North Korea has heightened military threats by conducting various naval missile launches and testing new artillery since the beginning of the year. On January 5th, North Korea fired around 200 coastal artillery shells near the Northern Limit Line (NLL) in the West Sea, engaging in violent provocatio
On February 6th, the government announced the plan to increase admissions for medical schools. From the academic year of 2025, the government decided to expand the medical school admission quota by 2,000 students over the next five years, resulting in the admission of 5,058 medical students annually
The Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) launched the Climate Card demonstration project on January 27th, with a complete initiation planned for July 2024. The Climate Card provides unlimited use of public transportation within Seoul City, including Ttareungi, the bike-sharing system, at ₩65,000 per
The government hosted an open debate on January 22nd at the Korea Creative Content Agency Education Services Center to announce plans to end the forced shutdowns of hypermarkets on two public holidays every month, which has been in place since 2012. The obligatory closure of hypermarkets was enforce
On October 30th, the State Council approved an amendment to the penal code that allows the sentencing of life imprisonment with no parole. The main point of the said amendment is setting a distinction between offenses eligible for parole and those that are not. Previously, offenders who were sentenc
Last October, controversy arose over the proposal to integrate Gimpo City as part of Seoul City. The discussion about integrating Gimpo into Seoul City was first raised in 1995 but was dispersed due to practical difficulties. However, in October, the debate reignited when Gimpo City Mayor Kim Byung-
The Korean Railway (KORAIL) labor union went on a strike from September 14th, 9 a.m., to 18th, 9 a.m., demanding Suseo Korea Train eXpress (KTX) and improvement in working conditions. This is in response to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport (MOLIT) reducing the Suseo-Gyeongbu line
Following the suicide of a young teacher from Seo2 Elementary School in Seoul on July 18th, three consecutive suicide incidents emerged in less than two months. The elementary school teachers’ self-destructing actions from Shinmok Elementary School in Gunsan on August 31st, and in Daejeon on Septemb
The simultaneous and random knife attacks called Mudjima that happened in July and August have instilled a sense of fear among some citizens. The Mudjima, which means “do not ask why” in Korean, is a particular type of crime towards unspecified individuals without a specific motive or target. On Jul
The 25th World Scout Jamboree was held from August 1st to 12th in Saemangeum, Korea. The Jamboree is a worldwide youth camp held every four years by the World Organization of the Scout Movement to share cultural exchanges and build international friendships. The 25th Jamboree was designed for the sc
In July, heavy downpours caused severe damage nationwide. According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, 50 casualties occurred, mainly in Chungcheong and Gyeongbuk Provinces. In Osong-eup, Chungcheong Province, the collapsed bank of the Miho River caused by heavy rainfal
On July 19th, the 2024 minimum wage was set at ₩9,860. It increased by 2.5% compared with the 2023 minimum wage but did not surpass ₩10,000. The discussion regarding next year’s minimum wage began in June, when the business and labor representatives presented their primary suggestions during the Min