Invasive species cost the global economy a whopping $423 billion annually, a major new study from the United Nations found Monday. Introduced to new environments through human activities, these species adversely impact local biodiversity and human lifestyles by destroying crops and wiping out native species. Korea is no exception to this global concern. The country's natural ecosystems have been significantly disrupted by invasive species over the years. Here are some of South Korea’s

Social Affairs Sept. 9, 2023

The southern region of South Korea's most populous province saw a spike in emergency hospitalizations following a string of seemingly unprovoked violent crimes -- dubbed "mudjima" or don't-ask-why crimes -- this summer, a recent report the region's police agency found, suggesting heightened fears over a possible link between mental illness and violence. According to the South Gyeonggi Provincial Police Agency, the South Gyeonggi region saw a 31 percent increase in emerge

Social Affairs Sept. 7, 2023

Nearly 4 in 10 teachers in South Korea are at high risk of depression, a recent survey by the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union (KTU) showed. The survey also showed that 1 in 6 experience suicidal thoughts, highlighting serious concerns about mental health among educators in the wake of recent suicides in the teaching community. Conducted jointly with Green Hospital in Seoul, the online survey ran Aug. 16-23 and involved 3,505 teaching staff across different grade levels. The survey in

Social Affairs Sept. 5, 2023

South Koreans living in rural areas have double the risk of delayed access to emergency health care compared to urban residents, highlighting the country's significant urban-rural disparity in crucial healthcare infrastructure, the National Medical Center reported on Sunday. The center’s 2022 public health report used four time frames to measure medical care access: 30, 60, 90 and 180 minutes. The shortest -- 30 minutes -- is associated with the time needed to access urgent care units

Social Affairs Sept. 4, 2023

Revenue from South Korean YouTubers surged to 860 billion won ($650 million) in 2021, a tenfold increase compared to 2019, data from the National Tax Service showed on Sunday. The top 1 percent of YouTubers accounted for 25 percent of this total revenue, earning an average annual income of 713 million won, according to data. In the same year, the top 1 percent of all workers in South Korea had an average income of 417 million won. Apart from YouTube's expanding influence in the country, the

Social Affairs Sept. 4, 2023

In light of mounting concerns over school bullying, students with disciplinary records for bullying will face stricter scrutiny during the college admissions process in South Korea. Starting in 2026, colleges will be required to consider applicants' school bullying records during admissions, the Korea Council for University Education, the country’s leading body for college admissions, announced on Wednesday. Under the new policy, every applicant will undergo mandatory checks of bullyi

Social Affairs Aug. 31, 2023

South Korea's fertility rate has dropped to a record-low 0.70 in the second quarter of 2023, according to the latest government report, in yet another stark indicator of the deepening demographic crisis in a nation already grappling with the world's lowest birth rate. According to the monthly demographic and census report released on Wednesday by Statistics Korea, the country's statistics body, there were 56,087 newborn babies in the second quarter, a 6.8 percent drop from the sam

Social Affairs Aug. 30, 2023

Nighttime and early morning speed limits in "school zones" – child protection zones on roadways adjacent to schools – will be raised to 50 kilometers per hour from the current 30 kph starting from Sept. 1, the National Police Agency of South Korea announced on Tuesday. Effective from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m., the new speed limit aims to accommodate traffic during times when fewer students are present on the streets. The decision follows last year's pilot testing in specific ar

Social Affairs Aug. 29, 2023

An online vendor has become embroiled in legal action for selling T-shirts featuring a smiling image of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, in a case highlighting the polarized perspectives of South Koreans towards their northern neighbor. Six right-wing activist groups have filed a joint civil lawsuit against two individual sellers, with e-commerce giants Naver and Coupang also named as defendants for displaying the product on their platforms. According to the complaint submitted to the Seoul Metr

Social Affairs Aug. 28, 2023

The Coast Guard nabbed 55 individuals in connection with an illegal whaling operation, officials confirmed on Thursday. Of them, 13 are being held by the Coast Guard, facing charges of unlawfully hunting 17 minke whales from January to June using harpoons and spears. According to officials at the Coast Guard Station at Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, the group had used various tactics to evade capture, including stashing whale meat in underwater buoys and smuggling it to local eateries at nig

Social Affairs Aug. 25, 2023

On Wednesday, South Korea's Justice Ministry reported that nearly 11,000 undocumented immigrants were removed from the country through either deportation or voluntary departure between June 12 and July 31, a move that highlights the Yoon Suk Yeol government's focus on stricter immigration enforcement. The 50-day crackdown was conducted jointly by five central government agencies, including the Ministry of Justice, the National Police Agency, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Tra

Social Affairs Aug. 23, 2023

South Korea will conduct its first nationwide civil defense drill in six years on Wednesday, a move that comes amid rising tensions with North Korea. Set for 2 p.m., the 20-minute exercise will require most people to evacuate to designated shelters or underground safe spaces. The country has identified 17,000 such shelters, with their locations available on widely-used apps like Kakao, Naver, and Tmap. During the drill, drivers must pull over to the side of roads and follow radio instructions. S

Social Affairs Aug. 22, 2023

An Indonesian boy born with his heart outside the chest cavity has been successfully treated at a South Korean hospital. Mikhael, a 7-year-old from Indonesia, was born with ectopia cordis, an extremely rare condition where the heart is located outside the chest cavity. Most infants diagnosed with the condition do not survive beyond their first three days of life. Medical professionals in Indonesia initially predicted he would only live for two years. Despite defying initial prognosis, Mikhael fa

Social Affairs Aug. 18, 2023

The city of Seoul unveiled its new city logo with the "Seoul, My Soul" slogan, as part of an initiative officials say aims to bolster the city's global image. The slogan emerged as the top pick from an open call for idea submissions last August, besting the runner-up "Seoul for You." It then underwent a rigorous review process, incorporating various surveys to finalize the design, city officials said. The new branding will replace "I Seoul U," which had been the cit

Social Affairs Aug. 16, 2023

As South Korea marks the 78th Liberation Day from Japan on Aug. 15, a recent poll highlighted a societal divide on how to approach traveling to Japan – a top destination for South Korean tourists – during the holiday. A recent poll by research firm PMI surveyed 3,000 South Koreans aged 15 to 69. Of those polled, 50.6 percent said they believe it is inappropriate to visit Japan on Liberation Day, the most popular view across all age groups. Some 19.9 percent responded they are against

Social Affairs Aug. 14, 2023