The government announced Monday that it will cover most of the cost of 10 vaccinations for children.Inoculation fees will be set at 5,000 won ($4.20) a shot, down from the previous average of 15,000 won, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare.The 10 vaccines are the BCG (against tuberculosis), DPaP (against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis), IPV (against polio), MMR (against mumps, measles and rubella), DTaP-IPV (against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and polio), Td (against tetanus an

SEOUL, Jan. 2 (Yonhap) -- Convicted sex offenders will be banned from working as health-care providers or home-study teachers from the second half of this year, the government said on Monday.The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family said convicted sex offenders will be barred from holding such jobs

12,000 detectives to patrol schools, seek heavier punishmentsPolice will mobilize some 12,000 detectives to combat school violence, a measure that comes after a suicide note left by a Daegu 14-year-old increased media attention toward bullying.The National Police Agency warned it would detain young suspects in serious criminal cases, signaling a change from its customary restraint in doing so.Such moves come as recent student suicides have prompted public calls for tougher measures to deal with

 

 

 

12,000 detectives to patrol school areas, increase arrests Police will mobilize some 12,000 detectives to combat school violence, a measure that comes after a suicide note left by a Daegu 14-year-old increased media attention toward bullying.The National Police Agency warned it would detain you

DAEGU (Yonhap) -- Two middle school students were arrested on charges of bullying their classmate, police here said Saturday, 11 days after the bullied teenager committed suicide.On Dec. 20, the 14-year-old jumped off an apartment building in Daegu, some 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, to hi

A new year brings a sense of hope and a hint of worry, and the same goes for Koreans and expatriates facing 2012. For most, the topic of family comes up when thinking about their hopes and worries about the future, whether it be starting a new one, or adding to the old.For Jang Sou-ie, a recent graduate student, starting her own family next year is a hope she wants to realize.“Every year my New Year’s resolution is to get married,” said 28-year-old Jang.“I don’t have to get married next year, as

The New Year sees a wide range of changes in social welfare, immigration and other branches of government. Most of the changes to take effect were drawn up with priority on welfare expansion and environmental protection.Immigration1. Fingerprinting for foreigners: All foreigners entering Korea will be obliged to leave their fingerprints and have their photo taken at the immigration desk. Those exempt include minors under 17 years old, diplomats and those waivered by the central administration. F

North Korea said Friday it has issued stamps with the image of Kim Jong-un, as the communist nation steps up efforts to build a cult of personality around the new leader.The new stamps were released one day after the official mourning period ended for the country's late leader and father of Kim Jong-un, Kim Jong-il. The senior Kim died of heart failure on Dec. 17, according to North Korean media.One type of stamp shows an image of Kim Jong-un with his father during a field inspection against the

A 14-year-old student at a middle school in the southwestern city of Gwangju apparently killed himself after being bullied by his peers, adding to the recent spate of bullying-related suicides.The Gwangju Police said Friday that the boy was found hanging from a corridor railing in his apartment building on Thursday morning. They found no suicide note. The police investigation took statements from his friends and father that he had been harassed by one of his classmates. Two of his friends told p