Articles by Lee Jung-joo
Lee Jung-joo
lee.jungjoo@heraldcorp.com-
[Herald Interview] Mayor Oh's grand schemes to bring out Seoul's fun side
In a crowded but somewhat solemn atmosphere, some 60,000 people gathered at Seoul's New Year's Eve celebration near Bosingak on Dec. 31, 2022, braving the cold and waving their smartphone flashlights while watching prominent figures here ring a 3.2-meter-tall bell 33 times after a countdown. For this year's New Year's celebration, the Seoul Metropolitan Government, as the host of the event, is looking to spice things up by adding festivities to boost touristic appeal. Immersi
Social Affairs Dec. 13, 2023
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Korea 9th-biggest climate change contributor: study
South Korea ranked as the ninth-largest recent contributor to the global climate change crisis, with a financial liability of 517.7 trillion won ($392.7 billion), according to an analysis released by the nonprofit Solutions for Our Climate on Tuesday. Assuming the same liabilities for both developing and underdeveloped countries affected by the climate crisis every year until 2050, the organization concluded that Korea’s climate debt will average 20 trillion won per year. Among Korean comp
Social Affairs Dec. 13, 2023
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Colder weather expected from Wednesday following rain
Following rain across South Korea in the past few days, the Korea Meteorological Administration stated Tuesday that temperatures will begin to drop below zero from Wednesday morning. “After the low-pressure system that brought nationwide rain ebbs away, Korea will be on the edge of the high pressure over northern China,” said the KMA. “This will bring in northern winds and colder temperatures into the country.” According to the weather authorities, Wednesday morning tempe
Social Affairs Dec. 12, 2023
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City of Seoul's app adds payment, tax refund service
The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on Monday the expansion of services on the city’s travel app, TripPass, to allow international tourists to easily access various services, such as personal identification and mobile payments. With TripPass, tourists can issue mobile passports for use in stores that require identity verification or for tax refund services. TripPass was developed by Lordsystem, which introduced the first mobile passport service in South Korea through a competition
Social Affairs Dec. 11, 2023
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Seoul awards honorary citizenship to 15 foreign nationals
The Seoul city government named 15 foreign nationals from 13 countries as honorary citizens on Friday for their contribution to the city's development. Rahil Ahmadova, a honorary citizen from Azerbaijan, was recognized for her efforts as a lecturer to spread awareness about multiculturalism and for her efforts to help other foreign nationals adjust to living in Seoul. Daniel Chukwunonso Nwagbala, another recipient from Nigeria, was recognized for his fundraising efforts for people with deve
Social Affairs Dec. 8, 2023
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Investigators, not teachers, to handle school violence from next year
Cases regarding school violence will now be in the purview of specialized investigators employed by education offices around South Korea, along with an increase in the number of police officers deployed at schools, starting from March 2024. In a joint press conference Thursday, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Interior and Safety and the Korean National Police Agency said the measures were devised to lessen the burden on teachers handling rising school violence cases among students. &l
Social Affairs Dec. 7, 2023
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Half of young people struggling financially: Seoul
Nearly half of the youth population residing in Seoul now lives in poverty, with many seeking financial support from their parents, according to a new study released by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and Seoul Institute on Wednesday. According to the 2022 Seoul Young Adult Panel Study, 55.6 percent of the youth population in Seoul faced asset poverty, meaning that they lack sufficient liquid assets to cover their basic needs for three months. In particular, the asset poverty rate for the yout
Social Affairs Dec. 6, 2023
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Requirements for zoo licenses set to be toughened
The Ministry of Environment said on Tuesday that the ministry will toughen requirements for zoo and aquarium licenses as part of efforts to ensure the welfare of animals at these facilities. According to an amendment to the Act on the Management of Zoos and Aquariums approved by the Cabinet on Tuesday, facilities must go through a separate licensing system following the requirements set by the ministry to operate as zoos and aquariums. To be licensed as a zoo or aquarium, the facilities must pro
Social Affairs Dec. 5, 2023
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Warmer winter temperatures expected this week
Temperatures are expected to become warmer this week compared to previous years, the Korea Meteorological Administration said Tuesday. “Over Tuesday and Wednesday, temperatures are expected to reach up to 12 degrees Celsius in Seoul,” said a KMA official. On average, low temperatures in South Korea were expected to reach up to 6 C on Tuesday morning, with high temperatures expected to rise to 16 C. Normally, temperatures at this time of the year are colder, with lows of around 4 C an
Social Affairs Dec. 5, 2023
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Taxi app, AI translation in metro added to Seoul tourist services
The Seoul Metropolitan Government on Monday announced two new services for foreign tourists: a taxi-hailing app and real-time translation services in subway stations. The city government has launched Taba, a taxi-hailing service specifically designed for overseas visitors to the city. The new app is expected to resolve limitations in existing domestic taxi-hailing apps, making it easier for tourists to request taxis with their phones. Existing taxi-hailing services require authentication to occu
Social Affairs Dec. 4, 2023
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S. Korean court network hit by malware infection
South Korea's Supreme Court belatedly revealed that it had confirmed the infection of computers used in courts with malware earlier this year. However, the court said it could not conclusively determine the connection of cyberattacks to North Korea. "Earlier this year, a malware infection was detected during a routine cybersecurity scan," the Office of Court Administration of the Supreme Court said in a statement issued Thursday. "During our response to the malware detection,
Social Affairs Dec. 1, 2023
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Disability rights group pauses subway protests in call for budget increase
A disability rights advocacy group said Friday it will temporarily halt subway protests, calling for budget increases to expand mobility rights for individuals with disabilities. The Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination, one of South Korea's prominent disability rights groups, announced that instead of conducting its regular rush-hour subway protests, it will initiate daily silent protests at Line No. 4's Hyehwa Station starting from Monday. The temporary suspension will persis
Social Affairs Dec. 1, 2023
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Pretty in Pink: Seoul chooses 'sky coral' as color of 2024
The Seoul Metropolitan Government on Thursday chose “sky coral,” a color derived from the pink sky when the sun sets over the Han River, as the city's color next year, as part of its new annual initiative called “Color of Seoul.” Prior to developing the Color of Seoul, the city government analyzed places frequently visited by Seoul citizens and their key interests between 2022 and 2023 based on the 2022 Seoul Survey results and the 2022 Korea Tourism Data Lab resul
Social Affairs Nov. 30, 2023
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Dongha turns coffee grounds to eco-friendly decks
Dongha, which specializes in resource circulation, is the only domestic company that reuses coffee grounds to make them into decks placed in parks and beaches. Also known as "coffee decks," the products developed by Dongha contain coffee ground content of 51 percent, and the components that are generated when roasting coffee beans -- cafestol and melanoidine -- have been proven to strengthen the quality of its products. While Dongha’s coffee decks officially entered the market th
Social Affairs Nov. 29, 2023
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Amogreentech to counter water shortages via no-power purification system
To solve water shortage problems exacerbated by climate change, Amogreentech developed a gravity driven membrane system that can purify water using only a pressure difference with a nanofiber membrane. The system, developed by the Korean advanced material and component firm, boasts a high efficiency. The system's device wastes no excess energy and equipment to install and operate to remove contaminants and waterborne bacteria from the water. The device is easy to maintain with its effective
Social Affairs Nov. 29, 2023
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