South Korea’s productive population will decrease to 73 percent of the total next year as the nation quickly ages, according to Woori Investment and Securities.As the dependent population dramatically increases while the productive sector declines, the firm warned that many businesses, such as coffee shops and bakeries, may suffer as they would lose the majority of their customers ― those who are in the workforce in their 30s or 40s.Meanwhile, delivery services and medical supplies and pharmaceu

Lawmakers agreed on a revised bill on those eligible for a state welfare payment for the poor on Monday, after it remained stalled for about 18 months.Inspired by the tragic, collective suicide of an impoverished mother in her 60s and her two ill, grown-up daughters in Seoul last year, the revised bill expands the eligibility for the government welfare program for those who make less than the government-designated minimum cost of living of 603,403 won ($548) a month ― even if they have an immedi

Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon and Seoul education chief Cho Hee-yeon on Monday announced their joint plan to spruce up the city’s education sector, including renovating school bathrooms, launching free school bus services and establishing more day care centers. “Up until now, Seoul’s education system has been focusing on competition, and as a result, our children would spend most of their time doing school work and getting private education,” Mayor Park said in a press conference.“The system made it

The Labor Ministry has come under fire for posting sexist job interview guidelines for women job seekers, including a suggestion that they tell potential employers they “do not mind casual jokes about sex,” on a recruitment information website run by the government. Facing criticism from many netizens including the members of women’s rights NGOs, the ministry deleted the post on Friday and said it will consider “educating all of its employees about gender equality.” In the controversial post tha

A high-profile mathematician and professor at Seoul National University has come under fire for more allegations of sexual harassment after prosecutors announced he is being investigated for allegedly molesting one of his former female interns in July.The professor, who served as one of the leading organizers of this year’s International Congress of Mathematicians ― a quadrennial conference for mathematicians worldwide ― had been working with the alleged victim, who helped him plan the event hel

The Seoul Metropolitan Government on Monday submitted a budget proposal of 25.6 trillion won ($23.6 billion) for next year, up nearly 5 percent on-year, to the municipal assembly. The city has increased its budget for safety-related projects and welfare programs, including free school bus services for elementary school children and free lunch programs in collaboration with the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education. Reflecting the need to strengthen safety after the Sewol ferry sinking and frequ

More low-income earners in South Korea are suffering from obesity than those with higher incomes, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare.A total of 34.7 percent of the poorest 25 percent of the population were obese last year, while 30.1 percent of the wealthiest 25 percent had the condition.While 0.49 percent of the country’s entire population suffered from severe obesity last year, 1.23 percent of low-income earners and 1.57 percent of low income-earning women had the condition. Also,

South Korea’s Gender Equality Ministry on Thursday released a set of guidelines for the nation’s reporters to follow when covering sex crime cases, after a number of victims filed litigations against media outlets for their problematic coverage in recent years.Some of the rules include not revealing any information that is related to the victim’s identity, such as where they live, their face and their name. Reporters should also refrain from reporting about the victim’s private life not related