Articles by Shin Ji-hye
Shin Ji-hye
shinjh@heraldcorp.com-
Korea struggles to respond to labor shortage amid pandemic
The South Korean government and National Assembly are looking to ease regulations on employing foreign nationals and for immigration in the face of labor shortages brought on by the prolonged pandemic. On Friday, a bill to revise the act on the employment of foreign workers, which was proposed by Rep. Lee Jong-bae of the main opposition People Power Party, passed the plenary session of the National Assembly. The main focus of the bill is to increase the number of industries that can hire for
Social Affairs March 28, 2021
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[#WeFACE] Environmentally conscious consumers turn to refill stations
On Sunday afternoon, a refill station called Almang Market in Mangwon-dong, Seoul, was busy with consumers seeking plastic-free alternatives. A refill station is a shop where customers take their own containers to buy goods without packaging. Almang Market, which opened in June, sells a variety of refillable products, such as shampoo, cosmetics and detergent. Customers purchase them by weight. As well as refillable liquid products, there are also products like unpacked body and dish soap t
Social Affairs March 27, 2021
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[Newsmaker] Former Seoul mayor far ahead of ruling candidate: poll
Two weeks before the April 7 by-election to choose Seoul’s next mayor, Oh Se-hoon, a former mayor and the sole candidate from the opposition bloc, is far ahead of Park Young-sun, former minister of SMEs and startups and the sole candidate from the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, a poll showed Wednesday. According to a Realmeter survey of 1,042 Seoulites aged 18 or older on March 22 and 23, Oh gained 48.9 percent support and Park stood at 29.2 percent support of respondents in the two-w
Politics March 24, 2021
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[Animals in Korea (3)] Why are so many dogs abandoned and killed?
A photo of a white Maltese mix with a hopeless look on his face was posted on an animal adoption platform, Pawinhand, early this month. The message read, “Please take a look at this puppy whose deadline is over.” This means a monthlong period to find a new owner was over and he would soon be euthanized. The white dog was abandoned in a village this past winter with some dog supplies, according to local residents, and was rescued by an animal shelter after wandering the village fo
Social Affairs March 23, 2021
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Seoul withdraws testing mandate for all foreign workers
The Seoul city government on Friday withdrew an order requiring mandatory coronavirus testing for all foreign workers after facing criticism from foreigners, medical workers and the human rights commission. The Seoul Metropolitan Government released a statement on Friday afternoon, saying, “We changed the administrative order issued on March 17 after the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters requested the withdrawal of the order.” “We changed from the man
Social Affairs March 19, 2021
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Assembly speaker discusses S. Korea-US alliance, NK issues with Nancy Pelosi
National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seug held a videoconference with US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Friday to discuss pending issues such as the South Korea-US alliance and North Korea’s nuclear weapons. During the meeting Park said that “the Korea-US alliance is a starting point and a crucial point of reference for Korea’s diplomacy and security and, as the US’ most successful alliance, serves as a bedrock for peace and stability in the region.” He went on t
Politics March 19, 2021
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Human rights commission to probe Seoul’s testing mandate for all foreign workers
The National Human Rights Commission of Korea on Friday launched an investigation into the Seoul city government’s decision to mandate coronavirus tests for all foreign workers, after some foreigners filed a petition against the administrative order. “Foreigners have filed a petition with the NHRC, saying that they feel hatred and racism,” NHRC Chairperson Choi Young-ae said in a statement. “In response, the NHRC will quickly determine whether discrimination and human
Social Affairs March 19, 2021
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‘Ridiculous’: Experts slam Seoul’s testing mandate for all foreign workers
Medical experts are baffled by the Seoul city government’s decision to mandate coronavirus tests for all foreign workers in the city, saying it is discriminatory, scientifically unjustifiable and may even violate human rights. The Seoul Metropolitan Government issued an administrative order on Tuesday requiring all foreign workers in the city to undergo diagnostic tests March 17-31 to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Fines of up to 2 million won ($1,778) will be imposed if they f
Social Affairs March 18, 2021
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Assembly speaker supports Korean firms joining Costa Rica’s electric train project
National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seug asked Costa Rican Foreign Minister Rodolfo Solano Quiros to pay special attention to South Korean companies’ participation in the nation’s electric train project and in electronic-government projects, in a meeting held Tuesday. “I learned that Costa Rica is pushing for electric trains in the metropolitan area and e-government projects, Park said during a talk with Solano. I think there are many areas where we can work together as
Politics March 17, 2021
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[#WeFACE] Best way to solve plastic problem? Just don’t use it
The Korea Herald is publishing a series of articles about efforts being made by the public and governments to protect the environment as the country moves towards the goal of becoming a more eco-friendly society. - Ed. In a small office full of machine and colorful pieces of plastic, staff are busily making new products with plastic waste. They wash plastic waste, categorize them by color, grind and melt them and then pour the molten plastic into a mold. Through this process, plastic waste
Social Affairs March 17, 2021
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Seoul mayor candidate Park vows to strengthen ties with Europe
Park Young-sun, the Seoul mayor candidate of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, has vowed to strengthen cooperation with Europe to drive the city to move toward a global city at a meeting with the European Chamber of Commerce in Korea on Monday. The candidate attended a special meeting hosted by the ECCK and shared opinions with European entrepreneurs on the business landscape in Seoul and ways to further develop Seoul into a global economic hub, the ECCK said Tuesday. During the meeting
Politics March 16, 2021
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Former Seoul mayor has highest poll rating
Less than a month before the April 7 by-election to choose Seoul’s next mayor, Oh Se-hoon, a former mayor and the sole candidate from the main opposition People Power Party, is ahead of both of the other major candidates -- People’s Party Chairman Ahn Cheol-soo and Park Young-sun, former minister of SMEs and startups and the sole candidate from the ruling Democratic Party of Korea -- a poll showed Tuesday. According to a Realmeter survey of 1,030 Seoulites aged 18 or older on March
Politics March 16, 2021
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Former SMEs minister vows to expand hydrogen mobility in Seoul
Seoul mayoral candidate Park Young-sun says there are three things at the top of her agenda to make the city cleaner and safer if she is elected: Expanding green areas, boosting eco-friendly mobility and tackling the capital’s overflowing waste problem. In December, Seoul set a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent by 2030 and going carbon neutral by 2050 in line with the global environmental trends. But the city has a long way to go as it struggles to combat worsening
Politics March 14, 2021
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Korea scrambles to contain outbreaks among migrant workers
The South Korean government is speeding up the process of testing foreign workers for COVID-19 as the number of confirmed cases rises, but language barriers and the presence of significant numbers of unregistered migrant workers are hampering its efforts. Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun expressed concerns on Tuesday about the mass outbreaks reported at workplaces where many foreigners work, saying they could lead to a fourth wave of the pandemic. He called on foreign workers to cooperate with
Social Affairs March 10, 2021
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Yoon’s approval rating jumps after resignation
A year before the next presidential election, former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl’s approval rating as a potential presidential candidate has soared following his resignation last week. According to a survey of 1,123 citizens aged 18 or older conducted on Friday, Yoon has the highest support of possible presidential candidates with 32.4 percent. Yoon’s approval rating jumped 17.8 percentage points in just six weeks compared to 14.6 percent on Jan. 22. Gyeonggi Province Gov.
Politics March 8, 2021
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