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Working population ages as baby boom generation stays in job market

Social affairsMar 31, 2016

South Korea's working population is aging, since this is the first time the number of elderly employed has outpaced that of the younger age group, according to Statistics Korea on Thursday.People in their 50s or over and working totaled 9.65 million last year, equal to 37.2 percent of the working population, a detailed analysis by the statistical agency showed. The size of this group was larger than that of the employed in their 20s and 30s combined, which came to 9.37 million, accounting for 36
1 in 3 Koreans think HIV can be spread by mosquitoes: survey

Social affairsMar 30, 2016

A recent domestic report on Koreans’ awareness towards HIV-AIDS reflected widespread negative perceptions and lack of knowledge about the disease.The report, published on Wednesday by the Korean Alliance to Defeat Aids and Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, showed that a large number of Koreans had ungrounded biases toward HIV-AIDS. (123RF)Out of the 1,000 men and women aged between 15 and 59 that were surveyed, 35 percent -- one in three respondents -- believed HIV-AIDS could be
Gangnam streaker arrested

Social affairsMar 30, 2016

A man who strutted through Gangnam naked during the morning rush hour was arrested on Wednesday. Seoul Gangnam Police Station said that at around 7 a.m., the 46-year-old man surnamed Kim spent more than 15 minutes walking around the 10-lane road near Gangnam subway station. (Yonhap)The police said Kim was from North Chungcheong Province, south of Seoul. He slept in Seoul station for six days before deciding to strip naked and strut around in one of the busiest areas of the capital city. Accordi
Koreans seek ‘right to disconnect’

Social affairsMar 30, 2016

Koreans find their constantly buzzing smartphones disorienting, according to a report by the Korea Press Foundation on Wednesday.The KPF surveyed 1,040 employed Koreans over a course of four days between March 17 and 21, regarding their “rights to disconnect.” (123RF)According to the survey, 62.3 percent of the respondents felt that smartphone connectivity added to their workload. Among them, 57.6 percent singled out mobile messenger apps such as KakaoTalk and Line as the prime culprit. Other 23
Sushi for W390 in Korea

IndustryMar 30, 2016

Korea’s retail giant Homeplus launched an expanded line of sushi, which will sell for 390 won (30 cents) each until April 6. Homeplus announced Wednesday that it built on their existing sushi line “Chef Sushi,” which was originally limited to 16 types, to 34 variations. These bite-sized delicacies include localized specialties such as tuna-mayonnaise and beef bulgogi sushi, which will cater to the tastes of children and customers who seek something other than seafood on their sushi rice. (123rf
Tilda Swinton, new face of Korean department store

IndustryMar 30, 2016

British Actress Tilda Swinton will be the main model of Hyundai Department Store, one of South Korea’s three major luxury goods handlers, HDS announced Wednesday. Swinton is the first high-profile celebrity to model for the department store since it first opened in 1985. For over 30 years the company had only worked with professional models who were not widely known. Tilda Swinton on the cover of W Korea magazine (W Korea)HDS’ marketing strategy manager Jeong Ji-young said Swinton’s composed and
비행기 테러범과 기념촬영…‘인생샷’

Mar 30, 2016

한 20대 남성이 비행기 테러범과 기내 “셀카”를 찍고 이를 “인생샷”이라 자랑해 화제가 되고 있다. 영국 리즈 출신 벤 이네스 (26)는 29일 폭탄 테러범이 납치한 이집트에어 MS181의 탑승객이었다. 폭발물을 몸에 두른 테러범과 활주하는 위협적인 상황에서 이네스는 뜻밖에도 그와 기념촬영을 시도했다. 폭탄을 두른 세이프 에딘 모스타파(좌)와 벤 이네스(우) (사진출처: 트위터) 영국 타블로이드지와의 인터뷰에서 그는 “내가 왜 그랬는지 모르겠다”며 다만 “위기의 상황에서 밝은 태도를 유지하고 싶었다”고 말했다. 목숨이 위험한 상황에 처하자 “더는 잃을 것도 없다는 생각”이었다며 “폭탄을 더 가까이에서 보고 싶었다”고도 했다. 테러범 세이프 에딘 모스타파 (59)는 제안을 수락했고 해당사진은 이네스의 친구들에게 전송된 후 온라인으로 확산되어 눈길을 끌었다. (사진출처: 트위터)이후 모스타파의 폭탄은 가짜로 판명, 6시간이 넘는 시간 동안 활주로를 이탈해 비행하던 여객기는 키프로스
Korea struggles to maintain presence on ice

More sportsMar 29, 2016

South Korea is struggling to maintain its once-high profile in figure skating. Tension is especially high now, with the 2016 ISU World Figure Skating Championships set to take off on Wednesday in Boston, U.S.The future number of skaters allowed to participate in subsequent championships will change according to how Korean contenders fare. Less than two years remain until South Korea hosts the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in 2018, and the country’s goal is to at least maintain the current number o
'Subway masseur’ to be retried as sex offender

Social affairsMar 29, 2016

Korea’s Supreme Court ruled Monday that a man who “massaged” an inebriated woman in a late night train fits the profile of a sex offender and he must be retried accordingly. The man, previously acquitted on grounds that he lacked intent, will be tried again at the Seoul Central Court, according to Justice Park Bo-young of the Supreme Court. (123RF)Justice Park’s announcement said the “act of semi-coercive molestation does not require deliberate objective for sexual gratification” and that “layin
Divorce-seeking wife tortured by husband

Social affairsMar 29, 2016

A woman pursuing divorce was locked up for over 24 hours and tortured by her husband, Seoul’s Seocho Police Station said Monday. (123RF)The husband, whose identity was withheld by the police, met with his estranged wife at his bar in Seocho-gu to discuss custody rights. When she turned up, he locked her in an underground storage house where he is suspected of torturing her with a hot iron. He then took the victim to a hospital for emergency treatment and kept watch to prevent her from contactin
Korea to cut discretionary spending by 10% in 2017

Mar 29, 2016

South Korea has decided to cut the discretionary spending of government agencies by 10 percent next year in a bid to focus its fiscal policy on job creation, the finance ministry said Tuesday.The 2017 budget guidelines, which passed the Cabinet on Tuesday, call for a thorough examination of spending earmarked for public works projects and welfare outlays.Out of the nearly 380 trillion won ($326.2 billion) of the state budget last year, some 53 percent, or 200 trillion won, is discretionary spend
Daredevils unwelcome in Korea

Social affairsMar 28, 2016

Daredevils Vitaliy Raskalov and Vadim Makhorov, whose unprotected skyscraper-scaling photographs would give any acrophobic person an immediate heart attack, are apparently not welcome in Korea. After the 20-year-old Raskalov updated his Instagram account with a photo of his feet precariously atop Seoul’s Lotte World Tower, Sunday, the Korean public responded with fierce criticism of his “reckless” and “irresponsible” behavior. (Raskalov's Instagram)In the shot captioned “Get ready for the new vi
Spurned lover takes ex's new man hostage

Social affairsMar 28, 2016

A Korean man in his 20s took his ex-girlfriend’s new boyfriend hostage for five hours while brandishing a knife, before giving in to the police on Monday.Incheon Namdong Police Station said the perpetrator, whose identity has been withheld, waited for his former girlfriend in front of her studio apartment in Ganseok-dong, Namdong-gu, from as early as 8 a.m. (YouTube Capture)When the woman saw the man who had been waiting in front of her door, she pushed past him and ran next door for shelter. Co
Makgeolli baptism -- only in Korea

Social affairsMar 28, 2016

Busan’s Dong-a University became the center of controversy Monday, after a photo of mass hazing was leaked online by the family member of an admitted freshman.In the shot that immediately went viral, a group of students were shown lined up with hands politely clasped in front while an older-looking student poured makgeolli, milky fermented alcohol, over their bowed heads.Pieces of unidentifiable filth were blended in with the drink.Leaked photo shows Dong-a University students pouring alcohol ov
'우아한' 기린의 ‘반전사건’

Mar 28, 2016

온순하기로 알려진 초식동물 기린이 사자를 짓밟아 죽이는 영상이 유튜브에 공유되며 26만이 넘는 조횟수를 기록했다. 영상 속 기린은 사자를 제압한 후, 긴 다리로 여러 차례 내리찍어 ‘확인사살’까지 하는 의외의 흉포함으로 시선을 끌었다.(123rf)위협적으로 다리를 구르는 이 기린 앞에서 사자 무리는 맥을 못 추고 물러섰다.해당 영상은 차량을 타고 아프리카 사파리를 방문한 프랑스인 관광객이 찍은 것으로 알려졌다. 약 4분가량의 영상에는 사자들이 모여 앉아 새끼 기린의 시체를 뜯어 먹는 모습도 함께 들어 있다. 영상 촬영자들은 새끼를 잃은 어미 기린이 분노해 보복한 것으로 판단했다. 이 영상은 2011년 처음 온라인에 게시됐으며 뜨거운 호응을 받았다.(khnews@heraldcorp.com)