As South Korea officially kicks off its 52-hour workweek this week, many South Koreans are cautiously optimistic over the possibility of having better work-life balance. “I have just six hours to go before I leave work. I’m feeling great,” said a user of online portal Naver.Another user praised the implementation of the new labor policy, saying, “I welcome the news as someone who can’t stand traffic during rush hour. Hopefully different operating hours will ease traffic congestion.” (Herald DB)A

An art therapy program organized by Sookmyung Women’s University in Seoul and the Seoul Western District Prosecutors’ Office is helping wayward teens get back on track. (Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald)Friday marked the seventh run of the project, Imagination and the Future, which is designed to give young people who have run afoul of the law a chance to open up and reconnect with their innate artistic abilities. A two-day exhibition showcasing works of the program’s participants also kicked off

Tiffany from Girls’ Generation on Wednesday expressed support for the LGBTQ community in an open letter. Writing for Billboard, the K-pop artist said she wanted to give “thanks” and express her “love” to the LGBTQ community for having given a great amount of “love, beauty, inspiration, and light in every corner of the world.”The singer, who recently released the single “Over My Skin” in the US under her new stage name, Tiffany Young, said she was inspired by some of the uplifting themes of the c

A 78-year-old man in the city of Gwangyang, South Jeolla Province, has been arrested after taking home someone else’s child.According to local police, the elderly man, who suffers from dementia, was able to pick up the 2-year-old boy from a child care center in Gwangyang on Wednesday after telling a staff member he was there to see his grandchild.The man was arrested on charges of child abduction an hour after police watched CCTV footage to track him down to his daughter’s apartment.(Yonhap)The

Hundreds of shoppers flocked to the first branch of E-mart’s new discount store chain Pierrot Shopping on its opening day Thursday. Located at Coex in Samseong-dong, southern Seoul, the two-story shop garnered anticipation on the internet before its opening. Curious shoppers flooded the store, forming long checkout lines, while onlookers at the shopping mall turned their heads.(Shot and edited by Park Ju-young / The Korea Herald)The new discount store chain by Shinsegae, which runs discount reta

Chancellor Angela Merkel said that German people are “very sad” over the country’s stunning 2-0 loss to South Korea on Wednesday, as the defending champion got kicked out of the World Cup. Merkel was quoted as saying, “Honestly, all of us are very sad tonight,” during a conversation with humanoid robot Sophia at a robotics conference, just hours after Germany was defeated by Korea, resulting in its failure to advance to the next round.Her spokesman Steffen Seibert also expressed disappointment,

Monsoon season continues in South Korea bringing heavy rain to the southern part of the country including Jeju Island. The Busan Regional Meteorological Office issued heavy rainfall warnings in the city in the early hours of Thursday, with over 90 mm of rain forecast to pour down over a period of three hours.Monsoon rain in Busan will calm down briefly on Thursday afternoon before rain begins pouring down again on Friday morning.  (Yonhap)People in Seoul will stay relatively dry, though some par

Seven people including a Chinese woman and a researcher have been indicted on suspicion of attempting to leak valuable industrial technology to China.The seven people with different backgrounds are awaiting trial on charges of attempted technology leakage to a Chinese competitor. They include a 36-year-old ex-researcher surnamed Kwon and a 30-year-old Chinese woman surnamed Lee, who works for a Chinese company.The case marks the first time a foreign national has been indicted in South Korea on c

A new study suggested a possibility that black rice might help prevent the onset of osteoporosis.The joint study conducted by Eulji University and Korea University discovered that black rice extract can help prevent osteoporosis, the Rural Development Administration said on Wednesday.In the study, black rice aleurone layer extract was given to lab rats with osteoporosis over a period of 12 weeks and researchers found that bone density and bone strength among the rats increased 8 percent and 11 p

Jeju National University has launched a comprehensive investigation of a professor over verbal abuse and sexual harassment allegations.　Several departments including the human rights center at the university are investigating whether students had to put up with verbal abuse and sexual harassment from a professor on multiple occasions. The professor’s name remains unknown.The professor in questions has been hit with a slew of workplace misconduct allegations ranging from forcing students to buy e

Temperatures in Seoul will be as high as 27 degrees Celsius on Wednesday afternoon, as rain moves south.Up to 150 millimeters of rain could pour down in the southern part of the country as the front moves away from the capital, with heavy rainfall warnings issued in many parts of the region.Wet weather will continue in the southern part until Thursday, bringing thunderstorms and lightning, while chances of rain remain low in Seoul.(Yonhap)Drivers are advised to take caution as visibility is redu

Actress-singer Suzy’s first fan meeting tour in Asia will come to an end in Seoul next month.The last leg of her very first fan meeting event, dubbed “WITH,” will take place at 7 p.m. on July 7 after stops in cities including Taipei, Hong Kong and Bangkok, her agency JYP Entertainment said Tuesday.In Bangkok, the former member of now disbanded girl group Miss A performed solo numbers including “Holiday” and “Sober.” She wowed Thai fans with a rendition of the Thai song “Tur Mai Koey Roo,” delive

The Constitutional Court is scheduled to rule on several conscientious objectors on Thursday.The hearing scheduled this week is the latest in a series of conscientious objector cases heard by South Korea’s Constitutional Court, which has previously ruled that avoiding mandatory conscription is illegal, citing Article 88 of the Military Service Act. (Yonhap)South Korea has long taken a hardline stance on conscientious objectors, dating back to the 2004 ruling by the Supreme Court. But the Moon Ja

Heavy rainfall warnings have been issued in Seoul and parts of South Chungcheong Province on Tuesday, with many cities across the country expected to see significant rainfall throughout the day.The Korea Meteorological Administration warned about harsh weather and urged people to take extra care as much of the central region of the country will see over 120 mm of rain, accompanied by strong wind, as well as thunderstorms and lightening.(Yonhap)Heavy rains will continue throughout the day, with p

Almost half of South Koreans oppose a ban on dog meat consumption though the general public is widely divided over the issue, a new survey has showed.The poll conducted by Realmeter on Monday revealed that about 51.5 percent of South Koreans were not in favor of criminalizing dog meat here.Conversely, nearly 40 percent of respondents back the ban, with only 8.8 percent of respondents having no strong opinion. (Yonhap)The figures represent a deep divide in the country over the controversial consu

Working mothers in South Korea work fewer hours than fathers on average, the latest government data showed, a phenomenon that carries deeper patriarchal significance of role imbalance at home.Employed South Korean fathers work an average of 8.6 hours more than their female counterparts per week, according to the data from Statistics Korea last week.But experts say the figures only tell half the story, as many South Korean women are being held back from making career choices freely and compromise

Dozens of residents have been evacuated from an apartment building in Incheon after a fire broke out Sunday morning. Fifty-five people fled their homes after witnesses noticed smoke coming out of the residential high-rise building in Incheon’s Cheongna International City.No injuries have been reported. The fire authorities believe the fire began on the 17th floor after an outdoor air conditioner unit installed in a utility room caught fire.Residential buildings in Cheongna International City are

Green Party candidate Shin Ji-ye who ran on a platform of feminism and the protection of animal rights surprised voters after finishing fourth in this year’s heavily contested Seoul mayor’s race. The feminist candidate won over 80,000 votes, according to the National Election Commission, fending off competition from the likes of left-wing candidate Kim Jong-min from the Justice Party. Shin is thought to be the first candidate in South Korea’s political history to openly run on a feminist platfor

South Korean actress Choo Ja-hyun is receiving postpartum care following a health scare that surprised her fans after giving birth to her first child.Choo was released from hospital early Monday afternoon after recovering from aspiration pneumonia, her agency BH Entertainment said in a statement on the same day. Choo temporarily experienced spasms following the birth of her first son and was rushed to the ER before she was admitted into an intensive care unit where she was given an oxygen mask t