SEOUL, Nov. 10 (Korea Bizwire) — A Seoul court has ruled that a Buddhist monk’s daily prayers and care for a temple’s head monk do not constitute “labor” under the law, rejecting his claim for nearly 700 million won (about US$510,000) in back pay and compensation. The Seoul Northern District Court on Sunday dismissed a [...]
CHUNCHEON, Nov. 10 (Korea Bizwire) — A South Korean court has ruled that a stepfather who nailed a window shut to stop his teenage stepson from opening it during winter did not commit emotional abuse, determining that the restriction was minimal and easily reversible. According to legal sources Sunday, the 51-year-old man, identified by his [...]
SEOUL, Nov. 10 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s aging population is transforming the country’s food service industry, with leading catering companies pivoting toward senior housing and care facilities as a new growth market. According to industry officials, with the number of people aged 65 and older surpassing 10 million for the first time last year, [...]
SEOUL, Nov. 7 (Korea Bizwire) — Culture Minister Chae Hwi-young on Friday visited Jongmyo Shrine in central Seoul with the head of the nation’s heritage agency and vowed to “take every possible measure,” including revising laws, to prevent high-rise buildings from being built directly across from the shrine. The visit came a day after the Supreme [...]
SEOUL, Nov. 7 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s food safety regulator plans to introduce stricter labeling standards for decaffeinated coffee following growing concerns that many products marketed as “decaf” still contain significant amounts of caffeine. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) announced Thursday that it will revise national labeling rules to allow coffee [...]
SEOUL, Nov. 7 (Korea Bizwire) — A controversy over overwork has erupted in South Korea after the death of a young employee at the popular bakery chain London Bagel Museum (known locally as Runbaemyu), with the victim’s family alleging that he worked excessive hours in the weeks leading up to his death. According to the family, [...]
YANGSAN, Nov. 7 (Korea Bizwire) — Residents in the city of Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, are defying convention by actively competing to host a municipal crematorium — a facility typically shunned by communities. The city, which currently lacks its own cremation facility, is moving forward with plans to build one to ease the burden on [...]
Korea Heritage Service Vows to Protect Jongmyo Shrine After Court Upholds Seoul Development Plan SEOUL, Nov. 6 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s cultural heritage authority pledged Thursday to prevent Seoul’s Jongmyo Shrine from losing its UNESCO World Heritage status following a Supreme Court ruling that upheld a city ordinance easing development restrictions near the site. The [...]
SEOUL, Nov. 6 (Korea Bizwire) — The number of marriages between South Koreans and foreign nationals rose for a third consecutive year in 2024, continuing a steady recovery from the pandemic-era slump, government data showed Thursday. According to the Ministry of Data and Statistics, a total of 21,450 international marriages were registered last year, up about [...]
SEOUL, Nov. 6 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a disputed ordinance allowing large-scale redevelopment just outside designated cultural preservation zones in Seoul, clearing the way for a long-stalled city project near one of the capital’s most sacred heritage sites. The court ruled that the Seoul Metropolitan Council acted lawfully when [...]