Category: Korea-General Topics

Now even in South Korea teachers are being treated very poorly and thus leading to less college students wanting to become one:

“Teachers can no longer teach in the way they used to,” Choi said. “They are constantly challenged, monitored, and disrespected. Classrooms have become increasingly difficult environments to manage. Teachers face verbal and even legal confrontations from students and parents.”

Choi’s doubts echo those of many young Koreans. Once considered a prestigious calling, the teaching profession in South Korea is losing both its appeal and its authority.

This erosion of teachers’ authority in classrooms has driven young people away from teaching and dragged down the competitiveness of education universities nationwide.

According to recent data released by Jongro Academy, the admission thresholds for education colleges in the 2025 academic year have plunged to record lows. In some special admission tracks, students with high school grades as low as 7 were accepted. Korean high schools rank students according to a nine-level relative evaluation system. Even in general admission rounds, which typically draw top-performing students, some candidates with GPAs in the 6th-grade range made the cut.

“Seeing a GPA of 6 in general admission is extremely rare and suggests a sharp decline in interest even among mid-performing students,” said Im Sung-ho, head of Jongro Academy.

The drop comes despite a reduction in the admission quota at these institutions, which under normal conditions, would push scores higher. Instead, both early and regular admission scores declined — an indication that fewer students with high GPAs are applying to become teachers.

Korea Herald

You can read more at the link, but the disrespect of teachers in Korea is different from the United States. In the U.S. the teachers are treated liked they are overpaid babysitters for many disinterested parents. In Korea the disrespect comes from overinterested parents who get upset if their child didn’t get the grade they think they deserved or if their kids are disciplined in any way. I think I would rather have the Korea problem of overinterested parents instead of the U.S. problem where many parents just don’t care.

It is amazing to think it has been 16 years since South Korea conducted a nuclear power project. This really should be a growth industry for them considering their expertise, but domestic politics has held back this industry. Pushing for nuclear power projects is one good thing the impeached President Yoon did do while in office:

South Korea has won a multibillion-dollar project to build two nuclear reactors in the Czech Republic, its first overseas nuclear power plant project in 16 years, according to a news report and officials on Wednesday.

A South Korean consortium, led by Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. (KHNP), will sign a final agreement on the project with the Czech Republic’s Elektrarna Dukovany II (EDU II) next Wednesday, Reuters reported, citing the Czech government.

The South Korean government immediately welcomed the Czech government’s announcement. 

“The two countries are discussing the details of the planned contract signing ceremony,” the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said in a press release.

The deal, estimated to be worth 26 trillion won (US$18.2 billion), marks South Korea’s first overseas nuclear power plant project win since 2009, when the KHNP won the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant contract in the United Arab Emirates.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

According to the article the documentary does a good job chronicling the botched rescue operation, but does not offer any reasons why it was so poor to begin with:

Director-producer Min Bae’s documentary film “Reset” primarily traces the emotional journey, over nine years since the tragedy’s outset, of Moon Jong-taek, father of Moon Ji-sung, one of the 250 student victims.

During the painstaking years, Moon emerged as both a fierce advocate and a meticulous documentarian, capturing every thread of the Sewol ferry tragedy in his search for the elusive truth behind its sinking. 

Lost in the enduring sorrows, he built invisible walls around himself. His all-consuming obsession over the long painful years left the rest of his family feeling forgotten.

He and others have focused especially on the rescue operation, examining not only its shortcomings but also the potential for a deliberate failure to act. 

They were also consumed by the crucial question of why students were repeatedly instructed to “stay still,” while some of the crew members, including the captain, rapidly evacuated to the upper decks of the sinking ship and were rescued.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

Hopefully this fire can be contained before it spreads into the city:

A fire on a mountain in Daegu began spreading toward nearby villages Monday, triggering the second-highest firefighting response.

The blaze began around 2 p.m. on Mount Hamji in the city some 230 kilometers southeast of Seoul, prompting forest authorities to issue a Level 1 wildfire response involving 19 helicopters, 38 pieces of equipment and 165 personnel.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

That would be pretty impressive if South Korea becomes one of the first countries to secure and trade deal with the Trump administration. With that said what will be interesting is if it stays in effect when a new President takes over Korea:

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described high-level trade talks with South Korea in Washington on Thursday as “very successful,” noting that Seoul came with its “A-game” and anticipating that the allies will discuss “technical terms” as early as next week.

Bessent made the remarks in an interview with CNN, after he and U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer met with Seoul’s Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok and Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun for their “two-plus-two” trade consultations at the Department of the Treasury.

“We had a very successful bilateral meeting with the Republic of Korea today. We may be moving faster than I thought,” Bessent said, referring to South Korea by its official name.

“We will be talking (about) technical terms as early as next week as we reach that agreement on understanding as soon as next week. So the South Koreans came early. They came with their A game, and we will see if they follow through on that,” he added.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

It is moving day for the Yoon family:

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol is set to leave the presidential residence Friday to return to his private residence in southern Seoul, officials said Thursday, following his removal from office last week.

“Yoon plans to leave the official residence at 5 p.m. Friday move to his private residence,” a senior presidential official said in a press notice. 

The Presidential Security Service (PSS) has reportedly completed organizing a private residence security team of about 40 people for Yoon. Under the current law, Yoon can receive protection from the PSS for up to 10 years.

Yoon’s private residence is located at the Acrovista apartment complex in Seocho-dong, southern Seoul, and he previously stayed there for six months even after his presidential inauguration in May 2022.

Yoon and his wife, Kim Keon Hee, are reportedly considering moving to another private residence in the capital area later because they own as many as 11 pet dogs and cats and the presence of security guards may cause some inconveniences for neighbors.

Yonhap

It seems like it would be tough for a former President to live in an apartment building because of the impact all the security requirements would have on their neighbors. It makes sense they would likely try and find house to live in that would not cause so impact to neighbors like living in an apartment would cause.

This weekend would be a good time for Americans in South Korea to keep a low profile because the potential for violence caused by the upcoming Constitutional Court ruling is a probability:

The U.S. Embassy in Seoul advised American citizens in South Korea on Wednesday to avoid large crowds or demonstrations ahead of the Constitutional Court’s verdict on President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment. 

The notice came as the top court is set to rule on Yoon’s impeachment over his brief imposition of martial law on Dec. 3. 

“In connection with the Constitutional Court’s verdict on the impeachment of President Yoon, U.S. citizens should anticipate large-scale demonstrations and an increased police presence,” the embassy said in a posting on X. 

“Avoid areas where demonstrations are taking place, and exercise caution in the vicinity of any large crowds, gatherings, protests, or rallies,” it said.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

Considering how cheap health care is in South Korea it is not surprising that Koreans are going to the doctor more on average than other countries:

South Koreans on average visit local medical clinics 18 times a year, far exceeding those in other similar countries, a recent report showed.

The report on South Koreans’ health care usage found that the average number of annual outpatient visits per capita reached 18 in 2023. This figure is almost three times the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development average of 6.4 in 2022.

Korea Herald

You can read more at the link.

It appears that the horrible wildfires in South Korea are finally contained:

 A massive wildfire that began in Sancheong County and swept through nearby regions in South Gyeongsang Province has been fully contained, authorities said Sunday.

The main fires were under control as of 1 p.m. Sunday, nearly 10 days after they first broke out March 21, according to forestry officials.

The wildfire has scorched an estimated 1,858 hectares of woodland, equivalent to around 2,600 football fields.

At least 30 people have died from the recent wave of nationwide wildfires, including 26 reported in North Gyeongsang Province.

Yonhap

Here is what started the fire Gyeongsangbuk-do:

Meanwhile, police authorities said they have booked a man suspected of starting the massive wildfires in North Gyeongsang Province.

The 56-year-old man is accused of causing the fire at around 11:25 a.m. on March 22 while performing an ancestral rite at a family grave on a hill in Uiseong County, North Gyeongsang Province.

The fire then spread rapidly to nearby Andong, Cheongsong, Yeongyang and Yeongdeok for days due to gusty winds amid dry conditions.

You can read more at the link, but investigators are still trying to determine who started the other wildfires.