The Korea Times

Memorial Award of Nepali migrant worker to be established

Minod Moktan from a documentary film “Free, Minu(2018)” / Korea Times file By Lee Hyo-jin The Foreign Workers' Welfare Center in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, is launching a memorial award commemorating Minod Moktan, a late migrant worker and activist from Nepal.According to the center, Friday, the Minu Memorial Award will be presented to those who have contributed to enhancing migrant workers' rights in Korea. The winner will also be awarded three million won ($2,520). Minu was Moktan's Korean name. “Through the Memorial Award, we will commemorate his death and remember his accomplishments. Also, we aim to make our society a better place for migrant workers, where they can live without discrimination or exclusion,” Lee Young, the center's director, said on Friday. “The fund raising campaign will officially start in mid-August. We hope for participation from those who are interested in migrant laborers' rights.” Moktan lived in Korea as a foreign worker and a human

Aug 7, 2020By Lee Hyo-jin

Memorial Award of Nepali migrant worker to be established

Law & Crime

'Mukbang' YouTubers face criticism for undeclared paid ads

Famous mukbang YouTubers including Moon Bo-ki have come under fire for hiding paid advertisements. / Korea Times FileBy Lee Hyo-jinFamous “mukbang” YouTubers with millions of subscribers have come under fire for hiding the fact that they were being paid to advertise certain products.Starting Tuesday, a number of YouTubers began issuing apologies admitting that they deliberately or “accidentally” failed to notify viewers about paid advertisements in their videos. YouTuber “Eat with Boki”, better known by her real name, Moon Bo-ki, uploaded an apology to her YouTube community, Tuesday. “I admit and apologize for not mentioning paid promotions in some of my videos.” Moon has more than 4.6 million subscribers and hundreds of mukbang videos on her channel. Tzuyang, another YouTuber with 2.67 million subscribers, uploaded a video Wednesday saying, “I am sorry that I did not fully inform viewers about commercial sponsorship, and promise to notify viewers of all advertisements from now on.” However, as internet users speculated that

Aug 6, 2020By Lee Hyo-jin

'Mukbang' YouTubers face criticism for undeclared paid ads

Society

'Blackface' high school yearbook photo sparks controversy

A yearbook photo of Uijeongbu High School students wearing blackface makeup has sparked controversy, Wednesday. / Screen Capture from Uijeongbu High School student council Facebook pageBy Lee Hyo-jinA high school yearbook photo of five students in blackface makeup has been sparking controversy among internet users. Uijeongbu High School, an all-boys school in Gyeonggi Province, is known for its unique and eye-catching yearbook photos. Students dress up as various characters using costumes and body paint, reflecting trends of that year. As the photos have continuously gained public attention, the "cosplay" yearbook has become a school tradition.The class of 2020 posted this year's graduation photos on the student council Facebook page, Tuesday. Among the photos, one showed five students in blackface makeup dressed in black suits. They were carrying a coffin made of cardboard on their shoulders. The students were apparently parodying the “Dancing Pallbearers” of Ghana, also known as coffin dancers. As part of a traditional Ghanaian funeral, they give dan

Aug 5, 2020By Lee Hyo-jin

Law & Crime

Six indicted for smuggling drugs in teddy bear, other objects

Six people were indicted for smuggling drugs through various objects such as teddy bears, according to Daejeon District Prosecutors' Office, Thursday. GettyimagesbankBy Lee Hyo-jin Six people, including three Malaysian nationals, were indicted Tuesday for smuggling drugs into the country inside various objects through international mail, according to Daejeon District Prosecutors' Office.The Prosecutors' Office announced three smuggling cases, each using different objects ― a paintbrush bucket, coffee bags and teddy bears ― to sneak in drugs from overseas. A suspect in his 50s smuggled 2,003 grams of methamphetamine, known as philopon in Korea, from Cambodia in May. The drugs were hidden in a paintbrush bucket. It was the largest drug seizure by the Daejeon High Prosecutors' Office in its history. A Malaysian national in his 20s, with two accomplices, illegally brought in 287.2 grams of methamphetamine through express cargo in June. They used coffee bags to hide the drugs. The same month, two other suspects were caught trying to smuggle in 432.89 grams of marijuana from the United Sta

Aug 4, 2020By Lee Hyo-jin

Six indicted for smuggling drugs in teddy bear, other objects

Law & Crime

Did malicious comments drive former volleyball player to death?

Former professional volleyball player Go Yoo-min was found dead in her home in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, July 31. / Korea Times FileBy Lee Hyo-jin Former professional volleyball player Go Yoo-min, 25, was found dead in her home in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, around 9:40 p.m., July 31, according to Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency. Her body was discovered by an ex-teammate who had visited her home, as Go had not been answering phone calls.Police found no signs of attack or outside entry. While assuming suicide, the police will investigate based on statements of acquaintances and a digital forensic examination of Go's phone.Go had played for Hyundai E&C Hillstate as left-backup in the 2019-2020 season. Earlier this year, she had shifted her position to libero to fill in for Kim Yeon-gyeon's absence due to injury. However, Go left the team in March without giving specific reasons. The Korean Volleyball Federation (KOVO) later confirmed her retirement in May. While the cause of her death is to still left be investigated, some view that the former athlete may be a victim of c

Aug 3, 2020By Lee Hyo-jin

Did malicious comments drive former volleyball player to death?

Society

Sunfull Foundation, labor ministry work to improve labor-management relations

Employment and Labor Minister Lee Jae-kap, left, poses with Sunfull Foundation Chairman Min Byoung-chul after signing a memorandum of understanding at the Seoul Regional Employment and Labor administration, Thursday. Courtesy of Sunfull Foundation By Lee Hyo-jin The Sunfull Movement, an anti-cyberbullying foundation, will join hands with the Ministry of Employment and Labor to promote a cooperative labor-management culture. The two signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Thursday.The ceremony took place at the Seoul Regional Employment and Labor Office, between Employment Minister Lee Jae-kap and Sunfull Foundation Chairman Min Byoung-chul.Under the memorandum, the two parties will implement a joint project to spread a “sunfull” (referring to positive comments) workplace culture. By driving positive and cohesive energy, it aims to eradicate workplace bullying and build win-win labor-management relations. They have also agreed to cooperate on other projects to

Jul 31, 2020By Lee Hyo-jin

Sunfull Foundation, labor ministry work to improve labor-management relations

Law & Crime

Calls mounting to punish irresponsible dog owner

A Rottweiler attacks and kills a Spitz in Eunpyeong-gu, northwestern Seoul, July 25 / Screen capture from Yonhap TV By Lee Hyo-jinCalls are mounting to punish the owner of a Rottweiler after it killed another pet dog, a Spitz, July 25 in Bulgwang-dong, Eunpyeong District, northwestern Seoul.A public petition posted on the presidential website, Wednesday, urging strong punishment for the Rottweiler's owner, has gathered more than 28,000 signatures as of 2 p.m., Thursday.The petitioner, who claimed to be a witness to the incident, stated that the owner has been irresponsible in controlling the fierce dog in the neighborhood. Surveillance footage showed how the attack occurred in just a few seconds. The unleashed black Rottweiler ran toward the white Spitz walking on the other side of the street. It brutally attacked the small dog while two people, including the Spitz's owner, attempted to restrain the dog.The Spitz died shortly after the attack. Its owner reportedly s

Jul 30, 2020By Lee Hyo-jin

Calls mounting to punish irresponsible dog owner

Law & Crime

Homeless dog shelter in Jeongeup suspected of selling dogs to slaughter houses

A homeless dog shelter in Jeongeup, North Jeolla Province / Courtesy of Korean Animal Welfare Association By Lee Hyo-jin A homeless dog shelter in Jeongeup, North Jeolla Province, is suspected of selling rescued dogs to slaughter houses, according to the Korean Animal Welfare Association (KAWA), Wednesday. The shelter is run by a local animal hospital appointed by Jeongeup City Government in 2019. The hospital is responsible for rescuing abandoned dogs and managing their adaptation process. The local government paid the animal hospital 120,000 won ($100) per dog. However, local animal rights activists have cast doubts about the care center for several months. It previously did not disclose its location and hid detailed information about dogs that went missing from the facility.KAWA activists, along with Jeongeup city officials, visited the center on July 26. But they could not find all of the dogs reported to be kept there. After questioning, the shelter owner led t

Jul 30, 2020By Lee Hyo-jin

Homeless dog shelter in Jeongeup suspected of selling dogs to slaughter houses

Law & Crime

Calls growing to punish 'abusive' FCA Korea CEO

Pablo Rosso, CEO of FCA Korea has been suspended while harassment allegations against him are investigated, July 24. / YonhapBy Lee Hyo-jin Pablo Rosso, head of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) Korea, has been suspended from duty for allegedly physically and verbally abusing employees, according to the company Tuesday. He has also been accused of sexually harassing female workers.The company's headquarters announced his suspension on July 24 after a petition was posted on the Cheong Wa Dae website two days earlier, accusing Rosso of engaging in abusive behavior toward staff. The petition had been deleted shortly after but was reposted on Monday with names of the firm and CEO hidden.The petitioner described Rosso's alleged physical and verbal abuse.“He urges male employees to say which female employee they like the most, and he repeatedly states with whom he wants sexual relations among the female staff members. He constantly enacts physical abuse by slapping employees in the face and hitting their heads. We are also suffering from verbal abuse and insults,” the petition re

Jul 28, 2020By Lee Hyo-jin

Calls growing to punish 'abusive' FCA Korea CEO

Economy

Why do job seekers favor employment at Kakao Bank over traditional banks?

A pedestrian walks past an advertisement for Kakao Bank. / YonhapBy Lee Hyo-jin A high salary no longer seems to be the biggest reason young people choose to work in banking.Corporate culture, along with work-life balance, are the top concerns for job seekers in the finance sector, which is considered as one of the most conservative industries in Korea. Jung Hyun-woo, a college student majoring in systems engineering, is aiming for a job in the banking industry. Kakao Bank is at the top of his list. Kakao Bank is the nation's first internet-only bank launched in 2017. With its horizontal corporate culture and flexible working hours, work at the company is an attractive prospect for young job seekers. The company started off with 300 employees, and currently has more than 800. “Kakao Bank's biggest merit is its horizontal corporate culture. I would like to work where all staff are respected equally regardless of job titles or ranks,” said Jung. In a recent survey conducted earlier this month by Incruit, a job recruiting site, Kakao Bank was picked as the most favored workp

Jun 23, 2020By Lee Hyo-jin

Lee Hyo-jin

Read more

Memorial Award of Nepali migrant worker to be established

'Mukbang' YouTubers face criticism for undeclared paid ads

'Blackface' high school yearbook photo sparks controversy

Six indicted for smuggling drugs in teddy bear, other objects

Did malicious comments drive former volleyball player to death?

Sunfull Foundation, labor ministry work to improve labor-management relations

Calls mounting to punish irresponsible dog owner

Homeless dog shelter in Jeongeup suspected of selling dogs to slaughter houses

Calls growing to punish 'abusive' FCA Korea CEO

Why do job seekers favor employment at Kakao Bank over traditional banks?

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