Student council elections at some universities have been marred by low participation, indifference and even claims of irregularities. Experts voice concerns about a decline in democratic participation and weakening commitment to public interest activities among students, who have grown up witnessing corruption in politics and are increasingly concerned about their employment prospects. In the most recent case, the election management committee at Duksung Women’s University in Seoul on Wednesday

Winter is starting later and getting shorter due to the global warming and urbanization, the Korea Meteorological Administration said Monday. Winter ― defined as the period in which the average temperature is below 5 degrees Celsius ― started on Nov. 30 on average since 2000. That is 11 days later than in the 1970s, according to the agency’s analysis.Its duration has shortened to 102 days, a 17 day decrease over the three decades. Meanwhile, Seoul had its first snow Monday, three days earlier th

All generations of Koreans, excluding infants, are lacking in their calcium intake, a report showed Thursday.Calcium deficiency is especially serious among teenagers and the elderly and the gaps are relatively wide between the sexes and income groups, according to a 2011 survey by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The average amount of dietary calcium was only 72 percent of the recommended level, the agency said. The daily recommended intake of calcium for adults is 700 millig

Every morning Choi Su-yun takes the subway, crosses the streets and navigates her way through the corridors and office at City Hall. This is only a simple daily routine for most people, but would be somewhat impossible for the blind woman without On-you, a 3-year-old golden retriever and her 24-hour best mate. “On-you directs me the whole way and tells me whenever we face obstacles. He is so helpful,” Choi, 28, told The Korea Herald.  Choi is the first civil servant at the Seoul Metropolitan Gov

Seoul and seven other cities agreed Thursday to form a global consultative body next year to push for sustainable socio-economic development.The annual Global Social Economy Forum in Seoul adopted a declaration pledging to cooperate on a range of projects for inclusive urban development, including social enterprises, micro-financing and cooperatives. Seoul will host the provisional secretariat of the envisioned global network and its inaugural conference next year.Representatives from cities inc

Seoul City said Wednesday that it would expand its welfare budget to 6.9 trillion won ($6.5 billion) next year, a 2.8 percent rise from this year. The city submitted its budget plan for next year to the city council for approval. The overall budget is 24.5 trillion won, a 997 billion won increase from this year.Mayor Park Won-soon has promised to gradually increase the welfare budget to around 30 percent of the overall budget at the beginning of his term. He said that the increase was unavoidabl

Leaders from some 50 Asian Pacific cities agreed Monday to boost cooperation for sustainable development, disaster response and poverty reduction around the world. They adopted the Seoul Declaration during the 7th CITYNET congress which started Sunday for a four-day run. CITYNET is the regional network of local authorities for the management of human settlements. Seoul was elected the same day as the chair city for a four-year term, succeeding Yokohama. Its secretariat moved to Seoul last March

Seoul City was ranked as the sixth-most competitive city for the second consecutive year in a survey by the Mori Memorial Foundation of Japan.According to the 2013 Global Power City Index, Seoul showed general improvements in all categories, especially in economy in which it jumped from 13th to 8th, the Japanese urban studies research center said. It has annually rated 40 cities since 2008 in the six categories: economy, research & development, cultural interaction, livability, environment and t

In the basement of an old, unnamed building in central Seoul, about 70 seniors line up for free lunch. A man wearing a green apron brings meal to them one by one. This has been the daily routine for Kim Jong-eun, 78, president of Hangil Volunteer Community, for the past 10 years.Kim, now a garment firm owner, was a street beggar himself following his blind mother in Buyeo, South Chungcheong Province. “I still vividly remember the days my mom and I suffered from hunger on the streets. Have you ev

Seoul City announced on Friday a new tourism scheme to increase sightseeing infrastructure and attractions in an attempt to bring in 10 million more visitors and become the fifth city in the world in tourist numbers by 2018.Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon announced the new plan in the annual general meeting of Seoul International Business Advisory Council. Seoul will transform 25 historical spots into major sightseeing attractions and build about 77,600 more accommodations in the next five years, acco

A court on Thursday took the side of a Korean retailer who filed a damages suit against Burberry Korea after being accused of importing counterfeit clothing. Seoul Central District Court ordered the Korean branch of the British company to compensate the plaintiff with 10 million won ($9,475) for both mental and pecuniary damages derived from the allegation.The retailer in 2010 requested an import declaration for 5,700 scarves from China worth 40 million won.Korea Customs Service, which received

The general meeting of the Seoul International Business Advisory Council will be held at City Hall on Friday to discuss ways to specialize Seoul’s entertainment and tourism businesses.Themed “Establishing Seoul as the Model of Tourism and Entertainment,” global experts will discuss ways to better promote Seoul’s entertainment and tourism industries and combine them with information technology.About 150 participants and 19 SIBAC members will join the 13th annual meeting, including Dominic Barton,

The composition of Seoul households is diversifying, data showed on Tuesday. According to statistics released by Seoul City, the number of households composed of a couple with no kids quadrupled over three decades to about 420,000. The number of single-occupant households rose 10-fold to 850,000.The city and Seoul Foundation of Women & Family conducted a survey on 3.6 million households from July on family issues and perceptions of marriage as part of efforts to improve family policy. The number

Mayors and experts from 30 countries along the Silk Road gathered in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province, to expand cultural and economic partnerships at their eighth annual meeting. In the opening ceremony of the Silk Road Mayors Forum on Tuesday, Yeosu Mayor Kim Chung-seog said he hopes the event will pave the way for greater cooperation among the city networks and become a chance to assess Yeosu’s role as a major part of the ancient sea routes between Asia and Europe. The opening ceremony also saw c

Seoul City will host an international energy conference on Nov. 13 as part of efforts to discuss the city’s responsibility for climate change and energy conservation, city officials said Sunday. Themed “Energy Transition towards a Sustainable City ― Challenges and Opportunities for Seoul,” the event will hold three sessions to discuss strategies for energy change, financing tools for policies and share case studies with 10 experts from around the world. Keynote speeches will be delivered by Amor

The southwestern port city of Yeosu, South Jeolla Province, will host a forum of mayors from global cities located along the Silk Road this week to promote cooperation in economy, culture, tourism and the environment. About 300 people including mayors from 70 cities in 30 countries, representatives of international bodies and civil society experts will participate in the Silk Road Mayors Forum from Monday to Thursday.The Silk Road is a series of ancient land and sea trade routes that crisscrosse

Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon and his San Francisco counterpart Edwin M. Lee on Monday will sign a memorandum of understanding to enhance bilateral cooperation, officials said. This is the second agreement between the two municipal governments following the joint declaration of a sister-city affiliation in 1976. On the occasion, the mayors will share experiences and policy cases in culture and tourism, city development, electronic government and technology, sustainable policies and sharing economy,

Yeosu, South Jeolla Province, will host the eighth Silk Road Mayors Forum next week as part of efforts to enhance the cooperation between cities situated along the Silk Road, officials said.The Silk Road is a series of ancient trade routes that extended from China to the Mediterranean.About 300 officials including 70 mayors from 30 countries and representatives from the U.N. and other international organizations will participate in the event from Monday to Thursday. Under the theme “Harmony of G

Seoul will launch a Hangang River helicopter tour program Wednesday to offer tourists a bird’s eye view of the city, officials said. Four helicopter routes will be available, all departing from Jamsil heliport in southeast Seoul. The Jamsil and Korea World Trade Center route will offer views of the Gangnam area, while the Yeuido and Gwangnaru courses will give opportunities to see the city center and eastern areas, respectively. The rides will take around 5 to 15 minutes and prices will vary fro