‘Kimjongunism’ - a new doctrine in the North, Apple Korea chief resigns, and banning dogmeat will need to wait
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K-NEWS BITES
Fri 2021-11-05 (KST)
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What's behind Sejong City's high birthrate? (5 min read)
“Korea's total birthrate, or the number of babies a woman chooses to have, recorded 0.84, which is by far the lowest in the world… If there is one exception in the country, it would be Sejong. The newly built administrative city centered on central government ministries relocated from Seoul, the capital, recorded a total fertility rate of 1.28 last year, which is twice as high as the 0.64 rate of Seoul.” Good infrastructure for childcare, and affordable housing, were amongst the factors contributing to this. The article contains a graph which compares the fertility rate of major cities in Korea.
Seoul city, coffee stores experiment with cafes without disposable cups (1 min read)
“‘Under the ‘multiuse cup experimental project,’ set to kick off Saturday, about 20 coffee shops around Seoul City Hall in central Seoul will lend reusable tumblers to customers taking out coffee or other beverages, the city government said. Those tumblers can be borrowed at a deposit of 1,000 won ($0.85), which will be refundable upon return. The participating cafes will operate unmanned machines to collect used tumblers lent by any of them and refund the deposit in cash or digital points. Twelve Starbucks stores have joined the project along with at least six other franchise or stand-alone coffee shops.”
Concerns rise as cases surge among teens, elderly (3 min read)
“The number of new COVID-19 patients continues to top 2,000 daily, with more than half being teenagers and senior citizens, casting a pall over the nation’s plans for a step-by-step transition to normalcy… The surge in the age groups is thought to have been fueled by increasing face-to-face activities of minors as schools reopen, and due to falling efficacy of vaccines in older populations who were inoculated more than six months ago, experts say.”
New infections over 2,400 for 2nd day amid eased virus curbs ( 2 min read)
“South Korea's new coronavirus cases stayed above 2,400 for the second consecutive day Thursday as the country relaxed its virus restrictions nationwide in line with its ‘living with COVID-19’ scheme. The country reported 2,482 new COVID-19 cases, raising the total caseload to 373,120… The death toll rose to a 10-month high of 24, bringing the total number to 2,916. The number marked the highest since Jan. 12, when 25 people died of COVID-19. The fatality rate came to 0.78 percent.”
General COVID Information for residents in Korea:
Ministry of Health and Welfare, South Korea
Coronavirus Statistics for South Korea
“The career of the 2 Days & 1 Night star looked to be over when an anonymous online post claimed he had dropped his girlfriend after demanding she abort their baby. Fans and sponsors abandoned him, and film work dried up. Yet after similarly anonymous sources put his side of the story across, his career came back to life – in what critics say is a cautionary tale of the excesses of cancel culture... His case is also evidence of a shift in which accused stars are increasingly fighting back against their cancellations – and winning.”
Heard of 'Kimjongunism'? That's North Korea's brand new doctrine, coined by Kim Jong-un (2 min read)
“In an attempt to shed the shadow of his predecessors, Kim Jong-un has ordered authorities to promote the doctrine of 'Kimjongunism,' as well as remove paintings of his father and grandparents… Experts think the decision reflects Kim's determination to establish his own [dictatorship], as deference to predecessors has been a hallmark of the Kim dynasty thus far… In the 1970s, the term 'Kimilsungism' was adopted to designate Kim's grandfather's beliefs.The phrase 'Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism' was coined in the next decade to describe the relationship between the country's founder and his heir apparent.”
North Korea using robots to teach children English and 'enhance intelligence' (1 min read)
“A toy-like robot with the country's flag on its chest was demonstrated on state television KRT following a push for education reform and technological innovation by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un… Primary school students in the footage wore masks as they repeated phrases after one of the robots.” Park Kum Hee, a professor at a university in Pyongyang said, “It was the words of our respected Comrade General Secretary [Kim Jong Un] on adopting artificial intelligence technology in education that has always guided me on the right track.” The article includes photos of 3 examples of these robots.
Apple Korea chief offers to resign (1 min read)
“The chief of Apple Korea is said to have offered to resign from the post, a few months after the country passed a bill banning Apple from requiring developers to use its in-app purchasing systems. On Thursday, industry officials said Apple Korea General Manager Yoon Koo, or Brandon Yoon, tendered his resignation recently. Apple Korea officials were unavailable for comment.”
Kakao Q3 net jumps nearly six times on content biz (1 min read)
“Kakao Corp., the operator of South Korea's top mobile messenger KakaoTalk, said Thursday its third-quarter net profit jumped nearly six times from a year earlier on the back of robust growth of its content businesses amid the pandemic. Net profit reached 866.3 billion won ($733.1 million) in the July-September period on a consolidated basis, compared with a profit of 143.7 billion won a year earlier, the company said in a regulatory filing… The company attributed the stellar performance to the robust growth of its content business that encompasses game, story, music and media sectors.”
Man jailed for getting tattooed all over to avoid military duty (2 min read)
“The judge noted in the ruling that those who ‘undermine the fundamentals of the military service system’ deserve stern punishment, when considering the fact that the majority of young men obediently complete their military duty. [But due] to the decreasing pool of conscriptees, following the demographic changes caused by Korea's low birthrate and rapidly aging society, the Military Manpower Administration started applying new criteria in the physical examination this year. Even those with tattoos must serve in the military. The conscription agency said that it made that decision because the negative social perception of tattoos has decreased.”
Gov't: Legislation on Dog Meat Consumption Not Feasible (1 min read)
“The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has expressed challenges in legislating a ban on dog meat consumption, citing insufficient public consensus. Responding to a letter sent by the Korean Dog Meat Association last month, the ministry said Wednesday that it's difficult to allow or ban consumption by law due to polarizing opinions on the matter. It said the issue could be reviewed after extensive social discussions and a consensus reaching process.“
Salted shrimp festival to be held in Mapo this weekend (1 min read)
“The 14th Mapo Salted Shrimp Festival will be held for three days from Nov. 5, where people can buy the briny condiment from famous producers at discounted prices, according to Mapo-gu Office, Monday… The district office will hold an event reenacting salted shrimp merchants entering the port and people buying the goods, on the main stage of the World Cup Park, Nov. 5…. A music concert will also be held at 3 p.m. every day for three days,” featuring celebrities Nam Jin, Maria, Kim Jung-min, and Coyote. Please refer to the article for more details regarding the offline and online events.
[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea (2 min read)
A variety of festivals are running across Korea, which include:
Herb Island Pink Muhly Festival [runs until Sunday Nov 7]
- Location: Pocheon Herb Island in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province.Jinju Namgang Lantern Festival [Dec 4-31]
- Location: Jinju Namgang River and fortress of Jinjuseong in South Gyeongsang ProvinceGyeongnam Goseong Dinosaur World Expo [Oct - Nov 7]
- Location: Danghangpo Tourist Resort and Sangjogam Provincial ParkIksan Ten Million Chrysanthemum Festival [runs until Nov 14]
- Location: different areas of Iksan, North Jeolla Province, including Iksan’s bus terminal, train station, city hall and the Iksan Jungang Sports Complex.Incheon Open Port Culture Night [Nov 5-7]
- Location: Incheon’s Open Port Culture District in Jung-gu.
Please refer to the article for further details.
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