Japan-Korea not getting along, Korean tank top 3 in the world, and Korea’s infamous 8hr college entrance exam
K-NEWS BITES
Fri 2021-11-19 (KST)
Gov't to Expand Financial Support for Pregnancies, Births (1 min read)
“From January 1, support for medical service fees related to pregnancy and birth will be marked up from 600-thousand won to one million won for mothers expecting one child. Mothers expecting births of multiple babies, such as twins and triplets, will receive one-point-four million won from the current one million won. Pregnant women residing in areas with poor conditions for delivering a child will receive an additional 200-thousand won. Support will be provided in the form of vouchers on credit cards or debit cards. The period for using these vouchers will be extended from one year to two years.”
'Face-to-face phishing' on rise: police (1 min read)
“… the number of money transfer [voice phishing] scams, in which victims are tricked into sending money from their bank accounts, totaled 3,078 cases [in October], down 69 percent from the same period of last year. In contrast, however, the so-called ‘face-to-face phishing’ surged 77.7 percent on-year to 19,630 cases, the NPA noted. Face-to-face phishing mostly occurs when scammers impersonating financial institution employees deceive victims into repaying existing loans in cash or victims are forced into a car by scammers impersonating investigators and deprived of money on the spot.”
Gimhae city apologizes for mandatory virus testing of foreign children amid xenophobia concerns (2 min read)
The government of the southeastern city of Gimhae apologized Thursday for ordering mandatory COVID-19 tests of foreign children registered at the city's [93] daycare centers amid a backlash over xenophobia and rights violations concerns… Krista Looper, an American mother of two children and a copyeditor based in the city, said she was glad the order was rescinded but added that ‘the damage is already done… They made little children feel like 'others' and made their classmates see them as suspects for their nationality.’”
People Younger than 30 Advised to Get Pfizer Vaccine over Moderna (1 min read)
“In a Wednesday briefing, the state vaccine task force said the country has not seen a big difference in the two vaccines in regards to reports of heart conditions, but explained the recommendation as a preemptive move to protect the safety of those in the age group. Those younger than 30 who have yet to be inoculated are advised to receive Pfizer for both shots. Those who already received Moderna for their first jab will get Pfizer for their second from here on out.”
S. Korea's daily virus cases hit new record high amid relaxed virus curbs (2 min read)
“The country reported a record high of 3,292 new daily cases… raising the total caseload to 406,065, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA)… The country added 29 more deaths from COVID-19, bringing the death toll to 3,187. The fatality rate stood at 0.78 percent… The number of critically ill COVID-19 patients reached 506, down 16 from an all-time high of 522 the previous day.”
“The KDCA put forth a new five-tier system on Wednesday to assess the COVID-19 risk level on a weekly basis and to decide whether to continue the eased social distancing scheme… The authorities will also immediately review whether to carry out contingency plans if hospital bed occupancy for severe cases surpasses the 75 percent threshold, according to the KDCA.”
General COVID Information for residents in Korea:
Ministry of Health and Welfare, South Korea
Coronavirus Statistics for South Korea
Japan pulls out of US news conference over South Korean police chief’s disputed island visit (2 min read)
“Japan’s vice foreign minister pulled out of a planned news conference with his South Korean and US counterparts in Washington on Wednesday over a territorial dispute between the two countries, a Japanese embassy spokesperson said… Japanese embassy spokesperson Masashi Mizobuchi said Tokyo had ‘lodged a strong protest’ over a visit by South Korea’s head of police to disputed islets between the countries, known as Takeshima in Japan. The cluster of windswept volcanic rocks is controlled by Seoul, which calls them Dokdo, but are also claimed by Japan.” The article also contains a 1min 26sec long video about South Korea’s ‘comfort women’ statues in PyeongChang which also sparked anger in Japan.
A New Flashpoint in Japan-Korea Relations (4 min read)
An interesting perspective from Sakamoto Shigeki, Professor Emeritus at Kobe University. The article gives a summary of the history of the ‘comfort women’ issue between Korea and Japan, including the Korean Supreme Court ruling in 2021 which ordered Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to pay restitutions. He goes on to conclude, “It may take some time before the governments of Japan and South Korea and their citizens recognize that conflict is not in the interests of either nation. Yet at a time when the military threat from China toward Taiwan and the South China Sea is on the rise, the tense security environment in Asia will not allow either country the luxury of a long period of reconciliation.”
N. Korea warns of 'catastrophic' COVID-19 crisis as other countries ease restrictions (1 min read)
“The North's official radio broadcaster Korean Central Broadcasting Station reported Tuesday the virus situation is at a serious stage, citing ‘premature’ decisions to lift social distancing measures against COVID-19.” The report said, "Countries that have eased most of their antivirus restrictions with expectations on vaccine inoculation are especially getting into a catastrophic public health crisis… The reality warns that the world is far from getting over the danger of the pandemic and that even just a moment of complacency in antivirus efforts could lead to more catastrophic consequences."
N. Korea underlines past feat from 'three-revolution' movement ahead of related event (1 min read)
“North Korea's state-controlled media tried Thursday to shed light on the past progress made by its ‘three-revolution’ movement aimed at developing its ideology, technology and culture, with preparations under way for a major conference on the movement… This year's conference will be the second of its kind held under Kim Jong-un's rule after the fourth event took place in November 2015. The previous sessions were held in 1986, 1995 and 2006. South Korea's unification ministry spokesperson said earlier this week the latest event appears to be aimed at strengthening the North's internal unity, as this year marks the 10th anniversary since Kim took power.”
The 3 best tanks on earth (4 min read)
.. and one of them is a Korean Tank called the K2 Black Panther.
“It has a dual performance suspension in which it can be adjusted for better travel and be optimized on tough terrain or roads. It can also lean to the left or right. It could be deadly if it ever sees combat. The Black Panther boasts a lethal smart munition called the KSTAM-II that can automatically detect an enemy tank's weakest area. This is fired in stand-off ranges of 5 miles like an artillery shell, then it pops a parachute and floats downward while computing its target — usually the top of its turret on an enemy tank.“
Korean firms flock to CES to flaunt new technologies in post-pandemic era (2 min read)
“Samsung, LG, Hyundai, SK and other Korean companies will set up booths to promote their latest technologies at next year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES), as the event organizer is set to resume in-person events in contrast to the last event earlier this year which was held only online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The CES, which will be held in Las Vegas from Jan. 5 to 8 next year, is one of the world's largest tech fairs along with Spain's Mobile World Congress and Germany's IFA.”
South Korea’s infamous 8-hour Suneung college exam faces growing protests amid fears over students’ mental health (4 min read)
“During the eight-hour exam, all students will be given a score of 1 to 9 (with 9 being the highest) on each of the core subjects… On these scores, much of the students’ lives will depend – from what university they attend to their job, income and even romantic prospects… The Suneung has been a rite of passage for South Korean youth since it was introduced in 1994, but doubts are increasingly creeping in over how effective it really is in preparing young minds for the future… On the day of the test, to prevent disturbance to those sitting it, stock markets open an hour later than usual and incoming planes adjust their schedules to avoid landing during key periods…”
S. Korea's employment rate of university grads ranks low among OECD: report (1 min read)
“South Korea ranks low among members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in terms of the employment rate for university graduates due mainly to a severe mismatch between their majors and job openings, a report showed Thursday. The employment rate for South Koreans aged 25-34 with university diplomas came to 75.2 percent in 2020, the 31st lowest among 37 comparable OECD member countries, according to the report from the Korea Economic Research Institute (KERI). The figure is much lower than 90.6 percent for Britain, 88.4 percent for Germany and 87.8 percent for Japan.”
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