Korea Times Digital Content Reporter
Bo-eun leads the digital content team. She has covered foreign affairs, North Korea, tech, economy and gender issues at The Korea Times. She did a short stint at the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong, where she obtained a new perspective on news production and life. Small sources of joy for her are lounging in the sun, having a good latte and swimming.
South Korea has the lowest fertility rate among 209 countries in the world. The government has determined drawing more migrants is an imperative, but the country has a long way to go to become an inclusive society.
![[INTERACTIVE] Is Korea ready to accept migrants?](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
On hot summer nights, Chinese families living in Shibazono Danchi, a public housing complex near Tokyo, would come out to dance and play in the park. The noise would anger the elderly Japanese living in the complex, as such practices are frowned upon in Japanese culture, where people go home after the sun sets.
SYDNEY — Sydney’s Chinatown in the central city suburb of Haymarket bustled with visitors on the Sunday before the Moon Festival (also known as the Mid-Autumn Festival) that started in late September this year, as shoppers came to stock up on mooncakes, Chinese pastries that are enjoyed during the holiday celebrating the harvest. Many of these people are also Chinese nationals who immigrated to Australia and have traveled to Australia's most populous city from other places around the country, during the two-week school holiday period.
At Sunil Middle School in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, 70 percent of the students have multicultural backgrounds. Students from Russian-speaking countries account for more than 74 percent of those children.
ANSAN, Gyeonggi Province - Russian words reverberate through the halls of Sunil Middle School in the city of Ansan in Gyeonggi Province. Not only do students talk to each other in the language, but some classes, such as math, are also taught in Russian, presenting a rare sight in Korea’s highly homogenous society.
Award-winning Korean-American author speaks about deep affection for people of her birth countryBy Kim Bo-eunMin Jin Lee / Courtesy of Beowulf SheehanAsian representation in America's culture and entertainment sphere has improved in recent years, but acclaimed Korean-American author Min Jin Lee says what matters is accuracy and truth. “I think representation is a worthy goal, but accurate and thoughtful representation is too often missing,” the author of best-sellers “Pachinko” (2017) and “Free Food for Millionaires,” (2007) said in a written interview with The Korea Times last month.“I am not interested in ever privileging representation over the values of ethics, accuracy or truth. Misrepresentation is profoundly harmful.”Lee, who emigrated with her family to the U.S. from Seoul at the age of seven, grew up in Queens, New York. She majored in history at Yale, and obtained a degree at Georgetown Law, practicing for several years before she took up writing as a profession. She has published two parts of a trilogy about Korean immigrants
A 3D installation of Seoul's city brand I.Seoul.U stands in Yeouido Hangang Park. Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government By Kim Bo-eunSeoul needs to prepare better to address the needs of the aging foreign population in the city, experts say. The suggestions come at a time when Korea is grappling with the extremely grave demographic challenges of its fast-aging population. The foreign population in the capital has been getting older over the years ― with those aged over 50 accounting for 36.2 percent as of 2020, up from 28.3 percent in 2019, according to data from the Korean Statistical Information Service. Foreign nationals in their 50s accounted for 20 percent, those in their 60s 13.1 percent and those in their 70s and above 3.1 percent.With the growing percentage of older foreign residents, local governments need to start preparing to address their needs, experts say. "Foreign residents face the same needs as their Korean counterparts: access to medical servic
Containers are being unloaded at Busan Port on July 1. Yonhap By Kim Bo-eunCalls are growing for Korea to diversify its trade with countries other than China, after Korea recorded three consecutive months of trade deficits with the world's No. 2 economy.Imports from China have continued to grow, but exports to the mainland have slowed significantly, resulting in a trade deficit for Korea, for the months of May through July. It is the first time Korea recorded a trade deficit for three straight months since the establishment of diplomatic relations with China in 1992. Korea's trade deficit came to $1.1 billion in May, $1.2 billion in June and $600 million in July, according to data from the Korea International Trade Association (KITA).The trade surplus of display panels, petroleum products, cosmetics and chip manufacturing equipment ― major export items to China ― shrank by more than $500 million in the first half of this year.This decrease was partly due to COVID-19
A photo showing cabs parked outside a taxi company in Busan / Korea Times fileBy Kim Bo-eunThe shortage of cabs across the country continues to cause inconveniences, and the government and businesses have been struggling to come up with solutions. The dive in the number of operating taxis was driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, which prompted many drivers to leave the taxi-driving business amid a plunge in demand for ride services."Younger drivers flocked to delivery or chauffeur services, as they sought better paying jobs," Lee Hyun-ro, at the Federation of Korean Taxi Workers' Unions, said.Data from the National Joint Conference of Taxi Associations shows there were a total of 230,598 taxis registered nationwide as of June, which is down 6 percent from the number that were registered in January 2019 prior to the start of the pandemic.It was mostly drivers affiliated with taxi companies who left their jobs, compared to drivers operating with their own business licenses, the majority of which continued working. The number of drivers affiliated with taxi companies stood at 74,571 as of J
Korean business groups often cite the fact that Korea's inheritance tax rate is one of the highest among the OECD member states. Korea Times fileCountry's inheritance tax rate stands at 50%, second-highest among OECD statesBy Kim Bo-eunKorea's inheritance tax rate is drawing attention as business groups have stepped up their calls for the rate to be lowered. Local business groups often cite the fact that Korea's inheritance tax rate is one of the highest among the OECD member states.Korea's rate is 50 percent, the second-highest among OECD states, after Japan, which levies 55 percent. Korea's inheritance tax generated a buzz after the death of Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Kun-hee, as the bereaved family became subject to 12 trillion won ($9.15 billion) in inheritance taxes. The rationale for levying inheritance tax is to reduce the wealth gap. Business groups have continued to lobby the government to ease the rate.“It would not be right to make simple comparisons of rates levied among countries, but the rate levied on large Korean businesses handing down assets worth more t