Koh Seung-duk has seemingly done it all.He was the first person to pass Korea’s state exams for law, public administration and diplomacy. Having spent three decades as a lawyer, while at the same time appearing on TV as a legal expert for 20 years and spending 15 years as a financial adviser, Koh became a member of the National Assembly in 2008.But the 56-year-old is not widely seen as an educator, an irony for someone seeking to become the education chief for a city of 10 million.“It’s a common

Candidates exchange accusations, tough words in a bid to land Seoul’s top education job

Baek Han-naWith people consuming more meat and doing less physical and outdoor activities, obesity has become a serious problem in Korea. Government studies show the country’s annual per capita beef consumption was less than 3 kilograms in the early 1980s, but it has jumped to over 10 kilograms in 2013. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, almost 1 in 4 Seoul citizens is obese. As a result, people have become more mindful of their health. This has led them to start eating less meat, a

Theresa Rah shares secrets of effective English presentations

The importance of English communication and presentation skills can no longer be underestimated in the modern business market. When Job Korea, the nation’s largest recruiting firm, surveyed around 300 employees and job seekers, half of them said improving English communication skills was what they needed to do most to jumpstart their career. They said it was more important than gaining knowledge in their professional fields or having certificates. This reflects globalization in Korean companies,

ANSAN, Gyeonggi Province (Yonhap) ― A high school in this city south of Seoul partly resumed classes on Thursday, eight days after a ferry sank in southern waters, taking the lives of many of its students and teachers on a school trip.Danwon High School temporarily shut its doors shortly after the disaster took place on April 16, believing that it would be impossible to hold classes normally for the time being with students traumatized by the accident.Of the 476 people aboard the ferry Sewol, 32

Last week’s sinking of the Sewol ferry that took the lives of more than 100 people ― most of them high school students on a school field trip ― has left the families of the deceased in despair, survivors traumatized, and the nation in deep grief. In a desperate attempt to prevent reoccurring fatal incidents to which young students fall victim, education authorities pinned the blame on large-scale field trips carried out annually by all Korean schools. Experts, however, are questioning whether ba

Each year, hundreds of students knock on the doors of graduate schools of interpretation and translation. With the prolonged economic slump and jobless rate virtually at a standstill, many students are seeking to acquire skills that will prevail regardless of the economic situation. “It is very difficult for our generation to get a job, and I thought becoming a professional (interpreter) would give me the upper hand in the labor market,” said a 22-year-old surnamed Shin. She said the benefits of

New School University chief says educators must prepare students for the rapidly changing world