As the year 2024 approaches, people around the world are gearing up for a leap year, but not everyone will be welcoming the extra day. The concept of a leap year arises from the fact that a year in the international solar calendar is not exactly 365 days long. Instead, it consists of 365 days, five hours, 48 minutes and 46 seconds. To account for this extra time, we add an extra day to our calendars every four years. This additional day is what gives us a leap year, complete with the leap day Fe

Social Affairs Dec. 31, 2023

In South Korea, concern over a looming demographic crisis is escalating, as the rapid aging of the population is feared to sap the vitality of what was once a dynamic society. From an Indonesian perspective, the country has something to offer: its abundant young workforce. Young leaders of Korea and Indonesia who are part of the nonprofit and nongovernmental organization Junior Chamber International have been exploring such opportunities. “If Korean companies have problems in hiring new,

Social Affairs Dec. 25, 2023

South Korean young adults are avoiding jobs at small firms due to low compensation, as the wage gap between small and large companies has been at nearly double for several years, data showed on Thursday. A survey conducted by the Korea Federation of Small and Medium Business, involving 1,000 young people between Oct. 20 and Nov. 1, revealed that the average expected monthly salary among individuals employed at SMEs was 3.23 million won ($2,490). The most expected salary range, chosen by 40.7 per

Social Affairs Dec. 14, 2023

South Korea’s Justice Ministry is set to increase the number of personnel in charge of monitoring stalkers. As the revision of the Act on Punishment of Stalking Crimes takes effect next month, individuals convicted of stalking will be required to wear electronic ankle monitors. To manage and supervise this system, the Justice Ministry and probation offices will add 21 people to their staff. According to the revision, if a stalker approaches the victim within a specified distance, the v

Social Affairs Dec. 11, 2023

In her teens and early 20s, Park Jung-mi (not her real name) viewed herself as an achiever, even if she wasn't one of the highest fliers. In high school, she studied until late into the night on a near-daily basis, aiming for admission to a prestigious university. After successfully getting into one of the top 10 universities here, she maintained her commitment to hard work and self-discipline, graduating with an average GPA above 4 out of 4.5. But from then on, life has been disappointing.

Social Affairs Dec. 10, 2023

The Korean delegation at COP28, consisting of representatives from groups Greenfund and Jeski Social Campaign along with climate and environmental activists and experts, said Friday that they held a performance at the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, calling for opposition to war and solutions to the climate crisis. (Jeski Social Campaign)

Social Affairs Dec. 8, 2023

South Korea’s birth rate reached an all-time low in the January to October period this year, setting off further alarm about the nation’s demographic trends. According to Statistics Korea on Friday, the accumulated number of babies born in the first three quarters stood at 177,000, the lowest figure recorded since the government began collecting data in 1981. The birth rate, which stood at 657,000 during the first three quarters of 1981, plunged to around 300,000 in 2002 and further

Social Affairs Dec. 8, 2023

More than 70,000 children and teenagers are identified as “homeless” in South Korea, wandering the streets or living in poor conditions, signaling an urgent need to enhance support for them. Professor Lim Se-hee of Seoul Cyber University, speaking at a recent Children Policy Forum, reported that there were 73,399 homeless individuals under the age of 18. Citing government data, the professor said that among them, 55,407 wander around with no place to spend the night after leaving the

Social Affairs Dec. 5, 2023

About 10,000 people have visited Jeju Island for a “workation,” data showed Wednesday, highlighting a growing trend among workers in South Korea. A workation blends the concepts of work and vacation, often involving remote work from holiday destinations. The island's provincial government said that 9,760 visitors rented private facilities for workation purposes this year. When accounting for companies operating work stations on Jeju Island for similar purposes, the total number

Social Affairs Nov. 29, 2023

A member of New Zealand’s new National Party-led government took her oath in English and then in Korean, the language of her native country. Melissa Lee, whose Korean name is Lee Ji-yun, was named the minister for economic development, ethnic communities, media and communications, making her the first person of Korean heritage to hold a ministerial position in New Zealand’s government. Lee alternated between English and Korean while reading the oath in the official ceremony Monday. L

Politics Nov. 28, 2023

South Korean financial institutions have been found to treat nonregular workers unfairly, according to the Labor Ministry on Friday. The ministry revealed the results of an investigation it conducted on 14 financial organizations, including banks, securities and insurance companies. A total of 62 cases of discrimination were identified across 12 companies, though the names of these companies were not disclosed. In one case, a sales office failed to provide a monthly lunch allowance of 200,000

Politics Nov. 24, 2023

All South Korean residents with disabilities will have their health condition monitored and checked by a personal doctor, according to a plan approved by the Cabinet on Tuesday. Upon approval, the Ministry of Health and Welfare will launch the fourth-stage and last pilot project in February next year, ahead of the planned rollout of the personal health care system nationwide, ministry officials said. Aimed at providing access to personalized medical attention for individuals with disabilitie

Social Affairs Nov. 21, 2023

President Yoon Suk Yeol is slated to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in the United States next week, to be followed by visits to the United Kingdom and France later in the month and the Netherlands in December, the presidential office said Wednesday. Yoon will visit San Francisco from Nov. 15-18 to attend the APEC summit, during which he will share South Korea’s stance on various global issues, Deputy National Security Director Kim Tae-hyo said in a press briefing. This

Foreign Affairs Nov. 8, 2023

With five months remaining ahead of the general election next year, around 30 of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s senior and assistant secretaries are poised to resign to jump into the parliamentary race, widely seen as a midterm test for the president, who has suffered from low approval ratings since taking office last year. The upcoming election is pivotal for Yoon as he faces disapproval ratings of approximately 60 percent and his party has been hit hard after a defeat in a by-election held to

Politics Nov. 6, 2023

The South Korean Navy detected a North Korean ship requesting rescue near the Northern Limit Line in the East Sea and temporarily crossed the NLL to provide humanitarian assistance, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Sunday. The Joint Chiefs of Staff said on the same day the military dispatched a patrol ship at 2:16 p.m. after capturing an unknown ship that was being held in waters 200 kilometers east of Jejin in the East Sea and about 3 kilometers north of the NLL. “A patrol vessel

Politics Oct. 29, 2023