The Korea Times

Gender minister in hot seat over remarks on stalking murder

Kim Hyun-sook, the Minister of Gender Equality and Family, speaks during a National Assembly session, Tuesday. Joint Press CorpsBy Lee Hyo-jin Minister of Gender Equality and Family Kim Hyun-sook has come under fire for her inappropriate remarks on a recent stalking murder crime, which she views “is not a misogynistic hate crime.”A 28-year-old female employee of the Seoul Metro was stabbed to death by Jeon Joo-hwan, 31, a male former colleague of the victim, on the evening of Sept. 14 in a women's restroom in Sindang Station on Line 2 and 6 of the Seoul Metro.The tragic incident came just one day before Jeon's hearing to be sentenced on charges of stalking, harassment and illegal filming of the victim, prompting public anger over the government's failure to prevent the crime, despite tightened laws on the punishment of stalkers. In particular, the gender equality ministry has come under heavy criticism that its existing measures failed to offer timely protection to the victim, although she had filed two police reports; the first in October 2021 and the second in January o

Sep 21, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin

Gender minister in hot seat over remarks on stalking murder

Society

No men allowed: Women-only spaces increasing in Korea

gettyimagesbankMore women choose gender segregation in fear of possible sex offensesBy Lee Hyo-jin Jeong Ye-ji, a 31-year-old female office worker living in Gwanak District, Seoul, switched her gym to a women-only fitness center two months ago, which has made her workout routines more satisfying. “For one thing, I became more confident since I don't have to worry about getting unwanted stares from men. I can wear tight outfits such as leggings, cycling pants and tank tops without feeling self-conscious,” she said. Jeong also feels that the gym is better suited for women. “I like the fact that there's a variety of lighter dumbbells, weight plates and a bigger stretching zone compared to my previous gym. And being surrounded by same gender people, I don't feel intimidated while using weight machines that I'm not very good at,” she said.Gyms are not the only facilities limiting their service only to women. In recent years, an increasing number of female-only spaces have been emerging in Korea, ranging from study cafes, “gosiwon” or dormitory-style fla

Sep 20, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin

No men allowed: Women-only spaces increasing in Korea

Environment & Animals

Typhoon Nanmadol to bring powerful winds, rains from Sunday

This photo shows Typhoon Nanmadol moving near Okinawa, Japan, as of Friday afternoon. The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) predicted southern areas of South Gyeongsang Province and Jeju Island to come under the influence of the typhoon starting from Sunday. Courtesy of Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA)By Lee Hyo-jin Typhoon Nanmadol, the 14th tropical storm of this year, is expected to approach the Korean Peninsula this Sunday, bringing powerful winds and rainfall to the southern areas of South Gyeongsang Province and Jeju Island, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA).The state weather agency said the typhoon was traveling at a speed of 12 kilometers per hour over waters some 860 kilometers southeast of Okinawa, Japan, as of 9 a.m. Friday. It is expected to make landfall on the Japanese island of Kyushu next Monday.The tropical cyclone has a central atmospheric pressure of 955 hectopascals and a maximum wind speed of 40 meters per second, qualifying as a "strong" typhoon, the second-highest level in the KMA's four-tier system.As it approaches the

Sep 16, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin

Typhoon Nanmadol to bring powerful winds, rains from Sunday

Society

Public outraged by yet another stalking murder

A sign reading “Women Friendly Seoul” is displayed on the wall near a restroom in Seoul Metro's Sindang Station, Friday, where a female subway worker had been killed two days earlier by a male ex-colleague who was accused of stalking and harassing the victim. YonhapYoon vows to enhance protection for stalking victimsBy Lee Hyo-jin A murder case of a female subway worker by a male ex-colleague, which was committed one day before he was to be sentenced on charges of stalking the victim, has triggered public fury over the government's poor response to repeated stalking murders. The 31-year-old former Seoul Metro employee, identified only by his surname Jeon, allegedly stabbed the 28-year-old woman multiple times with a weapon in a restroom at Sindang Station on Seoul Metro lines 2 and 6, around 9 p.m., Wednesday. The victim was immediately taken to a nearby hospital, but was pronounced dead after two hours. Wearing a disposable sanitary cap, Jeon waited for over an hour in the subway station for the victim to show up and followed her as she entered the women's room to patrol

Sep 16, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin

Public outraged by yet another stalking murder

Health

Doctors call for protection from rising violence in ERs

Ambulances are parked at an entrance to the ER of Seoul Medical Center in Jungnang District, Seoul, March 11. Newsis Assaults by patients, guardians leave physicians traumatized By Lee Hyo-jin Doctors are urging the government to step up efforts to stem workplace violence as assault cases against emergency room staff by patients and their guardians are increasing to an alarming level.Unlike other hospital departments where patients need to schedule an appointment to see a doctor, ER workers have to see everyone who walks through the door, which leaves them more prone to violent outbursts.In June of this year, an ER doctor working at a hospital Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, was attacked by a 74-year-old man with a sickle and suffered injuries to the back of his neck. The man later told the police that he acted out of anger after his wife passed away while undergoing treatment there a few days earlier.Later that month, a 60-something man, who was disgruntled by a delay

Sep 15, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin

Doctors call for protection from rising violence in ERs

Health

When will Korea remove indoor face mask rule?

Gwanghwamun Station on Seoul Metro Line 5 is crowded with people wearing face masks in this photo taken on Oct. 16, 2020, three days after the government mandated universal mask wearing across the country. NewsisMask mandate likely to remain until next spring as 'twindemic' looms By Lee Hyo-jin After nearly two years since the indoor mask mandate was first implemented in Korea, experts are debating whether the government should review lifting the requirement, as a number of countries have lifted or eased the mandate.To help curb the spread of the coronavirus, the government required mask wearing both outdoors and indoors starting from Oct. 13, 2020. The outdoor mask mandate was lifted on May 2 of this year, as the number of new infections showed a downward trend after the Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 wave peaked in March.But the requirement to wear masks in indoor spaces such as offices, cafes, hospitals and public transportation has remained in place, with violators subject to a fine of 100,000 won ($72).However, now that other countries such as Denmark and Singapore, along with states in

Sep 14, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin

When will Korea remove indoor face mask rule?

Society

Drug trafficking thrives on dark web

gettyimagesbankDrug use surges among tech-savvy young people By Lee Hyo-jin Three men in their 30s were arrested on Aug. 21 for alleged drug use at a camping site in the southeastern port city of Ulsan. Surveillance footage showed one man, half-naked, tumbling into the bushes and then slapping himself in the face, while the other two attempted to drive a car with the doors open. They were found to be on lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), a potent psychedelic drug which induces hallucinations, according to the police.On Monday, a woman in her 20s and a man in his 30s were apprehended for allegedly using methamphetamine at a hotel in the southwestern metropolitan city of Gwangju. The two had met through an anonymous chat app, where the man offered drugs to the woman. These are just two of the many drug crimes reported recently, which suggest that narcotics have become more accessible, as the dark web, social media and cryptocurrency transactions make it easier to trade illegal substances.According to data from the National Police Agency, the number of drug arrests involving people under

Sep 13, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin

Politics

Paying tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at British Embassy

A memorial altar is set up at the British Embassy in Seoul, Tuesday, to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II after the longest-serving monarch in British history died at the age of 96, Sept. 8. The altar will be open to the public through Friday during visitor hours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Yonhap

Sep 13, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin

Paying tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at British Embassy

Global Community

SPECIAL REPORT 'Too good to be true': Belarusian circus performers deceived by Korean agency

Katsiaryna Balabolava, left, and Andrey Ramanenka, a Belarusian circus duo, demonstrate their juggling skills in the coastal city of Yeosu, South Jeolla Province, Aug. 7. On the other side of the harbor are several docked cruise ships, one of which the duo used to perform on until they were forced to quit in mid-July after suffering from delayed payments and unfair treatment. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-sukThis is the first in a four-part series of stories on 'artist and entertainer' visa holders in Korea supported by the Korea Press Foundation. This interactive digital journalism project features articles, photography and short documentary films that expose the systematic loopholes in Korea's E-6 visa management practices that are easily used to exploit foreign artists who come to the country with hopes to be part of the nation's arts and entertainment scene.Exploitation of foreign artists shows dark side of nation's flourishing entertainment industryBy Lee Hyo-jin YEOSU, South Jeolla Province ― On a cloudy afternoon on Aug. 7, Andrey Ramanenka, 29, and Katsiaryna Balabolava, 27,

Sep 13, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin

[SPECIAL REPORT] 'Too good to be true': Belarusian circus performers deceived by Korean agency

Politics

VANK points out multiple errors about Korea in English dictionaries

In this photo, American Heritage Dictionary exclusively used the term “Sea of Japan,” the term used in Japan, to describe the body of water between Korea and Japan, instead of concurrently using “East Sea,” the term used in Korea. Screenshot from the American Heritage dictionary websiteBy Lee Hyo-jin The Voluntary Agency Network of Korea (VANK), a civic organization promoting Korean culture and history online, has pointed out multiple errors and distortions in nearly a dozen English dictionaries and encyclopedias, Monday. The organization, which searched for “Korea” in 15 well-known dictionaries online, found that 11 of them exclusively used of the term “Sea of Japan” to describe the body of water between Korea and Japan. Such dictionaries include the American Heritage Dictionary, Dictionary.com and Your Dictionary.Korea and Japan have long been at odds over the issue of the sea's name, with Korea using “East Sea” and the latter calling it “Sea of Japan.”Following a resolution adopted at a U.N. Conference on the

Sep 13, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin

Lee Hyo-jin

Read more

Gender minister in hot seat over remarks on stalking murder

No men allowed: Women-only spaces increasing in Korea

Typhoon Nanmadol to bring powerful winds, rains from Sunday

Public outraged by yet another stalking murder

Doctors call for protection from rising violence in ERs

When will Korea remove indoor face mask rule?

Drug trafficking thrives on dark web

Paying tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at British Embassy

SPECIAL REPORT 'Too good to be true': Belarusian circus performers deceived by Korean agency

VANK points out multiple errors about Korea in English dictionaries

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