Category: Korea-General Topics

South Korea continues to make strides in their efforts to add a space industry to their economy:

Arirang 7, South Korea’s multipurpose satellite, has successfully entered orbit after lifting off from a space center in South America, the country’s space agency said Tuesday.

Also known as the Korea Multipurpose Satellite 7, the satellite was deployed from the Vega-C rocket 44 minutes after launching from the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana at 2:21 p.m. Monday (French Guiana time), or 2:21 a.m. Tuesday (Korean time), according to the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA). The rocket is operated by France-based Arianespace.

The Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), the developer of Arirang 7, confirmed the satellite’s condition when it made contact with Russia’s Antarctic ground station at 3:30 a.m. (Korean time).

KARI also verified its successful orbital insertion through data from Arianespace.

Arirang 7, equipped with an ultra-high-resolution electro-optical camera and an infrared sensor, is expected to provide high-quality imagery for environmental and disaster monitoring, and urban heat island analysis.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

It looks like this deal will allow South Korea via UAE to sell arms to Islamic militant groups in Africa that UAE is backing:

South Korea and the United Arab Emirates have agreed to work together to export defense equipment and nuclear reactors to third countries, marking a significant expansion beyond their fast-growing bilateral trade in these sectors. President Lee Jae Myung’s aides announced the agreement Tuesday during a briefing in Abu Dhabi, following a summit between the leaders of the two nations.

Kang Hoon-sik, presidential chief of staff, told reporters that the two countries will elevate their defense cooperation by jointly developing defense equipment, establishing a manufacturing base in the UAE and pursuing defense sales not only to the UAE’s Middle Eastern neighbors but also to countries in Africa, Europe and North America.

The plan will “increase the likelihood” of South Korean defense exporters securing deals in these regions, Kang said, noting that the potential value of such contracts could reach a combined $15 billion.

Korea Herald

You can read more at the link.

Notice how there has been no criticism of President Lee in the media or politicians for this accident unlike former President Park when the Sewol ferry sunk?:

President Lee Jae Myung on Sunday pledged to determine whether there were safety lapses at a thermal plant site in the southeastern city of Ulsan where seven workers were killed and sternly punish those found accountable.

Lee made the remark after authorities on Friday recovered the last of the seven workers who were trapped when a 63-meter tower at the plant collapsed on Nov. 6. The bodies of the six others had been recovered. 

“As the person ultimately in charge of public safety, I am genuinely and deeply sorry,” Lee wrote on Facebook. “Despite the people’s wishes, all seven trapped workers returned to their families as bodies. My heart is deeply torn.”

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

This is definitely a unique event every year in Korea. I cannot imagine Americans every getting this excited about supporting students taking the SAT:

The annual college entrance exam was held nationwide Thursday, concluding with the largest number of applicants in seven years due in part to an unusually high birth rate in 2007.

The College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), seen as one of the nation’s most important academic events, began at 1,310 test centers across the country at 8:40 a.m. and ended at 5:45 p.m.

Earlier in the day, test-takers arrived at designated centers amid cheers from their juniors, parents and teachers. Police officers were deployed nationwide to help transport students and, in some cases, bring them their lunch boxes from home. And students residing on small islands had traveled to the mainland beforehand as no test centers were set up on islets.

A total of 554,174 people have applied for this year’s exam, up 31,504, or 6 percent, from last year and the highest figure since 2018, according to the education ministry.

High school seniors and graduates account for 67.1 percent and 28.9 percent of the total, respectively, it said.

Outside a high school in Cheongju, about 110 kilometers south of Seoul, 21-year-old Shin Ju-won, a student at Chungbuk National University, joined a cheering squad.

“We were cheered on when we took the exam, so we want to repay our juniors,” Shin said. “They’re probably very nervous, but I hope they do well.”

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

Here is the latest from the deadly tower collapse in Ulsan:

The body of another worker was recovered Tuesday night after search operations resumed for those trapped under a collapsed boiler tower at a thermal power plant in the southeastern city of Ulsan, raising the death toll to four. 

Firefighters found the body of a man in his 60s around 10:14 p.m. in the debris of Tower 5, about 6 1/2 hours after two adjacent towers were demolished to clear the way for rescue efforts.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

It looks like workers will be working five years longer in South Korea before they can retire:

Debate is heating up over raising Korea’s statutory retirement age, as the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) moves to increase it from 60 to 65, citing the nation’s transition toward a super-aged society.

Critics warn the move could reduce job opportunities for younger workers and place additional burdens on companies already facing high labor costs.

The DPK stated that its special committee on raising the retirement age has been in discussions with leading labor and business organizations — including the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU) and the Korea Enterprises Federation (KEF) — to coordinate their positions on the proposed legislation.

The ruling party has pledged to pass the bill by year’s end, with gradual increases starting in 2027 bringing the age up to 65 by 2033. 

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.