Govt. to offer 40 tln won to SMEs ahead of Chuseok holiday

The government plans to provide some 40 trillion won ($30.1 billion) in financial support to small and medium-sized enterprises, and micro business owners as part of measures to support them in the run-up to the Chuseok holiday, officials said Sunday. The decision was made during a high-level meeting of government and ruling party officials, held to finalize measures on stabilizing prices, as well as supporting small business owners and others, according to People Power Party spokesperson Han Ze

PoliticsAug. 25, 2024

Govt., ruling party call for mandating disclosing battery brand information of electric vehicles

The government and the ruling People Power Party agreed Sunday to introduce a system mandating automakers to disclose the battery brand information of all electric vehicles. During a meeting between senior government officials and PPP officials, the two sides also agreed to launch at an early date a system mandating automakers to get government certification on the safety of the batteries for their EV models, which was initially set to be introduced in February next year. The move comes amid saf

PoliticsAug. 25, 2024

Ruling party proposes Oct. 1 as temporary holiday

South Korea is considering designating Oct. 1 this year as a temporary public holiday to mark the 76th anniversary of Armed Forces Day, as the ruling People Power Party requested that the government review the designation to recognize the dedication of those on active military duty. Workers here will be eligible to take the day off as a public holiday on Oct. 1 if the government approves the plan at a Cabinet meeting. It will be in addition to Oct. 3, which South Korea observes as a public holid

PoliticsAug. 25, 2024

South Korean lawmakers brace for US election as Harris, Trump diverge on North Korea

As the US election race enters its final two months, South Korean lawmakers are bracing for the impact of a Harris or Trump administration as the two presidential candidates offer opposing approaches to North Korea and its leader Kim Jong-un. Ruling People Power Party lawmakers gushed over US Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris putting down the North Korean leader in her nomination acceptance speech in Chicago on Thursday, in a sharp contrast with her Republican riva

PoliticsAug. 25, 2024

Hezbollah launches missile barrage after Israel strikes

JERUSALEM (Reuters) -- Hezbollah launched hundreds of rockets and drones against Israel on Sunday in retaliation for the assassination of a senior commander in Beirut last month, the Iranian-backed movement said, as Israel's Cabinet met to prepare a response. Israeli jets hit targets in Lebanon shortly before the strikes, as the military assessed that Hezbollah was preparing to begin the barrage, the military said. Hezbollah said it had launched more than 320 Katyusha rockets toward Israel

Foreign AffairsAug. 25, 2024

What went wrong in response to Bucheon hotel fire?

Funerals for the victims of Thursday‘s Bucheon hotel fire were held on Sunday, but the controversy surrounding the tragedy has intensified while authorities have been searching to identify the circumstances that led to seven deaths and a dozen other injuries. Amid the ongoing efforts to determine the exact cause of the fire, a debate about the inflatable rescue mattress used by firefighters erupted, as two of the seven people died attempting to jump onto it. Soon after the blaze broke out,

Social AffairsAug. 25, 2024

Seoul seeks to end KHNP-Westinghouse dispute

South Korea is looking for a solution to end a legal dispute between local nuclear power company Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power and US firm Westinghouse Electric Company "through various channels," amid pressure mounting on Seoul over a nuclear export deal worth at least 24 trillion won ($18 billion) with the Czech Republic. "The government is discussing with the US government through various channels to support the amicable resolution of the corporate dispute," an official of

PoliticsAug. 25, 2024

Frequent hotel fires here point to lack of sprinklers

Following Thursday’s hotel fire in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, which claimed seven lives and injured 12 people, concerns have been raised about the lack of fire safety measures in accommodations here. According to the National Fire Agency on Sunday, a total of 1,843 fires occurred at accommodation facilities between 2019 and 2023. These fires resulted in 32 deaths and 355 injuries. By type of lodging, motels had the most fires, with 645 incidents, accounting for 35 percent of the total.

Social AffairsAug. 25, 2024

Presidential office says discussions with US taking place over nuclear plant project in Czech Republic

The South Korean presidential office said Saturday it is in close discussions with the US government to resolve a dispute between the two countries' companies over a nuclear power plant construction project in the Czech Republic. "We are in talks with the US government through various channels to smoothly resolve the dispute," an official at the presidential office said, referring to the conflict between the Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. and American energy firm Westinghouse

Foreign AffairsAug. 24, 2024

Hurdles stopping Koreans from getting married? Money, among other things

A recent survey indicated that the majority of single people in South Korea would like to get married, but also showed concerns over various issues, including finances and child care. Lifeplus FemTech Research Institute, an affiliate of Hanwha Insurance, conducted a survey on what unmarried men and women in the Greater Seoul area -- Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province -- thought about marriage. Of the 1,000 people between ages 25 and 39 who participated in the survey, 79 percent of men and 63

Social AffairsAug. 24, 2024

5 day laborers, including 3 Chinese nationals, killed in traffic accident

Five day laborers, including three Chinese nationals, were killed in a traffic accident in Ansan on Saturday while heading to a worksite, local authorities said. The accident occurred in Ansan, about 30 kilometers south of Seoul, at around 5:45 a.m., while the victims were heading to a worksite in a van, according to Gyeonggi Province fire services. The van carrying the victims collided with a bus and hit a passenger car before coming to a stop, resulting in a total of 14 casualties. The five la

Social AffairsAug. 24, 2024

Health care workers approve strike over crippled medical system, pay raise

A nationwide union of nurses and medical workers said Saturday that their members have voted to launch a strike next week, calling for a pay raise and the normalization of the crippled medical system amid a prolonged walkout by trainee doctors, its officials said Saturday. The Korean Health and Medical Workers' Union, which has some 30,000 nurses and medical workers at 61 hospitals as members, said more than 91 percent of its members supported the strike plan, according to the officials. If

Social AffairsAug. 24, 2024

Biz leaders to accompany President Yoon's Czech visit next month

A group of business leaders, including Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, will accompany President Yoon Suk Yeol on his visit to the Czech Republic next month, industry sources said Saturday. Yoon is arranging the visit to the Czech Republic to deepen bilateral economic ties after the European country selected a South Korean consortium in July for a major nuclear plant project. The South Korean consortium led by Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power was named the preferred bidder for the Czech

Foreign AffairsAug. 24, 2024

Seoul suffers record 37th tropical night this summer

Seoul has posted its 37th tropical night this summer, the most in the city's history, the state weather agency said Saturday. Seoul experienced yet another tropical night phenomenon overnight, setting the highest number in a single year since modern meteorological observation began in the city in 1907, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said. A tropical night refers to a phenomenon when the nighttime temperatures stay above 25 degrees Celsius from 6:01 p.m. to 9 a.m. the followin

Social AffairsAug. 24, 2024

N. Korea slams US nuclear strategy, vows to build up nuclear arms

North Korea on Saturday strongly lashed out at a revised US nuclear strategy plan, vowing to further strengthen its nuclear capability. Earlier this week, The New York Times reported that President Joe Biden approved the revised strategy in March this year to focus on China's growing nuclear threats and prepare for possible coordinated nuclear challenges from North Korea, China and Russia. Biden's approval of the revised strategy, called the "Nuclear Employment Guidance," cam

North KoreaAug. 24, 2024

Top prosecutor refers first lady's luxury bag gift case to review committee

Prosecutor General Lee One-seok referred the case of first lady Kim Keon Hee's acceptance of a luxury bag to a review committee, his office said Friday, amid controversy over the prosecution team's decision to clear her of the charges. The announcement came as the controversy is growing after prosecutors concluded that anti-graft law violation charges cannot be sought against Kim although she received a Dior bag worth about 3 million won (US$2,255) and other expensive gifts from pastor

PoliticsAug. 23, 2024

Seoul meets Busan: Oh stresses more autonomy, city growth

BUSAN -- Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon called on the central government to decentralize authority and allocate more human resources to municipalities, enabling them to develop tailored strategies for addressing the population crisis and fostering future growth. “Korea’s chronic low growth and deepening polarization cannot be overcome with regional strategies that are centralized and standardized," he said Friday at a conference held by the Korean Political Science Association in Busan.

Social AffairsAug. 23, 2024

Korea sees record-breaking streak of tropical nights

South Korea is suffering under a relentless heat wave, with Seoul, Busan, and other regions breaking records for consecutive tropical nights, data by the country's weather agency showed Friday. As of Friday, Seoul and Jeju have each experienced 33 and 39 straight nights of sweltering temperatures, respectively, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration. A tropical night refers to overnight temperatures remaining at or above 25 degrees from 6:01 p.m. to 9 a.m. the following day. S

Social AffairsAug. 23, 2024

Seoul to build large marina in Jamsil

The largest marina in Seoul is planned to be constructed at Jamsil Hangang Park in Songpa-gu, in the southeastern portion of the capital. The new facility is to accommodate 220 vessels, including yachts, as part of the city’s initiative to expand water leisure amenities. The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Friday that it had signed an agreement with private company Hangang Marina to carry out the project. Construction is slated to begin early next year, with completion and openin

Social AffairsAug. 23, 2024

Ruling party highlights need for intergenerational equity in pension reform

The ruling People Power Party on Friday called for further intergenerational equity in the government’s plan to reform the country’s ailing pension system. “In order to make the country’s retirement security system sustainable enough to be effective for the next 100 years beyond the current generation of youth to a future generation, we cannot overlook the issue of fiscal sustainability. This means that our foremost task for (the government’s) pension reform is to b

PoliticsAug. 23, 2024