The gender pay gap in South Korea among companies required to disclose such information -- those with total assets of more than 5 trillion won ($5 billion) in affiliated companies -- narrowed slightly to 26.3 percent last year, a report showed Friday. According to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family's gender pay gap research, the average pay of all 2,647 companies subject to disclosure, including listed companies and companies subject to external audit, was 98.57 million won for men

Amid growing concerns over Korea's low birth rate with the government grappling to tackle the demographic crisis, the proportion of men who took parental leave last year increased by fivefold from eight years ago, recent numbers show. According to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family's "Life of Men and Women through 2024 Statistics" on Thursday, men accounted for 28 percent of the 126,000 people accessing parental leave benefits last year, showing a significant improvem

K-pop groups face dilemmas when confronted with political issues 진행자: 최정윤, Chelsea Proctor 기사 요약: JYP 엔터테인먼트 그룹 소속 Nmixx가 "독도는 우리땅" 노래를 불렀다가 일본 팬들에게 비난을 받고 있는데, 과연 아이돌들에 지리 정치학적 발언을 문제 삼는게 맞을까? [1] K-pop idols continue to grapple with navigating geopolitical controversies, as highlighted by a recent incident involving JYP Entertainment's K-pop group Nmixx. The group performed part of the “Dokdo is Our Land” song in a YouTube video on Aug. 22, sparking a heated dispute

The number of foreign students enrolled in South Korean universities exceeded 200,000 this year, stepping closer to the government's goal of attracting 300,000 by 2028. The number of international students enrolled at colleges in 2024 is 208,962, a 25 percent increase from 2022, the year before the plan was implemented, according to the education ministry at a briefing on its Study Korea 300K Project. It follows separate Justice Ministry data, which measures by visa rather than enrollment,

In a shift towards digitization, the traditional method of submitting a child's absence report by paper, a process familiar to countless South Korean parents, is soon to become a thing of the past. No longer will parents need to fold an absence note, and slip it into their child's backpack. Instead, parents will be able to submit these reports online, according to the Ministry of Education on Monday. Starting Monday, parents of elementary, middle and high school students across South K

Contention over Korean history textbooks with the political left and right divided over perspectives on the past has sparked again, as the Education Ministry on Friday announced the results of a review of new textbooks to be used in schools next year under the new curriculum. A total of 681 textbooks have been approved to be introduced to schools in March next year. Among the history books, seven middle school and nine high school publishers received the government's seal of approval. Every

Another road subsidence was found Friday morning near the area where a sinkhole in western Seoul had occurred the previous day, swallowing an entire car and injuring two people, with one in critical condition. The Seoul Metropolitan Government's road division and police have controlled two nearby lanes since 8:30 a.m. Friday in Seongsan-ro, which runs from Yonsei University to Sacheon Bridge, about 30 meters from the spot where the accident occurred. “We are working with experts to de

South Korea’s Supreme Court has upheld an 18-month suspended prison sentence for Cho Hee-yeon, the superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, for abuse of power in reinstating five dismissed teachers six years ago. The ruling effectively removes Cho from his position as the longest-serving education chief in the country. The court delivered its verdict on Thursday, confirming the suspended sentence, which means Cho will not serve prison time unless he commits another o

The number of Korean students in kindergarten, elementary, middle and high school nationwide fell by nearly 100,000 in a year to 5.68 million while the foreign national or multicultural student populations increased, showing a stark contrast to the country's low birthrate crisis. According to the Ministry of Education's "2024 Basic Education Statistics Survey" results Thursday, as of April 1, there were 5.684 million elementary, middle and high school students in Korea. This

BAKU, Azerbaijan -- Driving just a few miles from the venue of this year’s global climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, a transformation is taking place. Once known as the Black City, from all the soot created in the 19th century from pumping and refining oil, it claims the dubious honor of being the world's oldest oil town. Having the world’s first-ever mechanically drilled oil well in 1846, the country at one point provided more than half of the world's oil. Having fu

South Korea is suffering under a relentless heat wave, with Seoul, Busan, and other regions breaking records for consecutive tropical nights, data by the country's weather agency showed Friday. As of Friday, Seoul and Jeju have each experienced 33 and 39 straight nights of sweltering temperatures, respectively, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration. A tropical night refers to overnight temperatures remaining at or above 25 degrees from 6:01 p.m. to 9 a.m. the following day. S

More than 100 politicians of Korean descent from across the globe gathered in Seoul this week for the 10th Global Korean Politicians Forum to connect and discuss items on the agenda such as security, welfare and education. Among those is a name to watch in US politics: 40-year-old David Kim, a children’s court attorney and activist, who is currently running for Los Angeles’ 34th Congressional District. In a community brimming with the cultural vibrancy of Korean Americans, Kim stands

As the medical standoff extends over seven months, the government has been discussing mandating an additional license in order to open private hospitals, sparking fury among young doctors here, many of whom have walked off the job to protest the government's medical school quota hike. In line with the government's health care reform plan, the Health Ministry is reviewing introducing a so-called “practice license” in the future, arguing that a doctor's license alone can

With regulations and laws regarding e-scooters still in their infancy despite growing popularity and accidents, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced Tuesday that the public and private sectors are working together to strengthen safety management measures to prevent further accidents. The announcement comes after the government signed a business agreement with related organizations in July, including ten major personal mobility rental companies; the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure a

As South Korea is experiencing its hottest summer on record, finding refuge from the heat has never been more important. Fortunately, Seoul offers several serene spots where you can escape the sun's intensity and immerse yourself — all without spending a dime. Whether you’re looking to relax with a book or simply enjoy the green August scenery, these four spaces in Seoul provide the perfect combination of natural beauty and cool shade. Cheongun Literature Library: Hidden han

South Korea's pension reform plan will include a proposal to increase benefits for those who served in the military and women who give birth. Aiming to ease the pension burden on young adults, as most military service members and women who give birth are in their 20s and 30s, the presidential office and the government have ramped up measures to credit those who contribute to the community. The government also has decided to apply the “maternity credit,” which is granted from the

  Prosecutors are reportedly investigating the bank accounts of former President Moon Jae-in and his wife in connection with allegations that his son-in-law received an unfair advantage in being hired by an airline company. According to legal sources Friday, the Jeonju District Prosecutor's Criminal Division 3 recently executed a search warrant to trace the financial accounts of former President Moon Jae-in and his wife Kim Jung-sook. This comes about four years after a complaint was filed

The Education Ministry announced Wednesday that care programs for elementary schools driven by the state will begin in the second semester of the 2024 academic year, benefiting more than 6,300 schools nationwide. Dubbed "Neulbom school" which directly translates to "always caring" in Korean, the policy is a comprehensive after-school management system that integrates various educational resources from the school, the community and universities in the area in addition to regul

As South Korea prepares to implement the world's first artificial intelligence-powered, tablet-based digital textbooks in 2025, concerns over privacy violations and students' over-reliance on digital devices continue to stir controversy. Amid growing concerns, Education Minister Lee Ju-ho reaffirmed the importance of turning classrooms "digital" on Monday at a briefing with reporters at the Korea Institute of Educational Facility Safety, pledging full support to teachers as t

Despite the government's efforts to reduce the blind spot for the national pension, only four out of 10 people in the low-income bracket are enrolled in the national pension system, a study showed Sunday. According to the National Pension Research Institute, among the people aged 20 to 59 in the last tier of the income group, those who earn less than two-thirds of the median income of 2021, only 40.96 percent enrolled in the national pension system. The enrollment rate increased a mere 2.15