Aricell, a lithium battery plant that recently experienced a fatal fire resulting in 23 deaths, had not undergone any government industrial safety inspections in the past five years, despite the hazardous nature of the materials it was using, according to the Ministry of Labor and Employment. Data obtained by Democratic Party lawmaker Park Hae-cheol from the Ministry of Labor and Employment confirms that no government industrial safety inspections or supervision had been conducted at Aricell in

Social Affairs June 28, 2024

The Constitutional Court on Thursday struck down the “special exception" in the Criminal Law for relatives, which exempts property crimes committed by family members from punishment, citing that it infringes upon victims' rights to seek justice. National institutions such as the courts and prosecution can no longer apply Clause 1 under Article 328 of the Criminal Act starting Thursday. Clause 1 states that property crimes committed against immediate family members, including pare

Social Affairs June 28, 2024

In South Korean online communities and social networking sites, the word "helper" has taken on a troubling connotation. The term is often hashtagged alongside others such as "gachul" (runaway from home), "jatei" (high school dropouts), and "yeoja" (girls). This combination of hashtags serves as an emergency code, typically used by runaway teenage girls seeking a place to sleep and eat. But this distress signal also attracts predators looking to take advant

Social Affairs June 24, 2024

Exports are vital for South Korea to generate national wealth, and boosting them requires a collaborative effort between the government and businesses, First Vice Industry Minister Kang Kyung-sung said at the Global Business Forum in Seoul on Wednesday. “As Korea remains one of the world's most export-dependent industrialized nations, more exports mean more people living well. Therefore, the raison d'etre of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy is to increase exports,"

Social Affairs June 20, 2024

The city of Anyang, located in the heart of Gyeonggi Province, has now set a new course in aiming to become a globally recognized smart city through innovative development, the mayor says. Due to its proximity to Seoul, Anyang was once regarded primarily as a commuter city. However, it now wants to position itself as a self-sufficient city. "Anyang aims to enhance its competitiveness by swiftly incorporating the 'fourth industrial revolution' technologies. This will ensure the saf

Social Affairs June 19, 2024

Choi Jung-hwa, a woman in her 30s, discovered a notice of service suspension Tuesday at the internal medicine clinic she regularly visited in Nowon-gu, northern Seoul, for heartburn treatment. Although she was aware of the ongoing monthslong confrontation between the government and doctors over expanding medical school quotas, she had not anticipated it would disrupt her access to medical care. "I didn't expect that even this local clinic where I have been treated would be closed,"

Social Affairs June 18, 2024

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Tuesday it has appointed Kim Byung-min, a former member of the ruling People Power Party's Supreme Council, as its deputy mayor for political affairs. The 42-year-old will be Seoul's third vice mayor, alongside the first and the second administrative deputy mayors. Kim's main task will be to assist Mayor Oh Se-hoon in overseeing public relations affairs and serving as a mediator between the city administration and media, city council, and nat

Social Affairs June 18, 2024

South Korea is poised to chair the executive body of the International Labor Organization for the first time in 21 years, a move that has drawn criticism from the country's labor unions, which question its qualifications for the role. Minister of Employment and Labor Lee Jung-sik, serving as the head delegate for the Korean government at the 112th Session of the International Labor Conference, told reporters in Geneva on Tuesday that South Korea has been recommended as the sole candidate fo

Social Affairs June 14, 2024

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