This is the first installment in a series of articles that look at South Korea’s pet culture and industry. –Ed.Stay-at-home mother Cho Young-ai has endured painful treatments to fight cancer for the past three years, but luckily two companion animals have given her a great deal of emotional support and strength to survive. “When I was ill and isolated in a rural area, I felt relieved to see my dogs wagging their tails as if everything was going to be just fine,” the 51-year-old told The Korea He

A week ago, Airdre Mattner mustered up the courage to come forward as a rape victim to the media in hopes of highlighting how Korea’s justice system had failed to protect her and mishandled her case. 　Mattner said that she was drugged, abducted and raped in late September in Seoul.　　She said that while the sexual assault haunted her, the botched investigation into her case by police further broke her down.  (Airdre Mattner)After the story surfaced and consequent public attention was paid to the

The South Korean government on Monday announced plans to reduce the rate of illegally residing migrants to below 10 percent by 2018 by tightening prescreening.In a meeting on policies for foreign nationals chaired by Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, the government vowed to crack down on foreigners staying in Korea without legitimate visas and to take measures to help immigrants integrate into society more smoothly.As part of the efforts, the government will screen foreign nationals before airlines

Residents from around the U.S. shooting range near the inter-Korean border continued a sit-in on Monday to protest against the U.S. military conducting what they said were “unscheduled” live-fire drills. Scores of villagers blockaded the front and the back gate of the Rodriguez Live Fire Complex in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, with tractors and 1-ton freight trucks starting around 5 p.m. on Sunday. They called for an end to the military training and an apology from the U.S. Army. Rodriguez Live F

The Constitutional Court ruled Sunday that a ban on election campaign advertising by individuals on mass media was constitutional.In a vote of six to three, the top court voted in favor of the current Public Official Election Act, saying that its blanket ban on election-related ads was legitimate. (Yonhap)“Political campaigns through mass media are more influential than printouts and thus more likely to affect the fairness of elections,” the court said.“Also, excessive competition may lead to an

 The Constitutional Court ruled in favor of the country’s antiprostitution law Thursday. In a 6-to-3 ruling, the court confirmed the legality of the antiprostitution law that punishes both those who voluntarily sell and buy sex, citing the need to repress the demand for prostitution. The verdict came three years after the top court began to review the act to rule whether it violates voluntary sex workers’ freedom to choose their job and what to do with their own bodies. “Demand for the sex trade

The Constitutional Court ruled in favor of the country’s antiprostitution law Thursday, dismissing “voluntary sex trade” unconstitutional. In a 6-to-3 ruling, the court confirmed the legality of the antisex trade act punishing both those who voluntarily sell and buy sex, citing the need to repress demand for prostitution. The verdict came three years after the top court began to review the act to rule whether it violates voluntary sex workers’ freedom to choose their job and what to do with thei

Nine in 10 South Korean workers have lied to their bosses or colleagues at work, mostly about being sick, a survey showed Tuesday. According to a survey by job portal site Career on 756 workers, 90.7 percent of the respondents said that they have lied, with 22.6 percent of them being excuses like “I don’t feel well” to get out of social or work obligations.YonhapOther 21 percent said they lied about understanding orders from their boss although they failed to grasp what was being sought, while 1

An appeals court on Monday began to hear a case involving a Korean-American sentenced to 20 years in prison after being found guilty of killing a South Korean college student nearly two decades ago. Arthur John Patterson, 37, denied his involvement in what is known as the “Itaewon murder case,” saying that he was only a witness of an “unexpected” murder. His lawyer accused Edward Lee, 37, of killing Cho, citing the blood stains on his shirts.  Arthur John Patterson’s attorney Oh Byung-joo heads

About 9 out of 10 foreigners who obtained residency visas in South Korea through the immigrant investor program were from China, the government said Monday. The Justice Ministry said that 123, or 88.5 percent, of the 139 investments were made by Chinese citizens, followed by three from Hong Kong and Iran, respectively. (Yonahp)Amid the need for capital to boost the economy, the government has granted residency to foreign nationals in return for investment in public development projects since May

The number of foreign students in South Korea has hit a record high, topping 100,000, the Justice Ministry said Monday. According to the ministry’s statistics, the number of foreign students studying in Korea was 105,193 in March, up 10.6 percent from January. The number saw a gradual decrease from 88,468 in 2011 to 81,847 in 2013, but started to bounce back in 2015 at 96,357.  Graduates of Konkuk University in Seoul attend a graduation ceremony on Feb. 22. (Yonhap)By nationality, there were 62,

Foreign workers in South Korea are concentrated in labor-intensive industries despite growing calls for a “comprehensive” immigration policy to encourage more skilled workers from abroad, according to a recent report. The study by Hyundai Research Institute, commissioned by the Justice Ministry, suggested that the government fix its immigration system that is heavily focused on low-skilled workers and more effectively make use of foreign workers on a long-term basis in the wake of aging populati

Early in the morning on Dec. 23, four Burmese families finally arrived at South Korea’s major airport, looking nervous yet excited. Amid warm welcome from government officials and U.N. agencies, they set foot for the first time in the country that they would now can call home.The 22 Burmese people, who had spent a decade at a refugee camp in Thailand, were the first batch of refugees relocated in Korea as part of the U.N.-led refugee resettlement program. Under its independent Refugee Act, Korea

Government data showed Friday that close to 70 percent of high-ranking government officials and lawmakers saw their wealth grow from a year earlier, mainly due to hikes in their real estate assets. According to the report by the Government Public Ethics Committee, 74.6 percent of senior government officials reported an increase in their wealth in 2015. The average assets of those surveyed was 1.31 billion won ($1.12 million) last year, up 55 million won from 2014.Under the country’s public servi

A Kenyan asylum seeker, who murdered a Korean employee at an Internet cafe in Gwangju earlier this month, has been found to be mentally sound, as police continue efforts to identify the motive behind his crime. According to the Gwangju District Prosecutors’ Office, a medical checkup has suggested that the 28-year-old man is not mentally ill. The checkup was done as prosecutors had faced difficulties in investigating the murder case due to his unusual behavior in a prison cell. The man is seen in