South Korea - The Korea Times

Venomous fire ants found for first time

By Lee Kyung-minThe quarantine authorities said Sunday they had sterilized ports in Busan after workers there found what were later confirmed to be red fire ants. The species native to South America is known to inflict painful bites that in some cases lead to anaphylactic shock and death.This is the first ever infestation of the species in Korea. The ants were recently found in Australia, New Zealand, the United States, several Caribbean countries, China and Japan.The Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency said it conducted an emergency inspection and sterilization of quays where containers were being unloaded.Only containers that underwent complete and full sterilization were allowed to leave the port, the agency added. Officials are expanding extermination efforts to combat the ants that are two to six millimeters in size, and coppery-brown in color.The authorities said those who spot what are suspected to be fire ants should call 054-912-0612 to report it.The measure comes three months after three fire ant infestations were reported in Japan at Nagoya Port and in Kobe.According to the

Oct 1, 2017

30% of couples argue over visiting parents around Chuseok

By Lee Kyung-minNearly a third of married couples quarrel over how many days they should stay at each other’s parents’ homes for the Chuseok holiday, data showed Sunday.According to a study by Career, a job posting site, of 304 married people, when multiple responses were allowed, 29 percent said they had an argument with their spouses following a conflict involving each other’s parents-in-law.About 20 percent said they argued over whose parents they should visit first and how many days they should spend at each place.Online communities of married women are flooded with many posts about similar issues in the lead up to, during and after the Chuseok holiday.“I just had a major fight with my husband about why we always have to visit his parents first, and stay there longer,” an internet user said.“I got even more frustrated after his casual attitude that we should just do things as it has always been. I exploded at how much he is taking these things for granted, including how I should always put his parents’ wishes before that of mine.”Co

Oct 1, 2017

Chuseok a 'golden period' to find new job

Sanitary pads are safe to use: food safety ministry

Skepticism prevalent among consumersBy Lee Kyung-minSanitary pads pose no health risks to women, the government said Thursday.The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety disclosed its study of 666 sanitary pads made by 61 manufacturers on the levels of harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can easily vaporize.Many women feared VOCs could be absorbed into their bodies while wearing them during menstruation.Of the total, 492 pads were manufactured by 19 local companies, and 167 were imported from 40 overseas companies.The ministry studied the levels of the 10 most harmful VOCs found in the pads. There were 84 VOCs under safety review, with the results on the remaining 74 expected by the end of this year.VOCs are released from burning fuel, gasoline, wood and coal. Examples of such compounds are gasoline, benzene and formaldehyde, the latter two of which are listed as human carcinogens.Given there is no internationally recognized standard on measuring VOC levels in sanitary pads, the ministry used gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, a method to identify certain substances in a test

Sep 28, 2017

Companion animals abandoned during long holidays

 By Kim Bo-eunAccommodations for companion animals thrive during long holidays, when many people choose to travel but too many animals face a less fortunate fate.Data from Paw In Hands, a statistics website on animal abandonment, shows 75,625 animals have been abandoned nationwide since Jan. 1 this year.Taking a closer look, 322 animals were abandoned during the four-day traditional Lunar New Year holiday in January and 2,133 during the nine-day break in May.Paw In Hands keeps track by tallying the number of animals coming to local government-run shelters.Companion animals are also largely abandoned during the summer holiday season.Data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs shows 9,093 animals were abandoned in July, followed by 8,936 in August.This happens because many people give up their pets when they cannot find someone to keep them when they travel or visit their relatives during traditional holidays.Other than animals that are purposely abandoned, lost animals also account for around half of the number, according to Paw in Hand.“Because government

Sep 28, 2017

Companion animals abandoned during long holidays

Teen suicide rates grow due to high competition

 By Lee Kyung-minA particularly high number of teenagers killed themselves last year, bucking the trend of a gradual decrease in suicide rates among all other age groups, government data showed Tuesday.Enormous pressure to study and survive the competition to get admitted to good universities, bleak job prospects after graduation and “unstable broken homes,” amid a harsh economy are among the drivers, the data noted.According to Statistics Korea, the teenage suicide rate rose to 4.9 per 100,000 individuals last year, up 16.5 percent from 4.2 a year earlier.The teenage suicide rate peaked at 5.5 in 2011 and had been on steady decline until 2016.This is in stark contrast to the rates in other age groups. Last year, 13,092 people committed suicide, down 421, or 3.4 percent, from a year earlier. The overall rate was 25.6 per 100,000 people.By age, the largest dip was shown among those in their 70s (13.5 percent) followed by those in their 80s (6.6 percent) and those in their 30s (1.8 percent). The rate among those in their 20s increased a mere 0.1 percent, statistically

Sep 26, 2017

More spending Chuseok alone: data

By Lee Kyung-min An increasing number of people in Korea are expected to spend the upcoming Chuseok holiday alone, data showed Monday.Daumsoft, an artificial intelligence-based big data analysis company, analyzed keywords searched online between Aug.1 in 2015 and Sept. 18 this year.The most-searched keyword was travel (27,312 searches), followed by (going on a) diet (14,392), work (7,365), part-time jobs (1,233). Hometown was the fifth-most-searched word.The company said the data reflects a growing trend among young Koreans who opt to stay single and seek out activities one can enjoy without being interrupted by others.In the past, the company said, many people associated national holidays with family-oriented activities including making traditional food, visiting parents and relatives and buying gifts for them. However, as many young adults choose to stay single, many of them consider the holidays a time off from work, and plan trips for the holiday.The assessment is apt, according to an office worker, surnamed Cho, who plans to stay home for the weeklong Chuseok holiday this y

Sep 25, 2017

Healthcare sector exports continue to boom

By Lee Kyung-minHealthcare business exports increased 13.4 percent in the first half of this year, generating 6.1 trillion won ($5.4 billion) in profit, government data showed Monday. The number of jobs created in the sector increased 3 percent, to 819,000, up 24,000 from a year earlier.According to data from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the total exports comprising medicine, medical equipment and cosmetics doubled from 5.6 trillion won in 2012 to 11.5 billion won last year.The sector generated 1.1 trillion won in annual surplus last year. Nearly a 500 billion won surplus has been recorded in the first half of this year.Cosmetics sales saw the largest jump to 2.6 trillion won, up 19.8 percent from a year earlier.Skincare products accounted for more than half, or 52.7 percent, followed by cleansing products and makeup products.The Chinese were the biggest buyers of Korean cosmetics, followed by customers living in Hong Kong, America, Japan, Canada, the Netherlands, and France.Exports of cosmetics products surged more than two-fold over the past four years, due partly to the ste

Sep 25, 2017

Dead lizard found in can of candy at commissary

By Lee Kyung-min A dead lizard was found in a can of candy sold at a commissary on a military base, prompting public outrage against lax food safety regulations.This latest incident comes amid a growing number of complaints filed over the safety of food sold at military camps, according to data made public by a lawmaker.In a report filed with Rep. Kim Hack-yong of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party by the Ministry of National Defense Welfare Agency, 89 cases of tainted food were reported from January 2013 to early this month. Kim sits on the National Assembly Defense Committee.The number of reports has increased over the years with 16 cases reported in 2013, 17 in 2014, 21 in 2015 and 22 in 2016.Besides the dead lizard, hair, chicken feathers, maggots, ticks, pieces of plastic bags, and nuts and bolts were also found in various packaged food products, the report said.A case reported this year involved pieces of what looked like a plastic bag found in bread. A dead fly was found in a donut, and part of severed cable cord was found in a dumpling. The identities of the manufac

Sep 24, 2017

Dead lizard found in can of candy at commissary

Korean-Nigerian model becomes honorary ambassador for multiculturalism

Korean-Nigerian model Han Hyun-min holds a certificate by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family recognizing him as honorary ambassador for multiculturalism at Wonju, Gangwon Province, Thursday. / YonhapBy You Soo-sunThe Ministry of Gender Equality and Family named Korean-Nigerian model Han Hyun-min, 16, as the honorary ambassador to promote awareness of multiculturalism in Korea, Thursday.Having risen to stardom at a young age, Han hopes to remove the prejudices against biracial youths and professionals that still very much exist.“I really wanted to do something about this problem for a long time. The opportunity came earlier than I had expected, and I am grateful for that ― it’s an honor,” Han told the Korea Times, Friday.Growing up, he encountered many instances in which he felt subject to racism ― often in the form of gazes that lasted too long.“People would just continue to stare at me for no reason,” Han said. He recalled his childhood when students from other schools would stare at him as they encountered each other during field

Sep 22, 2017

Korean-Nigerian model becomes honorary ambassador for multiculturalism

Migrant workers can't stay over 10 years

By You Soo-sun The government will cut the maximum legal employment period for workers from overseas hired under the Employment Permit System (EPS) to 10 years from the current 14 years and six months.The Ministry of Employment and Labor said Thursday it will seek to revise related decrees in order to reduce the maximum stay of migrant workers on E9 non-professional employment visas.Its decision comes amid growing conflict between Koreans and migrant workers, leading the former to demand stronger protection of their jobs and wages.Under the EPS provisions regarding re-entering Korea, migrant workers are able to extend their stay here for up to 14 and a half years.If they work at one place for four years and 10 months, they may re-enter Korea after taking a three-month leave and work for that same period of time. If they pass a Korean language exam after, they are able to stay an additional four years and 10 months.With the revision, they will only be able to stay up to 10 years in total.Tension has escalated in recent years as the number of migrant workers and their rate of retu

Sep 21, 2017

Health