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The Star
a day ago
- Politics
- The Star
Death penalty for saying ‘oppa'?: North Korea strengthens law to curb ‘anti-socialist culture' in the South
People walk on a street outside a department store in Pyongyang on Thursday (May 29, 2025). -- PHOTO: AFP PYONGYANG (Korea Herald/ANN): North Korea has strengthened its law to control foreign cultural influences by increasing the severity of criminal punishments against the spread of 'anti-socialist culture', going so far as to impose the death penalty, the Ministry of Justice said on May 30. According to the ministry, which recently analysed North Korea's revised Criminal Act, North Korea expanded the scope of the death penalty to special criminal laws regarding drug crimes, reactionary ideology and culture, including from South Korea, dubbed Hallyu, or the Korean Wave. Seoul explained that North Korea's recent revision stemmed from the view that it perceives the influx of South Korean culture, like popular use of the term 'oppa', as a possible threat to the regime. 'Oppa' is a term used by South Korean women when they address not only an older male sibling, but also an older male who belongs to the same community or one's romantic partner. While North Korea restricts the usage of 'oppa' to its original usage meaning older brother, a growing number of North Korean people in their 20s and 30s have started using 'oppa' in the South Korean way, according to the Justice Ministry. The explanation was part of the government's comprehensive commentaries on North Korea's Criminal Act revisions in December 2023, analysing all 329 articles of the law. While increasing the number of criminal offenses eligible for the death penalty from 11 to 16, North Korea removed articles that previously included references to national reunification to reflect the changed nature of inter-Korean relations as 'two hostile states'. Additional provisions have been introduced to strengthen the protection of national symbols by creating a new offense for damaging the national flag or emblem, according to the Justice Ministry. It claimed that the revised criminal law included articles reflecting sanctions imposed by the international community as well. 'We hope that the analysis will serve as a foundation for future research, which is aimed to effectively address the integration of South and North Korea's legal systems. The ministry will continue to make efforts to prepare for the unification of legal and institutional frameworks on the Korean Peninsula,' said the ministry. The ministry stated that it did not only make explanations to the legal elements outlined in each article of North Korean Criminal Act, but also created comparative legal studies with the criminal laws of South Korea, Russia, China and Vietnam. -- THE KOREA HERALD/ ASIA NEWS NETWORK
Korea Herald
2 days ago
- Business
- Korea Herald
'Hanok Avengers' on future of Korean architecture
Korea Herald's 'Architecture Talk: Evolving Hanok' raises hopes for hanok's future The Korea Herald's "Architecture Talk: Evolving Hanok" brought together a group of so-called 'Hanok Avengers' on Wednesday at the Eundeok Cultural Center — a beautifully restored, century-old building in central Seoul that exemplifies the elegance of traditional Korean architecture. Building on a six-part series titled "Evolving Hanok" published in May by The Korea Herald, the third edition of the annual "Architecture Talk" was jointly hosted with the state-run Architecture & Urban Research Institute. Dubbed the 'Hanok Avengers' by Shin Chi-hoo, manager and research fellow at the National Hanok Center, the speakers shared insights and experiences that reflected the current state -- and evolving identity -- of hanok in contemporary Korea. In addition to Shin, the event featured leading figures in the field: Hwang Doo-jin, director of Doojin Hwang Architects; Jeon Bong-hee, an architecture professor at Seoul National University; Cho Jung-goo of guga Urban Architecture; Kim Yong-mi, architect and CEO of GS Architects & Associates; and Daniel Tandler, co-founder of Urbandetail Architecture. 'The National Hanok Center had set the goal of achieving a hanok renaissance by 2022, but we failed. We will achieve that goal by 2032,' Shin said, emphasizing that many hanok neighborhoods have vanished under a development-first mindset. Still, the fact that such a goal could even be articulated marks a significant cultural shift. Over the past decade, the notion of a hanok renaissance has gained momentum, fueled by devoted architects, policy support and growing interest from younger generations. Kim, the panelist with the longest experience working with hanok, recalled once thinking her passion for traditional Korean architecture was just a personal preference -- one decidedly outside the mainstream. That changed when she came across architect Hwang Doo-jin's 2006 book, "Hanok Has Returned." 'I was shocked,' she said, adding that the book transformed her view, helping her realize that her passion was part of a larger, emerging movement. Kim also reflected on a small but meaningful gathering she had a decade ago with fellow architects Hwang Doo-jin and Cho Jung-goo -- all passionate about hanok. Since then, the small group of architects who are engaged seriously in hanok design has remained largely the same, Kim noted, except for one notable addition: Tandler. At the time, Tandler was just beginning to explore hanok. Today, he is recognized for his dedication to the form and his growing contributions to its evolution. "We need to worry less about making mistakes. As people do experiments with hanok, there will inevitably be some strange outcomes. And that's okay -- people can simply see them and move on," Tandler said. "Because building hanok is far from the futuristic images of sci-fi movies, there once was a time that I thought I wasn't taking part in building the future. I now believe we need to create new architectural spaces that align with the concepts and philosophies of our time -- spaces that even Millennials and Generation Z can appreciate," Cho said. The discussion also touched on key elements that define hanok and offered valuable insights for those still grappling with what the term truly means. Among those reflecting on hanok's evolving identity was Dagmar Schmidt Tartagli, the ambassador of Switzerland to Korea, who shared with the roughly 90 participants the embassy's experience of introducing the 'Swiss Hanok.' 'The Swiss Hanok' came about through an open architecture competition. 'At first, people told us, 'This is not a hanok,' because it wasn't built in the traditional way or linked to heritage hanok construction,' she explained. 'Yet the more I listened to this architectural debate on what hanok can become, the more I understood. People began referring to the embassy as the 'Swiss Hanok.' When you incorporate these elements — the madang, the light, the spatial flow -- there's also a kind of globalization aspect," Tartagli said. From the international community in Seoul, Michela Linda Magri, director of the Italian Cultural Institute of Seoul, and Marie Antonia von Schonburg, President & CEO of the Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry, were among those attending the event. Choi Jin-young, president of Herald Media Group, spoke about how his mood shifted upon entering the hanok. 'After going through all sorts of big and small meetings, by around lunchtime I often find myself completely drained. The workload is quite intense, and today was one of those days. But the moment I stepped into this place, all that fatigue just melted away. I felt an incredible sense of calm — as if I had arrived at a sanctuary for the soul,' he said. Choi Jong-bok, chairman of Zyx Technology, which was one of the sponsors of the event, expressed his confidence and aspiration to become a global leader in CAD solutions for architecture, especially for hanok. gypark@
Korea Herald
5 days ago
- Health
- Korea Herald
Do kids really gain more weight when moms work longer hours?
Study says long working hours for moms linked to higher risk of abdominal obesity in children, but what about dads? Children whose mothers work long hours are more than twice as likely to develop abdominal obesity, according to a recent South Korean study examining the link between maternal working hours and metabolic health risks in adolescents. The study, conducted by Park Hoon-ki's team from the department of family medicine at Hanyang University Hospital, analyzed data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2016 to 2020, involving 2,598 children and adolescents aged 10 to 18. Researchers investigated the presence of metabolic syndrome in these youths, which is diagnosed when abdominal obesity is present along with at least two other conditions, such as high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol or high triglyceride levels. People with metabolic syndrome have an increased risk of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and stroke. The team classified mothers' weekly working hours into five groups: not employed, one to 19 hours, 20 to 39 hours, 40 to 52 hours and over 53 hours. They then compared the prevalence of metabolic syndrome risk factors in children across these categories. Under current labor laws in South Korea, regular working hours must not exceed 40 hours a week. This can be extended to 52 hours when including overtime, which is not to exceed 12 hours a week. The findings showed that children whose mothers worked more than 53 hours a week had 2.27 times higher prevalence of abdominal obesity than those whose mothers were not employed. Although the overall risk for metabolic syndrome increased by 1.93 times, this result did not reach statistical significance, the report said. A gender-based breakdown revealed a sharper disparity among girls, as the daughters of mothers working over 53 hours a week were 6.07 times more likely to have metabolic syndrome compared to girls whose mothers did not work. The researchers suggest that longer maternal working hours may reduce the time available for healthy meal preparation and physical activity guidance, both critical factors in preventing childhood obesity and related health problems. Previous international studies have also noted a correlation between increased maternal working hours and higher body mass index in children. 'While we confirmed a significant association between mothers' extended working hours and increased risk of metabolic syndrome in children, especially daughters, further long-term studies are needed to clarify the causal relationship,' Park noted. The Korea Herald asked whether the findings factored for fathers working long hours, but the researchers had not responded by press time. jychoi@
Korea Herald
6 days ago
- Business
- Korea Herald
Stock undervaluation prevention, bank branch closure notices
The Korea Herald republishes a weekly legislative report by local law firm DR & AJU LLC to provide the latest information on bills approved, proposed, pending and set to be promulgated. — Ed. Proposed Bill: Partial Amendment to the Inheritance Tax and Gift Tax Act Proposed by Rep. Lee So-young (Democratic Party of Korea) ● This amendment aims to prevent controlling shareholders from inducing stock undervaluation to reduce inheritance or gift taxes during succession. If the assessed value of listed shares falls below 80 percent of their net asset value, the same valuation method used for unlisted shares will be applied, reflecting both assets and earnings. Proposed Bill: Partial Amendment to the Telecommunications Business Act Proposed by Rep. Choi Soo-jin (People Power Party) ● This amendment aims to curb Google's forced in-app payment policy by specifying prohibited acts of major app market operators and banning the imposition of unreasonable or discriminatory conditions on the use of external payment systems. Pending Bill: Partial Amendment to the Banking Act Proposed by Rep. Park Hong-bae (Democratic Party of Korea) ● As banks tend to facilitate the transition to digital services and close physical branches, this amendment seeks to protect digitally vulnerable individuals by requiring advance notice before any branch closure. Promulgated Bill: Act on the Improvement of Urban Areas and Residential Environments Competent Authority: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport ● This bill lowers the consent threshold for forming a reconstruction project association from at least 75 percent to 70 percent of all strata title holders in each unit of a housing complex. Administrative Announcement: Partial Amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the Special Act on the Prevention of Loss Caused by Telecommunications-Based Financial Fraud and Refund for Loss Competent Authority: Financial Services Commission ● This amendment requires specialized credit financial companies and credit service providers to verify users' identities during financial transactions, aiming to prevent telecommunications-based financial fraud.
Malay Mail
21-05-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
After years of construction, North Korea prepares to open Wonsan beach resort in Kim Jong-un's hometown
PYONGYANG, May 21 — North Korea is reportedly finalising preparations for the official opening of the Wonsan seaside resort in Kangwon Province, one of leader Kim Jong-un's flagship development projects. According to US-based outlet 38 North, recent satellite images of the Wonsan-Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone showed beach furniture such as sunbeds placed in neat rows, indicating readiness for visitors. 'Work that had been taking place at several places around the resort appears to have finished, most visibly at the water park, where colourful furniture has been installed,' the outlet wrote, while noting that no event infrastructure such as temporary stages or propaganda boards were visible. Meanwhile, The Korea Herald reported that Kim visited the site on December 29 last year and announced plans to launch the resort in full by June, following his inspection of hotel and recreational facilities. Designated as a special tourism zone in 2014, the area was initially slated for completion by April 15, 2019, but progress was delayed due to sanctions and Covid-19-related border closures, according to the report.. North Korea is also reportedly promoting Wonsan — believed by some to be Kim's birthplace — as a key tourism hub, with historical links to Japan-Korea repatriation efforts and Kim's mother Ko Yong-hui, who was reportedly called 'the woman from Wonsan'. 'Foreign tourists are expressing surprise at how the huge coastal tourist area... is becoming more luxurious by the day,' Jang Hyun-il of the Korea International Travel Company was quoted as saying in the Cabinet newspaper, as part of ongoing efforts to attract overseas visitors. Tourism infrastructure is also reportedly being developed in Samjiyon, near Mount Paektu. 'This is a strategy to exploit loopholes in sanctions for foreign currency earning, but ultimately, the problem lies in attracting tourists,' Jung Yoo-suk, a research fellow at South Korea's Korea Institute for National Unification, told The Korea Herald.
