Korean teens often experience workplace harassment as well as overdue pay, according to a report released by the Gender Equality Ministry.As of last year, 240,000, or 7.2 percent of all teenagers aged 15 to 19 were employed part time. Among them, 79.2 percent said they worked without written contracts, while 10.5 percent said they experienced verbal and sexual harassment at work.While 15.6 percent said they were not paid for extra work, 12.6 percent said they were not paid at all.The ministry al

Tens of thousands of foreign nationals were estimated to be working as domestic workers ― such as nannies and babysitters ― in Korean households as of last year, according to a report by Korea Institute of Child Care and Education. The majority of such domestic workers were ethnic Koreans from China ― many of whom speak fluent Korean ― according to the report. The research suggested that foreign-born nannies and housekeepers are more satisfied with their jobs than the Korean parents who hire the

Seoul City on Monday issued its final warning to Lotte Group for its “negligent countermeasures” in response to more than 10 safety accidents at its newly opened shopping complex in Jamsil, southern Seoul. Officials stressed the site could be forced to shut down should the conglomerate fail to cooperate with the city’s orders.“We ask Lotte to cooperate with three things,” said Jin Hee-son from the city’s housing and construction bureau. “We ask for a control tower that monitors the entire proper

A man in his early 20s has been sentenced to two years and six months in prison for attempted rape and insulting his victim on SNS.The 21-year-old, whose surname is Kim, attempted to rape his victim in their mutual friend’s house back in 2013, when they were both teenagers. The victim managed to resist him and escaped to the bathroom, where she called for help. When the victim filed a complaint against him shortly after, Kim posted an angry public entry on his Facebook page alleging that she was

2015 may be a challenging one for Korean smokers, as not only will the price of cigarettes go up, but smoking will be banned in all restaurants nationwide starting Jan. 1.But many will benefit from the government’s increased budget for its welfare programs, including a monthly allowance for unwed mothers and free vaccinations for the elderly and children. Starting this month, those who smoke in any of some 600,000 registered restaurants across the country will be fined 100,000 won ($91). As the

Prices for uninsured patient rooms vary by hospitals from 20,000 won a day to 449,000 won, according to Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service.In South Korea, the cost of hospital stays in single to three-person patients’ rooms -- which cost much more than multi-occupancy patient rooms for four or more -- are currently uninsured by the national insurance program. Many patients, however, are forced to stay in the uninsured rooms if no other rooms are available, and end up paying high hospit

South Korea’s health authorities are investigating a number of health care workers who allegedly had a birthday party in an operating room in the middle of a surgical procedure at a plastic surgery clinic in southern Seoul.The workers’ misconduct became known to the public after one of the nurse assistants shared photos of the party on her Instagram account.In the photos, the staff are eating cookies and hamburgers in the operating room, posing with breast implants used for mammoplasties, and ho

The sinking of the ferry Sewol, which left more than 300 dead or missing, was inarguably one of the most traumatic events for in South Korea this year.Despite the woeful tragedy, what some found even more disturbing was the infamous “binge-eating” strike. It was held by a group of young men back in September to insult Kim Young-oh, the grieving father of one of the ferry’s teenage victims, who had been fasting to demand an independent probe into the disaster and the government’s rescue efforts.T

Twice as many women in Seoul experience career disruption than men, while the wage gap between them is increasing, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government. A total of 34.2 percent of all Seoul women experienced career disruption as of this year, accounting for 67 percent of all Seoul citizens whose careers were disrupted at least once in their lives.Meanwhile, the wage gap between men and women in Seoul has been increasing since 2008. A working man in Seoul on average made 920,000 won ($8

PARIS (AFP) ― Owning exotic reptiles such as snakes, chameleons, iguanas and geckos could place infants at risk of salmonella infection, according to a British study published on Monday.Researchers in the southwestern English county of Cornwall found that out of 175 cases of salmonella in children under 5 over a three-year period, 27 percent occurred in homes which had reptile pets.Salmonella is a germ that, in humans, can cause gastroenteritis, colitis, blood infections and meningitis.  Reptile

The prostate is a male organ located below the bladder. It wraps around the urethra and is responsible for making the main components of semen. Prostatitis refers to inflammation of the prostate, but it is a syndrome that is diagnosed by symptoms as it does not always involve bacterial infection.SymptomsThe symptoms of prostatitis include pain and urinary symptoms. The pain is mainly in the testicles, penis, perineum and the lower back, and can be associated with urination or ejaculation. Urinar

While the crisp air and snow-covered streets can paint a pleasant wintry picture, cold weather can also bring a number of serious health hazards, including hypothermia and frostbite.This winter has been particularly harsh in South Korea, with its average December temperature notably lower than the seasonal average. A total of 137 people were reported to have suffered from either hypothermia or frostbite from Dec. 1 to 18.Among them, 21.6 percent were placed in intensive care, while 15.5 percent

Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon has been advised by independent investigators to dismiss the president of the city-run orchestra Park Hyun-jung for verbally and sexually abusing her staff.“It would be ideal for Ms. Park to offer her resignation before we take any action,” said an official from the Seoul City government. “If she chooses not to, then we’ll have to consider other options we have (to dismiss her).”The city government on Tuesday confirmed the controversial abuse allegations against Park of

Ewha Womans University Mokdong HospitalCancer Center for WomenEwha Womans University cancer center for womenFounded in 2009, Ewha Womans University Cancer Center for Women in Seoul has established itself as the go-to place for women’s cancer patients at home and abroad.The institution, a special unit of Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital, is known for its treatments for women’s cancers, including breast reconstruction which can be performed immediately after a mastectomy. Since its establi

In 2012, the South Korean government established the Korea Adoption Services upon revising its adoption law, which stipulated that infants could not be put up for adoption without their births being registered.After two years as the agency’s first president, Shin On-han is even more determined to bring changes the nation’s adoption policies, as well as to improve the services for Korean overseas adoptees who wish to find their birth parents.“We believe transnational adoption should be a last res

Kim Jun-hyung, a 32-year-old Seoulite, used to think local TV dramas were for “ajummas” ― a Korean term for middle-aged housewives ― until he accidentally watched the first episode of tvN’s “Misaeng (Incomplete Life).” “I could relate to the characters instantly because I am just as overworked as they are,” he said about the popular show, which is about the everyday lives of office workers at a competition-driven trading company. “I loved how there is no romance for some lazy chaebol character w

ANDONG, North Gyeongsang Province ― In his beautiful old “hanok” property in a famous traditional village, there is a shrine to Lee Pang-soo’s distinguished ancestor Lee Sang-jeong. Every morning, the 64-year-old pays respect to his ancestor ― a prominent 18th century scholar ― before leaving the house. He does the same when he returns home at night. The two visits are his daily rituals and delight.“It gives me peace of mind,” Lee said. “It feels like I am being disciplined to be a better person

ANDONG, North Gyeongsang Province ― Scholar Lim No-jig was born in Andong, home to hundreds of “jongga” ― the prestigious households descended from distinguished Joseon-era scholars through the eldest son of each generation.“Although I wasn’t a member of a jongga family, I certainly benefited from the region’s rich culture, which is heavily influenced by Joseon’s Confucianism and ethics,” Lim said during an interview with The Korea Herald in his hometown. The scholar heads the Woodblock Research

A government agency is digitizing some 35,000 documents related to transnational adoptions that occurred in South Korea since the 1950s, in its effort to help Korean overseas adoptees find their birth parents.The process is expected to be completed by the end of this month and the digitized documents will be archived in the agency’s database, said Kim Moon-jung from the Korea Adoption Services. According to the state-run organization, the number of adoption agencies in Korea dropped from about 4

Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon on Wednesday apologized to the city’s LGBT communities for canceling the enactment of the charter of human rights, a decision influenced by fierce protests from gay rights opponents.However, the former human rights lawyer did not reverse his decision not to enact the charter, which included a clause that stated a person “has the right not to be discriminated against based on his or her sexual orientation or sexual identity,” among others.The Seoul Metropolitan Governmen