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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.

Major umbrella labor union decides to join parliament-led social dialogue

The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), a militant labor group, on Wednesday decided to join a parliament-led social dialogue, marking the first return to labor-management-government talks in 26 years, officials said. At its central committee meeting, the KCTU's decision to participate in the National Assembly social dialogue was approved by a vote of 142 out of 261 members, according to officials. The dialogue was proposed last year by National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik as a tripartite discussion platform. The KCTU has boycotted the Economic, Social and Labor Council, a consultation body between the government, business and labor sectors in charge of policy recommendations to the president on labor affairs, since 1999.

Sep 3, 2025By Yonhap
Major umbrella labor union decides to join parliament-led social dialogue

Army captain's suicide note said to complain of workplace bullying

Police said Wednesday they plan to launch an investigation into the apparent suicide of an Army captain in the southeastern city of Daegu earlier this week, after he was found to have left a suicide note complaining of workplace bullying and abuse. The officer, whose identity was withheld, was found dead by a passer-by with a gunshot wound to the head at Daegu's Suseongmot Lake Resort on Tuesday morning. His suicide note found on the scene, along with a K-2 training rifle, was written in three parts, addressed to the military authorities, his parents and reporters. The section addressed to reporters, in particular, primarily complained of bullying and cruel treatment at work. Under current law, military police are required to promptly transfer cases to the police when circumstances, such as abuse or sexual offenses, are confirmed in the death of a soldier. The military police are currently confirming the basic facts over the officer's death and will soon transfer the case to the police, according to the Gyeongbuk Provincial Police Agency.

Sep 3, 2025By Yonhap
Army captain's suicide note said to complain of workplace bullying

Bathhouse in Korea accused of gender discrimination for charging women towel fees

The National Human Rights Commission of Korea has ruled that a bathhouse in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, engaged in gender discrimination by charging female customers for towel rentals while providing them free of charge to male customers. According to the commission on Tuesday, the bathhouse charged both men and women the same entrance fee of 9,000 won ($6.60). However, while men received two towels for free, women were required to pay 1,000 won for two towels. A female customer filed a complaint, arguing that the additional charge for women without reasonable justification constituted gender discrimination. The bathhouse defended its practice by claiming that “towel recovery rates are significantly lower in the women’s bath area,” which led to higher replacement costs and the introduction of a 500 won fee per towel. It added that at least six other saunas in Gumi also charge women separately for towels. The bathhouse further said that it had updated its price list to reflect this practice, following recommendations from city officials. The municipality, during the investigat

Sep 3, 2025By Hankookilbo
Bathhouse in Korea accused of gender discrimination for charging women towel fees

Marriages in Korea rise for 2nd straight year in 2024: data

The number of marriages in Korea rose for the second consecutive year in 2024, leading to a slight uptick in the number of newborns, government data showed Wednesday, offering a rare positive sign amid the country's deepening demographic crisis. The number of couples tying the knot reached 222,400 last year, up from 193,700 in 2023, according to the data from Statistics Korea. The figure had previously been on a downward trend after peaking at 430,000 in 1996, hitting a record low of 192,000 in 2022. The agency said the number of newborns came to 238,000 in 2024, up slightly from a record low of 230,000 in 2023, the data showed. Prior to the 2024 figure, the number of births had also been steadily declining since 1995, when 715,000 babies were born. The agency attributed the increase in births to a rebound in marriage registrations following the COVID-19 pandemic. In Korea, where births outside of marriage remain rare, trends in marriages tend to directly impact birth rates. "Despite the uptick, the birth figure for 2024 remains only around 33 percent of the level seen in 1995," said an ag

Sep 3, 2025By Yonhap
Marriages in Korea rise for 2nd straight year in 2024: data

University of North Korean Studies appoints new president

The University of North Korean Studies in Seoul inaugurated professor Shin Jong-dae as its new president on Monday, beginning a two-year term. The appointment, announced in August, underscores the graduate school’s standing as a key institution in policy discussions on North Korea. Founded in 2005, the University of North Korean Studies is regarded as the first institution in South Korea dedicated to North Korea and unification studies. It has since become a leading hub for research and education, training academics and policy specialists on subjects ranging from politics and security to the economy and society of the reclusive state — analysis that often helps shape Seoul’s official policy. Shin has been a professor at the University of North Korean Studies since 2005, after previously teaching at Kyungnam University’s Institute for Far Eastern Studies and its Graduate School of North Korean Studies. Throughout his career, he has held key leadership roles, including director of planning at the Institute for Far Eastern Studies, vice president and acting president of the Universi

Sep 2, 2025By Anna J. Park
University of North Korean Studies appoints new president

Financial workers vote for nationwide strike later this month

Unionized financial workers on Tuesday voted for a one-day nationwide strike later this month calling for a wage hike and a 4.5-day workweek. The Korean Financial Industry Union (KFIU) said some 95 percent of its members voted in favor of the strike scheduled on Sept. 26. The KFIU, affiliated with the Federation of Korean Trade Unions, one of the country's two umbrella unions, covers South Korea's mainstream private and state banks, and other financial institutions. The union also called for an increase in hirings and an extension of the retirement age.

Sep 2, 2025By Yonhap
Financial workers vote for nationwide strike later this month

Firefighters face mental health strain as counselors remain scarce

Korea’s firefighters are facing growing mental health pressures as demand for trauma counseling outstrips the state’s ability to provide timely care, prompting national calls for reform and expanded support for first responders in the wake of recent tragedies. Data from the National Fire Agency, submitted to Rep. Han Byung-do of the Democratic Party of Korea, show that as of 2025, just 128 counselors serve South Korea’s 268 fire stations — fewer than half the number needed for adequate coverage. Last year, 102 counselors handled an average of roughly 779 cases each, highlighting the heavy burden placed on a limited staff caring for traumatized firefighters. Regional disparities remain severe. In North and South Jeolla Provinces, fewer than 40 percent of fire stations have a counselor on staff. Counseling sessions for firefighters soared to almost 80,000 last year, up 65 percent from 2020, underscoring growing mental health needs and persistent regional gaps. While half of Seoul’s fire stations are staffed with counselors, Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province continue to face ac

Sep 2, 2025By Lee Hae-rin
Firefighters face mental health strain as counselors remain scarce

Gov’t plans mock councils to ease rollout of ‘yellow envelope law’

Korea plans to roll out a simulated version of labor management councils with the country’s largest unions in an effort to smooth the transition and head off potential problems with the pro-labor “yellow envelope law” set to take effect in six months. The new legislation marks a significant shift in Korea’s labor landscape, potentially upending decades of corporate practices. While businesses fear increased disputes and liabilities, labor advocates contend that the change will empower millions of subcontracted workers, giving them a voice at the bargaining table. The law, which amends Articles 2 and 3 of the Trade Union and Labor Relations Adjustment Act, widens the definition of “employer” to include parent corporations and outside contractors that exercise direct control over the working conditions of subcontracted workers. The revision is expected to allow those workers to bargain directly with corporate management and prohibits companies from demanding heavy compensation for losses stemming from strikes. Speaking to reporters in Sejong on Monday, Labor Minister Kim Young-

Sep 1, 2025By Jung Min-ho
Gov’t plans mock councils to ease rollout of ‘yellow envelope law’
  • Subcontractor unions ramp up demands after passage of ‘yellow envelope law’

YouTuber’s pop-up thrills buyers, but small bakeries cry foul

A bargain-priced bread introduced by a YouTuber with 3.61 million subscribers has set off a debate in Korea, drawing criticism from small shop owners who call the price unsustainable even as consumers welcome its affordability. Jeon Seok-jae, 46, who runs a finance-focused YouTube channel called Syuka World, opened a pop-up store called ETF Bakery in eastern Seoul on Saturday. Named after exchange-traded funds, one of the channel’s main topics, the bakery offers 35 types of bread and cakes, including salt bread and bagels, each priced at 990 won ($0.71). While prices vary by franchise and neighborhood bakery, salt bread and bagels in Korea are typically priced in the 3,000 to 4,000 won range, making Jeon’s offerings considerably more affordable. Other items, including loaves of bread, ciabatta and peach cake, were also sold well below market rates. For instance, a pollock roe baguette cost 2,450 won at the pop-up store, compared to 3,800 won at Sungsimdang in Daejeon — a popular bakery known for its reasonable prices. Jeon, who last month posted a video about the rising cost of bre

Sep 1, 2025By Park Ung
YouTuber’s pop-up thrills buyers, but small bakeries cry foul

Young Koreans’ working holiday visas to Australia, Canada, Japan surge eightfold

More young Koreans are turning to working holiday programs to escape years of stalled job searches amid a deepening youth employment crisis. Many consider spending time abroad to gain work, travel and language experience more meaningful than enduring endless preparation with no guarantee of success. A working holiday, open to those aged 18 to 35, allows participants to stay in partner countries for extended periods while combining employment and cultural experiences. Korea has agreements with 26 countries and regions, along with a similar youth mobility scheme with the United Kingdom. The trend is surging. In 2024, Australia, Canada and Japan issued a combined 32,620 working holiday visas to Koreans, an eightfold jump from 4,250 in 2021. The figure is the second highest in a decade, exceeding even prepandemic levels in 2019. New outlook on working holidays The shift in perception is striking. Once considered little more than a chance to travel or spend a “gap year,” working holidays are now seen as a pathway to long-term settlement or even immigration. Australia allows stays of up to th

Sep 1, 2025By Hankookilbo
Young Koreans’ working holiday visas to Australia, Canada, Japan surge eightfold
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