South Korea - The Korea Times

Joseon Images Ringing in the New Year

A view of Jongno and Bosingak in the early 20th century   Robert Neff CollectionBy Robert NeffIn Korea, the iconic symbol of New Year's Eve is the ringing of the bell at Bosingak in downtown Seoul. In the recent past, the streets surrounding the bell were filled with revelers who welcomed the New Year as the bell was struck 33 times. It was the Korean equivalent of the ball dropping at New York's Times Square.It isn't clear when New Year's Eve on the solar calendar became popular in Korea but we do know that in the early 1890s it was celebrated by Western and Japanese residents at the open ports ― Jemulpo (modern Incheon), Fusan (Busan) and Wonsan ― as well as in Seoul.On New Year's Eve 1890, one early visitor to Jemulpo recalled having to dodge intoxicated Japanese revelers as he made his way through the noisy, crowded streets. “It was enough to drive anybody crazy,” he complained. “Each house, with its paper walls, hardly suitable for the climate, seemed to contain a regular pandemonium. Men and women were to be seen squatting on the ground round a huge

Dec 28, 2021

Celebrating Christmas in Korea in 2021

gettyimagesbankBy Jon DunbarChristmas is almost upon us, even if it doesn't feel as festive this year. As events are being canceled or modified to comply with stricter gathering rules and group events are discouraged, it is getting harder to celebrate the holiday season. But there are still ways to capture the festive atmosphere and get in the Christmas mood. FoodA meal is a major part of any Christmas celebration. Some restaurants are advertising Christmas events, although the number seems smaller compared to American Thanksgiving last month. Reservations have already been filled, and any in-restaurant dining experiences are likely to be all booked out by now. Those craving a Christmas feast should probably turn their attention toward apps and delivery services offering meals, such as Wadiz, Coupang Eats and Market Kurly.Another easy option is fried chicken, which is plentiful, somewhat special and also officially the world's most popular Korean food. So stop by your local chicken hof, pick up a couple rotisserie birds from one of those ubiquitous trucks or just stop by KFC like the

Dec 21, 2021By Jon Dunbar

Nearly 9 in 10 foreign nationals in Korea want to extend their stays

Over half at least somewhat satisfied with jobs By Lee Kyung-min Almost nine out of 10 foreign nationals in Korea without permanent residency want to extend their stay, government data showed Tuesday.Data from Statistics Korea showed that 88.2 percent of foreign nationals without F-5 visas said that they wanted to continue to remain in Korea as of May, up 1.7 percent from the previous year.They wanted to do so by extending their current visas (53.6 percent), followed by acquiring permanent residency (14.6 percent) and acquiring Korean nationality (11.1 percent).The data also showed that the number of residents of foreign nationality stood at over 1.33 million, similar to the figure last year.The number of employed foreign nationals was 855,300, up about 7,000 from a year ago. This marks the first increase since 2018, when the number of employed foreign nationals stood at 884,300.This year's increase is attributable to a rebound in the overall number of workers in the country due to a partial recovery in the labor market from last year's rapid job losses.“Many people were unabl

Dec 21, 2021By Lee Kyung-min

Nearly 9 in 10 foreign nationals in Korea want to extend their stays

Korea Encounters Dark Christmases amid crises, dictatorship in early 1970s

Last-minute shoppers, published in The Korea Times Dec. 23, 1973. / Korea Times ArchiveBy Matt VanVolkenburgIn the 1960s, growing prosperity and Westernization led to a variety of Christmas traditions being adopted in South Korean cities. Christmas Eve became infamous for the revelry and cacophony of merrymakers enjoying the single night of the year when the midnight-to-4 a.m. curfew was lifted.During the 1970s, however, economic conditions abroad and growing authoritarianism at home led to more subdued Christmas celebrations. Christmas cards, published in The Korea Times Dec. 10, 1972. / Korea Times ArchiveIn early December 1970, The Korea Times reported on Christmas-related goods for sale such as inexpensive plastic Christmas trees, greeting cards, and “New Year's calendars on display at streetside booths.” Despite the variety and quantity of goods available, a saleslady in the newly opened Cosmos Department Store in Myeong-dong said, “I foresee sales will drop sharply this Yule season. There has been an unprecedented business recession toward this year-end.&rdquo

Dec 21, 2021

Number of foreign workers rebounds this year amid economic recovery

gettyimagesbankThe number of foreign workers in South Korea rebounded this year after two consecutive years of decline as the job market has recovered amid the economic recovery, data showed Tuesday.The number of foreign workers came to 855,000 as of May, up 7,000 or 0.9 percent from the previous year, according to the data by Statistics Korea and the Ministry of Justice.The number of foreign employees declined for the second straight year in 2020 due to the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.The statistics agency said the rebound in foreign workers came in line with the recovery of the job market.South Korea reported job additions for the ninth straight month in November as the country's economy has extended its recovery momentum.By sector, the number of foreign workers grew by the largest number of 17,000 on-year in the construction sector, followed by an on-year rise in the agricultural and fishery sector with 4,100.The number of temporary foreign workers or day laborers rose 27,000 on-year, compared with a plunge of 41,000 of such workers in 2020 due to the pandemic.The employment

Dec 21, 2021

Number of foreign workers rebounds this year amid economic recovery

Bereaved family of Cambodian worker seeks industrial accident compensation

Migrant workers and monks express condolences to Nuon Sukkheng, a Cambodian migrant worker who was found dead in a greenhouse made of plastic sheeting on a farm in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, Dec. 20, 2020, during a memorial ceremony at Beomnyeon Temple, central Seoul, on Feb. 7. Korea Times photo by Bae Woo-hanBy Lee Hae-rinThe bereaved family of a Cambodian migrant worker who died here a year ago in poor living conditions, has filed a claim for industrial accident compensation. A committee comprised of 26 civic groups and legal organizations formed upon the death of the individual, Nuon Sokkheng, commenced the compensation procedure on behalf of her family, who is in Cambodia, Monday, the first anniversary of her death.Sokkheng, 31, was found dead in a greenhouse made of plastic sheeting on a farm in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, where she had been living. The heating system was not working in the facility that day, despite a cold spell in the region. Although her direct cause of death was liver disease, advocacy groups said that the poor living conditions exacerbated her health, and

Dec 20, 2021By Lee Hae-rin

Migrant workers' rights groups stage rally demanding better treatment

Migrant workers and civic activists hold up placards during a rally held in front of Bosingak Pavilion in Jongno District, Seoul, Sunday, demanding better working and living conditions and the eradication of discrimination. The event was organized to mark International Migrants Day which falls on Dec. 18. YonhapBy Lee Hyo-jin Hundreds of migrant workers and local activists marched down the streets of central Seoul, Sunday, staging a rally calling for better working and living conditions and the eradication of discrimination. The event, co-organized by over 20 migrant workers' support groups including the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, Social and Labor Affairs Committee of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism and Hope Center along with migrant workers, began at 2 p.m. in front of Bosingak Pavilion in Jongno District.Undeterred by freezing temperatures, about 200 foreign workers and members of civic groups gathered, holding placards reading, “Guarantee freedom to switch jobs” and “Stop discrimination in COVID-19 relief funds.”According to its organizers, th

Dec 19, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin

Migrant workers' rights groups stage rally demanding better treatment

Employees with multicultural backgrounds suffer from poor working conditions: survey

An employee organizes products at a convenience store in Seoul in this May 27 photo. YonhapBy Bahk Eun-jiA large proportion of young adults and children with multicultural backgrounds and work experience here have suffered from unfair treatment, such as salaries that are lower than minimum wage and verbal abuse from employers, a survey showed Thursday.The Migrant Youth Foundation conducted the survey for one year since September of last year, interviewing 4,078 individuals aged between nine and 24 with multicultural backgrounds, including those born to families consisting of one parent of Korean nationality and another parent of foreign nationality, either here or abroad; and those whose parents are North Korean defectors and were born in North Korea, South Korea or a third country.Of them, 212 had experience working part-time or full-time jobs. The foundation separately conducted 786 interviews with Korean nationals without multicultural backgrounds for comparison.According to the survey conducted at the request of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, 25 percent of those born

Dec 16, 2021By Bahk Eun-ji

Employees with multicultural backgrounds suffer from poor working conditions: survey

Court rules refugees eligible for public rental housing

Court rules refugees eligible for public rental housingForeign nationals who have refugee status in Korea have the same right to apply for public rental housing as Korean nationals, according to a local court ruling./gettyimagesbank By Yoon Ja-youngForeign nationals who have refugee status in Korea have the same right to apply for public rental housing as Korean nationals, according to a local court ruling.According to Law Times, a local media outlet specializing in legal affairs, a foreign national who had fled from a country in the Middle East, as his life was being threatened over his involvement in anti-government protests. Following a screening process by the Ministry of Justice, he was granted refugee status in Korea in March 2018 and after a few months became a recipient of social welfare services such as a stipend for living expenses, housing and healthcare, under the National Basic Livelihood Security Act. In June last year, he visited a community center in Seoul's Gwanak District and applied for pu

Dec 16, 2021By Yoon Ja-young

Afghan evacuees to be allowed to work on farms amid rural manpower shortage

Foreign nationals work on a farm in Yecheon, North Gyeongsang Province, in this Dec. 3, 2020 photo. Korea Times photo by Lee Yong-hoBy Lee Hae-rinAfghan evacuees who came to Korea in August to escape from the Taliban regime in their homeland will be allowed to work as seasonal workers in the agriculture and fishery sectors, the government said Tuesday. The Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced a set of measures to ease regulations on foreign worker recruitment for seasonal work to relieve the manpower shortage in these sectors.Since 2017, the ministries have accepted seasonal migrant workers on short-term C-4 visas, as agricultural and fishing farms have suffered from labor shortages due to the aging population. Workers with this visa could work for up to five months here during the harvesting season. But the farms have had difficulty hiring foreign workers since last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.As a temporary measure, since February this year, the government has allowed foreign nationals here without work visas to work as seasona

Dec 15, 2021By Lee Hae-rin

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