The Korea Times

K-water shares water management skills abroad

Officials from other countries learn techniques for checking water leaks during a training program of K-water at the corporation's facility in Daejeon, in this September photo. / Courtesy of K-waterBy Kim Jae-heunWater is an important resource not just in daily life but also for a nation's economic development, and improving water-related infrastructure and fostering experts in the sector are key to its effective management.The Korea Water Resources Corp., better known as K-water, said Wednesday it has been sharing its skills and knowhow in water management with developing countries.In 1982, K-water established a human resource development institute and has operated education programs taught by its 1,400 experts to an average of 40,000 local and foreign officials in related professions every year.The corporation's education and training programs on water management technology and business administration have attracted 2,600 people from 97 countries since 1997.Its programs are devised in cooperation with the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and international organization

May 15, 2019By Kim Jae-heun

K-water shares water management skills abroad

Society

Teachers unhappy on Teacher's Day

Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education Superintendent Cho Hee-yeon, front row fifth from left, poses with ‘teachers of merit’ at his office in Seoul, Tuesday, a day before Teachers’ Day. A recent survey by the Korean Federation of Teachers’ Association showed that most teachers say their morale is declining. / Korea Times photo by Koh Young-kwonBy Kim Jae-heunTeaching used to be a respected profession and teachers used to have pride in their job.These days, however, nearly nine out of 10 teachers feel demoralized, sometimes facing verbal and physical violence from students and dealing with parents' unreasonable complaints.According to a survey on 5,493 teachers from kindergarten to university by the Korean Federation of Teachers' Associations (KFTA), released on Monday ahead of Teachers' Day today, 87.4 percent said their morale has fallen in the last year or two.The figure was the highest ever, compared to 55.3 percent in 2009, 79.5 percent in 2011 and 75 percent in 2015. According to the survey, 65.3 percent said they disagree that teachers' authority is pro

May 14, 2019By Kim Jae-heun

Law & Crime

INTERVIEW Minister backs sharing of probe power

Justice Minister Park Sang-ki speaks during an interview with The Korea Times and the Hankook Ilbo at his office in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday. Korea Times photo by Bae Woo-hanMarking the second anniversary of the Moon Jae-in administration, The Korea Times, jointly with the Hankook Ilbo, interviewed Cabinet ministers to review his government's policies on tackling corruption to create a more just society, as well as other pending issues ― ED.Anti-corruption activities are imperative to secure fair societyBy Kim Jae-heunThe prosecution has recently voiced its opposition to the government-led judiciary reform to share its exclusive supervisory role over investigations with police. They claim the government and the National Assembly are pushing ahead with the plan without taking their views into consideration.Justice Minister Park Sang-ki, however, made it clear that prosecutors cannot “design” their own investigations as this is the government's right. “We have been receiving prosecutors' opinions through various channels and can reflect them. However

May 13, 2019By Kim Jae-heun

[INTERVIEW] Minister backs sharing of probe power

Law & Crime

BMW Korea chairman questioned over alleged defect cover-up

BMW Korea Chairman Kim Hyo-joon apologizes upon his arrival at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency in Seoul, Friday to face questioning over allegations the company covered up manufacturing defects in its vehicles that cause dozens of the engine fires last year. / YonhapBy Kim Jae-heunPolice summoned BMW Korea Chairman Kim Hyo-joon for questioning Friday over allegations the company covered up manufacturing defects in its vehicles that caused dozens of engine fires last year.“I am truly sorry to have caused people concern,” Kim said as he arrived at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency. The chairman is suspected of being complicit in violations of the Automobile Management Act. “With the cooperation of our customers, our recalls have nearly been completed, and we are making every effort to prevent any more accidents from taking place,” Kim said, adding that he would fully cooperate with any investigation. However, the chairman would not comment on whether the German carmaker intentionally hid the defects or whether he personally accepted responsibility.The gl

May 10, 2019By Kim Jae-heun

BMW Korea chairman questioned over alleged defect cover-up

Society

Experiencing military

A student tries shooting a rifle with a soldier at a military-related booth established at a career and vocational exhibition held at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul, Thursday. The fair, hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, will be held through Saturday. / Yonhap

May 9, 2019By Kim Jae-heun

Society

Part-time lecturers losing jobs

Part-time lecturers protest against the government on the revision of the Higher Education Act that backfired to lay large number of lecturers in this file photo taken on Feb. 12. / Korea Times photo by Kim Hye-yoonLaw designed for better working conditions backfiresBy Kim Jae-heunA part-time lecturer surnamed Jung, who teaches at a university in Seoul, says job security for part-time lecturers has worsened this year ahead of the scheduled implementation of the revised Higher Education Act in August, which is aimed at providing better working conditions for them.“Quite a number of the part-time lecturers I know teaching at universities outside Seoul have been dismissed, and they believe it is because the schools felt that the cost of hiring them as faculty members was too high,” Jung told The Korea Times. “Thankfully I haven't lost my job yet but who knows, I could be laid off in the second semester when they have to offer me a higher salary to abide by the law.”Such dismissals are, ironically, the result of a law the government originally created to guarantee

May 8, 2019By Kim Jae-heun

Society

Endangered Asiatic black bear found in DMZ

Asiatic black bear has been found living in the demilitarized zone (DMZ) between the two Koreas, the government confirmed Wednesday. / Courtesy of Ministry of EnvironmentBy Kim Jae-heun An Asiatic black bear has been found living in the demilitarized zone (DMZ) between the two Koreas, the government confirmed Wednesday. The Ministry of Environment and the National Institute of Ecology said they captured a picture of the bear, classified as level-one endangered species, through cameras installed in the DMZ.The institute has installed 92 cameras there since 2014 to conduct ecological research in the area, and one Asiatic black bear was spotted in the eastern part of the zone last October. The military sent the picture to the institute in March after reviewing security issues.“So far there had only been an eyewitness account from a soldier that he saw the animal and unclear footage of what seemed to be an Asiatic black bear,” a ministry official said. “But this is the first time we have got confirmation.”The ministry said it was unlikely the bear came from outsid

May 8, 2019By Kim Jae-heun

Endangered Asiatic black bear found in DMZ

Others

Parents' Day

Children put paper carnations on elderly women at a social welfare center in Daegu, Wednesday, to celebrate Parents' Day. Children at Daegu Dalseo Elementary School and their parents prepared 800 paper carnations for the event. / Yonhap

May 8, 2019By Kim Jae-heun

Society

44% of singles say it is impossible to buy house

More than four out of 10 unmarried people believe they will at some point in their lives need to purchase a home but at the same time feel it is impossible to do so, a survey showed Tuesday. / GettyimagesbankBy Kim Jae-heunMore than four out of 10 unmarried people believe they will at some point in their lives need to purchase a home but at the same time feel it is impossible to do so, a survey showed Tuesday.The Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs (KIHASA) conducted the survey on 3,002 single men and women aged between 25 and 39 in August and September last year.Over 45 percent said home ownership was a must, however, 44 percent said this was practically impossible due to soaring housing prices. Just 10.7 percent said home ownership was not important. Opinions about the possibility of purchasing a home differed between residents of different regions. Over 47 percent of respondents in Seoul and the surrounding metropolitan area including Gyeonggi Province and Incheon said purchasing a home was an unattainable goal at their age, higher than the 41.8 percent in other metropol

May 7, 2019By Kim Jae-heun

44% of singles say it is impossible to buy house

Society

3,900 empty houses may increase crime in Seoul

There are 3,913 unoccupied decrepit homes in Seoul, according to the Seoul Institute. / YonhapBy Kim Jae-heunMore than 3,900 old homes in Seoul have been left empty for over a year, a report revealed, Monday, raising concerns that they may be used for crime.According to the Seoul Institute, there are 3,913 unoccupied decrepit homes in the capital. The number was reached using data from the Korea Land and Geospatial Informatix Corp., based on the consumption of electricity and water. The study showed Seongbuk-gu, northeastern Seoul, has the most empty homes with 391, followed by Jongno-gu and Yongsan-gu, both of which are located in central Seoul. In particular, many unoccupied homes belong to areas that are not benefiting from the Seoul Metropolitan Government's urban regeneration projects, with many of them needing repairs. The institute said 76 percent of 188 empty homes in the areas are safety hazards, while 79 percent of them have been left unoccupied for long periods of time. “When a district is excluded from the local government's redevelopment project, people leave their

May 7, 2019By Kim Jae-heun

Kim Jae-heun

Read more

K-water shares water management skills abroad

Teachers unhappy on Teacher's Day

INTERVIEW Minister backs sharing of probe power

BMW Korea chairman questioned over alleged defect cover-up

Experiencing military

Part-time lecturers losing jobs

Endangered Asiatic black bear found in DMZ

Parents' Day

44% of singles say it is impossible to buy house

3,900 empty houses may increase crime in Seoul

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