SEOUL, Dec. 20 (Korea Bizwire) – In a landmark decision, South Korea’s Supreme Court has held the state accountable for inadequate accessibility for people with disabilities, ordering compensation and setting a precedent for broader systemic reform. On December 19, the court ruled that the government must pay KRW 100,000 (approximately $70) in damages to each plaintiff [...]
SEOUL, Nov. 28 (Korea Bizwire) — Some North Korean defectors who were repatriated from China last year were sent to prison camps in North Korea for being exposed to Christianity, which the regime regards as a threat to its leadership, a report showed Thursday. Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), an international Catholic pastoral [...]
SEOUL, Nov. 24 (Korea Bizwire) – A memorial ceremony honoring forced labor victims, including Koreans, at an old Japanese mine complex kicked off as planned Sunday, with South Korea boycotting it over Tokyo’s pick to send a senior official with hard-line views on history to the event. South Korea’s foreign ministry did not attend the [...]
SEOUL, Nov. 23 (Korea Bizwire) – South Korea’s abrupt decision to boycott a memorial ceremony at Japan’s Sado Mine has ignited controversy, with Seoul accusing Tokyo of reneging on promises to honor Korean forced laborers from Japan’s colonial era. The decision, announced on November 23, underscores tensions over Japan’s perceived backtracking on commitments to address historical [...]
SEOUL, Nov. 23 (Korea Bizwire) – South Korea said Saturday it will not attend a memorial ceremony in Japan honoring forced labor victims, including Koreans, from an old Japanese mine complex, amid controversy over Tokyo’s decision to send a senior official with hard-line views on history to the event. The decision, made just a [...]
SEOUL, Nov. 19 (Korea Bizwire) — The global messaging service Telegram has designated an officer in charge of protecting underage users from illicit content amid criticism over its passive response against sexually exploitative materials circulating on the platform, South Korea’s media regulator said Tuesday. The Korea Communications Commission (KCC) said Telegram made the designation and [...]
SEOUL, Nov. 3 (Korea Bizwire) – The 7th Incheon Queer Culture Festival was held on November 2 near Bupyeong Station in Incheon’s Bupyeong District, drawing approximately 300 participants from LGBTQ+ and progressive civic groups, according to police estimates. Rainbow flags adorned the festival grounds as attendees browsed through booths selling commemorative items such as handkerchiefs and [...]
SEOUL, Oct. 31 (Korea Bizwire) – A group of people with developmental disabilities submitted hand-drawn petitions to a Seoul court on October 29, just days before a crucial appeals court ruling on their lawsuit demanding pictorial ballots to ensure their voting rights. Korea People First and other disability rights organizations displayed the artistic petitions during a [...]
SEOUL, Oct. 28 (Korea Bizwire) –The national human rights watchdog determined Monday that denying rental spaces for a festival for sexual minorities on the grounds of potential conflicts with opposition groups constitutes a discriminatory act. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) issued the decision against the Seoul Museum of History and the Seoul city [...]
WASHINGTON, Oct. 9 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea was elected to the U.N. Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for the 2025-2027 term on Wednesday, as Seoul seeks to actively participate in international efforts to address North Korean and other human rights issues. The U.N. General Assembly elected South Korea to the 47-member council for a sixth [...]