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Kim Se-jeong

Korea Times K-Culture Reporter

I am covering trend, food and fashion. Previously, I covered diplomacy, city, environment and unification.

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Health

In-car protests introduced amid pandemic

Anti-government protesters prepare to start a car-based demonstration from a parking lot in Mapo District, Seoul. Yonhap By Kim Se-jeong In response to the rising public criticism after the Aug. 15 rallies, some anti-government protesters have chosen an alternative way to make their voices heard ― while staying in their cars.On Saturday, almost 45 cars ― nine each in five groups ― cruised around Seoul bearing anti-government messages.One banner bore the slogan “Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae out.” Protesters also criticized Moon Jae-in and his government's pro-China, anti-U.S. foreign policies and acts of corruption by close aides of the President. Five groups drove on different routes ― Mapo Resevoir Parking Lot to Seocho Fire Office, Sadang Public Parking Lot to Seoul Express Bus Terminal, Dobongsan Station on lines 1 and 7 to Sinseoldong Station on lines 1, 2 and the Ui LRT, Sinseoldong Station to Wangsimni Station on lines 2, 5, the Gyeongui-Jungang Line and the Bu

Sep 27, 2020By Kim Se-jeong
In-car protests introduced amid pandemic
Society

Plant breeder who fought starvation in Africa writes about origins of plants

Dr. Hahn Sang-kiBy Kim Se-jeongDr. Hahn Sang-ki, 87, is a world-famous plant breeder regarded for his contributing efforts to the development of agriculture in Africa. For 23 years, he worked for the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) located in Abadan, Nigeria. There, he developed high-yielding disease-resistant cassava varieties, which saved many across Africa from starvation. He was  a professor of the Seoul National University before he joined the IITA in 1971. Cassava is a major spale of poor farmers in Africa, but it had very serious diseases problems with both African cassava mosaic virus and cassava bacterian blight disease that plagued the poor farmers. Hahn identified from a wild related species of cassava the sources of resistance to the two major disases of cassava. He successfully incorporated them into cultivated local cassava varieties. The improved, high yielding and disease resistant cassava varieties have been widely grown by many farmers on over 5 million hectars in West Africa particularly in Nigeria and saved many lives of poor

Sep 24, 2020By Kim Se-jeong
Plant breeder who fought starvation in Africa writes about origins of plants
Health

Medical students to end boycott of licensing exam

A statement by senior medical students canceling the license exam boycottBy Kim Se-jeongSenior medical students who have boycotted the national license exam said Thursday they will end the boycott, a move viewed by the medical community as appropriate after it had raised concern over a possible shortage of doctors next year amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.“We express our intention to return to take the national licensing exam given that the nation is expected to suffer a shortage of doctors in the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic,” a statement released by the students read. Out of 3,172 qualified applicants, only 446, or 14 percent, actually applied for the exam. The Ministry of Health and Welfare remained firm in saying the students were too late to take this year's exam.The ministry has said accepting any late applications would be difficult, citing public opinion. On Cheong Wa Dae's website, a petition against accepting late applicants has drawn almost 570,000 supporters.Doctors claimed the government should give them a chance, because otherwise, Korea may experience a s

Sep 24, 2020By Kim Se-jeong
Medical students to end boycott of licensing exam
Health

Flu vaccine crisis looming large amid pandemic

People wait for flu vaccine shots that they opted to pay for at a public medical clinic in Gwangju, Wednesday. YonhapBy Kim Se-jeongA flu vaccine crisis is looming after the government's temporary halt of a free vaccination program created panic among the public, Wednesday, with people rushing to pay for flu shots nationwide.Pediatric clinics were especially busy dealing with parents asking about paying for flu shots for their children. Other clinics were also busy fielding similar inquiries, with some seeing people queuing to pay for vaccinations. The government suspended its free program after its supply was subject to inappropriate storage temperatures during transit. This year, the government obtained 29.5 million flu vaccine doses, among which 19 million were allocated for the free shot program for children, pregnant women and the elderly. The remainder have to be paid for at medical clinics which charge between 10,000 won and 40,000 won. About 5 million doses of the free vaccine were suspected of being inactivated after being exposed to room temperatures during distribution. Th

Sep 23, 2020By Kim Se-jeong
Flu vaccine crisis looming large amid pandemic
  • New virus cases bounce back to over 100 on untraceable cases
Politics

Foreigners see restrictions on real estate investment as 'scapegoating'

An apartment complex in Gyeonggi Province/gettyimagebankBy Kim Se-jeong The Gyeonggi Province government's plan to impose regulations on foreign real estate investors is drawing a backlash from many who view it as discrimination.According to a local government official, the regulations which may go into effect as early as mid-October will require foreign residential home buyers to receive a permit from a local district office before signing a contract for a property. In the permit, the buyer has to prove that the property would be for their own use, not for renting out purposes.“It sounds like another case of scapegoating foreigners. While I'm sure the number of foreign transactions is up, I imagine it's insignificant compared to the number of transactions made by Koreans,” a person from the U.S. who's currently looking to purchase a home in Seoul told The Korea Times.“If they were to restrict us this way, I'm doubtful it would have any impact on real estate prices. To me, this is politically motivated and at the expense of foreign residents, many of whom call Korea

Sep 18, 2020By Kim Se-jeong
Foreigners see restrictions on real estate investment as 'scapegoating'
Politics

Justice minister again refutes alleged personal request for extended military leave for son

Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae answers a question from a lawmaker during a parliamentary interpellation session, Seoul, Thursday./ YonhapJustice Minister Choo Mi-ae said Thursday neither she nor her husband had personally called the military to request preferential extended leave for their son during his mandatory military service in 2017."I have never made (such) a request. I have also confirmed with my husband that he had not made any request either," Choo told lawmakers during a parliamentary interpellation session.She was responding to a question from a lawmaker about a military record that claimed the soldier's parents called to help him extend his medical leave. "My husband and I are too busy with work, and my son and daughters have grown up dealing with their problems on their own," she also noted.The alleged power abuse case involving the justice minister is currently under a prosecution investigation and intense scrutiny by opposition lawmakers. The case centers on allegations that Choo used her influence as the then chairwoman of the ruling Democratic Party to get her son, sur

Sep 17, 2020By Kim Se-jeong
Justice minister again refutes alleged personal request for extended military leave for son
Health

KCDA says free flu shots for all an impossibility

Information about free flu vaccinations is posted on a medical clinic door in Seoul, Thursday./ YonhapBy Kim Se-jeongAs flu season approaches, the possibility of free flu vaccinations for the country's entire population has been increasingly discussed by politicians.The idea has been debated in response to growing concerns that an increasing number of flu patients, coupled with COVID-19 patients, could have a potentially devastating effect on the nation's healthcare system. So will everyone be able to receive a free flu vaccination this autumn? According to Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KCDA), the answer is no. The KCDA said this is because the number of vaccine doses produced is decided early on in the year. “Usually, the authorities estimate the number of doses they need early in the year and start production from March, which takes about five to six months. Given the COVID-19 situation, we added 5 million more this year which brought the total to around 29.5 million,” a KCDA official said. While many have asked if the government could allocate an emergen

Sep 17, 2020By Kim Se-jeong
KCDA says free flu shots for all an impossibility
Health

490,000 students take mock CSAT amid COVID-19

A teacher collects students' answer sheets during a mock university scholastic ability exam held at Yeouido Women's High School in Seoul, Wednesday. YonhapBy Kim Se-jeongAround 490,000 high school seniors took a mock College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) in 3,000 schools and 428 private cram schools across Korea, Wednesday, amid lingering concern over the spread of COVID-19.The test centers welcomed students who were arriving early in the morning with face masks on. The test lasted several hours. This year's CSAT is scheduled for Dec. 3.The schools and academies disinfected test rooms earlier and made sure there was at least a one-meter distance between desks in each test room. All test takers were required to wear masks for the duration of the test. “I am used to wearing a mask now, but I still feel suffocated and uncomfortable. I hope I will be able to concentrate well with the mask on during the test,” a local news outlet quoted a Busan student as saying. Those who are receiving COVID-19 treatment or in self-quarantine were able to take the test online.Korea reported

Sep 16, 2020By Kim Se-jeong
490,000 students take mock CSAT amid COVID-19
Trends

Tall, tiny house: Couple's solution to owning home in Seoul

The couple's house is close to the old Seoul City Wall near Dongdaemun in Seoul. /Courtesy of Choi Min-wookThirty three square meters of land doesn't seem big enough to build a house on. But architect and educator Choi Min-wook designed a five-story residential building for himself, his wife and their cat on a tiny plot of land in the heart of Seoul.The couple settled there in March last year. Choi Min-wook, right, with his wife Jayne Jeong pose with their cat, Conti, for a photo during an interview with The Korea Times on Monday. /Korea Times photo by Kim Se-jeongThis year, their house won the best architecture award conferred by the Seoul Metropolitan Government. The Korea Times visited the couple's home to talk about their experience.The tall tiny house sits on top of a hill next to the old Seoul wall close to Dongdaemun. One side of the building faces the wall and wide glass windows offer a panoramic view of both the wall and the nearby park. “Everything came together, I think. We were planning to get married and needed a place to stay,” Choi said as to what motivated

Sep 16, 2020By Kim Se-jeong
Tall, tiny house: Couple's solution to owning home in Seoul
Law & Crime

Child porn makers could face over 29 years in prison

Korea's Supreme CourtBy Kim Se-jeongThe independent Sentencing Commission under the Supreme Court proposed new guidelines Tuesday that will allow judges to hand down prison terms of up to 29 years and three months for those found guilty of creating sexually exploitative content.The guidelines proposed by the commission will become official in December if agreed to after a review by all of its members. The proposal will also allow judges to sentence those who sell sexual content online to up to 27 years in prison, and those who are charged with distributing content and recruiting minors for content creation to up to 18 years. Those who buy the content could also receive jail time of up to six years and nine months. This is the latest development in a drive to impose appropriate sentencing on sex criminals after two recent cases in which those found guilty were given lenient sentences enraged the public, who vented their anger at judges who have been traditionally lenient on sex crimes.Earlier this year, Cho Ju-bin, who ran a sexual blackmail ring called the “Nth Room,” was

Sep 15, 2020By Kim Se-jeong
Child porn makers could face over 29 years in prison
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