The South Korean government’s certification system for family-friendly companies is encouraging the spread of a more balanced work-life culture.Over the past six years, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family has issued “best family-friendly management” certifications to companies that provide a welfare system encouraging employees to put their family first. The certification aims to accelerate the creation of a family-friendly environment to address social changes that have taken place over

Some of the best-known “family-friendly” policies at workplaces include child care services, parental leave for both mothers and fathers, and flexible work scheduling.But what we now consider as family-friendly policies should be redefined in the years to come, as family trends in Seoul have been changing dramatically in the past decade, said Lee Sook-jin, the president of the Seoul Foundation of Women & Family.“We now have to go back to square one and really think about how to define families,”

Dana Kapelian (Dana Kapelian)While extremely low birthrates have created a demographic drag on wealthy nations, France has bucked the trend. France broke out of what some experts have called a “baby recession,” a birthrate that is consistently lower than the replacement rate of 2.1, with an estimated 2.08 births per woman in 2014, higher than the 2.01 for the United States, a country with a historically higher birthrate than its European counterparts. Even though they have become the target of c

Won Buddhist Rev. Lee Seon-jong lambastes clerics for their greed, calls on mothers to set the country right

Fashion accessories take on new life in drive for style and individuality

Fashion accessory industry squeezed by consumer demands for both quality and affordability

As customers shift away from mass-produced jewelry, order-made items emerge as a new way to express one’s personality

Kwon Ji-won, 33, who works as a human resources manager at a local consulting firm, is the certified shoe-buff at her office.“I prefer shoes to other fashion items as a form of expressing myself,” she said, introducing herself as a high-heel maniac. “Anything that has a high heel, I am all for it.”Aside from the stilettos, her collection runs a wide gamut from sneakers and sandals to ballerina flats and thigh-high boots. The price tags also are as diverse as her collection: Some are more than af

Two Michelin-star chef Corey Lee of San Francisco’s Benu talks about finding inspiration in moods rather than ingredients

Fly to the Sky continues to soar on new albumFly to the Sky“Continuum” (LOEN Entertainment)Despite five years of being apart, popular male R&B duo Fly to the Sky has returned strong and unchanged with its ninth studio album “Continuum.”The 10-track album is filled with the duo’s signature sound, characterized by the deep, resonant vocals of Hwanhee, which are balanced out by Brian Joo’s light and clear singing.“You You You,” the second track, is a yearning ballad about not being able to let go o

Chef of Cantonese cuisine at The Ritz-Carlton Seoul The Ritz-Carlton Seoul’s Chinese restaurant Chee Hong is inviting guest chef Ku Chi Fai, the director of Chinese cuisine at The Ritz-Carlton Beijing, from June 19-30 to present authentic Cantonese cuisines. Chef Ku will present two special set menus -- priced at 228,000 won and 288,000 won -- consisting of eight traditional Cantonese dishes including grouper balls, lobster balls, baked crab legs, noodles with scallions and mushrooms, and sea cu

Reporters face challenges from digital platforms, tougher competition

The first step to becoming a reporter in Korea is to pass a written exam and rounds of competitive interviews. The next step entails sleepless nights and stressful days at police stations. “Taxi, Jongno police station.” This was the beginning of a long night ahead of me. Cub reporters must pass the rigorous training program called “mawari” (the Japanese word for “going around”) in order to continue. We eat and sleep at police stations, checking every incident, including those at fire stations an

A career in journalism in Korea is laden with stress from the word go. Would-be reporters compete for jobs against odds of hundreds to one, only to be put through seemingly endless training with workdays as long as 20 hours. Park, a 30-year-old reporter for a daily newspaper, describes his experience as “hell.” “It was indescribably tough. I don’t think I could do it again. But, the hard experiences made me stronger,” Park said. “Whenever I face difficulties, I remind myself that nothing can be