The Korea Times

Public divided on banning plastic straws

An activist clad in a turtle costume urges the government to ban use of plastic straws at restaurants and coffee shops, during a press conference at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, Tuesday. / YonhapBy Kim Jae-heunThe debate on banning on single-use plastic straws to cut plastic waste is clashing with the pursuit of convenience.As over 10 billion plastic straws are used every year in Korea, environmental groups are calling for a ban on disposable plastic products to reduce litter and other environmental consequences of plastic waste.However, some claim such a move is premature given that an abrupt ban without proper alternatives can inconvenience consumers. The Korean Federation for Environmental Movement held a press conference Tuesday, urging the government to ban use of plastic straws by law. It is gathering signatures both on and offline to support the plan.“The current law does not recognize plastic straws as a disposable product thus they are not subjected to government rules on their free use at restaurants or coffee shops,” the environmental group said in its

Jun 7, 2019By Kim Jae-heun

Public divided on banning plastic straws

Society

Seoul to reopen car-free street at Daehangno

An instructor teaches girls how to skateboard as part of street events held last year at Daehangno in Jongno-gu, Seoul. / Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan GovernmentBy Kim Jae-heunThirty years ago, Seoul's Daehangno area was a popular street where people gathered to enjoy the evening as the road was closed on weekends for various events. In remembrance of this, the Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) said Tuesday that it will bring back those days this Sunday by restricting vehicles there from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. to allow performances to take place from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. The car-free events began in May 1985 on both Saturday and Sunday, and people came out to watch street shows and drink together. This carried on for four years until October 1989, when a neighboring road underwent reconstruction and cars had to detour through Daehangno.Under the slogan of “Again 1989!” the city government will sponsor events in five different sections of the street where participants can eat and drink as they experience them.In the first section, two very different street shows will take place

Jun 5, 2019By Kim Jae-heun

Seoul to reopen car-free street at Daehangno

Politics

Approval of #MeToo movement differs by gender, age

Nearly half of people surveyed are in support of the #MeToo movement. However, significant differences in the level of approval were seen among different groups according to age, gender and ideological stance. / GettyimagebankBy Kim Jae-heunNearly half of people surveyed are in support of the #MeToo movement. However, significant differences in the level of approval were seen among different groups according to age, gender and ideological stance.According to results released Wednesday of a survey of 3,873 adults last year by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, 53.7 percent of respondents said they support the movement. Those who were against the movement only accounted for 15.7 percent, with others taking a neutral stance on the issue.By gender, women were more supportive of #MeToo than men, with 62.4 percent of women approving of the movement compared to just 45.2 percent of men.By age, the older the respondent, the less supportive they were. Those in their 20s showed the highest approval with 58.4 percent, and the rate became lower among people in their 30s at 57 per

Jun 5, 2019By Kim Jae-heun

Approval of #MeToo movement differs by gender, age

Health

Traditional hair washing

Foreigners have their hair washed with water infused with iris leaves at the National Folk Museum of Korea in central Seoul, Wednesday, five days prior to Dano, the fifth day of the fifth month of the year according to the lunar calendar. Traditionally it is believed washing one's hair with iris water on Dano can drive away evil spirits as well as prevent dandruff and skin disease. / Yonhap

Jun 5, 2019By Kim Jae-heun

Society

Use of disposable cups declined by 72% in 1 year

Use of disposable cups at fast food restaurants and coffee shop chains has decreased by 72 percent one year after the establishments voluntarily began participating in a government initiative to reduce the use of plastic items. / Courtesy of Starbucks KoreaBy Kim Jae-heunThe use of disposable cups at fast food restaurants and coffee shop chains has decreased by 72 percent one year after the establishments voluntarily began participating in a government initiative to reduce the use of plastic items, the Ministry of Environment said Tuesday.The ministry collected data on 1,000 outlets of 21 brand stores including 16 coffee shop chains such as Starbucks, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Dunkin' Donuts, Angel-in-us, Ediya, A Twosome Place, Caffe Pascucci and Hollys Coffee; and five fast food restaurants that included Lotteria, McDonald's and Burger King, in the metropolitan area nad Incheon between June last year and May.By August, over 81 percent of the outlets were serving their beverages in multi-use cups such as mugs and glasses.In July, the outlets used 206 tons of disposable cups but th

Jun 4, 2019By Kim Jae-heun

Use of disposable cups declined by 72% in 1 year

Law & Crime

Travel agencies brace for boat tragedy backlash

A Hungarian sightseeing boat sails on the Danube River in Budapest, Sunday. It has been five days since a tourist boat carrying 35 passengers capsized after colliding with a larger vessel on the river. / YonhapBy Kim Jae-heunLocal travel agencies are searching for alternatives to their cruise programs in Europe in the wake of a sightseeing boat sinking in Hungary. On Wednesday, the boat carrying 33 Koreans on a package tour along with two Hungarian crewmembers, was involved in a collision with a larger vessel and sank in the Danube, leaving seven dead and 21 missing, according to the foreign ministry. The remaining seven were rescued.According to the agencies, many tourists have called to check on their river sightseeing bookings in Europe, with many people canceling.“Our agency has canceled all sightseeing boat programs in Hungary,” a Mode Tour official told The Korea Times, Sunday. “We have recommended two options to our customers ― either a walking sightseeing program or a dinner at a restaurant on a boat deck.“However, river sightseeing programs in other E

Jun 2, 2019By Kim Jae-heun

Travel agencies brace for boat tragedy backlash

Society

'No kids zone' - rights not to be disturbed or excessive restriction?

By Kim Jae-heunSome establishments, mainly restaurants, are designating their businesses as “no kids zones” to keep a “tranquil atmosphere” and avoid complaints from customers who visit without children. However, whether banning children at such places ― where people of all age groups are technically allowed ― is causing a controversy.A 31-year-old man surnamed Park recently visited a steak restaurant near his home with his wife and had an unpleasant experience because of children there.A group of three children, seemingly all elementary school students in their first or second year, were running around the venue out of control. “The parents didn't care about their children,” Park told The Korea Times. “People at the restaurant frowned at the kids but the parents seemed to be just enjoying their own conversation.“One customer complained to the restaurant manager, who politely asked the parents to keep their children under control, but they eventually became noisy again.”Besides Park, many other people have had similar experiences

Jun 2, 2019By Kim Jae-heun

'No kids zone' - rights not to be disturbed or excessive restriction?

Law & Crime

Psy denies involvement in YG scandal

Singer Psy has denied any involvement in the recent scandal surrounding Yang hyun-suk, the head of his former agency, YG Entertainment. / Courtesy of YG EntertainmentBy Kim Jae-heunSinger Psy has denied any involvement in the recent scandal surrounding Yang hyun-suk, the head of his former agency, YG Entertainment. Yang who is alleged to have procured prostitutes for two foreign investors from Southeast Asia in 2014, claimed Psy introduced one of the two men to him.The man is Malaysian fugitive financier, Low Taek Jho, known as Jho Low, an acquaintance of former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak. He is currently on Interpol's red list and is wanted by the authorities in Malaysia and the United States for allegedly pocketing billions of dollars from a state-run development company.Via social media, Wednesday, Psy admitted that Jho Low was his friend.“I met him when I was performing overseas and he was active in Hollywood. I introduced him to Yang. Whether he is a good man or not, it is a fact that he was a friend of mine,” he wrote.“When he and his acquaintances c

May 30, 2019By Kim Jae-heun

Law & Crime

Stolen map found

Police officers show Mankukjeondo, a world map from the 1392-1910 Joseon Kingdom that was found after being missing for 25 years, at Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency in Seoul, Tuesday. The police, in cooperation with the Culture Heritage Administration, caught two people for hiding 120 cultural assets including the map after obtaining them from thieves. / Yonhap

May 29, 2019By Kim Jae-heun

Foreign Affairs

Japanese court denies request to remove Korean names from Yasukuni Shrine

Korean plaintiffs condemn a Japanese court’s decision to reject their request to remove the names of their family members from the Yasukuni Shrine, following a court decision in Tokyo, Wednesday. Their family members died while forcibly participating in Japan’s war efforts during World War II. / YonhapBy Kim Jae-heunA Japanese court has denied a request by 27 Korean people to remove the names of their family members from the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo. The shrine honors Japan's war dead, including Class A war criminals.It took five years and seven months for the Tokyo District Court to make a decision on the lawsuit filed in September 2013. The court did not offer an explanation for its decision. Moreover, it ordered the plaintiffs to cover the trial costs.According to Kyodo News, Tuesday, the court did not accept the plaintiffs' claim that the enshrinement damaged the deceased Koreans' honor, saying their enshrinement has not been made public, which leaves no chance for it to become known to unspecified individuals.Yasukuni Shrine honors 2.4 million of Japan's war dead, in

May 29, 2019By Kim Jae-heun

Kim Jae-heun

Read more

Public divided on banning plastic straws

Seoul to reopen car-free street at Daehangno

Approval of #MeToo movement differs by gender, age

Traditional hair washing

Use of disposable cups declined by 72% in 1 year

Travel agencies brace for boat tragedy backlash

'No kids zone' - rights not to be disturbed or excessive restriction?

Psy denies involvement in YG scandal

Stolen map found

Japanese court denies request to remove Korean names from Yasukuni Shrine

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