Latest news with #YoonJoon-byeong
Korea Herald
08-04-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
Promoting employment of older adults, protecting consumers in electronic commerce
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 Act on Prohibition of Age Discrimination in Employment and Elderly Employment Promotion Proposed by Rep. Kim Wi-sang (People Power Party) ● This amendment requires employers to provide continued employment in line with the national pension eligibility age, while leaving the choice of specific measures — such as extending the retirement age or rehiring retired employees — up to each company. Proposed Bill: Partial Amendment to the Distribution Industry Development Act Proposed by Rep. Yoon Joon-byeong (Democratic Party of Korea) ● This amendment extends by five years the sunset period for provisions on defining and registering quasi-superstores, as well as designating traditional commerce preservation areas. Pending Bill: Partial Amendment to the Act on the Consumer Protection in Electronic Commerce Proposed by the Government ● This amendment requires mail-order distributors and brokers to appoint domestic agents in Korea, who must handle consumer complaints or disputes and cooperate with Fair Trade Commission investigations into suspected legal violations. Promulgated Bill: Special Act on the Promotion of Offshore Wind Power Distribution and Industry Development Competent Authorities: Ministry of Economy and Finance; Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy; and Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries ● This bill shifts offshore wind power development to a government-led model by mandating the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries to operate a site information network, designate preliminary and development districts based on it, and select project operators for each district through tenders. Administrative Announcement: Partial Amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the Act on Restriction on Special Cases Concerning Taxation
CBC
26-03-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Helicopter pilot fighting blaze among 24 killed in South Korea wildfires
The death toll in the wildfires raging across South Korea's southeastern region rose to 24, and the pilot of a firefighting helicopter was killed when the aircraft crashed on Wednesday, as the country battles some of its worst forest fires in decades. The deadly wildfires have spread rapidly and forced more than 27,000 residents to flee their homes, the government said. The blazes, fuelled by strong winds and dry weather, have razed entire neighbourhoods, closed schools and forced authorities to transfer hundreds of inmates from prisons. "We are deploying all available personnel and equipment in response to the worst wildfires ever, but the situation is not good," acting President Han Duck-soo said, adding that the U.S. military in Korea was also assisting. The Korea Forest Service said 24 people had been confirmed dead in the fires. It did not give a breakdown, but earlier the Safety Ministry said 14 people had died in Uiseong county, and four other deaths were linked to a blaze in Sancheong county. Dry conditions were expected to persist in the wildfire-hit region on Wednesday, the safety ministry said. The Forest Service also said one of its firefighting helicopters crashed while trying to extinguish a blaze in the county of Uiseong, and the pilot was killed. South Korea relies on helicopters to tackle forest fires because of its mountainous terrain, and the incident led to the brief grounding of the fleet. Video footage from the scene showed what appeared to be a twisted fuselage alongside smoking debris scattered over a hillside. The cause of the accident was being investigated, authorities said. Eight Russian helicopters out of the Korea Forest Service's fleet of 48 used in firefighting had been taken out of operation since last year due to an inability to import parts from Russia because of sanctions related to the Ukraine war, Yoon Joon-byeong, a Democratic Party lawmaker said in October, using data from the forest service. Kim Jong-gun, a spokesperson for the Korea Forest Service, said the agency planned to secure more wildfire-fighting helicopters, responding to criticism about a lack of equipment and helicopters on the ground. He said that 4,919 firefighting personnel were being deployed on Wednesday, including hundreds of police officers and military units, while 87 helicopters were being used. Ancient temple destroyed The blazes that broke out on Saturday in Uiseong are yet to be contained, gutting ancient temples and destroying homes. The Uiseong fires were also threatening several UNESCO World Heritage sites, Hahoe Village and the Byeongsan Confucian Academy, in Andong city on Wednesday, a city official said, as authorities sprayed fire retardants to try to protect them. The flames had already burned down Goun Temple, an ancient temple built in 681, Yonhap reported. The government has designated the affected areas as special disaster zones and said the fires had damaged more than 15,000 hectares. The Uiseong fire, only 68 per cent contained and exacerbated by gusty winds, shows "unimaginable" scale and speed, said Lee Byung-doo, a forest disaster expert at the National Institute of Forest Science. Climate change is projected to make wildfires more frequent globally, Lee said, citing the unusual timing of wildfires that ravaged part of Los Angeles in January and a recent wildfire in northeast Japan.
