Jan. 24

• ●Korea's older adults pushed aside in bid to beautify public park The Korea Times
  Last year, Seoul's Jongno District announced plans to remove all janggi (Korean chess) and baduk (Go) tables at Tapgol Park - a decision that sparked controversy, with critics viewing it as a de facto policy to push older people out of the public spaces surrounding the park.

Jan. 25

• ●For many young Koreans, one job doesn't cut it The Korea Herald
  When 30-year-old Kim wraps up her full-time marketing job at 6 p.m., her day is only half finished.
  
  

• ●Older workers more vulnerable to workplace deaths: report The Korea Herald
  Nearly two-thirds of deaths due to idustrial accidents in 2024 involved workers aged 55 or above, government data showed Sunday, amid the rapid aging of South Korea's workforce and overall population.

Jan. 26

• ●Freelancers to get state-funded legal aid for unpaid wages The Korea Herald
  The Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Korea Legal Aid Corp. said Monday they will provide litigation support to help freelancers and platform workers recover unpaid wages.

Jan. 27

• ●Koreans value family over money for happiness The Korea Herald
  When Koreans think of happiness, "family" is what comes to mind first, according to a recent survey.
  
  

• ●Regional Doctor System Sparks Regional Discrimination Claims The Chosun Daily
  The government's plan to introduce the "regional doctor system" for the 2027 academic year has sparked controversy over regional discrimination.
  
  

• ●Denmark Assigns Primary Care Physicians at Birth; South Korea Pilots System The Chosun Daily
  Denmark's General Practitioners control specialist access; South Korea's pilot preserves hospital choice, targeting chronic disease management
  
  

• ●Korea must treat foreign elder care workers as skilled pros, not cheap labor, expert warns The Korea Times
  As Korea hurtles toward becoming a super-aged society and grapples with growing labor shortages in elder care, a migration policy expert urged the government to move beyond short-term fixes and build a system like Japan's, one that treats foreign caregivers as skilled professionals rather than low-wage, disposable workers.
  
  

• ●Lost in translation: Local dialects pose hurdle for 6 in 10 non-skilled foreign workers The Korea Times
  It turns out that for foreign workers here, mastering the Korean language is only hafl the battle--the other half is figuring out if you're supposed to treat your boss like a dity or a drinking buddy.

Jan. 28

• ●Fraud demographics: Why people in 20s now lead crimes once ruled by 40s The Korea Herald
  Young South Koreans in their 20s are emerging as a driving force behind the country's surge in fraud crimes, a trend fueled by the expansion of online marketplaces and worsening economic precarity.
  
  

• ●One in three parental leave users is now a dad The Korea Herald
  More South Korean fathers took time off to care for their children last year than ever before, with government data on Wednesday showing that men accounted for one-third of all parents who used parental leave.
  
  

• ●Korea widens suicide-loss support nationwide The Korea Herald
  The South Korean government said Wednesday that an assistance service for people who have lost family members to suicide will be available at 17 metropolitan and provincial areas across the country.
  
  

• ●Work-Family Balance Users Exceed 300,000, Male Parental Leave Hits Record The Chosun Daily
  Last year, the number of people who benefited from work-family balance systems, such as childbirth leave and parental leave, exceeded 300,000 for the first time.
  
  

• ●Government to Increase Medical School Admissions by 580 in 2027 The Chosun Daily
  The Health and Medical Policy Deliberation Committee (BoJeong-Sim), which is discussing future medical personnel, has confirmed that it will increase the number of medical school admissions for the 2027 academic year by approximately 580 people compared to the current level.
  
  

• ●Kiosks nationwide must now meet accessibility standards The Korea Times
  Starting Wednesday, most venues nationwide that use automated kiosks will be required to install models accessible to people with disabilities, as part of a broad expansion of accessibility rules as such systems proliferate rapidly.
  
  

• ●Generative AI cuts work hours by 17% on average: poll The Korea Times
  Korean workers have reduced their work hours by 17.8 percent with the help of generative AI platforms, a poll showed Wednesday, with more than half of them using such tools in their daily work.
  
  

• ●Childbirths grow at fastest pace in 18 years on increased marriages The Korea Times
  The number of babies born here rose at the fastest pace in 18 years in the first 11 months of last year, driven largely by an increase in marriages, government data showed Wednesday.

Jan. 29

• ●Korean children starting to gamble earlier The Korea Herald
  Youth gambling in Seoul is rising sharply, with more students encountering or engaging in online betting, according to new survey results released by the Seoul Metropolitan Policy Agency on Wednesday.
  
  

• ●Parliament passes 91 public welfare bills, including reinstating Constitution Day as public holiday Korea JoongAng Daily
  The National Assembly on Thursday passed 91 bills aimed at improving public welfare, including a revision to the Public Holiday Act that designates Constitution Day on July 17 as a public holiday for the first time in 18 years.
  
  

• ●Few changes, plenty of confusion on first day of mandatory 'barrier-free' kiosks for disabled people Korea JoongAng Daily
  Many cafes and restaurants near Seoul City Hall looked much the same on Wednesday, the first day the requirement to install "barrier-free" kiosks for disabled people took full effect.
  
  

• ●Adolescent health declines through school, with drinking and smoking on the rise Korea JoongAng Daily
  Korean adolescents' health declines steadily as they advance through school, with smoking and drinking rising sharply while physical activity and diet worsen, according to a long-term tracking study released Thursday.
  
  

• ●Stigma surrounding marriage migrants persists as 1 in 3 reports discrimination in Korea Korea JoongAng Daily
  Marriage migrants in Korean continue to face deep-rooted prejudice, with survey data showing that more than one-third report discrimination in their daily lives.
  
  

• ●Hormone treatment craze has kids' heights, costs and side effects all on the rise Korea JoongAng Daily
  On a weekday afternoon in Seocho District, southern Seoul, a well-known medical clinic specializing in childhood "growth" was already full.
  
  

• ●Smoking-Related Costs Near 15 Trillion Won The Chosun Daily
  A study has found that the social and economic costs caused by smoking have steadily increased, nearing 15 trillion won.
  
  

• ●Direct Smoking Linked to 70,000 Deaths, 15 Trillion Won Costs The Chosun Daily
  A study revealed that the number of deaths directly caused by smoking in South Korea in 2023 reached approximately 70,000.
  
  

• ●President Lee Proposes Tobacco-Style Sugar Levy for Public Healthcare The Chosun Daily
  President Lee Jae Myung on the 28th proposed a plan to impose a "sugar levy" on foods with excessive sugar content, asking, "What about a 'sugar levy' like tobacco?"
  
  

• ●National Health Insurance Faces Deficit This Year The Chosun Daily
  The National Health Insurance, which recorded a surplus until last year, is projected to shift to a deficit this year for the first time in six years.

Jan. 30

• ●Is Korea next in line for a sugar levy? The Korea Times
  President Lee Jae Myung has sparked debate by raising the possibility of an additional levy on sugar.