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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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Law & Crime

Vietnamese woman apprehended for alleged child abuse

GettyimagesbankBy Lee Hyo-jinA Vietnamese woman in Hanam, Gyeonggi Province, was taken into custody for allegedly abusing her three-year-old son, according to police, Friday.Officers apprehended her based on a report filed by medical staff at a general hospital located in Gangdong District, Seoul, where the woman had taken her son Wednesday. The medical staff alerted the authorities to the alleged child abuse after spotting bruises and wounds on his body. He is currently receiving medical treatment at a local hospital in Gyeonggi Province. The police plan to ask the prosecution to request an arrest warrant for the suspect later in the day after completing their investigation, on charges of violating the Child Welfare Act.The woman, found to be an illegal immigrant during questioning, partially admitted to the offense, reportedly saying, “I didn't expect him to get hurt because I didn't hit him hard.”She also gave testimony that a man living with her, a foreign national, also hit the child. Police are currently searching for him. The child's birth father, a Vietnamese nati

Nov 13, 2020By Lee Hyo-jin
Vietnamese woman apprehended for alleged child abuse
Health

Government to put all efforts in securing COVID-19 vaccines

A building at Chonnam National University in Gwangju is closed, Friday, after a student of the university tested positive for COVID-19. / YonhapBy Lee Hyo-jin The government is putting all efforts to obtain COVID-19 vaccines with an aim to secure enough supply for approximately 60 percent of the country's population by the end of the year, according to the health authorities. “We are seeing progress in our talks with related bodies. We will strive to secure as large a supply as possible to meet our goal by year end, even if we have to give up other entire deposits,” said Kwon Joon-wook, deputy director of the Central Disease Control Headquarters in a daily briefing Thursday. By “entire deposit,” Kwon meant the upfront payment the government has already made to several pharmaceutical firms to ensure access to vaccines they are currently working on. The aggressive plan for procurement comes after the recent announcement of Pfizer's interim results of a promising vaccine, which was reported to be 90 percent effective compared to a placebo. Kwon noted that “

Nov 13, 2020By Lee Hyo-jin
Government to put all efforts in securing COVID-19 vaccines
  • Winter may bring bigger COVID-19 challenges in Korea
Society

Gyeonggi Province refuses to provide disaster relief fund to foreigners

Migrants and local activists protest in Gwanghwamun, central Seoul, urging local governments to provide disaster relief funds to foreign residents, April 26. YonhapBy Lee Hyo-jin Gyeonggi Provincial Government has refused the state-run human rights agency's recommendation to provide COVID-19 disaster relief funds to foreign residents, according to the National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK), Thursday.The commission said Gyeonggi Province has not revised its disaster relief fund policy to include all foreign residents with registered addresses in the area, although the local government had been advised to do so since May. “The provincial government told us that they find it difficult to subsidize all foreign residents due to budget constraints and complicated procedures involving revisions to related ordinances,” the commission said in a press release. The local government said it plans to “comprehensively review the policy and look into possible measures in the long term,” according to the commission.Earlier in March, Gyeonggi Province and Seoul City

Nov 12, 2020By Lee Hyo-jin
Gyeonggi Province refuses to provide disaster relief fund to foreigners
  • New virus cases spike to near 200, tougher restrictions under review
Law & Crime

Online marketplace rife with illegal items and unethical sellers

A post offering to sell a mixed breed dog was uploaded Tuesday on Joonggonara, an online marketplace for secondhand items. / Screen captured from JoonggonaraBy Lee Hyo-jin “Cute puppy for sale for 60,000 won ($53), free packaging, additional charges for delivery.” An internet user uploaded a post offering to sell a mixed breed dog on Joonggonara, one of the country's largest online marketplace for secondhand items, Tuesday. Another user offered to sell a British shorthair cat for 200,000 won as they could not keep it anymore due to allergies.The online sale of pets not only seems inappropriate and unethical, but it may also be infringing on the Animal Protection Act, which requires registered business licenses for pet dealers. Illicit drug trades were easily spotted on Daangn Market, another popular peer-to-peer flea market app. Any users of the app can sell or purchase prescription medications such as pills for diabetes, steroid ointment, hair loss treatment and dietary supplements. The app was embroiled in controversy last month after a woman offered to sell her newborn

Nov 11, 2020By Lee Hyo-jin
Online marketplace rife with illegal items and unethical sellers
Health

Shortage of doctors expected next year

Students enter the Korea Health Personnel Licensing Examination Institute in eastern Seoul to take the practical skills test section of the national medical license exam in this Sept. 8 photo. / Korea Times fileBy Lee Hyo-jin Concerns are growing over a possible shortage of new doctors next year after approximately 86 percent of eligible medical students refused to take the state-run medical licensing exam which ended Tuesday. Over 2,700 of the total 3,172 final-year students did not participate in the practical skills test which was conducted for two months from Sept. 8, according to medical organizations.The students refused to apply for the licensing exam in August to protest the government's medical workforce reform plans. They chose to boycott the exam even after the health authorities had postponed it by one week and extended the registration deadline. Another 446 students who took the test will be allowed to take a written test scheduled for Jan. 7 and 8 next year, and those who pass will receive their licenses to practice medicine.The absence of the majority of the potential

Nov 10, 2020By Lee Hyo-jin
Shortage of doctors expected next year
Health

Gov't warns of tightening of social distancing level

A medical staffer stands at the entrance of the National Medical Center in Seoul, Monday. / YonhapBy Lee Hyo-jin The government warned of a possible raising of social distancing levels, Monday, if the country fails to bring the current triple-digit increases in new daily COVID-19 infections under control.Amid continuous sporadic outbreaks across the country, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 126 new cases for Sunday including 99 local infections, pushing up the total caseload to 27,553.The authorities voiced concerns as triple-digit numbers of daily infections were confirmed daily over the weekend, despite the number of tests administered being lower than those on weekdays. For local transmissions, the average number of daily infections has also steadily risen from 57.4 in the first week of October to 89 in the first week of November.This has led the health authorities to seriously consider strengthening their social distancing measures to Level 1.5 from the current Level 1, the lowest of the newly-introduced five-tier system. “If we fail to stop t

Nov 9, 2020By Lee Hyo-jin
Gov't warns of tightening of social distancing level
  • New virus cases in triple digits for 3rd day
Society

Over 6,000 after-school childcare workers strike

An after-school childcare classroom at an elementary school in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, is empty with more than 6,000 childcare workers on strike, Friday. / Yonhap By Lee Hyo-jin More than 6,000 after-school childcare workers at elementary schools held a one-day strike, Friday, in protest of the government plan to transfer management of childcare programs to local governments.More than half of about 12,000 care providers nationwide took part in the walkout, according to the coalition of irregular school employees.They demanded withdrawal of the so-called “all-day childcare bill,” drafted by the education authorities, aiming at integrating several care services provided by public schools and state-run facilities in a bid to raise the programs' accessibility. The bill includes transferring care system supervision from schools to local governments, which the care workers insist will seriously hurt their working conditions. Currently, each school supervises its own

Nov 6, 2020By Lee Hyo-jin
Over 6,000 after-school childcare workers strike
Law & Crime

Second suspect held for posting threats at French Embassy

GettyimagesbankBy Lee Hyo-jinPolice held a second suspect, Friday, who allegedly posted threatening flyers on the wall of the French Embassy in Seoul to protest the European nation's “anti-Muslim” stance.The foreign national, 25, whose identity and nationality have not been revealed, was caught in a provincial city outside the capital area, according to Seodaemun Police Station. The police are conducting a detailed investigation, after which the suspect will likely be charged for threatening diplomatic envoys. His accomplice, a foreign man of the same age, was caught and booked on Wednesday. After the investigation, the police requested an arrest warrant on charges of threatening diplomatic envoys. He allegedly admitted to the offense during the investigation, reportedly saying, “I put on the flyers because the French president has made several remarks devaluing Muslims.” The two men are suspected to have put up five posters with threatening messages on the wall of the French Embassy building in Seodaemun District, western Seoul, around 10:30 p.m., Sunday. Mes

Nov 6, 2020By Lee Hyo-jin
Second suspect held for posting threats at French Embassy
  • France reinforcing border controls following attacks
  • Teenager charged in France for hailing teacher's beheading
Society

Plastic screens on CSAT test desks draw complaints from students

The Ministry of Education announced Wednesday the finalized version of the plastic screens which will be installed on all desks at College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) sites across the country on Dec. 3. / Courtesy of North Jeolla Office of Education By Lee Hyo-jin Plastic screens, which will be installed on each desk at the national university entrance exam set for Dec. 3 in a bid to prevent the spread of COVID-19, have drawn complaints from students after the Ministry of Education announced the finalized design Wednesday. Following the Ministry of Education's safety guidelines for the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) announced in August, the authorities will introduce a 60-centimeter-wide, 45-centimeter-long plastic divider on Wednesday. The divider is semi-transparent to prevent cheating. Over 490,000 screens will be set up on desks at 1,185 sites across the country.Orbi, an internet community for CSAT test-takers with over 400,000 members, was flooded wi

Nov 5, 2020By Lee Hyo-jin
Plastic screens on CSAT test desks draw complaints from students
Society

Citizens welcome ban on use of e-scooters on sidewalks

A man rides an electric scooter at Yonsei University in western Seoul on Tuesday. / Korea Times photo by Lee Han-ho By Lee Hyo-jin The government's plan to prohibit the use of electric scooters on sidewalks starting next month has relieved citizens who were concerned about personal mobility device (PMD)-related accidents.After the revision to the Road Traffic Law takes effect Dec. 10, driving e-scooters on sidewalks will be banned. E-scooter users are only allowed to use bicycle paths or the curbside lane on roads, and violators will be subject to a 30,000 won ($26) fine. “I'm happy to hear that the sidewalks will finally be cleared of the dangerously fast e-scooters. I feel scared every time I see a scooter coming towards me,” said a resident in Yeongdeungpo District, southern Seoul. “They should have banned it earlier. We've already seen so many accidents, some of which resulted in death. I think an e-scooter at its highest speed is as dangerous as a car on the ro

Nov 5, 2020By Lee Hyo-jin
Citizens welcome ban on use of e-scooters on sidewalks
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