SEOUL - Starting later this year, South Korean airlines will be mandated to report their annual carbon dioxide emissions to the government, following the passage of a related bill last week, as stated by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. The National Assembly approved the "international aviation emission bill" on Thursday, aiming to align with the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA).
According to Yonhap News Agency, CORSIA, established in 2016 by the member states of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), requires most airlines to monitor their CO2 emissions from 2019 and purchase emission reduction units from carbon projects in other sectors to offset any increase in emissions above 2019 levels starting from 2021. This scheme will become mandatory for all applicable carriers starting in 2027, with South Korean airlines already reporting their emissions annually to both the ministry and ICAO under the agreement.
The newly passed domestic law introduces penalties, including fines, for airlines that do not manage to keep their emissions at or below 2019 levels. The requirement applies to airlines operating at least one aircraft with a maximum take-off weight of 5.7 tons or more and annual CO2 emissions exceeding 10,000 tons. In Korea, eight carriers, including Korean Air Co., Asiana Airlines Inc., Jeju Air Co., Air Busan Co., Jin Air Co., T'way Air, Air Incheon Co., and Air Seoul, Inc., fall under this mandate.
In anticipation of the stricter emissions regulations, Korean Air has started using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) for its cargo flights from September, and Asiana Airlines Inc. has entered into an agreement with Shell for the supply of SAF starting in 2026. Meanwhile, low-cost carriers are transitioning to more fuel-efficient next-generation aircraft, such as the B737-8 and the A321neo jets, to meet the new standards.
The local emissions law is slated to come into effect in August, pending approval at an upcoming Cabinet meeting, as further detailed by a ministry official.
SEOUL - Lim Jong-hun, the former deputy chief of the National Court Administration (NCA), was handed a suspended prison sentence by the Seoul Central District Court on Monday, following his conviction in a high-profile power abuse case.According to Yonhap News Agency, Lim, who served the NCA from 2012 to 2017, will face two years in prison, suspended for three years, after being indicted on multiple charges, including abuse of judicial power, in 2018.
Lim was charged with approximately 30 offenses, ranging from dereliction of duty to the suppression of judiciary critics, the creation of a slush fund, leaking confidential information, financial losses to the national treasury, and falsifying official documents. He played a central role in assisting former Supreme Court Chief Justice Yang Sung-tae in allegedly using judicial cases as leverage in negotiations with the presidential office during Park Geun-hye's administration. This included efforts to establish a court of appeals. Lim's conviction makes him the third individual among 14 former and current judges indicted in the scandal to be found guilty, while Yang was acquitted of all charges last month by the same court.
The court identified Lim's guilt in specific instances where he interfered in trials, including cases involving unionized teachers in 2014 and a former lawmaker caught in legal battles in 2015. Additionally, he was found responsible for establishing a slush fund valued at 350 million won (approximately US$263,000).
SEOUL - Indonesia has reiterated its commitment to the KF-21 fighter jet project, a collaboration with South Korea, despite an investigation into an alleged technology theft by an Indonesian engineer. The inquiry, centered around Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), the aircraft's manufacturer, was disclosed last Friday by Seoul's defense officials.According to Yonhap News Agency, an Indonesian daily, Dedy Laksmono, director of technology and defense at Indonesia's Ministry of Defense, confirmed the nation's ongoing support for the project the following day.
The Indonesian official also highlighted that the country has allocated 1.25 trillion rupiah (approximately US$79.6 million) this year to address its outstanding financial contribution to the joint venture initiated in 2015, valued at over 8 trillion won (about US$6 billion). Under the agreement, Seoul is responsible for approximately 60 percent of the project's expenses, with Jakarta and KAI each covering about 20 percent. However, Indonesia's delayed payments, which amounted to nearly 1 trillion won by last October, have raised concerns over its commitment.
Choi Kyung-ho, a spokesperson for South Korea's arms procurement agency, mentioned on Monday that discussions regarding the cost-sharing arrangements with Indonesia are in progress. The KF-21 project aims to produce a supersonic fighter jet to modernize South Korea's fleet of F-4 and F-5 aircraft, with the first model expected to join the Air Force in 2026.
SEOUL—The Seoul police have decided not to seek an arrest warrant for the teenager accused of attacking Bae Hyun-jin, a lawmaker from the ruling People Power Party (PPP), with a rock last month. The assailant, a 15-year-old boy, is currently receiving hospital treatment, which has influenced the decision against pursuing immediate arrest. Woo Jong-soo, the chief of the National Office of Investigation, emphasized during a Monday press conference that the assailant's hospitalization renders the issuance of an arrest warrant unnecessary at this stage.According to Yonhap News Agency, The incident, which took place in Seoul's Gangnam district on January 25, saw the suspect strike Bae more than 15 times in the head with a rock. Following the attack, police conducted an interrogation with the suspect in the presence of his guardian and initiated "emergency hospitalization" at a psychiatric facility due to concerns over his mental health and potential risk to himself or others. After the initial three-day emergency hospitalization period ended, the suspect was involuntarily admitted to the hospital with his parents' consent for further treatment and evaluation.
According to police statements, the suspect is under "protective hospitalization," which allows for a hospital stay of up to three months, with a possible extension to six months. The police plan to determine whether to forward the case to prosecutors before the expiration of the hospitalization period, taking into account the suspect's mental health status and the severity of the assault.
SEOUL—In a groundbreaking move to combat South Korea's plummeting birth rate, Booyoung Group announced on Monday that it will offer a 100 million won ($75,000) incentive for each child born to its employees. Since January 2021, the company has already distributed a total of 7 billion won to 70 employees who have welcomed a new child, regardless of the employee's gender. For families within the company that welcome a third child, Booyoung has pledged to provide either 300 million won or a permanent rental apartment, marking the first instance of a South Korean company offering such a substantial cash incentive for childbirth.According to Yonhap News Agency, Chairman Lee Joong-keun emphasized the urgency of this initiative, citing predictions of national extinction within 20 years if the current trend in declining birth rates continues. These "unprecedented" incentives aim to alleviate financial burdens on employees and address challenges in achieving work-life balance. South Korea's fertility rate hit a record low of 0.78 in 2022, significantly below the 2.1 replacement level necessary to maintain the country's population at 50 million. Projections from Statistics Korea indicate a continued decline in the number of newborns, from 250,000 in 2022 to an anticipated 160,000 by 2072, highlighting the critical need for such measures.