Jun 22

• ●Number of foreign workers with nonprofessional employment visas drop 21% Korea JoongAng Daily
  The number of foreign workers arriving in Korea with nonprofessional employment visas (E-9) dropped 21 percent this year, according to government data Sunday, apparently hit by the nation's sluggish economic growth.
  
  

• ●Seoul to expand public wedding venues, perks for newlyweds The Korea Herald
  The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to expand its network of public wedding venues and increase financial support for couples seeking more affordable ceremonies, allocating up to 3.7 billion won ($2.7 million) for the initiative.
  
  

• ●E-9 foreign worker arrivals down 21% this year amid economic slowdown The Korea Times
  The number of foreign nationals entering Korea under the E-9 work visa has dropped by more than 20 percent compared to the same period last year, government data showed, amid signs of a broader economic slowdown.

Jun 23

• ●KEIS report reveals large gender pay gaps for elderly, new parents The Korea Times
  A persistent gender pay gap remains among Korea's older workers, with elderly women earning just 59 percent of what their male peers make.
  
  

• ●Koreans score 69.9 out of 100 in retirement readiness: study The Korea Herald
  Koreans' overall preparedness for life in retirement received an average score of 69.9 out of 100, according to a recent study conducted by a government-affiliated agency.
  
  

• ●More than 800 foreign minors held at detention centers in last 5 years: data The Korea Herald
  A total of 886 foreign minors were kept in South Korea's sate-run immigration detention facilities between the beginning of 2020 and May 23 this year, a lawmaker revealed Monday, citing data from the Ministry of Justice.
  
  

• ●Nearly 40% of new mothers of twins experience depression: study The Korea Herald
  Almost two-fifths of mothers of twins experience depression in the weeks immediately after giving birth, while a substantial portion of them are depressed on varying levels afterward and even during pregnancy, a study by a government-affiliated group showed Monday.
  
  

• ●Korean workers say minimum wage needs 20% boost to cover essentials The Korea Herald
  A growing number of South Korean workers say the country's minimum wage is falling behind the cost of staying afloat.
  
  

• ●New report reveals large gender pay gaps for elderly, new parents The Korea Times
  A persistent gender pay gap remains among Korea's older workers, with elderly women earning just 59 percent of what their male peers make.
  
  

• ●Mongolia, Russia drive surge in S. Korea's medical tourism The Chosun Daily
  A 63-year-old Mongolian man underwent a liver transplant at Seoul Asan Medical Center in January.

Jun 24

• ●Four in 10 Korean received prescription narcotics in 2024, ADHD medication use skyrockets Korea JoongAng Daily
  A total of four in 10 Koreans received prescription narcotics in 2024, with the highest number of patients prescribed propofol, a common anesthetic.
  
  

• ●Children of Korean-foreign couples now allowed to register longer names The Korea Times
  Children born t Korean and foreign parents will now be able to register foreign-style names in full, such as "Kim Alexandriana" or "Park Christiano," without being restricted by a character limit.
  
  

• ●We're sweet enough, thanks: Nearly 6 in 10 Koreans support tax on sugary goods, survey says Korea JoongAng Daily
  With obesity and diabetes on the rise, a majority of Koreans now say it's time to hit companies that produce sugary products where it hurts--their wallets.
  
  

• ●Korean, foreign spouses can register birth of their baby without name length limit Korea JoongAng Daily
  A Korean national and a foreign spouse have been allowed to register the birth of their baby in Korea without a limit on the baby's name length, according to the Supreme Court on Tuesday.
  
  

• ●Name length limit lifted for kids with mixed nationality The Korea Herald
  Children born to parents of Korean and foreign nationality will no longer face restrictions on the number of characters in their given names when registering their births in South Korea, the Supreme Court of Korea announced Tuesday.
  
  

• ●South Korea plans end to lump-sum retirement payouts for workers The Chosun Daily
  The South Korean government is pushing forward with a major overhaul of how workers receive retirement benefits, aiming to replace the longstanding lump-sum severance system with mandatory pension-style disbursements across all workplaces.

Jun 25

• ●ADHD medication prescriptions surge 140% in 5 years, with Gangnam topping national use The Korea Times
  Prescriptions for ADHD medication in Korea have nearly doubled in the past five years, with the academic pressure of college entrance exams increasingly linked to the drug's misuse, especially in education-heavy districts like Seoul's Gangnam.
  
  

• ●Teen suicides keep rising as school stress takes toll The Korea Times
  A tragic incident in Busan involving the deaths of three art high school students who left behind a message about academic and career-related stress has reignited national concern over the mental health of teenagers.
  
  

• ●Concerns rise as some Korean teens seem to take suicide lightly The Korea Herald
  Mental health professionals are calling for stronger support systems and suicide prevention education as concerns over teenagers taking suicide lightly circulate here after three students in Busan took their own lives.
  
  

• ●Why can't Korean children play more? The Korea Herald
  Kim Min-jae, 11, starts every day--including weekends--by studying English.
  
  

• ●Wealth ranks first as key to happiness among Korean teens The Chosun Daily
  South Korea's youth has a surprising new standard for happiness: not family or friends, but wealth.
  
  

• ●S. Korea's marriages, births rise together for 10 months, first since 1991 The Chosun Daily
  The number of marriages and births in South Korea both rose for the 10th consecutive month in April.

Jun 26

• ●'Resting' young Koreans nearly double over decade, driven by reemployment burnout The Korea Times
  The share of people in their 30s and younger who are neither working nor seeking employment, categorized as "resting," has nearly doubled over the past 10 years, despite a shrinking youth population in Korea.
  
  

• ●Infectious disease cases rise 54 percent, whooping cough and scarlet fever top list Korea JoongAng Daily
  The number of reported infectious disease cases in Korea jumped more than 54 percent in 2024 compared to the previous year, driven largely by respiratory illnesses such as whooping cough and scarlet fever spreading among children, according to an annual infectious disease report released by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) on Thursday.
  
  

• ●Infectious disease cases up 54.5% in South Korea The Korea Herald
  South Korea saw a 54.5 percent rise in non-COVID notifiable infectious disease cases in 2024 compared to the previous year, driven largely by a surge in respiratory illnesses among children, according to a new report from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on Thursday.
  
  

• ●Gov't to proceed with plan for independent immigration agency The Korea Herald
  The Ministry of Justice said it will proceed with plans to establish an independent agency dedicated to overseeing immigration affairs under the new government administration.
  
  

• ●Rising costs in childcare sector worsen burden on parents The Chosun Daily
  This year, January, 32-year-old Mr. Do welcomed his firat daughter.

Jun 27

• ●Gyeonggi education chief champions shift from welfare to empowerment in multicultural curriculum The Korea Times
  They Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education is calling for a shift in multicultural education policy--from a welfare-based approach to one that empowers students to develop into globally competitive talent.
  
  

• ●Amid surging teen suicides, budget for in-school counseling services declines The Korea Herald
  The recent deaths of three high school students in Busan have again cast a spotlight on mental health among South Korean teenagers.