There is an 80 percent chance for global temperatures to rise more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels within the next five years, according to the World Meteorological Organization on Wednesday. According to the WMO’s Global Annual to Decadal Update report, the global temperatures for each year between 2024 and 2028 are predicted to range between 1.1 and 1.9 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The report, which is issued annually by the WMO, provides an explanati

Social Affairs June 6, 2024

Amid global efforts to curb disposable plastic consumption, South Korea has been stuck in a dilemma about whether to regulate disposable cups and straws for food services out of fear of financially burdening smaller businesses. The country has backtracked on previously implemented disposable plastic regulations, with the Environment Ministry lifting its ban on disposable cups, plastic straws and plastic bags at cafes and restaurants, while also giving provisional approval to bring plastic bags b

Social Affairs June 5, 2024

Nine out of 10 Korean nationals believe that South Korea is now facing a climate crisis, according to survey results released by the Korea Meteorological Administration on Tuesday. According to the survey, 89.9 percent of respondents answered that Korea is in the midst of a climate crisis and 90.1 percent of respondents answered that they feel the impacts of climate change directly, due to extreme weather events such as prolonged heat waves. In January, the KMA stated that 2023 was Korea’s

Social Affairs June 4, 2024

Daewoo Engineering & Construction’s Chairman Jung Won-ju, who doubles as chairman of Herald Media Group, met with Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan on Sunday to discuss measures to expand South Korean construction companies into Africa and to strengthen strategic cooperation with each other. “Daewoo E&C has conducted around 280 projects in Africa worth $32 billion. ... We have recently finished the construction of the Botswana -Zambia bridge,” said Jung. “Da

Social Affairs June 3, 2024

The South Korean government vowed on Monday to share phishing scam call data with private companies developing artificial intelligence-based software and services to counter voice phishing scams, which have consistently been on the rise over the last few years. Voice phishing scams, or fraudulent phone calls, are estimated to have caused up to 196.5 billion won ($143 million) in damages in 2023, according to Financial Supervisory Service data from March 2024 -- a 35.4 percent increase from numbe

Social Affairs June 3, 2024

The National Assembly began its 22nd four-year session Thursday, with the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea having the majority of 175 seats in the 300-member parliament, foreshadowing another heated partisan struggle against the conservative president and ruling party, which holds 108 seats. The National Assembly will hold its first plenary session on June 5, where it will elect a new speaker to lead the new parliament for the first two years. As it is customary for the party with the

Politics May 30, 2024

A Chinese national who worked for South Korean chipmaker SK hynix is on trial accused of smuggling technology to reduce semiconductor defects to the company's Chinese rival Huawei, Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency said Tuesday. According to police officials, the ex-employee in her 30s was arrested under the Act on Prevention of Divulgence and Protection of Industrial Technology in April. She was indicted by prosecutors earlier in the month and is currently standing trial at Suwon Dis

Social Affairs May 28, 2024

South Korea will host the UN Public Service Forum next month to discuss ways to transform and innovate the public sector, focusing on digital transformation and artificial intelligence, the Ministry of Interior and Safety said Sunday. This year’s UN Public Service Forum will be held for three days at Songdo, Incheon, from June 24 to 26. It will be jointly organized by the Interior Ministry and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs. The UN Public Service Forum is an annual intern

Social Affairs May 26, 2024

The Chollian-5 is set to become South Korea’s third geostationary meteorological satellite, as it passed a preliminary feasibility study Thursday, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration and the Ministry of Science and ICT. According to the KMA and the Science and ICT Ministry, a total budget of 680 billion won ($499 million) will be invested in developing the satellite, following the results of the feasibility study. If things go according to the plan, the new satellite will

Social Affairs May 23, 2024

Line No. 8 of the Seoul Metro, a subway operator of South Korea's capital city, will extend its services to the Byeollae Station in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, by August, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, Thursday. Six new stations will be added along a 12.9-kilometer stretch from Amsa Station, which is currently the last stop for the eastbound subway trains of Line No. 8. Travellers will be able to transfer from Line No. 8 to Gyeongchun Line, and vice versa, at Byeollae Sta

Social Affairs May 23, 2024

Jeong-dong Culture Night will take place near Deoksugung and Jeong-dong Street in Jung-gu, central Seoul, to show off its historic and cultural sites and host various cultural events from Friday to Saturday. This year marks the event’s ninth anniversary since the event was established in 2015 as South Korea’s first "cultural property festival," or a festival against the backdrop of conserved cultural assets. Since then, the festival has gathered more than 200,000 local an

Social Affairs May 23, 2024

For both developed and developing countries, carbon neutrality is no longer a choice, but a human survival strategy, experts and policymakers told the H.eco Forum 2024 on Wednesday in Seoul. During a panel talk with the theme of “Energy Transition for Net Zero Roadmap,” Yoo Yeon-chul, executive director of the UN Global Impact Network Korea, shared how three core themes shaped recent notable international events, such as the 28th UN Climate Change Conference held in Dubai in 2023 and

Social Affairs May 22, 2024

Amidst pledges and goals, grandiose yet seemingly distant, where do we stand in our much-touted transition to clean energy? This was the central question pondered at this year's H.eco Forum, held Wednesday in Seoul. In its fourth edition this year, the annual event brought together environmental scholars, activists and experts from within and beyond South Korea, as well as ordinary citizens, under the theme, “The Transition: Blue, Clean, and Green,” at Some Sevit in southern Seo

Social Affairs May 22, 2024

The police have recently launched an investigation into the hacking of personal emails belonging to high-ranking military officials, which is believed to have been orchestrated by North Korean hacking groups. The Defense Ministry confirmed Tuesday that a joint investigation into the email hacking had been conducted by the police and the military police. Additionally, the ministry has set up a dedicated task force to address the matter. Ministry spokesperson Jeon Ha-kyu clarified that the comprom

Social Affairs May 21, 2024

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Monday its plans to invest 250.6 billion won ($184.8 million) over five years to attract foreign talent and businesses and to help them adjust to the city. The plan, announced in a press briefing, comes amid an increase in the overall number of foreign nationals residing in the city. According to the city government, there are around 440,000 residents of foreign nationality, accounting for 4.7 percent of the city’s total population. The city&rsqu

Social Affairs May 20, 2024