Articles by Lee Jung-joo
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Lee Jung-joo
lee.jungjoo@heraldcorp.com-
NK border sealing with China worsens human rights situation: report
The tightening of border controls by the Kim Jong-un regime, marked by the construction of multiple layers of fences along the China-North Korea border following the COVID-19 pandemic, has exacerbated the already dire humanitarian and human rights crisis in North Korea, according to a report by Human Rights Watch. The HRW, an international human rights organization headquartered in New York, on Thursday published a comprehensive 148-page report titled "A Sense of Terror Stronger than a Bull
North Korea March 8, 2024
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Police pledge action as list of returning doctors goes viral online
A circulated online list containing the names of doctors who did not participate in the prolonged walkout and instead remained or returned to their positions has prompted the police to pledge action against the individual responsible for its distribution. The National Police Agency released an official statement, stating that it will “strictly handle any acts that interfere with normal medical procedures.” “Posting full names of trainee doctors returning to work and writing thr
Social Affairs March 8, 2024
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Korea saw historically wet winter: weather agency
South Korea dealt with the wettest winter in about half a century, seeing a historic amount of 236.7 millimeters of rain drenching the nation in recent months, the weather agency said Thursday. From Dec. 1 through the end of February, up to 236.7 mm of rain was observed here, marking the highest amount of precipitation to be recorded in the cited period since 1973, when the Korea Meteorological Administration started collecting the related data. The latest precipitation level was 2.7 times highe
Social Affairs March 7, 2024
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Seoul to build, refurbish over 1,000 gardens by 2026
The Seoul Metropolitan Government will build up to 1,007 gardens across the city by 2026, starting with 150 new gardens by the first half of 2024, the city government said Thursday. The city government will spend 265.9 billion won ($199.8 million) to install gardens and green areas in various places around the city, specifically for groups such as children, older citizens and people with disabilities. The installation of the new gardens aims to lessen the stress and anxiety levels felt by Seoul
Social Affairs March 7, 2024
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Pressured to be 'best moms,' women say it's not just about money
With South Korea’s total fertility rate reaching as low as 0.72 in 2023, making it one of the lowest among the ranks of the 38-member Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the government is devising a list of attractive policies to persuade women to have babies -- that includes giving them hefty amounts of subsidies dubbed “childbirth benefits.” From the central government, potential mothers receive 1 million won ($751) to pay for their medical expenses. Once t
Social Affairs March 6, 2024
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Hot summer temperatures to persist due to El Nino impacts
As ocean surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean gradually decrease, climate conditions will most likely switch to a neutral state between April and June, according to the World Meteorological Organization. El Nino is a natural phenomenon in which ocean surface temperatures in the eastern and central Pacific remain 0.5 degrees Celsius higher than usual for more than five months. The El Nino phenomenon officially began between May and June 2023 and was recorded as one of the five strongest El N
Social Affairs March 6, 2024
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Ministry to consider legal action against junior doctors leading protest
The Health Ministry on Tuesday said it was considering filing criminal complaints with the police against the trainee doctors who are leading the protest against the government's plan to expand the annual medical school student quota. “We are considering filing police complaints on the trainee doctors who led the walkouts,” said Second Vice Health Minister Park Min-soo. “Details as to when the police complaints will be filed and who it will be filed against will be decided
Social Affairs March 5, 2024
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Police to deploy deepfake detection system
The Korean National Police Agency said Tuesday it had developed deepfake detection software to probe crimes using the technology. Deepfakes, videos altered with AI to produce lifelike videos of things that did not happen, often depicting well-known public figures, have become a concern for authorities ahead of the upcoming general elections in April. A revision to the Public Official Election Act in December banned the use of fake content such as videos and images in election campaigns. Accordin
Social Affairs March 5, 2024
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Tensions hit fever pitch as doctors hold mass street rally
Tensions between the Yoon Suk Yeol government and the medical community have escalated to a boiling point, with doctors flooding the streets in a massive protest on Sunday, defying the government's ultimatum to return to work by Thursday or face legal consequences. At the Yeouido Hangang Park in western Seoul, doctors, interns, residents and medical students staged a large-scale protest to denounce the government's decision to increase the annual medical school student enrollment quo
Social Affairs March 3, 2024
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[Weekender] Car camping: How solo female campers enjoy outdoors
After the COVID-19 virus hit, camping caught on among Koreans as an outdoor leisure activity that didn't break social distancing rules. The pandemic may have officially ended, but the camping craze has stuck around. In the past few years, the popularity of car camping has stood out. As of end-2022, 41.6 percent of Koreans said they went car camping at least once compared with the corresponding figure of 4 percent in the previous year, a survey released by the Korea Tourism Organization in J
weekender March 2, 2024
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Most doctors refuse to end strike on last day of ultimatum
Only 294 of 9,000 striking junior doctors on strike returned to work on Thursday morning, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said Thursday. Thursday is the final day of the back-to-work deadline set by the government, with officials warning that the doctors could have their licenses suspended if they fail to heed the ultimatum. The Health Ministry has said the government is prepared to take legal steps beginning March. On Wednesday, the Health Ministry said that its officials had visited the hom
Social Affairs Feb. 29, 2024
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Korea eyes May launch for AI-based flood forecast system
A flood forecasting system equipped with artificial intelligence technology will be implemented nationwide from May, in preparation for the rainy season during the summer, the Ministry of Environment said Wednesday. The new AI-based flood forecasting system will be installed in a total of 223 locations nationwide, including 75 locations categorized as special flood warning points such as those next to large rivers. The system will analyze the possibility of a flood occurring every 10 minutes and
Social Affairs Feb. 28, 2024
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Emergency alerts to include English keywords
From Wednesday, emergency text alerts will include keywords in English to help people who don't speak Korean understand better what kind of emergencies are occurring, said the Ministry of Interior and Safety on Wednesday. Emergency text alerts are alert messages that are sent to everyone who is within a certain radius of emergency situations, such as evacuation alerts and extreme weather events like earthquakes and heavy rain. These alert messages are categorized into three different types:
Social Affairs Feb. 28, 2024
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Ultrafine dust levels this year could be severe: ministry
Ultrafine dust levels in March could be higher than previous years due to high pressure, higher-than-normal temperatures and a stagnant atmosphere, according to the Ministry of Environment on Tuesday. As a measure to reduce exposure to higher ultrafine dust levels, the Environment Ministry stated that it recommends workers, especially those who have respiratory symptoms or those who are pregnant, to work flexibly if high fine dust levels persist for more than two days. Flexible work includes spa
Social Affairs Feb. 27, 2024
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Plans unveiled to redevelop southwest Seoul
The Seoul Metropolitan Government unveiled plans to redevelop southwest Seoul into an innovative urban district that combines functions such as work, leisure and housing on Tuesday. During Tuesday’s press briefing, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said that the city government will begin construction in southwest Seoul in 2025 to transform industrial and old residential areas into futuristic, high-tech industrial clusters and residential, leisure and work areas with green spaces. Southwest Seoul con
Social Affairs Feb. 27, 2024
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