61% of major firms have no hiring plans for H1: survey

The ongoing economic slump appears to have shrunk the job market in South Korea even further, as a recent survey showed that 61 percent of the largest companies here either have no plans or are undecided about hiring new employees during the first half of this year. Of the top 500 companies by sales here, 20 percent will not hire anyone during H1 and 41 percent said they were undecided as of yet, according to the Feb. 4-13 poll conducted by Research & Research and commissioned by the Federation

March 1, 2025

Impeachments, coups and deaths: Dark side of Korean presidency

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Saturday narrowly survived impeachment as his ruling People Power Party, united in the National Assembly to thwart the opposition's effort to oust him from office. This offers Yoon only momentary relief, however, as the opposition parties threaten to push for his impeachment again over his declaration of martial law earlier this week. The short-lived martial law decree, along with an array of controversies, including legal risks related to his spouse, have alr

Dec. 7, 2024

President Yoon Suk Yeol's address may have improved his chance of surviving impeachment vote

President Yoon Suk Yeol's first national address after the martial law declaration on Saturday morning looks to have improved his chances of surviving an opposition-led impeachment vote later in the day. In a televised address at 10 a.m., Yoon apologized vowing to never give such orders again. He also said he would entrust his powers to his party to "stabilize the political situation." It came as he faces a critical juncture on his fate, with a vote on his impeachment at the Nat

Dec. 7, 2024

Seoul Metro strike likely to expand Friday

Employees of South Korea’s major railway system were headed toward a general strike on Thursday, as the operator of the Seoul's subway system struggled to settle their differences with labor unions over salaries and layoff plans. The employees of Seoul Metro were to go on a strike starting Friday if negotiations fall through, which will mark the third year straight since 2022. Subway users in the nation's capital region are already experiencing delays and cancellations, amid th

Dec. 5, 2024

Martial law chaos hampers travel, tourism

The emergency martial law declared Tuesday night by President Yoon Suk Yeol lasted just six hours, but the aftermath is still being felt by both Koreans travelling abroad and those visiting the country. As of Thursday, several countries across the world have issued travel advisories of varying levels for those seeking to travel here. The US government, in an alert issued late Tuesday following President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law, which remained in effect as of Thursday af

Dec. 5, 2024

Ship captain who brutally murdered crewman sentenced to 28 years in prison

A captain of a fishing boat was sentenced to 28 years in prison for murdering one of his crew and discarding the body at sea, after subjecting the victim to over a month of abuse. The Mokpo Branch of the Gwangju District Court said Thursday that it found the 45-year-old defendant guilty of murder and abandonment of a corpse. Another 48-year-old crew member, the vessel's chief cook, was also found guilty of abandoning a corpse and inflicting violence upon the victim. The three men had crew

Dec. 5, 2024

Yoon Suk Yeol calls martial law 'warning to opposition'; Ruling party chief pushes back

Insights into President Yoon Suk Yeol's reasoning behind his ill-fated martial law declaration emerged late Wednesday during a meeting among key figures of the ruling bloc. It appeared that the president anticipated the measure's rejection by parliament but proceeded nonetheless, framing it as “a warning to the opposition party.” Han Dong-hoon, the leader of the ruling People Power Party and a participant in the meeting, dismissed Yoon’s claim afterward, saying, &ld

Dec. 5, 2024

Dream job for students? Pro athletes, teachers, doctors

The most preferred career for elementary school students is professional athlete while middle and high school students picked teaching as their dream job, according to a government report Wednesday. The Korea Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training and the Ministry of Education surveyed 38,481 students, parents and faculty members at 1,200 schools across the country from May 23 to June 31 to ask about their future plans. Some 12.9 percent of the elementary school students said t

Dec. 4, 2024

Ex-PM and other politicians accused of 'supporting' martial law

While most politicians berated President Yoon Suk Yeol for an "unconstitutional and illegal" declaration of martial law, a handful of conservative politicians expressed their support for the beleaguered president. One of the biggest names to openly support the president's move is Hwang Kyo-ahn, a member of the ruling People Power Party who was prime minister under ex-President Park Geun-hye. On coattails of Yoon declaring martial law on Tuesday night, Hwang wrote in a Facebook p

Dec. 4, 2024

'I'm sorry': Soldier mobilized by martial law seen apologizing to citizens

One of the soldiers mobilized during the martial law declared on Tuesday was seen apologizing to citizens, in a YouTube video posted by a local journalist early Wednesday. Heo Jae-hyeon, an investigative reporter, posted a video of the South Korean troops leaving the National Assembly in the early hours of Wednesday. One of the soldiers who crossed paths with Heo and others gathered at the building -- most of whom were there to protest President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law -- bowed his he

Dec. 4, 2024