Education Minister nominee Lee Ju-ho is likely to focus on ensuring the autonomy of schools if he takes office, while pushing for the launch of a high school credit system and more. Lee, who was the head of the now-split Ministry of Education, Science and Technology from 2010 to 2013 during the Lee Myung-bak administration, has been named the nominee for education minister by President Yoon Suk-yeol last week. If confirmed, he will be returning to his post after nearly 10 years. "When I w

Social Affairs Oct. 3, 2022

PCR tests for those arriving in Korea and the current indoor mask mandate could go under review following calls from the ruling People Power Party for disease control measures that “minimize inconvenience and restrictions.” Speaking at a ruling party-government meeting on Thursday, top People Power Party officials called for ending PCR tests for overseas arrivals, and to review the negative impact that wearing face masks may have on young children. “Currently, Korea and China

Politics Sept. 29, 2022

The Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat held the 2022 Korea-China Smart Manufacturing Industry-Academia-Research Forum Thursday to discuss industrial growth in both countries. Figures from universities, research centers and government bodies in Korea and China attended the event held both online and offline in central Seoul. Gao Xiang, the head of the China Science and Technology Exchange Center, opened the event with a congratulatory speech. “Two countries (Korea and China) are geographic

Social Affairs Sept. 29, 2022

President Yoon Suk-yeol has been considering appointing Lee Ju-ho, the former science and education minister under the Lee Myung-bak administration, as the second education minister in his administration. The post of education minister has been vacant for some 50 days since the former minister Park Soon-ae’s resignation. Park offered to resign 35 days after taking office following controversies related to her proposal of lowering the school entry age to five. Lee was the head of the defu

Social Affairs Sept. 28, 2022

About two-thirds of foreign students who dropped out of school have been staying in Korea without a valid visa, according to a report. The report released by independent lawmaker Rep. Min Hyung-bae on Wednesday said that 67.2 percent of students who dropped out of school in Korea were staying without a valid visa as of last year, while a total of 10,335 foreign students dropped out of school in 2021. Min received the data from the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Justice. More students are

Social Affairs Sept. 28, 2022

Police evaluated Sindang Station murder suspect Jeon Joo-hwan to be “at low risk” of posing a threat when the victim sued him for stalking last year, a report showed Tuesday. According to a report released Tuesday by Rep. Lee Sung-man of the Democratic Party of Korea, the police determined that Jeon’s stalking case was a “low threat” based on statements from the victim. The police ran a checklist on the potential risk that Jeon could pose to the victim when she sue

Social Affairs Sept. 27, 2022

The National Education Commission will finally be launched, after two months of hiccups, but concerns over its legitimacy remain. The education committee will be launched two members short, with 19 members. The committee is tasked with deliberating on long-term education policies for the country, from national education curriculum to college entrance measures. While the committee will decide on mid- and long-term education goals and policies, the Education Ministry will work on the de

Social Affairs Sept. 26, 2022

The ban on free single-use cups will kick off in December, going on a test trial run in Sejong and on Jeju Island. A recent report by the Environment Ministry showed the use of disposable cups has soared during the pandemic. The number of single-use plastic and paper cups consumed at 14 cafes and four popular fast-food chains reached 1.02 billion last year, marking a huge surge from 770 million in 2019. After postponing the introduction of a ban on single-use cups at franchise stores due to opp

Social Affairs Sept. 23, 2022

The prosecutors' office is to launch a task force on the Sindang Station murder, with the suspect now in prosecution custody. The suspect, 31-year old former Seoul Metro employee Jeon Joo-hwan, was transferred to the prosecution Wednesday, accused of murdering a Seoul Metro employee on Sept. 14. Meeting the press at Seoul Namdaemun Police Station, Jeon repeated he was sorry for his actions. Jeon said “I did something truly crazy” when asked by reporters whether he has anything else

Social Affairs Sept. 21, 2022

The new governor of North Jeolla Province hopes to build a business-friendly environment for the southwestern region of Korea. Governor Kim Kwan-young is a two-time lawmaker in his early 50s who took office in July. With a notable career of being a certified public accountant who has passed both the bar and the civil service exam, he is eager to push new initiatives. “The people are expecting a young and vibrant administration led by me, and I am doing my best to meet their expectations,

Social Affairs Sept. 20, 2022

The ruling People Power Party has selected Joo Ho-young as its new floor leader, hoping to move on to a new phase after months of turmoil over party leadership. Joo is a five-term lawmaker who previously served as the party's floor leader in 2020. He won 61 out of 106 votes in a party floor leadership election held Monday, running against second-term lawmaker Rep. Lee Yong-ho, who earned 42 votes.  “I thank those who were concerned and those who helped,” Joo said after being el

Politics Sept. 19, 2022

President Yoon Suk-yeol has called off a plan to construct a new state guest house to replace Yeongbingwan, the former reception hall at Cheong Wa Dae, following criticism that the construction would be a waste of taxpayers' money. Previously at Cheong Wa Dae, the presidential office and residence, Yeongbingwan functioned as a venue for the president to greet and serve guests. It has been closed following Yoon's decision to relocate to Yongsan-gu, central Seoul, as he took office earlier this y

Politics Sept. 18, 2022

Soongsil University has kicked off a new employment support program to train its students in computing skills. The university announced a program which allows students to learn a total of 52 computing skills needed these days to get a job, such as Python programming, big data analysis, Excel, Powerpoint, Photoshop, illustration, financial accounting, AutoCAD and more. The school explained the computing skills are required as necessary abilities for various kinds of jobs. In line with the pande

Social Affairs Sept. 15, 2022

PRS for Music, a British music copyright collective, has submitted a petition to police here denouncing Korean streaming media services' inappropriate use of music. PRS for Music is a collective founded in 1914 that oversees copyright issues for pop stars such as the Beatles, Elton John, Adele and more. Local media reports said PRS submitted a petition to the Seoul Yeongdeungpo Police Station on Sept. 5 calling for authorities to penalize local streaming platforms for using music without proper

Social Affairs Sept. 14, 2022

The Ministry of Environment plans to push for the use of multiuse parcel boxes from 2024 to protect the environment amid a rise in the number of delivery services. The ministry ran a pilot project on multiuse parcel boxes from October 2021 to August this year, joining hands with local retailers and courier service providers. The companies employed multiuse parcel boxes for deliveries, retrieving them from customers to clean and use them again. According to the ministry, the project showed multi

Social Affairs Sept. 14, 2022