The National Assembly on Friday approved the appointment of Han Duck-soo as the new prime minister, with the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea deciding to vote for the appointment at a meeting held late in the afternoon. The president can appoint ministers without parliamentary approval with the exception of the prime minister. The Democratic Party had expressed discontent with Han as a prime minister pick citing the unusually high salary he drew while working in the private sector,

Politics May 20, 2022

The Ministry of Environment said Thursday it will announce more details on the new deposit refund scheme for single-use cups to ease the burden on small-business owners. From June 10, franchise cafes, bakeries and fast-food franchises with more than 100 branches have to charge a 300 won (24 cent) deposit per single-use cup to customers. The ministry said it would help businesses adapt to the new rules, after some franchisees complained about it being a burden. “We empathize with th

Social Affairs May 19, 2022

The Ministry of Education is to run a 50-day inspection on the educational environment of 1,250 kindergartens, elementary, middle and high schools from Wednesday. The newly launched task force will review the schools’ respective quarantine measures, guidelines for extracurricular activities and monitor school facilities. As schools have recently resumed normal operations after a two-year COVID-19-induced hiatus, the inspection team will also examine schools’ respective infectio

Social Affairs May 16, 2022

The Korea Forest Service held an event commemorating the launch of Business for Land Initiative on Tuesday, during the 15th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP15) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Cote d’Ivoire. Woori Financial Group became the first business in Korea to announce its support for the organization. The UNCCD is an international organization established in 1994 to protect and restore land. There are currently 197 member countries to

Social Affairs May 15, 2022

Seoul Institute of the Arts has named Megawati Soekarnoputri, the head of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, as its honorary chair professor, hoping to encourage cultural interchange between Korea and Indonesia. The art institute held a ceremony at its campus in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, Wednesday, appointing Megawati as an honorary professor. The institute‘s President Lee Nam-sik attended the ceremony, too. Megawati is an Indonesian politician who served as president of Indo

Social Affairs May 11, 2022

The changes we are seeing in the ocean right now are already irreversible, said climate scientist Axel Timmermann. Timmermann is the director of the IBS Center for Climate Physics at Pusan National University, working to address changes in the climate and ecosystem. Prior to the upcoming H.eco Forum on May 26, where he is to give a lecture under the title of “Using basic science to avert climate changes,” Timmermann warned that the oceans have already reached “thresholds for

Social Affairs May 11, 2022

President Yoon Suk-yeol was sworn into office Tuesday with the kind of large inauguration ceremony that his predecessor missed out on. The event was held at the National Assembly, with some 41,000 people in attendance, including former President Moon Jae-in and his wife Kim Jung-sook, former President Park Geun-hye, officials from the government and National Assembly, diplomatic delegations and more. After paying his respects at Seoul National Cemetery in the morning, Yoon arrived at the N

Politics May 10, 2022

Kim In-chul, the nominee for deputy prime minister and education minister, became the first Cabinet pick for the Yoon Suk-yeol administration to step away from the confirmation process. After a series of allegations surrounding his term as president of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies and his family were raised, Kim said he will no longer seek the post. “I am to withdraw today,” Kim told the press in front of the Korea Institute of Educational Facility Safety in Yeouido, west

Social Affairs May 3, 2022

More than 70 percent of Earth’s surface is covered by oceans, which play a vital role in sustaining life for all on this planet. In the face of climate change, the ocean is the center of many life-threatening challenges such as rising sea levels, water scarcity and changes in sea temperature. This year, Herald Corp. will host the second edition of H.eco Forum, an annual event focused on environmental issues, on Nodeul Island on May 26, under the theme of “The Climate Crisis and

Social Affairs May 2, 2022

Our oceans, which play a pivotal role in supporting life on Earth, are at risk. Covering up 70 percent of the Earth’s surface, oceans hold about 96.5 percent of Earth’s water. All living organisms on Earth depend their lives on the sustainability of the oceans. The oceans, however, are at a breaking point, consistently pushed to the brink by environmental threats, such as global warming, overfishing, pollution, marine litter and more. In light of the oceans at risk, this year&

Social Affairs May 2, 2022

Kim In-chul, the nominee for deputy prime minister and education minister, denied allegations that his family unfairly received Fulbright scholarships from an association he was closely related to, arguing all procedures were fair. On Wednesday, the parliamentary confirmation hearing team for the Education Ministry representing Kim released a statement denying the allegations brought against his family over the scholarship. “Suggesting Kim’s family was selected as recipients becau

Social Affairs April 27, 2022

With the world slowly phasing into a post-COVID-19 pandemic era, Sollute Study Abroad Business Group is to arrange educational camps in Canada and New Zealand for teenagers this summer. Sollute Study Abroad Business Group is an education company that arranges camps for youths in English-speaking countries in partnership with local education offices and schools since 2014. Some 1,050 teenagers participated in camps arranged by the company until January 2020, before the pandemic hit the world.

Social Affairs April 25, 2022

With the ticking time bomb of climate change, more young activists are feeling an urgent need to speak up and take action. In light of the Earth Day which fell on Friday this year, The Herald Business and nonprofit organization Green Environment Youth Korea held an online roundtable session with young environmental activists across Asia, sharing their experiences and thoughts. Nurul Sarifa from Indonesia, who represents KPOP 4 Planet, a platform which calls on Korean entertainment agencies to

Social Affairs April 25, 2022

Plans to bring pre-pandemic normalcy to schools across the country in May are being met with both excitement and worry. On Wednesday, the Ministry of Education announced the “back to normal” guidelines that will see schools in Korea resume normal operations beginning May 1. Under the new guidelines, kindergartens, elementary, middle and high schools will reintroduce both academic and extracurricular activities, halting online classes, dropping self-testing routines and arrangin

Social Affairs April 21, 2022

From May 1, schools in Korea will resume normal operations under new guidelines. Schools will adapt “normalcy attendance” measures, meaning face-to-face classes will be held and online classes will be reserved for special circumstances. Extracurricular activities, such as field trips and group events, will be allowed. Self-testing routines will be dropped, too. The mask mandate, however, will be maintained at least until the end of the semester. The Ministry of Education announ

Social Affairs April 20, 2022