Gyeonghuigung, a palace from the late Joseon era (1392-1910), and its surrounding area will be transformed into an expanded historical and cultural park in a gradual project running until 2035, the Seoul city government said Wednesday. The new park, covering approximately 136,000 square meters, will be 10 times the size of Seoul Plaza. The project aims to shine a light on Gyeonghuigung, a lesser-known palace, which has attracted fewer visitors compared to the nearby Gyeongbokgung and Deoksugung

Social Affairs July 17, 2024

The Seoul Metropolitan Government and Labor Ministry announced on Tuesday that applications from families interested in hiring caregivers from the Philippines are to open Wednesday, marking a step forward in implementing a government-facilitated foreign nanny program for the first time. Families eligible for the pilot program are those with children under 12 years old, single-parent households, households with multiple children and dual-income families. Applications are to be accepted via design

Social Affairs July 16, 2024

A series of memorial events were held across the country Monday to mark the first anniversary of the Osong tragedy, where 14 people lost their lives and 16 were injured due to the flooding of an underground roadway in July last year. At a ceremony held at the Gungpyeong 2 underpass in Osong-eup of Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province — the site of the tragedy — Rep. Park Chan-dae, floor leader and acting leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, vowed to remember the v

Social Affairs July 15, 2024

The National Forensic Service has concluded in its analysis of the tragic wrong-way accident near City Hall Station in Seoul that the cause of the accident was driver error, the head of Seoul police told reporters Monday. The forensics report counters the claim by the 68-year-old driver, identified by his surname Cha, that the accident was caused by sudden unintended acceleration. He told investigators that the brakes were not working at the time of the accident. The car stopped after hitting pe

Social Affairs July 15, 2024

The minimum wage for 2025 has been set at 10,030 won ($7.30) per hour, surpassing the 10,000 won mark for the first time since the system was introduced in 1988 and eliciting mixed reactions from business owners and employees. This decision, reached during the Minimum Wage Commission’s 11th plenary meeting Friday, represents a 1.7 percent increase from the current 9,860 won per hour. The new rate translates to a monthly wage of approximately 2.1 million won, based on a standard 40-hour wor

Social Affairs July 12, 2024

The Seoul Metropolitan Government will reconsider its plan to erect a 100-meter-tall flagpole with a giant Taegeukgi, or South Korea's national flag, in Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, Mayor Oh Se-hoon said during a press briefing held at the city hall on Thursday. The mayor said he would take public opinions before pushing ahead with the plan to create the National Monument Space featuring the large flagpole, initially announced on June 25 on the 74th anniversary of the 1950-53 Korean

Social Affairs July 11, 2024

Dobong, a gateway connecting Seoul with northern Gyeonggi Province, has historically been a bedroom community lacking the industrial infrastructure necessary for economic growth. The district's abundant green space, including Bukhansan National Park, and national conservation efforts have constrained its ability to attract businesses, limiting local job opportunities. However, the district head is now seeking sustainable ways to generate new income by leveraging the national park and promot

Social Affairs July 10, 2024

Samsung Electronics' largest labor union announced Wednesday an indefinite extension of their ongoing strike, claiming that their collective action could cause potential disruptions in production at one of the world’s leading chip manufacturing sites. The announcement followed a three-day strike, which ended without any engagement from management. “We declare a second round of strikes for an indefinite period as we have confirmed that management doesn’t have the will to ta

Social Affairs July 10, 2024

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Tuesday that the Seoul Olympic Main Stadium would serve as a temporary baseball venue for the next five years as construction is set to begin on the new Jamsil Dome Stadium. The arrangement is part of a broader urban development plan unveiled in September 2023, which includes the construction of the Jamsil Sports MICE Complex in southeastern Seoul. The project will expand the city's capacity for meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (M

Social Affairs July 9, 2024

The police said on Monday they have decided to clear a former 1st Division Commander Lim Seong-geun of negligent homicide charges related to the death of a Marine conscript during a search operation in a stream following torrential rains last summer. Concluding its year-long investigation, the Gyeongbuk Provincial Police Agency forwarded six others to the prosecution for indictment, saying that Lim was excluded because he had not been in a position to issue a direct "underwater search order

Social Affairs July 8, 2024

  An international study claims that one in five women in South Korea has faced threats of intimate images of them being released, the highest share among the 10 countries surveyed. According to recently released research conducted by RMIT University based in Melbourne, Australia in partnership with Google, which surveyed 16,693 adults across 10 countries, including 1,641 from S. Korea, 19.1 percent of South Korean women reported being victims of sexual extortion. The study defined sexual e

Social Affairs July 7, 2024

The Seoul Safety Income Project, initiated by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, will set an example for South Korea's welfare policy in the future, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said Thursday, marking the project's second anniversary. The initiative launched as a pilot project by the city government in 2022, is an income guarantee model that partially compensates the household income gap for families earning less than 85 percent of the median income. A key feature of this initiative is that

Social Affairs July 4, 2024

Seoul's first K-pop specialized performance venue, Seoul Arena cultural complex, in Chang-dong in Dobong District, northern Seoul, officially commenced construction on Tuesday, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced. The groundbreaking ceremony took place at the construction site in Chang-dong on Tuesday afternoon. Key attendees included Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, Kakao CEO Chung Shin-a, First Vice Minister of Culture Chun Byong-geuk, Dobong-gu District Head Oh Un-Seok, Nowon-gu District

Social Affairs July 2, 2024

The Jongno-gu district office said Tuesday it would limit tourist access to Bukchon Hanok Village in the evening starting in October, to relieve stress for local residents and protect the historic infrastructure there. Tourist entry to residential areas in the village will be prohibited from 5 p.m. to 10 a.m., aimed at reducing noise and ensuring residents' privacy during these hours. The restricted area, designated as Red Zones, includes Bukchon-ro 11-gil, where residential hanoks are dens

Social Affairs July 2, 2024

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon vowed to keep Seoul's lead in addressing the population issue and climate crises, and to implement viable solutions that even the central government could learn from. Speaking at a press conference at Seoul City Hall on Monday to mark the second anniversary of his most recent term, Oh reaffirmed his commitment to addressing challenges like climate change and South Korea's low birth rate, highlighting successful initiatives such as the Climate Companion Card, city

Social Affairs July 1, 2024