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CEO & Publisher: Oh Young-jinDigital News Email: webmaster@koreatimes.co.krTel: 02-724-2114Online newspaper registration No: 서울,아52844Date of registration: 2020.02.05Masthead: The Korea TimesCopyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.

Bill aims to ban Korea's wild animal cafes

A customer touches a meerkat at an animal cafe in Seoul. A bill has been proposed to ban such businesses. Korea Times fileBy Jung Min-hoA lawmaker has proposed a bill to ban wild animal cafes, which have sprung up across Korea in recent years.Rep. Lee Yong-deuk of the governing Democratic Party of Korea proposed a bill last week to ban displays of wild animals such as raccoons at cafes and restaurants.The number of these cafes has increased in Seoul and other big cities over the past few years, attracting customers who want to enjoy their drinks in the company of unique animals such as meerkats, foxes, flying squirrels and even snakes.Under the current law, cafe owners can use wild animals for commercial purposes as long as they are not endangered species recognized by the government.If the National Assembly passes the bill, violators could face imprisonment for up to a year or a maximum fine of 10 million won ($9,000).Animal rights groups have welcomed the bill.“It is impossible to provide proper environments for wild animals at cafes,” Aware, a local animal rights group

Aug 23, 2018
Bill aims to ban Korea's wild animal cafes

Korea's fertility rate drops to record low in 2017

South Korea's fertility rate fell to an all-time low in 2017 despite efforts to prop up the chronically low number of children being born in the country amid a rapidly aging population, government data showed Wednesday.The total fertility rate, or the average number of babies that a woman is projected to have during her lifetime, reached 1.05 last year, down from 1.17 tallied a year earlier, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea.The 2017 figure marks the lowest number tallied in Asia's fourth-largest economy to date.The number of newborns also declined 11.9 percent, or 48,500, to a record low of 357,771 last year.The average age that a woman had her first child was 32.6 last year, up from 32.4 years in 2016. Some 29.4 percent of first-time moms were over 35 years of age in 2017, up from 26.4 percent the year earlier.The trend of declining births is not new in South Korea, where an increasing number of women work and want to hold onto their careers. This has led to many getting married later than in the past and having children at an older age.To tackle the worrisome low-

Aug 22, 2018
Korea's fertility rate drops to record low in 2017

Korea raises alert against African swine fever

The South Korean government said Wednesday it has issued an alert against African swine fever to help prevent the spread of the highly contagious animal disease, following three outbreaks in China this month.The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said it has reminded local livestock breeders not to travel to affected regions in China, strengthen disinfection measures and take extra precautions when feeding food waste to pigs.The virus does not affect people, but virulent strains are often fatal to pigs of all ages, leading to cullings of the infected animals.The ministry said it will prepare standard operating procedures to effectively carry out animal quarantine measures. (Yonhap)

Aug 22, 2018
Korea raises alert against African swine fever

'Custody without time limit violates human rights': watchdog

By Kim Hyun-binThe National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) has called on the National Assembly to revise some clauses of the Immigration Control Law which in its view violate the human rights of foreigners subject to deportation, the commission said Tuesday.Under the current clauses, foreigners who are ordered to leave the country are housed in detention centers if they cannot be deported immediately.However, there are no detailed guidelines on how long they can be held in the facilities and the government has no objective and fair management and control system for deciding when to begin or extend custody.Without legal limits, the detention period can be extended when there are issues involving unpaid wages, passport problems or ongoing lawsuits, and thus the clauses have been criticized for violating human rights.“There needs to be a limit on how long a foreigner can be held in the facilities, and the government needs to implement objective management procedures,” an NHRCK official said. “There also need to be rules about the condition of children and the

Aug 21, 2018
'Custody without time limit violates human rights': watchdog

INTERVIEW 'Korea in need of medical marijuana'

By Kim Hyun-binDr. Kwon Yong-hyunDr. Kwon Yong-hyun, head of the Korea Cannabinoid Association (KCA) says Korea needs to swiftly bring in medical cannabis to better treat patients in need.“There are some types of diseases that can only be cured with medical marijuana, and it also helps in easing some symptoms and treatments,” Kwon said.According to the association, there have been tens of thousands of studies and medical procedures over the years, which found medical marijuana to be effective in treating numerous diseases including epilepsy, atopic dermatitis, dementia and Parkinson's disease.“When applying cannabis extract to atopic dermatitis patient's skin, it greatly eases the itching, however, importing the substance is totally banned,” said Lee Jung-lim, a mother of two children diagnosed with the disease. “I hope the government legalizes medical marijuana to help children that are suffering from atopic dermatitis.”Some states in the U.S., several countries in Europe, and even conservative countries such as China and Japan have legalized medi

Aug 19, 2018
[INTERVIEW] 'Korea in need of medical marijuana'

National pension to be depleted by 2057

Members of a civic group hold a protest at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Seoul, Friday, calling on the National Pension Service to secure their post-retirement pension. YonhapBy Kim Hyun-binThe national pension fund is expected to be exhausted by 2057, inevitably forcing the government to raise premiums to keep the pension running, according to the National Pension Service (NPS), Friday. An advisory panel of the public pension fund said the reserve was expected to peak in 2041, but starting from the following year, it was predicted to decline and to be depleted by 2057.The estimate is three years earlier than the government's previous projection in 2013, which forecast that the fund would be depleted by 2060.The NPS suggested two options _ to increase the premium from the 9 percent to 11 percent starting next year, or increase the premium gradually to 13.5 percent over the next decade.Any increase in the premium would be the first in 20 years.As of late May, there was 634 trillion won ($557 billion) in the national pension fund _ equivalent to 36 percent of the GDP.

Aug 17, 2018
National pension to be depleted by 2057

Health authority to conduct safety check on seafood buffets

By Kim Jae-heunThe authorities will conduct health and safety checks of seafood buffet chains across the country after it was found that one such chain, Todai Korea, reused raw fish. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said Monday it would check on how seafood chains display food and preserves at their buffet restaurants. It also promised to provide new guidelines by next month to strengthen food safety.The move came after a local broadcaster reported Sunday that Todai Korea's store in Pyeongchon, Gyeonggi Province, used leftover sushi to make rolls and fried dishes.The seafood chain initially said they did not use leftovers which customers did not finish, but reused food that was displayed and was not taken by customers at the buffet restaurants, saying it was not illegal according to the relevant law.However, the company official apologized later following criticism from customers, saying this practice was not proper. The CEO and Chairman of Todai, Hans Kim, also said Tuesday he would supervise the chain's store in Pyeongchon in person and promised to stop any similar incident fro

Aug 14, 2018

Lotte World neglects treating heat stroke-suffering mascot actor

Working in a furry mascot suit is a tiring job in the record heat. YonhapBy Jung Hae-myoungA part-time performer wearing a furry mascot suit at Lotte World fainted after suffering heat stroke and was left for an hour without being treated last month, MBC news reported Monday.The performer, identified as Hwan In-young, was unconsciousness and showed muscle spasms for an hour before being taken to hospital. A part-time performer in a mascot suit faints after suffering heat stroke. Captured from MBCHwang told MBC the heat from a glass ceiling made it hard to work in the stuffy suit and he remembers having difficulty breathing before passing out. His colleagues said the supervisor did not take prompt action to get Hwang treatment. The report said Lotte did not follow the rule of giving workers 15 minutes' break for every working hour. It also said the man was given just 10 to 15 minutes to a eat meal.

Aug 14, 2018
Lotte World neglects treating heat stroke-suffering mascot actor

Valsartan ban causes medical chaos

By Kim Hyun-binThe Ministry of Food and Drug Safety's decision to ban sales of an additional 59 locally manufactured high blood pressure pills containing a possible carcinogen has brought chaos to patients and pharmacies around the nation.“My father has been taking high blood pressure pills for over a decade, and as soon as the news broke out I told him to go to a pharmacy,” said a Seoul resident identified only as Choi. “How can a pill induce cancer? This is absurd.”The drug safety ministry posted a list of the banned medications online but most high blood pressure patients are elderly who choose to call their pharmacist to ask about their prescriptions.“The government announces the ban and the pharmacists have to deal with the aftermath,” said Lee who runs a pharmacy in Dongjak-gu, southern Seoul.A recent investigation conducted by the country's drug safety watchdogs concluded there were high levels of possible carcinogens in locally manufactured Valsartan, made with ingredients imported from China.Valsartan lowers blood pressure by suppressing t

Aug 12, 2018
Valsartan ban causes medical chaos

Public against national pension changes

By Kim Hyun-binPark Neung-hoo, Health MinisterPeople are becoming more worried about life after retirement as the government is seeking to extend the mandatory national pension subscription period by five years to better finance the depleting pension fund.According to the National Pension Service (NPS), the pension fund is expected to bottom out by 2056 or 2057, three to four years earlier than the NPS predicted five years ago. So the government is contemplating extending the subscription period to the age of 65 from the current 60.After the scheme was announced Friday, people have been voicing outrage about the possible changes, which will directly affect the livelihoods of millions of people after they retire.“I think it is unfair for the government to extend the subscription period of the pension. I don't know if I will be able to work until my retirement. I could be jobless in my 40s or 50s. How am I supposed to sustain my livelihood without any income?” said Kim Jin-hyub, a Seoul resident nearly 40 years old.Some say if the government wants to stretch the pension sub

Aug 12, 2018
Public against national pension changes
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