Warm temperatures to continue into Chuseok holiday

Though Chuseok is drawing near, the weather for Korea's traditional midautumn harvest festival remains similar to summer conditions, as heat wave advisories were issued in most parts of the country Tuesday. As of Tuesday, several major cities in Korea saw their highest September temperatures on record, with cities such as Daejeon seeing daytime temperatures reach as high as 35.3 degrees Celsius, marking the first time since 1969 that the city saw a temperature as high as 35 C in September.

Social AffairsSept. 10, 2024

Korea pledges W5tr to improve medical training amid prolonged standoff

Amid a monthslong stalemate between the government and medical communities over the state's decision to increase the medical school enrollment quota, South Korea said it will inject about 5 trillion won ($3.7 billion) by 2030 to improve medical education conditions. In line with the expansion of medical schools, the Ministry of Education and related ministries announced an investment plan Tuesday, including increasing the number of professors at national universities by 1,000 over three yea

Social AffairsSept. 10, 2024

Yoon raises ER physician fees temporarily

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday laid out a plan to raise physicians' fees temporarily during the next two weeks, as the crisis in short-staffed emergency rooms in South Korean hospitals is expected to deepen during the Chuseok holiday in mid-September. Yoon said in a Cabinet meeting that fees for emergency room doctors -- supported by the nation's universal single-payer health care system -- will be temporarily raised 3.5 times what they currently are during the period. The hikes wi

PoliticsSept. 10, 2024

Korea strengthens educational ties with Kazakstan

South Korea and Kazakhstan launched the Global Education and Innovation Alliance to foster international partnerships in education and research. Lee Ju-ho, South Korea's deputy prime minister and minister of education, and Sayasat Nurbek, Kazakstan's minister of science and higher education, discussed possible educational cooperation while emphasizing Korkyt Ata University and SeoulTech's successful collaboration on the establishment of an Artificial Intelligence Institute as a mo

Social AffairsSept. 10, 2024

[Herald Interview] GPE Deputy CEO urges global support for better education

Funding education is crucial in developing countries, particularly for those vulnerable to natural disasters and climate change. According to Charles North, Deputy CEO of the Global Partnership for Education, a World Bank-supported initiative focused on enhancing education in low-income nations, investing in education not only builds a future workforce but also strengthens communities' resilience and ability to recover and progress in the face of adversity, as evidenced by the experience

Social AffairsSept. 10, 2024

Busiest spots in Seoul? Seoul shows foot traffic in popular districts

Seoul Metropolitan Government said Tuesday it has added information on foot traffic in major shopping districts to the real-time information service it provides on the most popular areas in the city. The service, accessible at the Seoul Open Plaza website, provides an overview of popular areas in the city with information including the estimated foot traffic, road and weather conditions, empty parking spots, adjacent public transportation routes and rentable bicycles. For example, Seoul Plaza ne

Social AffairsSept. 10, 2024

Kenya studying Korean tech for housing

Kenya is studying South Korea's advanced technology to improve housing infrastructure and address the African country's housing challenges. “Our goal is to build 200,000 housing units annually, and we’ve already started over 100,000 units since July 2023,” Charles Hinga, principal secretary of Kenya's State Department for Housing and Urban Development, said in an interview with The Korea Herald on Saturday. Kenya plans to use Korean technology, such as aluminum f

Foreign AffairsSept. 10, 2024

India's Rajasthan government woos Korean investors

The Indian state of Rajasthan sought to encourage Korean companies at the Rising Rajasthan Roadshow event in Seoul on Monday. The roadshow comes in the lead-up the Rajasthan's government's Rising Rajasthan Global Investment Summit, to be held from Dec. 9-11 in Jaipur, the capital city of the state. Led by Rajasthan’s Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, the roadshow delegation highlighted the state's opportunities in renewable energy and automotive manufacturing, electronics an

Foreign AffairsSept. 10, 2024

Mapo-gu to offer house call pet funeral services

Mapo-gu, a district in Seoul, is set to introduce a house call pet funeral service in collaboration with Petmun, a local pet services firm, district official said Tuesday. This service centers around a specialized vehicle equipped with a smokeless, odorless cremation facility. This vehicle will visit the home of the deceased pet, conduct a funeral service there and transport the pet’s body for cremation. Although the vehicle itself is a moving crematorium, the district plans to set a rul

Social AffairsSept. 10, 2024

Govt. to temporarily raise health insurance payments to hospitals for Chuseok holiday

President Yoon Suk Yeol said Tuesday the government will temporarily raise health insurance payments to hospitals for the upcoming Chuseok holiday to better reward their services and to prevent disruptions in emergency medical care. During a Cabinet meeting, Yoon addressed concerns over possible disruptions to the medical system during the extended holiday, which starts later this week, as a majority of junior doctors have stayed away from the job since February in protest of a sharp hike in the

PoliticsSept. 10, 2024

FSS chief urges banks to curb household debts

The head of the financial watchdog on Tuesday called for banks to curb a continuing rise in household lending. Lee Bok-hyun, chief of the Financial Supervisory Service, made the call in a meeting with the heads of 18 banks. "Should we fail to keep household debts at a proper level in the future, it may lead to increased economic burden by expanding market volatility and working as an obstacle to economic growth," Lee told the meeting. Tuesday's meeting follows reports that househo

PoliticsSept. 10, 2024

Seoul records season's latest tropical night as heat wave continues into fall

Overnight temperatures in Seoul stayed above 25 C, marking the season's latest tropical night since meteorological observation began, the state weather agency said Tuesday. The lowest nighttime temperature overnight in the capital city was 25.6 C at 6 a.m., another tropical night that refers to a phenomenon where temperatures do not drop below 25 C until 9 a.m., according to the Korea Meteorological Administration. It marks the season's latest tropical night record in Seoul since recor

Social AffairsSept. 10, 2024

Harris, Trump set to face off in high-stakes presidential debate this week

Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and her Republican rival Donald Trump are set to face off against each other in their first -- potentially only -- debate this week, with its outcome expected to substantially impact their final sprint to Election Day in November. The high-stakes 90-minute debate will take place at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia in the battleground state of Pennsylvania on Tuesday night, as recent polls have shown Vice President Harris and former

Foreign AffairsSept. 10, 2024

N. Korea's leader vows push for exponential increase in nuclear weapons

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has vowed to bolster the country's nuclear capabilities to deter any threats by enemies, saying it is steadily carrying out a policy to increase the number of nuclear weapons exponentially, state media said Tuesday. Kim made the vow during a speech in a meeting with senior party and government officials on the occasion of the 76th founding anniversary of the regime, according to the Korean Central News Agency. The North's leader delivered a speech for th

North KoreaSept. 10, 2024

[Graphic News] Korea’s electricity demand soars to record high in August

South Korea’s electricity demand hit a historic peak in August, driven by the intense summer heat wave. According to the Korea Power Exchange, the nation’s peak power demand averaged 87.8 gigawatts, a 6.1 percent increase from the previous year. This surge in energy consumption was largely attributed to increased air conditioning usage amid the sweltering conditions. The Korea Meteorological Administration reported that August experienced 16 days where temperatures exceeded 33 degr

Social AffairsSept. 10, 2024

New defense chief inspects readiness at frontline Marine Corps unit

New Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun visited a western frontline unit Monday in his first on-site inspection after taking office last week, the defense ministry said. Kim checked troop readiness at the 2nd Marine Division's observation post at an undisclosed location after assuming his new role Friday, according to the ministry. "If the enemy undertakes a provocation ... punish them fully and sternly until they are unable to carry out more provocations," Kim was quoted as saying. No

Social AffairsSept. 9, 2024

S. Korea sees spike in confiscation of illegal drugs

South Korean customs officials confiscated 769 kilograms of illegal drugs being smuggled into the country last year, 18 percent more than the year before, data from state-run bodies showed Monday. The confiscated drugs are reportedly worth about 61.3 billion won ($45.7 million), according to the data compiled by the Incheon International Airport Corp. and the Korea Customs Service, submitted to Rep. Jeon Yong-gi of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea. The amount of drugs seized by auth

Social AffairsSept. 9, 2024

First lady likely to escape 'Dior bag' indictment

First lady Kim Keon Hee is unlikely to be indicted for alleged antigraft rule violations, as the final legal procedure concerning her acceptance of luxury gifts totaling over 5 million won ($3,730), including a Christian Dior bag, has been cleared. Outgoing Prosecutor General Lee One-seok told reporters on Monday on his way to his office in Seocho-gu in southern Seoul that he "respects" the recommendation Friday by a 15-member independent review panel of the Supreme Prosecutors' O

PoliticsSept. 9, 2024

KAIST, NYU to implement joint degree for AI

South Korea's science and technology university KAIST and New York University signed an agreement in Seoul to introduce a joint degree program in artificial intelligence on Monday. The agreement came after both universities shared a consensus that strengthening capabilities in the field of artificial intelligence and fostering global talent is an essential element that can contribute to the future development of society as a whole, beyond mere technical education, KAIST explained. The two u

Social AffairsSept. 9, 2024

Ex-police officer behind murder of Korean in Philippines vanishes after guilty verdict: report

The whereabouts of a dismissed Filipino police officer, reportedly the main culprit behind the 2016 killing of a South Korean businessperson in Angeles City, the Philippines, remain unknown as of Monday, nearly two months after a local court sentenced him to life without parole. According to local sources cited by Yonhap News Agency on Monday, the Philippine National Police has been unsuccessful so far in locating Rafael Dumlao, former head of the Philippine National Police’s Anti-illega

Social AffairsSept. 9, 2024