CHEONGJU, Oct. 15 (Korea Bizwire) – In a significant move to address declining birth rates and support family planning, South Korea’s Ministry of Health and Welfare announced plans to extend egg freezing subsidies nationwide starting next year, building on a pioneering program launched by North Chungcheong Province. Egg freezing, a fertility preservation method that allows women [...]
SEOUL, Oct. 15 (Korea Bizwire) — Two Filipinas, who were apprehended after leaving the Seoul metropolitan government’s pilot program for foreign domestic helpers without permission, have returned home, the South Korean justice ministry said Monday. The workers were forced to leave Thursday following several weeks of unauthorized absence from their jobs, according to the ministry. [...]
WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 (Korea Bizwire) — This year’s Nobel economics prize laureates on Monday applauded South Korea’s economic rise, a key subject of their research, but pointed out a set of challenges ahead, including the fast-graying population of Asia’s fourth largest economy. They also drew a stark contrast between the economic backwater of North Korea [...]
SEOUL, Oct. 15 (Korea Bizwire) — Lottery sales in South Korea rose 7 percent on-year during the first half of this year to reach an all-time high, data showed Tuesday. Sales of lottery tickets stood at 3.62 trillion won (US$2.67 billion) in the January-June period of 2024, compared with 3.38 trillion won the previous year, [...]
SEOUL, Oct. 15 (Korea Bizwire) – In a collaborative effort to improve access to public transportation for older residents in underserved areas, South Korean authorities and industry leaders have joined forces to expand a Demand-Responsive Transport (DRT) bus system. On October 14, the National Police Agency, the National Association of Mayors, and Hyundai Motor signed a [...]
SEONGNAM, Oct. 15 (Korea Bizwire) – A recreational kayaking event in Seongnam, a city southeast of Seoul, has drawn sharp criticism from environmental groups and local politicians after an attempt to raise water levels left fish stranded in dried-up sections of the Tancheon Stream. The incident occurred during the 2024 Seongnam Festival (October 5-13), where city [...]
SEJONG, Oct. 15 (Korea Bizwire) – As South Korea grapples with one of the world’s lowest birth rates, a new study suggests that rising income inequality may be a significant contributing factor, prompting calls for integrated redistribution and birth support policies. The research, presented at a recent fiscal policy forum by Lee Jong Ha, a professor [...]
SEOUL, Oct. 14 (Korea Bizwire) — A man has been awarded nearly 900 million won (US$665,926) in state compensation after being wrongfully convicted and imprisoned on spy charges more than five decades ago and recently acquitted by a court, a government gazette showed Monday. The Seoul High Court made a decision on Oct. 4, ordering [...]
SEOUL, Oct. 14 (Korea Bizwire) – For Kim, a 33-year-old office worker, the constant pinging of their smartphone has become a source of irritation. The culprit? An increasing flood of spam text messages that seem to arrive at all hours. “Given the nature of my work, I’m always on my phone,” Kim said. “Receiving multiple spam [...]
SEOUL, Oct. 14 (Korea Bizwire) – A recent survey reveals growing discontent among young South Koreans regarding the country’s national pension system, with nearly 30% of those in their 20s and younger advocating for its abolition. The Youth Action for Pension Reform commissioned a poll conducted on October 7 and 8, surveying 1,001 South Koreans aged [...]