Man arrested for vandalism at National Assembly

Police detained a man in his 60s Friday morning after he allegedly smashed a glass door in an apparent attempt to break into the National Assembly’s main building in Seoul. According to Yeongdeungpo Police Station, the man was arrested for alleged intrusion and destruction of property with dangerous objects. The incident occurred at around 5:15 a.m. when the suspect reportedly threw a fire extinguisher at the glass door of the National Assembly. Police identified the suspect as he fled the

Oct. 25, 2024

Censorship of Nobel winner Han Kang's book stirs debate

Amid nationwide elation over South Korean novelist Han Kang being awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize for Literature, one of her works has stirred debate for being "deemed harmful to youths." The controversy ignited after Han's "The Vegetarian" was found to be among the 2,528 books removed from some 2,490 elementary, middle and high school libraries in Gyeonggi Province last year for being detrimental to students. Among them were not only Han Kang's book, but also "Bl

Oct. 21, 2024

Seoul Cyber University, CSU San Bernardino form dual degree program

Seoul Cyber University has signed a dual degree agreement with California State University, San Bernardino, the US school's first such deal with an online educational institution. The primary focus of the agreement is the creation of a dual degree program between Seoul Cyber University and CSUSB. Under this program, students will spend two years studying at Seoul Cyber University's School of Business and two years at CSUSB, earning degrees from both institutions. Notably, this is the f

Oct. 20, 2024

Religious school activities violate freedom: Seoul Education Office

The Seoul education office concluded Sunday that mandatory religious activities at general high schools, such as class worship services and choir competitions, could infringe on students' religious freedom. This conclusion follows an investigation prompted by a student complaint at a private high school in Seoul, alleging that such compulsory extracurricular activities related to religion violated their rights under the city's Student Rights Ordinance. The complaint, submitted by a stu

Oct. 20, 2024

Seoul's new education chief likely to inherit progressive policies

Jung Geun-sik, the newly elected liberal superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, officially took office on Thursday. With his inauguration, the city’s progressive approach to education, which has been in place for the past decade under his predecessor, Cho Hee-yeon, is expected to continue. Jung secured 50.17 percent of the vote in Wednesday's by-election, defeating his conservative rival, Cho Jun-hyuk, by a margin of 4.15 percentage points. His win surpassed the

Oct. 17, 2024

National-level AI, digital education to be launched for adults over 30

To enhance the nation's digital skills and competitiveness, South Korea is rolling out a new initiative aimed at improving digital capabilities among adults aged 30 and older. The government will invest over 110 billion won ($80 million) to build a comprehensive digital lifelong learning ecosystem, the Ministry of Education announced on Wednesday. The initiative, dubbed the "AI-Digital (AID) 30+ Project," seeks to provide extensive retraining opportunities and digital education to

Oct. 16, 2024

Rival parties clash over allegations involving first lady, Moon's daughter

The rival parties engaged in heated exchanges over two high-profile incidents involving President Yoon Suk Yeol's wife, first lady Kim Keon Hee, and Moon Da-hye, daughter of former President Moon Jae-in, during a parliamentary audit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police on Thursday. The Democratic Party of Korea and other opposition lawmakers have raised concerns over first lady Kim Keon Hee's visit to Mapo Bridge on Sept. 10, an area notorious for frequent suicide attempts. The visit, made

Oct. 15, 2024

Korea, Mongolia strengthen ties in education

The Ministry of Education announced plans to hold the 4th Korea-Mongolia Joint Commission on Education in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Scheduled for Tuesday, the meeting is part of an ongoing consultative process that began in 2015 to deepen bilateral educational cooperation. The commission aims to review past agreements and explore new opportunities for collaboration in education, the ministry explained. One of the primary focus areas of the meeting is the promotion of Korean language education in Mo

Oct. 14, 2024

Teacher suicides averaging 20 per year: data

An average of 20 teachers made the tragic decision to take their own lives each year from 2021 to 2023, data showed Monday, sparking concern over the mental health and well-being of teachers in South Korea. The problem persists this year too, with 19 teachers having taken their own lives this year through August. This disturbing trend points to a deeper crisis within the education system, where teachers feel increasingly vulnerable and unsupported, according to Rep. Jin Sun-mee of the Democratic

Oct. 14, 2024

Early voting begins for Seoul education superintendent by-election with low turnout

As early voting kicked off Friday in the by-election to fill the Seoul education superintendent post, polling stations across Seoul remained relatively quiet, with public interest in the election low on the weekday. According to the Election Commission, voter turnout by 3:40 p.m. was 2.48 percent, with 206,317 ballots cast out of 8.32 million eligible voters. The election, featuring four candidates, is expected to influence the future of education in South Korea. While the superintendent's

Oct. 11, 2024