Social Affairs Archives | Be Korea-savvy

Archive by category Social Affairs

As Inflation Bites, South Korean Households Cut Back on Private Tutoring

As Inflation Bites, South Korean Households Cut Back on Private Tutoring

SEOUL, Mar. 19 (Korea Bizwire) – As stubbornly high inflation persists, South Korean households are tightening their purse strings even on private education expenses, long considered the last bastion of family budgets, according to data released on March 18. BC Card, a major credit card company, reported a staggering 24 percent year-over-year plunge in education-related spending [...]

North Jeolla Province Offers Specialized Visas to Attract Talent, Counter Population Drop

North Jeolla Province Offers Specialized Visas to Attract Talent, Counter Population Drop

JEONJU, Mar. 19 (Korea Bizwire) – Faced with a continuing population decline, the government of North Jeolla Province announced on March 18 that it would introduce a region-specific visa program aimed at attracting skilled foreign workers and ethnic Koreans living abroad.  The new visa policy seeks to ease requirements for certain qualified foreigners and overseas Koreans, [...]

Health Minister Voices Grave Concern about Looming Resignations of Medical Professors

Health Minister Voices Grave Concern about Looming Resignations of Medical Professors

SEOUL, Mar. 18 (Korea Bizwire) — Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong on Monday expressed grave concerns about a decision by medical professors to resign en masse in support of junior doctors’ walkout that has crippled medical services for nearly a month. About 90 percent of 13,000 interns and resident doctors have stayed off the job since [...]

Cultural Views on Occupational Prestige Vary Globally, with Politicians and Firefighters at the Top in Different Regions

Cultural Views on Occupational Prestige Vary Globally, with Politicians and Firefighters at the Top in Different Regions

SEOUL, Mar. 18 (Korea Bizwire) – A recent study has shed light on the varying perceptions of occupational prestige across different countries, with lawmakers being held in high regard in Korea, China, and Japan, while firefighters are esteemed in the U.S. and Germany. The research, conducted by the Korea Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training [...]

One in Three Borrowers From Insurers in South Korea Saddled With Multiple Loans

One in Three Borrowers From Insurers in South Korea Saddled With Multiple Loans

SEOUL, Mar. 18 (Korea Bizwire) – As concerns grow over household debt levels in South Korea, a new analysis has found that nearly one-third of those who have taken out loans from insurance companies are overwhelmed by obligations to multiple lenders, raising fears of potential defaults. The study by Lee Suk-ho, a senior research fellow at [...]

Seoul Extends Transportation Aid to All Expectant Mothers Amid Birth Rate Crisis

Seoul Extends Transportation Aid to All Expectant Mothers Amid Birth Rate Crisis

SEOUL, Mar. 17 (Korea Bizwire) –In an ambitious push to tackle South Korea’s alarmingly low birth rate, officials in Seoul announced on Sunday that they would provide transportation subsidies to all pregnant women living in the capital, regardless of how long they have been residents. The measure, eliminating a previous six-month residency requirement, is part [...]

Japanese National Fails to Appear in Court Again for ‘Peace Statue’ Vandalism Case

Japanese National Fails to Appear in Court Again for ‘Peace Statue’ Vandalism Case

SEOUL, Mar. 15 (Korea Bizwire) –Nobuyuki Suzuki, a 59-year-old Japanese citizen, once again failed to appear for a court hearing in Seoul related to charges of defamation stemming from an act of vandalism against the ‘Statue of Peace’. The statue symbolizes the victims of Japanese military sexual slavery during World War II. The hearing, presided [...]

Government to Unveil Financial Ties Between Doctors and Pharma, Amid Privacy Concerns

Government to Unveil Financial Ties Between Doctors and Pharma, Amid Privacy Concerns

SEOUL, Mar. 15 (Korea Bizwire) – The South Korean government is gearing up to disclose a report by year-end that will reveal the financial benefits received by doctors from pharmaceutical companies, sparking a debate on whether to include identifiable information such as names in the report. According to a statement from the Ministry of Health and [...]