For both developed and developing countries, carbon neutrality is no longer a choice, but a human survival strategy, experts and policymakers told the H.eco Forum 2024 on Wednesday in Seoul. During a panel talk with the theme of “Energy Transition for Net Zero Roadmap,” Yoo Yeon-chul, executive director of the UN Global Impact Network Korea, shared how three core themes shaped recent notable international events, such as the 28th UN Climate Change Conference held in Dubai in 2023 and

Social Affairs May 22, 2024

Amidst pledges and goals, grandiose yet seemingly distant, where do we stand in our much-touted transition to clean energy? This was the central question pondered at this year's H.eco Forum, held Wednesday in Seoul. In its fourth edition this year, the annual event brought together environmental scholars, activists and experts from within and beyond South Korea, as well as ordinary citizens, under the theme, “The Transition: Blue, Clean, and Green,” at Some Sevit in southern Seo

Social Affairs May 22, 2024

The police have recently launched an investigation into the hacking of personal emails belonging to high-ranking military officials, which is believed to have been orchestrated by North Korean hacking groups. The Defense Ministry confirmed Tuesday that a joint investigation into the email hacking had been conducted by the police and the military police. Additionally, the ministry has set up a dedicated task force to address the matter. Ministry spokesperson Jeon Ha-kyu clarified that the comprom

Social Affairs May 21, 2024

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Monday its plans to invest 250.6 billion won ($184.8 million) over five years to attract foreign talent and businesses and to help them adjust to the city. The plan, announced in a press briefing, comes amid an increase in the overall number of foreign nationals residing in the city. According to the city government, there are around 440,000 residents of foreign nationality, accounting for 4.7 percent of the city’s total population. The city&rsqu

Social Affairs May 20, 2024

The Ministry of Environment is set to unveil a new flood warning system tailored for drivers this July after last summer's deadly incident of underground tunnel flooding. "For the first time this year, navigation guidance will be available to help drivers drive safely in low-lying and other hazardous areas when entering flood warning areas or near the discharge points of the 37 dams managed by the Ministry of the Environment," Environment Minister Han Wha-jin said during a press b

Social Affairs May 16, 2024

In an unexpected turn of weather events, with snow reaching unforeseen depths and blanketing regions, the national weather agency issued a heavy snow warning for the mountainous areas of northern Gangwon Province as of Wednesday evening. This marked the first time in approximately 30 years -- since 1994 -- that the agency has issued such a warning in mid-May, underscoring the unprecedented nature of this weather event. “While heavy snow warnings have been issued in May in the past, the KMA

Social Affairs May 16, 2024

As South Korea grapples with a significant surge in plastic pollution, the chief of the world’s largest nongovernmental conservation group's Korean office called for the government here to adopt stricter regulations, calling it an "absolutely necessary" measure. “Some environmental issues cannot be resolved through voluntary participation, and targeting plastic waste problems is one of them,” World Wide Fund for Nature-Korea's executive director Park Min-h

Social Affairs May 15, 2024

The government will focus its efforts on preventing further loss of human lives during periods of heavy rain and heat waves for the upcoming summer season, the Ministry of Interior and Safety said Tuesday. The Interior Ministry convened a joint meeting on the same day with officials from the Ministry of Environment, the National Fire Agency, the Korean National Police Agency and local governments to discuss strategies for preventing human casualties from natural disasters during the summer seaso

Social Affairs May 14, 2024

South Korea and the European Union share great opportunities for further cooperation in addressing climate change and its impacts not only on a bilateral level but also across the broader Indo-Pacific region and beyond, EU Ambassador to South Korea Maria Castillo Fernandez said. "For the EU, the Republic of Korea is one of the key like-minded partners in the context of climate and environment, with the shared values and common goals against the climate crisis," Castillo Fernandez sai

Social Affairs May 13, 2024

Police in South Korea arrested a man under suspicion of involvement in the murder of a Korean tourist in Pattaya, Thailand, according to the Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency on Monday. According to police officials, a Korean man in his 20s was apprehended at his home in Jeongeup, North Jeolla Province, on Sunday evening and placed under emergency arrest for allegedly murdering a man and abandoning his body. The police had been tracking the suspect’s whereabouts after learning that he had

Social Affairs May 13, 2024

Concerns surrounding the disclosure of the personal information of convicted criminals and those suspected of having committed crimes have been mounting in South Korea, sparked by the recent revival of a name-and-shame website known as "Digital Prison," around four years after it was shut down by South Korean authorities. The debate was triggered by the unauthorized release of the personal details of a 25-year-old man surnamed Choi, who is accused of stabbing his girlfriend to death on

Social Affairs May 12, 2024

A man in his 80s has been apprehended for stabbing a woman and her son at an apartment complex in Gangnam-gu, southern Seoul on Tuesday. According to Seoul Suseo Police Station, the suspect allegedly stabbed a woman in her 50s and her son after raiding their home in Gaepo-dong at 8 a.m., Tuesday morning. The woman was quickly transferred to the nearest hospital in a state of cardiac arrest, but was later pronounced dead after arriving at the hospital. The son is currently being treated at the ho

Social Affairs May 7, 2024

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon proposed to forge mutual financial and economic cooperation with Dubai, the largest city in the United Arab Emirates, during the Dubai Fintech Summit held there on Monday. In his keynote speech, “Seoul - A Global Economic Innovation Hub,” Oh highlighted the city’s strengths as a global financial center, a leader in innovative finance and a digital financial hub. He also outlined Seoul's strategic direction to become one of the top five global cities

Social Affairs May 7, 2024

Four out of 10 South Koreans have no intention of getting married or have not put thought into it, according to a report released by the Presidential Committee on Aging Society and Population Policy on Thursday. The committee unveiled the findings of a survey on perceptions regarding marriage, childbirth and child care, which targeted 2,011 men and women aged 25 to 49 nationwide. According to the report, 39.1 percent of the respondents aged between 25 and 49 answered that they do not want to get

Social Affairs May 3, 2024

A bill proposed by the ruling People Power Party last year to incorporate the city of Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, into Seoul currently faces termination due to not being introduced even to a parliamentary subcommittee, according to the National Assembly on Friday. According to the National Assembly’s Bill Information website, no further discussions regarding the Special Act on the Change of Jurisdiction Between Gyeonggi Province and Seoul have been made since the bill was presented by Rep. C

Social Affairs May 3, 2024