South Korea - The Korea Times

Moms can change politics: ex-lawmaker

By Choi Ha-youngJang Ha-na, a former lawmaker who co-heads Political Mamas, speaks at a press conference, July 12. / YonhapJang Ha-na, a former lawmaker of the Minjoo Party of Korea ― the predecessor of the now-ruling Democratic Party of Korea ― gave birth in February 2015 while she was at the National Assembly.This experience led her to a new life chapter. She is now seeking solidarity among mothers to spur positive changes in politics.Last month, Jang established a civic group “Political Mamas” along with 40 other mothers. Their goal is simple:  Making the nation share the childcare burden.“Mothers are like ghosts,” Jang, the mother of daughter Doo-ri, told The Korea Times. “Social movements, including youth, women’s and labor movements have not given attention to mothers’ narratives, even if they fall under youth, women and workers. They are the disadvantaged in Korean society, but nobody thinks so.”In the Assembly, she actively advocated for youth, animals, the environment, as well as workers and customers hit by unet

Jul 19, 2017

Korean politics still behind on female representation

By Kim Bo-eunDespite the Moon Jae-in administration’s efforts to increase female ministers in his Cabinet, the percentage still falls short of the OECD average.Moon has improved representation by appointing four female ministers among 16 so far _ Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, Environment Minister Kim Eun-kyung, Land Minister Kim Hyun-mee and Gender Equality Minister Chung Hyun-back.The four account for 23.5 percent of the Cabinet. This falls short of the OECD average of 29.3 percent for 2015 _ the most recent available figure.In 2015, women accounted for 5.9 percent of ministers in Korea, which was the lowest figure among OECD states after Turkey’s 4 percent.Finland topped the list, with female ministers making up 62.5 percent, followed by Sweden with 52.2 percent.Moon initially pledged to fill 30 percent of his Cabinet with women, and aim for an equal number of male and female ministers during his term.The President also said he would help increase the percentage of female lawmakers to 30 percent, as well as heighten the portion of women in managerial positions at cen

Jul 18, 2017

'8,000 irregular workers may be offered regular status'

By Lee Kyung-minPresident Moon Jae-in’s pick for minister of health and welfare, Park Neung-hoo, said Monday he would support giving about 8,000 irregular workers at 22 ministry-supervised organizations regular worker status.In a letter sent to the National Assembly ahead of his confirmation hearing scheduled for today, Park said the change would improve job security and working conditions.“Continued use of irregular workers is the root cause of many social ills in Korean society including the low birthrate, job insecurity and discrimination,” he said. “Public institutions should take the initiative to reduce the number of such workers, thereby tackling social polarization and beginning a cycle wherein employment, welfare and growth positively affect each other.”The plan will be implemented, he added, in the latter half of the year, when the Ministry of Employment and Labor rolls out a comprehensive plan to reduce the number of irregular workers.If their employment status cannot be changed by then, Park said, he would seek to guarantee irregular workers

Jul 17, 2017

More fathers take paternity leave; 5,101 in first half

The number of fathers taking time off work to take care of their children is growing continuously, encouraged by the government policy that aims to further boost support for family leave, government data showed Monday.A total of 5,101 men signed up for paternity leave in the first half of this year, up 52.1 percent from a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Employment and Labor. The number came to 7,616 for all of last year, while that for 2015 stood at 4,872, the ministry said.Given the pace of applications, the total number for this year will likely surpass the 10,000 mark, the ministry added.As of end-June, men accounted for 11.3 percent of a total of 44,860 who took family leave, up 4 percentage points from the previous year.The brisk rise of fathers taking time off for parenting is attributable to the government policy that promotes the idea of sharing the responsibility for raising kids and moves to expand financial support in line with the policy drive, the ministry said.The South Korean government pays a maximum 1.5 million won ($1,329) in allowance for the first three

Jul 17, 2017

More fathers take paternity leave; 5,101 in first half

Suicide attempts viewed as immoral, selfish, unfilial

By Lee Han-sooKoreans regard people who attempt suicide as immoral, selfish and unfilial, according to a research published in a Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs report on Sunday.The researchers, from Ewha Womans University, said this view was one of the “main reasons Korea ranks low among the world providing mental health services despite the country’s high suicide rate.”The research showed that many Koreans see people who try to kill themselves as immoral, selfish, excluded from society, or suffering from a personality disorder. They were also considered incompetent, victims of past trauma, and decisive.In the survey-based research, most Koreans who regarded people who attempted suicide as immoral thought the person hurt others, had a violent nature and lacked morality.“In Korea, suicide is not seen as an illness that can be treated but rather as a problem on which people can judge the person’s morality,” said the research report.Selfishness, the second-most common view, derives from the nation’s strong Confucianism tradition.

Jul 16, 2017

Suicide attempts viewed as immoral, selfish, unfilial

Frequent brain exercises can help prevent dementia

Lee Sung-hunBy  Lee Sung-hunOne of the greatest benefits of the advances of our society is that we now live longer.The flipside of that benefit is that as a society, we are aging faster than ever and there are associated health concerns, and dementia is one of such growing concerns.Dementia is one of the top 4 causes of premature death in Korea with heart disease, cancer and stroke making up the rest.As dementia affects not only the patient but degrades the life of the patient’s family who are the primary caretakers, it has become a social issue.So much so that the new administration has proposed national level dementia support as its first pledge in the social welfare department.Dementia, most common among the elderlies above age of 65, is an overall term for declines in mental abilities due to various causes that damages brain cells so that it interferes with daily life and the symptoms include loss of memory and impairment of other thinking skills.One common misunderstanding among many people is that when it sometimes becomes difficult to recall certain memori

Jul 16, 2017

Frequent brain exercises can help prevent dementia

Adoptees call for end to international adoption

Members of adoptee-led organizations call for an immediate end to international adoption at Gwanghwamun Square, Wednesday. /  Courtesy of Kim Joon-youngDeath of deported Korean adoptee Philip Clay ignites demands to end industrialized adoption practicesBy You Soo-sun Adoptee-led organizations called on the Korean government to immediately end the “industrialized international adoption” system here during a press conference in central Seoul, Wednesday.The joint declaration, written at the University of California Irvine and addressed to the Moon Jae-in administration, was submitted at 3:00 p.m. at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul. In light of the recent death of deported Korean adoptee Philip Clay, members further stressed the need to prevent deportation and enhance the protection of rights for all adoptees.John Compton, internal adviser at Global Overseas Adoptees’ Link (G.O.A.'L), has mainly worked on advocating for deported adoptees including Clay. He started working with deported adoptees in 2013 and continues to maintain contact with eight of the ad

Jul 12, 2017

Adoptees call for end to international adoption

Court denies Egyptian refugee status for homosexuality

By Kim Bo-eunAn Egyptian man lost a suit he filed for refugee status, citing he would be persecuted in his home country for being homosexual.The 26-year-old man, whose identity was withheld, filed a suit against the chief of the Seoul Immigration Office in May 2014.The Supreme Court said Wednesday it overturned the Seoul High Court’s ruling and sent the case back.“There is not enough evidence to acknowledge that his fear is well-grounded that he will be persecuted by the Egyptian government,” the court said.The law stipulates that refugee status is given only to those who have “fear based on sufficient evidence of possible persecution.”The court based its ruling on the fact that the man’s sexual identity was not disclosed when he was in Egypt. He was not involved in campaigns on homosexuality and had not been subject to persecution based on his sexual identity.The man arrived in Korea in April 2014 on a tourist visa, and filed for refugee status the following month. He said, “In Egypt, homosexuality is perceived as an anti-religious practice

Jul 12, 2017

Court denies Egyptian refugee status for homosexuality

Law revision sought for better protection of migrant kids

By Kim Bo-eunA lawyers’ group is seeking to revise a law to allow unregistered migrant children to report cases of abuse without fear of being deported.Migrant children refer to those under the age of 18 who do not have Korean nationality. They are those who have either come to Korea with their parents or children who are born to foreign parents here.In Korea, about 20,000 out of over 100,000 migrant children were unregistered as of March 2015, according to civic groups.The Korean Women Lawyers Association is discussing with a group of lawmakers revisions to the law on children’s welfare.The association held a symposium on revisions to the law, to help protect unregistered migrant children who have been abused and grant them status for a temporary stay.The revisions state that police or government officials cannot notify the Korea Immigration Service of an unregistered migrant child when they receive a report of child abuse. “Over 20,000 migrant children do not have legal stay status.  Due to fears of being deported, they are unable to report it even when

Jul 11, 2017

Law revision sought for better protection of migrant kids

Gov't hit for bungling over refugee policy

By You Soo-sunYosaf is one of the very few to have been granted refugee status in Korea. Born in 1990, he escaped Eritrea, the horn of Africa, during a war at age 12 after both his parents died. In 2014, he obtained refugee status in Korea ― something that was in a country that has accepted less than six percent of applicants over the last two decades. Despite this, he struggles to get by because of the first six digists of his alien registration card number: 910000. As more people seek asylum in Korea, this is likely to become increasingly problematic and in need of government attention.The alien registration card is supposed to indicate a person’s date of birth. But for refugees who often lack identification documents or are unaware of their birthdates ― like Yosaf ― this rule poses additional challenges. For this reason, Yosaf struggles with even the simplest tasks such as getting a phone contract, receiving medical insurance benefits, and getting a job which require such information. According to a local media outlet, Yosaf sought out help from immigration offices

Jul 3, 2017

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