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Lee Hyo-jin

Korea Times Finance Reporter

Lee Hyo-jin covers the Bank of Korea, the banking industry and broader financial news. Her previous beats include foreign affairs, North Korea and general reporting on Korean society.

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Society

Gov't plan to lower school entry age faces strong backlash

Students attend class at an elementary school in eastern Seoul's Gwangjin District, May 2. Joint Press CorpsEducation ministry seeks to lower admission age to 5 from current 6By Lee Hyo-jin The government's plan to lower the age of entry to elementary school to five years old from the current six by as soon as 2025 is triggering hot debate among teachers, parents and civic groups. During a policy briefing to President Yoon Suk-yeol on Friday, Education Minister Park Soon-ae said her ministry seeks to lower the school-entry age to five and thereby allow children to start public education a year earlier, with an aim to reduce the burden of education expenses on parents.The ministry also viewed that changing the school admission age could help tackle the labor force shortage amid the rapidly declining birthrate and aging population, as it would allow children to begin their working careers earlier after college graduation.Yoon gave a nod to the proposal and ordered Park to start working on it as soon as possible. The education authorities will launch a survey on 20,000 students and pare

Jul 31, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
Gov't plan to lower school entry age faces strong backlash
Health

Experts explain rationale behind Korea's adoption of 'autonomous' social distancing

Jung Jae-hun, a professor of preventive medicine at Gachon University, speaks during a special briefing session on COVID-19 organized by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency in Osong, North Chungcheong Province, Thursday. YonhapBA.5 wave slows slightly with 88,384 new infections By Lee Hyo-jin Korea may be able to avoid the worst-case scenario of reaching 300,000 daily COVID-19 infections during the peak of the current wave, according to some medical experts, who were cautiously optimistic about how the virus situation could develop in the coming weeks. Driven by the highly contagious BA.5 Omicron subvariant, health authorities and experts had previously projected that the country would see up to 300,000 daily infections by mid-August.“What experts forecast two to three weeks ago was a prediction that was close to the worst-case scenario, but now that more certain information is emerging, I think that there are a few reasons to believe that scale of the spread may decrease slightly from the forecast,” Jung Jae-hun, a professor of preventive medicine at Gachon U

Jul 28, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
Experts explain rationale behind Korea's adoption of 'autonomous' social distancing
Global Community

Korea to attract immigrants to depopulated rural areas

gettyimagesbankBy Lee Hyo-jin The government plans to attract immigrants to settle in rural regions that are struggling with severe labor shortages due to a rapidly shrinking population. Earlier this week, the Ministry of Justice announced the launch of the so-called region-specific visa, which will be granted from October this year to foreign nationals seeking to live and work in rural regions designated by the government.Under the new visa category, skilled workers who meet certain criteria will be given a residency visa (F-2) under the condition that he or she is employed in industries designated by the local government. The foreign resident should live in the region for at least five years after obtaining the visa, during which they are allowed to invite their spouse and underage children to Korea. Eligible applicants for the region-specific visa must meet certain requirements including proficiency in the Korean language and possess an academic background with a bachelor's degree or higher.The ministry said it will receive applications from the municipal governments of counties a

Jul 28, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
Korea to attract immigrants to depopulated rural areas
Health

Gov't stresses 'autonomy-based' quarantine measures to fight COVID-19 surge

Officials at Songpa District Office in Seoul look at a screen showing 100,285 daily COVID-19 cases reported on Wednesday, the highest figure in over three months. Joint Press CorpsNumber of daily new infections tops 100,000, highest figure in over 3 months By Lee Hyo-jin The government has announced plans to curb the ongoing COVID-19 wave through “autonomy- and solidarity-based” quarantine measures in daily life, Wednesday, as Korea is grappling with a massive surge of infections fueled by the highly transmissible BA.5 Omicron subvariant. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) has ruled out the reintroduction of a mandatory social distancing scheme as had been used earlier in the pandemic, considering the socio-economic damage it would likely cause.Moreover, the lower fatality rate of the Omicron series of subvariants ― which stood at 0.06 percent as of June ― is another reason the health authorities believe that the current wave could be overcome without reinstating mandatory social distancing measures.“This is the first wave of infections without l

Jul 27, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
Gov't stresses 'autonomy-based' quarantine measures to fight COVID-19 surge
  • Korea's new COVID-19 cases top 100,000 in over 3 months
  • Korea's new COVID-19 cases fall below 90,000
Health

A closer look inside Korea's vaccine training center

Trainees participate in a hands-on session of a vaccine bio-manufacturing course organized by the Asia Development Bank and the E-Asia and Knowledge Partnership Fund (EAKPF) at Yonsei University International Campus, located in Songdo, Incheon, July 21. Korea Times photo by Lee Hyo-jin Trainees from developing countries invited for 8-week vaccine manufacturing courseBy Lee Hyo-jin Songdo, INCHEON ― The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of having a local manufacturing infrastructure for medical equipment and vaccines moving forward, and scientists have raised concerns about the increasing threat of new zoonotic diseases emerging amid continuing climate change and urbanization. In particular, many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) that did not have timely access to vaccines, have realized that they must develop their own local manufacturing capacity in order to ensure sustainable and predictable supplies of vaccines, not only for th

Jul 22, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
A closer look inside Korea's vaccine training center
Health

Korea steps up COVID-19 measures amid surging sixth wave

A medical worker sprays disinfectant at a COVID-19 screening center in Songpa district, Seoul, Wednesday. NewsisDaily cases expected to reach 300,000 in mid-AugustBy Lee Hyo-jin The government decided Wednesday to secure an additional 4,000 hospital beds, as well as increase the number of testing centers and the distribution of self-testing kits amid the resurgence of new COVID-19 infections caused by the fast-spreading BA.5 Omicron subvariant.Some health experts, however, are urging the government to reintroduce social distancing measures at least to some extent before the infections spiral out of control. The country reported 76,402 new infections for Tuesday, including 429 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 18,937,971, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The number of critical cases stood at 96, with 12 new COVID-19-related fatalities.The authorities predicted that the current wave will reach its peak between mid-August and the end of that month, during which the country may see up to 300,000 new infections per day.Alarmed by the increas

Jul 20, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
Korea steps up COVID-19 measures amid surging sixth wave
Health

Study finds correlation between pandemic-induced socio-economic difficulties and suicide

gettyimagesbankBy Lee Hyo-jin One in five people who died by suicide since 2020 had suffered exacerbated socio-economic difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a government report, Tuesday. The Ministry of Health and Welfare disclosed the results of psychological autopsies compiled between 2015 and 2021 through joint research conducted with the Korea Foundation for Suicide Prevention.Psychological autopsy refers to a series of analyses conducted to look into the deceased's mental state before death. It involves interviews with families, friends and others who had contact with the person before his or her death, as well as medical reports and the police investigation.Of the 132 suicide cases reported since January 2020, 29 deaths ― or 22 percent ― were found to be linked to the COVID-19 pandemic.The study found that these 29 people ― 19 men and 10 women ― had already been suffering from difficulties such as unstable employment status, difficult relationships or mental health issues before the onset of the pandemic. Nevertheless, the COVID-19 outbreak significantly wors

Jul 20, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
Study finds correlation between pandemic-induced socio-economic difficulties and suicide
Health

Gov't reduces financial support for COVID-19 patients amid explosive spike in cases

Officials at Songpa District Office in Seoul look at a screen showing 73,582 daily COVID-19 cases reported on Monday, the highest figure in 83 days. Joint Press CorpsDaily infections surge to over 73,000By Lee Hyo-jin The government's recent decision to reduce financial support for COVID-19 patients has drawn criticism from civic groups and medical experts, who expressed concerns that many cases could go undetected as people skip getting tested.As Korea continues to grapple with a new wave of infections led by the BA.5 subvariant of Omicron, the country reported 73,582 new infections for Monday, the highest figure in 83 days, raising the aggregate total to 18,861,593. The number of critical patients stood at 91, with 12 new COVID-19-related deaths, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).With the recent introduction of the BA.2.75, also known as “Centaurus,” a new Omicron strain more contagious than its predecessors, health experts anticipate daily infections could reach 100,000 as early as next week.The Ministry of the Interior and Safety said

Jul 19, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
Gov't reduces financial support for COVID-19 patients amid explosive spike in cases
Society

Experts call for qualified courtroom interpreters as foreign population grows

Dignitaries including National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo, front row center, pose during a seminar on ways to better guarantee foreigners access to public interpretation services in legal proceedings. The event, co-hosted by the National Assembly Library and the Korea Legislation Research Institute, took place at the National Assembly, July 14. Courtesy of National Assembly LibraryInaccurate courtroom translations prejudice non-Korean speaking foreign nationalsBy Lee Hyo-jin“All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law.” This is a generally accepted belief as well as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as drafted by the United Nations.And yet, in Korea there is still debate over whether foreign nationals are subjects of fundamental rights under the nation's Constitution. One area where Korea's legal system lacks compared to more developed nations is in the area of public interpretation services for foreigners with limited Korean language proficiency who, as a result, are often left powerless in police inv

Jul 18, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
Experts call for qualified courtroom interpreters as foreign population grows
Society

21 dogs rescued from slaughter ahead of 'Boknal'

Dogs are confined in cages on a dog meat farm in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, July 6. Courtesy of Humane Society InternationalBy Lee Hyo-jin Summer is the cruelest season for farmed dogs in Korea as it is the time when dog meat soup, “bosintang,” is traditionally eaten ― based on the long-held yet polarizing view that the meat of “man's best friend” is good for the “stamina” of those who consume it. The practice of eating dog meat, particularly on “Boknal,” the three hottest days of summer, is still observed to this day by a small number of Koreans.Romeo, Henry, Tori, Juliette and another 17 dogs on a dog farm in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province were due to be slaughtered last week for consumption on Boknal, which, this year fell on July 16. The farm was shut down by the city government earlier this year, for operating without a license. Out of the 59 dogs that were found there, 38 dogs were removed and taken to a shelter by the authorities. However, the other 21 canines were left behind, with the owner instructed to rehouse the dogs elsewhere, af

Jul 17, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
21 dogs rescued from slaughter ahead of 'Boknal'
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CEO & Publisher: Oh Young-jinDigital News Email: webmaster@koreatimes.co.krTel: 02-724-2114Online newspaper registration No: 서울,아52844Date of registration: 2020.02.05Masthead: The Korea TimesCopyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.