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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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South Korea

Suicide biggest killer among Korean teenagers

By Kim Se-jeong Suicide is the main cause of death among teenagers, according to a government survey released Tuesday. A total of 7.4 out of 100,000 young people between the ages of 13 and 24 have died this way, while almost eight percent answered that they have thought about committing suicide in last year. This is a decrease of 3.3 percent from 2012, with respondents saying that academic, economic and career-related stress were the main reasons for their depression. The next biggest cause of death in this age group was traffic accidents and diseases. The results were included in a comprehensive report on Korean teenagers, jointly released by Statistics Korea and the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family.Also revealed in the study was that more than half of middle and high school students use their smartphones to watch sexually explicit content.The survey showed that smartphones are the No. 1 means for teenagers to view adult-related content. Of the 19,266 students surveyed, 52.6 percent said they watch pornographic videos and photos through smartphones, followed by Cable TV w

Apr 28, 2015By Kim Se-jeong
South Korea

Singer said he see ghosts to evade military service

By Kim Se-jeongKim Woo-jooA Seoul court sentenced singer Kim Woo-joo to one year in prison, Monday, for attempting to evade mandatory military duty by lying about his mental health.The Seoul Central District Court said the 30-year-old singer was charged with using deceptive tactics to evade conscription and to reduce the service duration.Every man in Korea is required to serve in the military after he turns 18.“For Kim, it was not a one-time attempt. He continued to deceive authorities. Serving the military is a constitutional duty for men and his attempts deserve harsh punishment,” Judge Cho Jeong-rae said in reading the verdict.In 2004, the singer received his conscription notice and delayed it a couple of times, citing his continuing education.When he ran out excuses, he began to claim that he suffered hallucinations and was seeing ghosts. He submitted records of 42 fake visits to mental hospitals between March 2012 and May 2014, and received a lighter military duty. During an investigation, he claimed that he saw ghosts for eight years and was even taken to emergency

Apr 28, 2015By Kim Se-jeong
Singer said he see ghosts to evade military service
South Korea

'Korea is not safe from earthquakes'

By Kim Se-jeong It is unlikely that a strong earthquake will hit the Korean Peninsula in the near future, but that doesn’t mean the country is completely safe, experts cautioned Monday.A magnitude 7.8 earthquake in Nepal that killed over 3,000 people is prompting officials here to inspect Korea’s anti-quake measures.An official at the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said, “Korea is not on the edge of a tectonic plate that collides with another landmass. But we can’t say it is not vulnerable to a deadly earthquake.” The Korean Peninsula is on the Eurasian tectonic plate.KMA data shows the peninsula experienced 13 earthquakes with a magnitude of 2 or more last year alone. In the 1990s, the number of such earthquakes was 26 but that number increased to 44 in the 2000s. Between 2010 and 2014, 58 earthquakes have been reported here.Prof. Hong Tae-kyung at Yonsei University echoed the KMA official, citing historical evidence.“When you look at records about earthquakes from the Joseon Kingdom, an earthquake with a magnitude of 7 hit the pen

Apr 27, 2015By Kim Se-jeong
Foreign Affairs

Anti-Abe sentiment runs high in Korea

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, left, greets Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in front of Kerry’s residence in the Beacon Hill neighborhood of Boston. Abe arrived in the U.S. Sunday for a weeklong visit. / AP-YonhapBy Kim Se-jeong Antipathy against Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is running high ahead of his April 29 speech to the U.S. Congress.Ironically, it is feared that this anti-Abe sentiment could worsen ties with the U.S., considering the popular belief that Washington is allowing Abe to take a nationalistic path as part of efforts to contain China.“During his speech, Abe should offer a sincere apology to the women who have suffered all their lives,” said Kim Jong-il, co-president of the Seoul Solidarity for Peace and Reunification of Korea, a private advocacy group.“Not only that, he must apologize for colonization and the deaths of 20 million people who were killed during wars started by Japan in the 20th century.”Many echoed Kim, condemning Abe for trying to whitewash Japan’s historic wrongdoings.Lee Jung-sil, head of the Wa

Apr 27, 2015By Kim Se-jeong
Anti-Abe sentiment runs high in Korea
  • Abe is at root of the problem
South Korea

Clashes expected as labor union protest begins Friday

Seoul Plaza in front of City Hall is filled with unionized workers who joined a strike by the Korean Federation of Trade Unions, Friday. The workers plan to hold demonstrations across the country over the weekend./ Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulTens of thousands of workers start weekend protests By Kim Se-jeong Tens of thousands of unionized workers started a strike across the country Friday, demanding the government drop its bid to reform the labor market and pension program for public workers.The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), the nation’s second-largest umbrella union, pressed ahead with its planned strike despite the government designating their strikes illegal.The umbrella union claimed some 270,000 of its members have joined the strike. About 20,000 workers participated in a rally in central Seoul, but no clashes with riot police were reported. More workers will hold massive rallies in Seoul and other cities on Saturday and Sunday, the KTCU said.Police say the number of participants is much lower than the KCTU’s estimate. They said

Apr 24, 2015By Kim Se-jeong
Clashes expected as labor union protest begins Friday
South Korea

More parents move to receive bigger subsidies for babies

By Kim Se-jeongA growing number of couples expecting babies are changing their addresses to receive a bigger subsidy from local governments, sources said Tuesday.This happens because the subsidy for having a baby varies between local governments and local governments tighten the application process to prevent parents taking advantage of loopholes in eligibility.An official at the Gangnam District Office in Seoul told The Korea Times that he saw couples have moved into the district recently because of the subsidy available.The subsidies differs in amount, but can reach tens of millions of won. The local government in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, gives 300,000 won ($277) to parents for their third baby, while Hoengseong in the same province gives 7.2 million won ($6,650).In North Gyeongsang Province, the government of Euiseong gives 12.5 million won for a third baby, while Gumi gives only 1 million won.In Seoul, Gangnam gives 1 million won for a third child, while Gwangjin gives 300,000 won.The subsidies for additional babies were introduced as part of efforts to boost the low bir

Apr 21, 2015By Kim Se-jeong
South Korea

Keangnam employees to be questioned this week

By Kim Se-jeong The prosecution will summon seven Keangnam Enterprises workers for questioning this week as part of a widening investigation into bribery allegations surrounding the company’s late former Chairman Sung Woan-jong.The seven include confidants who managed a slush fund at the behest of Sung for the purpose of bribing politicians.Sung listed eight politicians, including South Gyeongsang Province Governor Hong Joon-pyo and Prime Minister Lee Wan-koo in a bribery list he wrote before taking his own life on April 9.The late former chairman’s secretary surnamed Lee, 43, is one of the seven people.Lee joined Keangnam in early 2000 and became Sung’s secretary in 2012. When Sung became a lawmaker, Lee worked as his chief assistant. After Sung was stripped of his parliamentary position in 2012 for violating election law, Lee stayed with Sung as a personal secretary. He also accompanied Sung on April 3 at the prosecution’s office when Sung was summoned.Investigators already met with Lee last week and obtained some documents about the alleged bribery sch

Apr 19, 2015By Kim Se-jeong
South Korea

Sewol families clash with riot police

Protesters clash with police during a rally in Jonggak, central Seoul, Saturday, on the occasion of the first anniversary of the Sewol ferry disaster. / Yonhap21 relatives of victims released after being detained for one dayBy Kim Se-jeongTwenty-one relatives of people who died during the sinking of the ferry Sewol were released Sunday after being detained following violent clashes with police a day earlier.They were among tens of thousands of people who participated in a street protest held in downtown Seoul, marking the first anniversary of the ferry disaster. Officers also detained 80 other people.Police said 74 officers were injured during the six-hour confrontation ― One police officer had his ear damaged after being hit by an amplifier held by a protester.Nine protesters were injured and taken to nearby hospitals. One man was taken to a nearby hospital after he was apparently stamped on by police officers.Police said the released relatives will be called in for questioning soon, adding the release does not mean that they will not be charged.Among the 21 relatives was Kim Y

Apr 19, 2015By Kim Se-jeong
South Korea

8 out of 10 professors feel they are less respected

By Kim Se-jeong Eight out of 10 professors feel they are less respected in society than in previous years, according to a survey released Thursday.The survey, conducted by Kyosu Shinmun, a journal for professors, found that 80.2 percent of professors believe their social status is on decline. In a similar survey conducted in 2013, 68.4 percent responded in kind. Traditionally in Korea, teachers have been considered a respected class of the society.The newspaper surveyed 785 professors with full-time teaching positions at universities.The results followed a series of sex abuse and corruption cases involving professors.The survey also revealed a disappointing perception of plagiarism among professors.More than 54 percent of respondents said that although they are against plagiarism, they would stay quiet if they saw their colleagues plagiarize material. Thirty-one percent said they would pretend they did not know about it at all, up from 23.7 percent two years ago.Asked why the perception of professors is becoming more negative, one professor said, “Universities are bec

Apr 16, 2015By Kim Se-jeong
South Korea

Nuclear reactor shuts down

No. 3 reactor at Hanbit Nuclear Power PlantBy Kim Se-jeong A nuclear reactor in Yeonggwang, South Jeolla Province, shut down Thursday only five days after it resumed operations.According to the Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Corp. (KHNP), the malfunction of a coolant pump inside the reactor appears to have caused the No. 3 reactor at Hanbit Nuclear Power Plant to stop. There were no reports of casualties or radioactive material leakage.The incident is expected to re-ignite concerns about the safety of nuclear reactors in the country.“The reactor is currently in a stable condition and an investigation is underway to find out the exact cause of the stoppage,” KHNP said in a text message sent out to journalists.The reactor  shut down last year due to problems with its steam generator. The reactor went through a months-long investigation and received operational approval from the nuclear safety commission early this month.The troubled reactor is one of 23 nuclear reactors operating in Korea.The Hanbit plant alone has six reactors ― the oldest reactor has been

Apr 16, 2015By Kim Se-jeong
Nuclear reactor shuts down
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