South Korean fencer Oh Sang-uk made history at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Saturday by becoming the first South Korean to win the men’s sabre individual final. But at the moment of victory, Oh's mind was not just on gold, but also on his two retired teammates who had shared so much of his journey with him. "I grew up eating from the same pots with them, and their departure brought significant changes,” he said. "With the change in team members, we really faced a lot o

More Sports July 28, 2024

Workers living in Seoul identified crowded public transportation as their biggest stressor, according to a survey conducted on Wednesday. The survey, carried out by online recruiting company Job Korea, polled 1,010 people nationwide on the current status of work commutes this month. The survey revealed that the average commute from home to work takes 48.4 minutes per day. By region, those living in Gyeonggi Province had the longest average commute at 58.2 minutes, followed by Seoul residents at

Social Affairs July 25, 2024

As South Korea sees the increase of foreign residents, understanding their lives and the challenges they face here is becoming increasingly important. To explore these issues, The Korea Herald sat down with Chad Ebesutani, a licensed psychologist in both the US and South Korea who runs the Seoul Counseling Center. "There are many great things about Korea, such as the infrastructure, consumer lifestyle and culture, but there are also unique stressors," he said. The intense urban environ

Hashtag Korea July 20, 2024

How can a nation fight a suicide crisis? On this question, South Korea, known for having one of the world’s highest suicide rates, may become a compelling case study. Here, as of the end of 2021, one person dies by suicide every 40 minutes. While addressing the root causes of the crisis remains daunting, demanding a comprehensive approach to mental health and a stronger social safety net, critical work is being carried out on the frontlines of suicide prevention. These initiatives, some of

Social Affairs July 17, 2024

The number of business owners who filed for business closure approached 1 million last year, the highest number since related data began to be compiled in 2006. Business closures stood at about 986,400 in 2023, a near 14 percent increase from the previous year’s 867,200, shows data from the National Tax Service. The tally hovered around 800,000 between 2020 and 2022, before surging last year. The most common reason cited for closures was poor business performance, accounting for about 48

Social Affairs July 15, 2024

Illegal sales of fentanyl, a potent and highly addictive opioid, have increased significantly in South Korea, raising concerns among authorities and the public alike. Data obtained by Rep. Kim Yoon of the Democratic Party reveals that there were 202 online cases of illegal fentanyl sales detected by June 27 this year. This figure is 3.2 times higher than the 62 cases reported throughout the entire previous year. Fentanyl, while used medically as a powerful painkiller, is highly addictive even in

Social Affairs July 14, 2024

Older local residents pushing carts laden with discarded cardboard on the street have become a poignant symbol of South Korea’s elderly poverty crisis. These individuals roam the streets collecting cardboard boxes to sell to recycling centers. According to the Ministry of Welfare on Wednesday, at least 1 out of every 650 South Koreans aged 65 or older engage in the activity to make a living. Between February and May this year, there were 14,831 such individuals. Their average monthly inc

Social Affairs July 10, 2024

Cho Sung-min is a cat detective. His job is to locate house cats that have wandered from home and return them to their worried owners. When a client calls, he comes equipped with an array of tools like high-performance flashlights, selfie sticks, endoscope cameras, scoop nets, cat traps and even crowbars, in case he needs to open manholes. But it’s not the apparatus that matters. It’s knowing where to look that truly makes him a successful cat detective, he said. “Cats leave

Hashtag Korea July 10, 2024

“A man can be himself only so long as he is alone; and if he does not love solitude, he will not love freedom; for it is only when he is alone that he is really free."​ “What now on the other hand makes people sociable is their incapacity to endure solitude and thus themselves." More than ever before, the wisdom of Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860), a German philosopher, resonates with contemporary South Koreans who seek relief from relationship fatigue, social expectatio

Hashtag Korea July 9, 2024

A suspected human case of tularemia, a rare disease carried by rodents, insects and wild animals, was found in a resident of Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, health authorities said Monday. A man in his 20s experienced abdominal pain and fever after eating raw beef liver at a restaurant on June 24. He was admitted to a local hospital, where he tested positive for the tularemia bacterium. Although he dined with a companion, only he exhibited symptoms. He recovered and was discharged from hospital on

Social Affairs July 8, 2024

Low birth rates are not just statistics; their implications are evident across various aspects of Korean society, including the vacation scene. As childless couples and solo vacationers emerge as key target customers, more South Korean hotels and resorts are adopting adults-only policies to cultivate a serene and sophisticated ambience for adult guests. This trend, coming on top of an increase in “no-kid” venues in the country, raises questions about inclusivity and how to balance

Social Affairs July 2, 2024

One-third of new students at Korea’s top three universities were found to come from high schools in the nation’s capital city, Seoul. According to Yonhap News reports citing the state-run Higher Education in Korea website on Sunday, among 13,141 entrants to Seoul National University, Yonsei University, and Korea University, 32 percent were from high schools in Seoul -- double the national average. By school, Seoul National University had the largest percentage of its students from Se

Social Affairs June 30, 2024

Delivery workers in the Osong area of Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, are protesting a new apartment rule requiring them to pay a fee to access an underground parking area, which is the only way for delivery vehicles to enter the premises, according to local news reports Thursday. According to Yonhap News Agency, citing a delivery worker who reported the issue, the driver recently was notified of a change in the complex's administration rules meaning that delivery vehicles must regi

Social Affairs June 29, 2024

Stephanie Arguello Gaona and Valentina Rojas Martinez, both from Colombia, stood before one of the 23 memorial statues at the War Memorial of Korea in Yongsan, Seoul, Tuesday. It was 74 years ago on that day when the Korean War broke out, marking the beginning of their connection to this distant Asian country. Their grandfathers, who were teenagers at the time, fought as part of the United Nations troops to defend South Korea from communist invaders. “My grandfather’s name is Santiag

Social Affairs June 25, 2024

Jeju Special Self-Governing Province is set to expand its reach into the Southeast Asian tourism market by appointing a popular Indonesian influencer as its new promotional ambassador. Jeju’s provincial government said Friday it officially designated Anang Hermansyah, an Indonesian influencer with 6.56 million YouTube subscribers and 2.58 million Facebook followers, as its promotional ambassador. On the day, Governor Oh Young-hun met with Anang Hermansyah and his wife, Ashanty Ash, along

Social Affairs June 21, 2024