Around 100 foreign domestic workers to work in Seoul this year: labor ministry
SEOUL — About 100 foreign domestic workers from the Philippines and other countries will be allowed to work in Seoul later this year in a pilot project to test the import of domestic helpers amid a dwindling number of locals willing to work as maids, the labor ministry said Monday.
The ministry unveiled the plan during a public hearing on the proposal to import foreign domestic workers as part of efforts to address shortages of people willing to work as maids, tackle the low birth rate and help women continue with their careers.
Heat wave forecast to continue across S. Korea
SEOUL, July 31 (Yonhap) — A heat wave will continue to bake South Korea on Monday with apparent temperatures likely to go over 35 C in most parts of the country, the weather agency said.
The highest daily temperature in most parts of the nation is expected to reach between 29 C and 35 C while the apparent temperature is forecast to exceed 35 C across almost the entire nation, the Korea Meteorological Administration said.
Yoon’s approval rating bounces back to 37.3 pct after falling for 3 consecutive weeks
SEOUL — President Yoon Suk Yeol’s approval rating bounced back to 37.3 percent after falling for the past three consecutive weeks, a poll showed Monday.
In a poll of 2,517 eligible voters conducted by Realmeter from Monday to Friday last week, positive assessments of Yoon rose by 0.7 percentage point from the previous week, while negative assessments inched down 0.4 percentage point to 59.5 percent.
Defense minister to leave for Uzbekistan for defense, industry cooperation talks
SEOUL — South Korea’s Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup is set to depart for Uzbekistan on Monday for talks aimed at expanding bilateral defense and arms industry cooperation, his ministry said.
During his visit to the country from Monday through Thursday, Lee plans to pay a courtesy call on Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, National Security Council Secretary Victor Makhmudov and Defense Minister Bakhodir Kurbanov, according to the ministry.
S. Korea, U.S. agree to sign arrangement on bolstering defense supply chains
SEOUL — South Korea and the United States agreed to sign an arrangement aimed at bolstering bilateral security supply chains in senior-level defense cooperation talks last week, Seoul’s arms procurement agency said Monday.
Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) Minister Eom Dong-hwan and William A. LaPlante, the U.S. under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, made the agreement during the Defense Technological Industrial Cooperation Committee in Washington on Friday, according to DAPA.
Tax revenue down 39.7 tln won through June
SEJONG — South Korea’s tax revenue decreased 39.7 trillion won (US$31.1 billion) on-year in the first half of 2023, data showed Monday, amid the slump in the property market.
Tax revenue reached 178.5 trillion won during the January-June period, down from 218.3 trillion won tallied a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance.
‘Smugglers’ attracts 1.17 mln admissions over weekend
SEOUL — Director Ryoo Seung-wan’s new crime action thriller “Smugglers” has sold over 1 million tickets in its first weekend at local theaters, data showed Monday, signaling the emergence of a box-office smash for this summer.
According to the data from the Korean Film Council (KOFIC), “Smugglers” topped the weekend box office by drawing 1.17 million viewers from Friday to Sunday.
System error briefly disrupts Seoul stock trading; KOSPI up 0.9 pct
SEOUL — South Korean stocks traded nearly 1 percent higher late Monday morning, led by gains in bullish battery makers and large-cap IT service companies.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) had risen 24.25 points, or 0.93 percent, to 2,632.57 as of 11:15 a.m.
Source: Yonhap News Agency