South Korea - The Korea Times

UN Women, Root Impact partner to promote male caregiving roles

U.N. Women announced Thursday that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Root Impact, a Seoul-based nonprofit organization, to collaborate on strengthening men’s caregiving capacities. Under the agreement, the two organizations will work together throughout 2025 and 2026 on a range of initiatives aimed at building care-friendly workplaces. A key focus will be bolstering caregiving capacity development programs for parents, especially fathers. According to U.N. Women’s Seoul-based Knowledge and Partnerships Centre, they will also support pilot projects that promote care-friendly work environments. This includes conducting joint research, engaging in advocacy for policy improvements and sharing promising practices and experiences with countries across the Asia-Pacific region. As an initial step, beginning this July, the two organizations will launch the “Caring Fathers, Caring Workplaces” project. The initiative will feature expert-led workshops for fathers as well as support for organizations aiming to expand a culture of care. “Through our partnership with Root

Jul 3, 2025By Lee Hyo-jin

UN Women, Root Impact partner to promote male caregiving roles

Heatwave puts Korea’s gig workers at growing risk

Park, 52, a veteran delivery worker who has been riding motorcycles for over three decades, said, “When I stop at red lights, the heat from the asphalt and nearby cars makes me feel dizzy.” Despite layering on cooling pads, sleeves, vests and portable fans, the summer heat remains unbearable. “The seat burns, sweat drips inside my helmet, sometimes I feel nauseous,” he said. “But most of us can’t afford to take breaks.” With heat alerts issued across 95 percent of the country and temperatures soaring as high as 35 degrees Celsius, Korea’s summer is arriving earlier and lasting longer. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, the average number of heatwave and tropical night days in the 2010s increased 1.7 and 2.1 times, respectively, compared to the 1970s. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency reported 454 heat-related illnesses between May 20 and June 30, a 19 percent increase from the same period last year. Gig workers left behind Delivery drivers, couriers and substitute drivers are bearing the brunt of the heatwave. Although the Ministry of Employm

Jul 3, 2025By Hankookilbo

Heatwave puts Korea’s gig workers at growing risk

Think tank predicts Korea's population to shrink to 7.5 million in 100 years

Korea’s population could decline to just 7.53 million — about 15 percent of its current size — over the next century, according to a new think tank report. Published Wednesday by the Korean Peninsula Population Institute for Future, the report shows that even under its most optimistic scenario, Korea’s population is projected to decline from 51.68 million today to 15.73 million by 2125 — less than one-third of its current size. The institute’s projections use the internationally recognized cohort-component method to estimate future population changes by analyzing the three main components of population dynamics ― fertility, mortality and migration. The report underscores the exceptionally rapid pace of Korea’s demographic decline. The scenario assumes Korea’s total fertility rate ― the average number of children a woman is expected to have ― will follow Statistics Korea’s official forecast until 2072. After that, it is held constant at three possible levels: 0.82 (low), 1.08 (medium) and 1.34 (high). Last year, the nation’s total fertility rate was just 0.75, t

Jul 2, 2025By Jung Min-ho

Think tank predicts Korea's population to shrink to 7.5 million in 100 years

No religion, but yes to fortune-tellers? Korea and Japan say yes

Despite having some of the lowest religious affiliation rates in the world, people in Korea and Japan remain surprisingly receptive to fortune-telling and prophetic guidance, according to new global survey results. The Pew Research Center released data Tuesday from a 36-country study conducted in 2023 and 2024. It found that while countries such as Thailand, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Tunisia reported a 100 percent rate of religious affiliation — all being nations where Buddhism or Islam is the state religion — the rates were notably lower in East Asia. Japan recorded the world’s lowest religious population rate at just 44 percent, with Korea not far behind at 51 percent, placing 32nd out of the 36 countries surveyed. India and Israel, where Hinduism and Judaism are dominant respectively, also reported near-universal levels of religious identity. When asked about religious practices, such as praying daily, Muslim-majority countries led the rankings: 95 percent of Indonesians said they pray almost every day, followed by 84 percent of respondents in Kenya and Nigeria and 8

Jul 2, 2025By Hankookilbo

No religion, but yes to fortune-tellers? Korea and Japan say yes

Labor group to stage large-scale strike this month

One of the nation's largest umbrella labor groups, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), said Wednesday it will stage a two-day, large-scale strike later this month to demand the government again push for a pro-labor act. Yang Kyung-soo, chairman of the 1.2 million-strong KCTU, also called on the government to immediately scrap "anti-labor" policies by the previous Yoon Suk Yeol government. The KCTU said it will stage strike rallies nationwide on July 16, including in central Seoul, followed by another rally and march on July 19. The union also renewed its calls for revisions to Articles 2 and 3 of the Labor Union Act, also known as the "yellow envelope law," aimed at limiting companies from making claims for damages against legitimate labor union disputes. The legislation passed the National Assembly twice but was vetoed by Yoon amid opposition from business lobbies and the People Power Party.

Jul 2, 2025By Yonhap

Labor group to stage large-scale strike this month

Foreigners and the unclaimed left without end-of-life choices, denied dignified death

When a critically ill patient at the National Medical Center in Seoul recently entered the final stage of life, doctors were ready to shift to palliative care. The patient’s spouse and children had agreed to forgo resuscitation and other life-sustaining treatment, signing a formal consent document. But then came a problem: medical staff learned that the patient’s elderly parents were still alive. Under South Korean law, the decision to halt life-sustaining treatment requires full consent from all immediate family members, including the spouse, adult children and parents, if the patient has not previously made their wishes clear. In this case, the patient’s family had intentionally withheld the news from the parents, fearing it would be too much for them to bear. As a result, the patient was kept on life-sustaining treatment longer than the family desired. This is one of many cases that illustrate how the noble intent behind Korea’s 2018 law on dignified death, designed to allow patients to make end-of-life decisions, can be undermined by rigid procedures that fail to reflect the

Jul 2, 2025By Hankookilbo

Foreigners and the unclaimed left without end-of-life choices, denied dignified death

New law targeting delinquent parents comes into force

A new law targeting delinquent parents took effect Tuesday, as the government pledged to pursue child support evaders directly on behalf of those affected. The new law marks a significant shift in the government’s approach to a long-standing social issue. By stepping in to provide immediate financial support, the state aims to shield vulnerable children from the economic fallout of parental neglect. The measure not only strengthens the safety net for single-parent families, but also grants the Child Support Agency expanded authority to pursue delinquent parents — signaling a more assertive stance on enforcement and accountability. Under the revised Act on Enforcing and Supporting Child Support Payment, the state-run Child Support Agency will provide 200,000 won ($150) each month per child to parents who have not received legally mandated support from former partners, and will later seek to recover the overdue payments from the delinquent parent. Legal guardians of minor children become eligible for state support if they have gone without child support payments for three months or mo

Jul 2, 2025By Jung Min-ho

New law targeting delinquent parents comes into force

Handong Global University begins search for new president

Handong Global University has launched a search for a new president, seeking a leader to advance its Christian mission and global vision as the institution marks its 30th anniversary. The incoming president, the university’s eighth, will serve a four-year term beginning Feb. 1, 2026, and concluding Jan. 31, 2030. Founded in 1995 in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, the university has built a reputation as a small but strong institution with a global outlook and innovative academic programs. Over the past three decades, Handong Global University has produced more than 15,000 graduates now working in over 100 countries. Despite not operating a medical school, the university has trained over 300 medical doctors and more than 1,250 practicing lawyers in Korea and abroad, many of whom have carried out the school’s founding motto, "Learn to give." The university has been recognized for its pioneering approach in Korean higher education, introducing innovations such as a flexible major selection policy, mandatory double majors, team-based learning and its signature holistic education model

Jul 1, 2025By Jung Da-hyun

Handong Global University begins search for new president

Heat wave set to grip Korea this week

Korea’s weather agency issued heat wave watches for much of the country this week, including Seoul, warning of scorching daytime temperatures, tropical nights and increased risk of heat-related illnesses as the nation faces its first major hot spell of the summer. The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said Monday that daytime highs ranged from 27 to 35 degrees Celsius across the country, with temperatures in most areas feeling like 33 degrees or higher due to humidity. Seoul recorded its first tropical night of the year between Sunday and Monday, with temperatures dipping only to 25.6 degrees Celsius. A tropical night refers to conditions in which the lows remain above 25 degrees between 6 p.m. and 9 a.m. the next day. This year’s first tropical night in the capital came eight days later than last year’s. As of Monday, heat wave warnings were in effect for parts of North and South Jeolla provinces as well as South Gyeongsang Province, while most other regions, including Seoul, remained under heat wave advisories. A heat wave advisory is issued when temperatures are expected

Jun 30, 2025By Lee Hae-rin

Seoul slashes Cheonggye Stream busking zones over noise complaints

From July 1 onwards, amateur street performers will only be permitted to perform at one designated location — down from five — along Seoul’s iconic Cheonggye Stream. This decision follows a surge in noise complaints and safety concerns from nearby residents. The move highlights the ongoing tension between the vibrant urban culture of one of Seoul’s busiest public spaces and the quality of life of its residents. The Seoul Metropolitan Facilities Management Corp. announced Sunday that the number of official busking zones would be reduced to just the Samil Bridge, from the previous spots of Mojeon, Gwangtong, Gwanggyo, Ogansu and Samil bridges. The decision has been made at a time when the city is dealing with a significant increase in reports of noise pollution associated with street performances and alcohol-related incidents. “We had no choice but to reduce the number of busking zones, given the increase in noise complaints and police reports related to alcohol-related incidents. This latest decision was made to ensure the safety of visitors and performers alike,” the corporat