The Korea Times

Gov't to crack down on spy cams during beach season

People enjoy Haeundae Beach in Busan, May 26. / Korea Times photo by Jeon Hye-wonBy Kim Jae-heunWith summer vacationers ready to flock to beaches across the country, the government said it will carry out crackdowns on spy cams in the areas.The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family said Wednesday it will cooperate with police to prevent and crack down on such crimes at Haeundae Beach in Busan, Daecheon Beach in South Chungcheong Province and Gyeongpodae Beach in Gangwon Province through the end of August. The crackdown will focus on the secret photographing or filming of other holidaymakers' bodies. The ministry will also work together with local governments to check public toilets and dressing rooms for hidden cameras.It asks people to report to nearby police stations or call 112 if they see someone secretly taking a picture of another person on the beach. People secretly taking photos or filming the bodies of others are subject to up to five years in prison or 30 million won in fines. The criminal's personal information can also be made public if the crime is serious and the person

Jul 17, 2019By Kim Jae-heun

Gov't to crack down on spy cams during beach season

Society

Protest against elite school abolition

Parents of students at Sangsan High School in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, protest against the regional education office's cancellation of its autonomous private high school license, calling on the Ministry of Education not to approve the cancellation, during a rally in front of the Government Complex Sejong, Wednesday. / Yonhap

Jul 17, 2019By Kim Jae-heun

Health

Expensive veterinary clinic fees lead to abandonment of pets

By Kim Jae-heunA total of 5.93 million households, or 23.7 percent of the country's total population, are raising a pet here, and 80 percent of them take their animals to a veterinarian clinic at least once a year. On average they spend an annual 300,000 won ($254) to 400,000 won per year on checkups for healthy pets.“I knew raising a pet would cost me money, but I did not expect to spend nearly 1 million won every month,” 27-year-old office worker Kim Yu-jin told The Korea Times. “This is a ridiculously large amount of money. I am an animal lover, but I don't think I can afford this for the next 10 years.” Kim raises a Scottish fold cat that is now six months old. When she first bought the cat, she did not know the breed has a hereditary risk of osteochondrodysplasia, a disorder impeding the development of bone and cartilage. “My cat's veterinarian explains to me the treatments he performs every time and why they cost so much. But sometimes I wonder curious if all of the treatments are necessary,” Kim said.Another cat owner, Park Hye-rim, said her

Jul 16, 2019By Kim Jae-heun

Expensive veterinary clinic fees lead to abandonment of pets

Health

Tattoos no longer taboo in Korea

According to the Korea Tattoo Association, nearly 1 million people in Korea have tattoos. / YonhapBy Kim Jae-heunAttitudes towards tattoos have shifted in Korea over the past few years. Formerly, getting a tattoo was considered an act of "befouling" the "sacred body" that was given to you by your parents, and was an act that was associated with the threats and lawlessness of gangsters. Today, however, it is common to see people with tattoos, and the negative associations they once carried have largely fallen away.“In the past, tattoos were only common among gangsters or school bullies,” tattooist Noma Han told The Korea Times. “But it started to become a trend among ordinary people around 2012 and people's perceptions on tattoos have changed. It is now seen as a form of fashion and art among 20- and 30-somethings and more people are open to getting a tattoo.”According to the Korea Tattoo Association (KTA), over 3,000 tattooists are registered with the group and there are more out there working unregistered. It estimates nearly 1 million people in Korea have ta

Jul 15, 2019By Kim Jae-heun

Health

Plastic surgery hospitals cause controversy with illegal YouTube ads

Graphic design by Cho Sang-wonBy Kim Jae-heunCosmetic surgery clinics' YouTube channels containing videos of patients talking about their experiences is causing controversy as they are being seen as sponsored events promoting the clinics without mentioning the possible side effects of plastic surgery. There is no law to specifically govern such advertisements disguised as customer reviews.Some of the videos have recorded over 2 million views and many others had an average of 100,000 views as of early July.The hospitals cover the patients' operation fees in return for recording the surgical procedure. One clinic posted a series featuring a female patient's experience from meeting a consultant there to recovering from the operation. The episodes mostly show how thrilled the patient was about getting her surgery and how fast and safe the procedure was. The patient barely talks about the pain she endured. By the end of the series, the patient says she did not know how easy and painless the operation was and highly recommends the audience to visit the hospital for cosmetic surgery. A

Jul 14, 2019By Kim Jae-heun

Plastic surgery hospitals cause controversy with illegal YouTube ads

Society

Middle school student assaulted teacher for money

Two middle school students have been suspended after one hit his teacher in the back of the head because the other offered him 20,000 won ($17) to do so. / GettyimagebankBy Kim Jae-heunTwo middle school students have been suspended after one hit his teacher in the back of the head because the other offered him 20,000 won ($17) to do so. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education (SMOE), Wednesday, the incident occurred at a middle school in Seongbuk-gu, northeastern Seoul, during science class.Later on, the student confessed that his friend actually offered him 20,000 won to strike his homeroom teacher but he was afraid, so he decided instead to target the young, female teacher. The school immediately held a disciplinary committee and punished the two students by suspending them for 10 days. By enforcement ordinance, it is the highest level of punishment that a middle school can hand down to a student. The restriction on expulsion is due to middle school education being compulsory for all adolescents. The school also readjusted the classes so the teacher would not teach

Jul 11, 2019By Kim Jae-heun

Middle school student assaulted teacher for money

Law & Crime

Actor Kang under probe over alleged rape

By Kim Jae-heunKang Ji-hwanActor Kang Ji-hwan was detained by police early Wednesday morning on allegations of sexually assaulting two women at his home in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province. According to the Gwangju Police Station, Kang raped one woman and molested another after the three drank together at his home, Tuesday.Kang allegedly had dinner with employees of his agency and subcontractor companies earlier and came home with the two women to continue drinking. The two women were workers at the agency's subcontractor. One of the victims told police they went to sleep in a separate room from Kang's after they finished drinking. She said when she woke up, she witnessed Kang raping her colleague so she screamed, adding that he stopped at that point. She said she woke up with her clothes pulled off and thought she had been harassed as well, according to police.The victim added Kang locked them in the room and fell asleep, so she sent a text message to her friend in Seoul to call the police at 9:41 p.m. The police went to Kang's house and detained him following the women's testimony.During

Jul 10, 2019By Kim Jae-heun

Actor Kang under probe over alleged rape

Society

Gov't issues YouTube guidelines for teachers

The Ministry of Education has decided to officially permit these online activities and has issued guidelines for teachers producing YouTube content, Tuesday. / GettyimagebanksBy Kim Jae-heunAs a growing number of teachers in their 20s and 30s are becoming prominent on the YouTube scene, the Ministry of Education has decided to officially permit these online activities and has issued guidelines for teachers producing YouTube content.Teachers will be encouraged make videos for YouTube and other online channels if they provide education-related content helpful to students, according to the ministry, Tuesday.Content unrelated to education will also be permitted but with some restrictions. Teachers with a large number of subscribers who profit from advertisements will have to register their online activities as side jobs. The current law allows school faculty members to work as writers, translators and even bloggers. “We have decided to support teachers creating YouTube content for educational purposes and we will not regulate those who use YouTube as a hobby, either. The ministry w

Jul 10, 2019By Kim Jae-heun

Gov't issues YouTube guidelines for teachers

Law & Crime

Immigrant wives vulnerable to Korean husbands' assaults

A Korean man leaves the Mokpo branch of the Gwangju District Court, Monday, after a court reviewed whether to issue an arrest warrant for him on charges of assaulting his Vietnamese wife. / YonhapBy Kim Jae-heunFollowing the outrage generated by a video clip showing a Korean man assaulting his Vietnamese wife, many similar cases have shown that the immigration system here has made these women in particular vulnerable to domestic violence.Initially the law used to require Korean husbands to be sponsors for their wives' visas and immigration status, and to apply for visa renewal or permanent residency. But the law was abolished in December 2011 to better protect marriage immigrants' human rights. However, civic groups say remaining legal procedures still make it difficult for foreign wives to earn permanent residency or Korean nationality without their husbands' help.“Foreigners need to undergo an interview after applying for Korean nationality, and until last year, the immigration authorities did not offer a chance for an interview to foreign wives if the Korean husbands did not

Jul 8, 2019By Kim Jae-heun

Immigrant wives vulnerable to Korean husbands' assaults

Society

Parents, students support school workers' strike

Students at Namyang Elementary School in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, eat lunches brought from home, Wednesday, when the school’s irregular employees, including cafeteria workers, began a strike demanding a pay raise. / YonhapBy Kim Jae-heunCollective actions by teachers or other school workers have not usually gained support from students and parents because such actions affect children's daily school life ranging from study to lunch meals and after-school care programs.Striking school staff used to be criticized for “taking students hostage.”But this time, unlike previous cases, many students and parents are supporting a strike by temporary school workers.More than 52,000 irregular employees ― including cafeteria cooks, janitors and administrative workers ― started a three-day strike on Wednesday seeking a pay raise.Lunch meals were halted at more than 2,800 elementary, middle and high schools nationwide, and students were given bread and milk as a substitute or brought their own lunch.Many people had predicted that public sentiment might go against the st

Jul 5, 2019By Kim Jae-heun

Kim Jae-heun

Read more

Gov't to crack down on spy cams during beach season

Protest against elite school abolition

Expensive veterinary clinic fees lead to abandonment of pets

Tattoos no longer taboo in Korea

Plastic surgery hospitals cause controversy with illegal YouTube ads

Middle school student assaulted teacher for money

Actor Kang under probe over alleged rape

Gov't issues YouTube guidelines for teachers

Immigrant wives vulnerable to Korean husbands' assaults

Parents, students support school workers' strike

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