Han River Park in Seoul. Under the slogan, “Sium Sium” meaning "chill-out" in Korean, the festival is intended to ensure that everyone, regardless of age or gender, can

Social Affairs May 27, 2024

Celebrity dog trainer Kang Hyung-wook and his dog training business Bodeum Company are facing criticism for allegedly mistreating employees. According to several reviews on Job Planet, an online recruitment and job search platform, Kang and his wife Susan Elder, who serves as the company executive, surveilled employees’ work messages that were sent using an instant messaging app, used violent language, gaslighted employees, and asked them to run excessive errands on their days off. Startin

Social Affairs May 26, 2024