Gil Won-ok, a victim of Japan's wartime sexual slavery, and Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon look around an exhibition about the issue held at Seoul Center for Architecture & Urbanism in central Seoul to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 1919 March 1 Independence Movement, Thursday. / Yonhap
Korea's human rights watchdog said Wednesday it was time for the country to discuss policy on same-sex marriage and come up with a social consensus on the issue. / Korea Times photo by Hong In-keeBy Kim Jae-heunKorea's human rights watchdog said Wednesday it was time for the country to discuss policy on same-sex marriage and come up with a social consensus on the issue. The stance is likely to bring fresh debate to the issue in Korea which is still conservative with regard to homosexualityThe National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) said that it had to dismiss a petition filed by a gay couple who were married in the U.K. and had requested the commission acknowledge their marital status here.The NHRCK emphasized it dismissed the petition because of the limitations of the current law, saying the move didn't mean the commission opposed same-sex marriage. “We dismissed it after concluding the nation needs a policy review on the issue,” the commission said. “Korean courts do not recognize the marital status of same-sex couples under civil law. Thus, to give the
Seoul Metropolitan Government, Wednesday, signed an agreement with seven chicken franchises on reducing their use of disposable packaging in food deliveries. / Korea Times photo by Koh Eun-kyungBy Kim Jae-heunSeoul Metropolitan Government announced Tuesday that it will sign an agreement today with seven chicken franchises on reducing their use of disposable packaging in food deliveries.The franchise chains are Kyochon Chicken, Kkanbu Chicken, BHC Chicken, Chicken Baengi, BBQ Chicken, Goobne Chicken and NeNe Chicken.According to the agreement, the companies will stop the use of plastic bags and wooden chopsticks in their food delivery services through educational programs and promotions to their franchisees. They will try to eliminate more disposable products in stages.This plan is part of the city government's efforts to make Seoul a place without disposable plastic, an initiative announced last September. “The use of disposable materials in delivery services is increasing, but there are no regulations to control this. Individual efforts by enterprises and citizens to voluntari
By Kim Jae-heunThe market for children's content on online platforms like YouTube has grown explosively with the flourishing trend of “one-person” media here. In this media climate, children see becoming a YouTuber as one of their dream jobs, after doctors and lawyers, the other traditionally popular aspirations. However, there are no protective measures or regulations to protect young YouTubers against cyberbullying or abusive language by their online peers, or even adult viewers.A young YouTuber with the alias Seyoung burst into tears on air recently, begging the audience to stop cursing his parents. A middle school student, who has garnered 50,000 subscribers on the platform, received attention for his “mukbang,” an eating show online where he eats a massive amount of food. However, people began to leave abusive comments on his videos, cursing him and his parents, accusing him of only pretending to eat a lot. Many comments saying he was deceiving viewers were posted in real time during his livestream on Jan. 9.Some of the comments targeted the young YouTube
Samsung Medical Center. / YonhapBy Kim Jae-heunThe Seoul Central District Court said, Monday, it has ordered the government and Samsung Medical Center to pay 100 million won ($89,000) in compensation to the bereaved family of a man who died from Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in 2015.The court ruled that the government failed to properly carry out an epidemiologic investigation into the disease in the early stages of the epidemic and thus failed to prevent the man from coming into contact with another MERS patient who was hospitalized at the medical center in Seoul. It ruled the hospital also failed to properly screen those who came into contact with the first MERS patient.The man contracted MERS from the 14th confirmed patient, when he brought his wife and daughter to the emergency room at the hospital. He died 18 days after he was diagnosed. The bereaved family filed a lawsuit against the country and the hospital for neglecting their responsibility to warn other people at the medical institution of the risk of exposure to MERS and failing to prevent the epidemic from sprea
A police officer loads seized articles into a vehicle after the search and seizure of Burning Sun nightclub in southern Seoul on Feb. 14. / YonhapBy Kim Jae-heunIn the wake of drug-linked rape allegations at a Gangnam-based nightclub, police are set to all-out combat narcotics circulation. According to the Korean National Police Agency (KNPA) Sunday, it will conduct a three-month intensive crackdown on drug-related crimes, mobilizing all narcotics agents across the country, until April.“The police will put out all its effort to eradicate crime using illegal drugs through this intensive control,” a police officer said. “We will also actively protect the identity of those making reports as they are important in solving the issue at hand and will make sure that they are protected with anonymity.” Some 1,063 police officers are likely to take part in the crackdown, including investigators, cyber police and officers in charge of sex crimes.The move came after staff at Burning Sun allegedly helped its VIP customers rape young women after drugging them with gamma-Hyd
Former Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin leaves the Seoul Central District Court in southern Seoul, Thursday, after receiving a two-and-a-half-year prison term for orchestrating the military cyber command’s online opinion rigging operation in 2012. / YonhapBy Kim Jae-heunFormer Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison, Thursday, for ordering a massive online operation by the military to rig public opinion in favor of the then-conservative ruling party in 2012. The Seoul Central District Court found Kim guilty of intervening in politics contrary to the Military Criminal Act; but allowed him to remain free as he is standing trial on other charges.“Kim's act distorted people's political opinion and prevented politicians and political parties from having free competition,” the court said in its ruling. “It is unacceptable, for any reason, for a state organization to illegally intervene in forming public opinion for the purpose of creating specific opinions.”The court said his act gravely violated the military's obligation to
Young people enjoy the warm spring weather at a beach in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, Thursday, when the city's temperature rose to 8 degrees Celsius. The warm weather is expected to continue over the weekend, with most parts of the nation's midday highs rising above 10 degrees. /Yonhap
Students take selfies with their friends after their graduation ceremony at Kyung Hee University, eastern Seoul, Wednesday. / Yonhap
A man wearing a mask featuring Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's face lowers his head during the weekly Wednesday Rally held in front of the former Japanese Embassy building in central Seoul, Wednesday. The protests have been held for the past 27 years to urge the Japanese government to make a sincere apology to former victims of its wartime sexual slavery and offer compensation. / Yonhap