South Korea
South Korea in demographic crisis as many stop having babies
Yoo Young Yi’s grandmother gave birth to six children. Her mother birthed two. Yoo doesn’t want any.
“My husband and I like babies so much … but there are things that we’d have to sacrifice if we raised kids,” said Yoo, a 30-year-old Seoul financial company employee. “So it’s become a matter of choice between two things, and we’ve agreed to focus more on ourselves.”
There are many like Yoo in South Korea who have chosen either not to have children or not to marry. Other advanced countries have similar trends, but South Korea’s demographic crisis is much worse.
South Korea’s statistics agency announced in September that the total fertility rate — the average number of babies born to each woman in their reproductive years — was 0.81 last year. That’s the world’s lowest for the third consecutive year.
The population shrank for the first time in 2021, stoking worry that a declining population could severely damage the economy — the world’s 10th largest — because of labor shortages and greater welfare spending as the number of older people increases and the number of taxpayers shrinks.
President Yoon Suk Yeol has ordered policymakers to find more effective steps to deal with the problem. The fertility rate, he said, is plunging even though South Korea spent 280 trillion won ($210 billion) over the past 16 years to try to turn the tide.
Many young South Koreans say that, unlike their parents and grandparents, they don’t feel an obligation to have a family. They cite the uncertainty of a bleak job market, expensive housing, gender and social inequality, low levels of social mobility and the huge expense of raising children in a brutally competitive society. Women also complain of a persistent patriarchal culture that forces them to do much of the childcare while enduring discrimination at work.
“In a nutshell, people think our country isn’t an easy place to live,” said Lee So-Young, a population policy expert at the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs. “They believe their children can’t have better lives than them, and so question why they should bother to have babies.”
Many people who fail to enter good schools and land decent jobs feel they’ve become “dropouts” who “cannot be happy” even if they marry and have kids because South Korea lacks advanced social safety nets, said Choi Yoon Kyung, an expert at the Korea Institute of Child Care and Education. She said South Korea failed to establish such welfare programs during its explosive economic growth in the 1960 to ’80s.
Read: BGMEA calls on South Korea's Youngone to invest more in Bangladesh
Yoo, the Seoul financial worker, said that until she went to college, she strongly wanted a baby. But she changed her mind when she saw female office colleagues calling their kids from the company toilet to check on them or leaving early when their children were sick. She said her male coworkers didn’t have to do this.
“After seeing this, I realized my concentration at work would be greatly diminished if I had babies,” Yoo said.
Her 34-year-old husband, Jo Jun Hwi, said he doesn’t think having kids is necessary. An interpreter at an information technology company, Jo said he wants to enjoy his life after years of exhaustive job-hunting that made him “feel like I was standing on the edge of a cliff.”
There are no official figures on how many South Koreans have chosen not to marry or have kids. But records from the national statistics agency show there were about 193,000 marriages in South Korea last year, down from a peak of 430,000 in 1996. The agency data also show about 260,600 babies were born in South Korea last year, down from 691,200 in 1996, and a peak of 1 million in 1971. The recent figures were the lowest since the statistics agency began compiling such data in 1970.
Kang Han Byeol, a 33-year-old graphic designer who’s decided to remain single, believes South Korea isn’t a sound place to raise children. She cited frustration with gender inequalities, widespread digital sex crimes targeting women such as spy cams hidden in public restrooms, and a culture that ignores those pushing for social justice.
“I can consider marriage when our society becomes healthier and gives more equal status to both women and men,” Kang said.
Read: Witnesses describe South Korean crowd surge as 'a hell'
Kang’s 26-year-old roommate Ha Hyunji also decided to stay single after her married female friends advised her not to marry because most of the housework and child care falls to them. Ha worries about the huge amount of money she would spend for any future children’s private tutoring to prevent them from falling behind in an education-obsessed nation.
“I can have a fun life without marriage and enjoy my life with my friends,” said Ha, who runs a cocktail bar in Seoul.
Until the mid-1990s, South Korea maintained birth control programs, which were initially launched to slow the country’s post-war population explosion. The nation distributed contraceptive pills and condoms for free at public medical centers and offered exemptions on military reserve training for men if they had a vasectomy.
United Nations figures show a South Korean woman on average gave birth to about four to six children in the 1950s and ’60s, three to four in the 1970s, and less than two in the mid-1980s.
South Korea has been offering a variety of incentives and other support programs for those who give birth to many children. But Choi, the expert, said the fertility rate has been falling too fast to see any tangible effects. During a government task force meeting last month, officials said they would soon formulate comprehensive measures to cope with demographic challenges.
South Korean society still frowns on those who remain childfree or single.
In 2021 when Yoo and Jo posted their decision to live without children on their YouTube channel, “You Young You Young,” some posted messages calling them “selfish” and asking them to pay more taxes. The messages also called Jo “sterile” and accused Yoo of “gaslighting” her husband.
Lee Sung-jai, a 75-year-old Seoul resident, said it’s “the order of nature” for humankind to marry and give birth to children.
“These days, I see some (unmarried) young women walking with dogs in strollers and saying they are their moms. Did they give birth to those dogs? They are really crazy,” he said.
Seo Ji Seong, 38, said that she’s often called a patriot by older people for having many babies, though she didn’t give birth to them for the national interest. She’s expecting a fifth baby in January.
Read: Halloween tragedy: Many South Koreans angry, ashamed over safety failures
Seo’s family recently moved to a rent-free apartment in the city of Anyang, which was jointly provided by the state-run Korea Land and Housing Corporation and the city for families with at least four children. Seo and her husband, Kim Dong Uk, 33, receive other state support, though it’s still tough economically to raise four kids.
Kim said he enjoys seeing each of his children growing up with different personalities and talents, while Seo feels their kids’ social skills are helped while playing and competing with one another at home.
“They are all so cute. That’s why I’ve kept giving birth to babies even though it’s difficult,” Seo said.
Son likely in mask for South Korea vs. Uruguay at World Cup
Son Heung-min is likely to mask up as South Korea faces Uruguay in their Group H opener at the World Cup in Qatar.
Son has scored 35 goals in 104 internationals but hasn’t played since Nov. 2 when he sustained a fracture around his left eye in a collision with Marseille’s Chancel Mbemba in a Champions League match.
Son, who tied as Premier League top scorer last season, has said he expects to play with a protective mask. But there have to be worries about how effective he can be — and what the dangers are of playing with the mask, which he has worn in training since arriving in Qatar.
Much of South Korea’s offense is based around Son’s speed, his ability to strike with both feet, and his accuracy on dead-ball plays.
For Uruguay striker Luis Suarez will be playing in his fourth World Cup along with veteran teammate Edinson Cavani.
Suarez has scored seven World Cup goals. That is one short of national record holder Óscar Míguez, who played on the 1950 winning team.
Uruguay faces a generational change on the field with veteran players like Suarez and Cavani likely at their last World Cup.
Read more: Qatar World Cup: Croatia vs Morocco match ends in goalless draw
There's change on the bench, too. Oscar Tabarez is gone and replaced by Diego Alonso, who has little experience at this level. Tabarez led Uruguay at three World Cups but stepped away earlier this year after a series of poor results. It was Tabarez that took the team to the semifinals of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Suarez is infamous for several biting incidents on the field. In a match in the 2018 World Cup in Brazil, he bit Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini on the shoulder. The referee didn't see the incident, but Suarez faced severe retrospective action and was suspended from all football-related activity for four months, slapped with a nine-match international ban and given a big fine.
It was Suarez's second controversial World Cup moment. In the last minute of extra time at the 2010 quarterfinal match against Ghana, Suarez was sent off after he used his hands to keep out Dominic Adiyiah’s goal-bound header. Asamoah Gyan hit the bar on the ensuing penalty, and Suárez was shown celebrating on the sideline.
Ghana went on to lose the penalty shootout, thereby failing to become Africa’s first semifinalist as the continent staged its first World Cup.
Read more: Mexico and Poland play out 0-0 in group thrown open by Argentina’s defeat
Brazil and Serbia round out Group H, with many viewing Brazil as the tournament favorite.
'Air Incheon-Korean Airlines’ introduces direct cargo flight from Bangladesh to South Korea
TAD Logistics has introduced direct cargo flights on 'Air Incheon-Korean Airlines' from Bangladesh to South Korea.
Md. Ashikur Rahman Tuhin, the managing director of TAD Group, said, "Our export process would increase its earnings with the aid of the cargo flights, and this direct flight will run twice a week. Based on demand from the market, we intend to increase the number of flights on the route to five per week."
He said now keeping up with market demand and keeping an eye on business continuity, entrepreneurs are looking for reliable alternatives to import and export products.
Read more: Newest private airline ‘Air Astra’ set to start journey
This service will save time and guarantee a single-day arrival for any urgent goods, he added.
Exports of perishable goods from Bangladesh will rise as a result.
The biggest exports from Bangladesh to South Korea include leather, leather goods, crabs, RMG, fish, and human hair, said a media release on Tuesday.
According to the Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), apparel, including a diverse basket of items such as underwear, denim, shirts, jackets and pullovers, expects to export $1 billion to Korea this fiscal year.
Read more: Bangladesh, Uzbekistan discuss air connectivity, code-sharing between airlines
With apparel manufacturing increasingly moving out of China due to rising costs, Bangladeshi entrepreneurs now have an opportunity to capture the Korean market, which currently sources 34% of its clothing from Beijing.
In data published by Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), since 2017, Bangladesh's share of the Korean clothing market has been growing but at a slow pace and reached a little over 4% with export earnings of $440 million in FY22.
South Korea to host Drone Roadshow in Dhaka Wednesday
“Bangladesh-Korea Drone Road Show”, a half-day conference on UAVs and related software solutions organized by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea, will be held at Sheraton Dhaka on Wednesday.
Zunaid Ahmed Palak, State Minister for ICT Division, will attend the event as the chief guest and South Korean Ambassador to Bangladesh Lee Jang-keun will remain present as special guest.
This event will highlight Korea’s drive towards developing new opportunities of cooperation between Korea and Bangladesh, in particular in the area of innovative technology.
Representatives of Korean government organizations, including the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) and Korea Institute of Aviation Safety Technology (KIAST), leading Korean UAV technology companies, and local private and government organizations will participate in this event.
Read more: Record number of Bangladesh workers left for S Korea Tuesday
Explaining the background of why the Embassy brings this opportunity to Bangladesh, Ambassador Lee emphasized said, “drones converge to various advanced technologies such as aviation, ICT, software, and sensors, which helps innovative growth of Bangladesh.” He explained that the major purpose of this Drone Show is to draw the attention of the Bangladesh government and business sector to the importance and diverse usage of drone technology.
Highlights of the roadshow will include presentations from the government authorities of Bangladesh and a series of product-specific presentations from Korean companies illustrating how they are leading the way in this area and some of the solutions Korea can offer.
The event will also offer occasions for the two countries' business sectors to establish networks and communications through exhibitions and business consultations.
Halloween tragedy: Many South Koreans angry, ashamed over safety failures
When Kim Kap Soo watched live broadcasts of the harrowing Halloween party crush that killed more than 150 people in Seoul last weekend, there was shock and sadness — but also the embarrassed realization that this wasn’t the first time he’d seen South Korea suffer a devastating disaster as a result of official incompetence and safety failures.
“My heart is aching very much. We are among the world’s 10 largest economies, and I totally don’t understand how this can happen in our nation,” said Kim, 73, a retired environmental engineering researcher. “Our public insensitivity to safety is too severe. We should always be careful about everything, but we don’t do so, and I think that’s the biggest problem.”
The crowd crush Saturday in Itaewon, a popular nightlife district, has caused an outpouring of public sympathy toward the dead, mostly in their 20s and 30s, and demands for accountability for the tragedy. But many also share a strong feeling of embarrassment and anger that their country, a cultural and economic powerhouse that has risen from war, poverty and dictatorships, still ignores safety and regulatory issues.
Similar crowd crushes have happened in other developed countries in recent years, but the death counts there were much smaller than in Itaewon, where 156 people died and 173 were injured.
There are growing questions here about why South Korea hasn’t learned its lessons since the 2014 sinking of the ferry Sewol, which killed 304 people — mostly teenagers on a school trip. That disaster also prompted national soul-searching on the country’s failure to enforce safety and regulatory rules.
“When it comes to public safety, I think we aren’t an advanced nation at all, though we might have grown economically,” said Park You Nam, 60, who runs a jewelry shop in Seoul. “I feel really sorry and guilty for those young victims because we all failed to protect them.”
From K-pop superstars BTS and Netflix’s megahit drama “Squid Game” to Samsung-made smartphones and Hyundai cars, South Korea’s recent cultural and economic achievements have been remarkable. But there’s a dark side to its breakneck rise from the extreme poverty of the 1950 and 60s: Critics say the government overlooks basic safety practices, social safety nets and minority voices.
Not much has changed since the ferry sinking, these critics say, citing a series of smaller deadly incidents such as fires and boat accidents.
On Tuesday, President Yoon Suk Yeol acknowledged that South Korea lacks studies on crowd management and ordered officials to formulate effective crowd control methods based on high-tech resources such as drones. Police also said they don’t have guidelines to deal with crowd surges at events that have no official organizers, like the Halloween festivities in Itaewon.
Park Sangin, a professor at Seoul National University, said the Itaewon crush showed that South Koreans haven’t done much to improve systems and policies to prevent similar man-made disasters like the ferry sinking. He said South Koreans have focused instead on finding, criticizing and punishing anyone responsible each time an incident occurs.
“For a country that has experienced many safety-related incidents, there should have been diverse studies and countermeasures to prevent their recurrences and that’s the responsibility of government officials and politicians,” Park said. “But they haven’t done so, and I think it’s more important to criticize them to get things changed.”
What exactly caused Saturday’s crush is still under investigation. But it happened when more than 100,000 partiers clad in Halloween costumes and others packed Itaewon’s alleys. Police dispatched only 137 officers to the neighborhood, mostly with a mission to deal with possible crimes such as narcotics use, not crowd control. Police also acknowledged Tuesday they had received about a dozen emergency calls from citizens about the impending crowd surge but didn’t handle them effectively.
The disaster has left many South Koreans with feelings of trauma.
Witnesses said that people fell on each other like dominos, screamed, suffered severe breathing difficulties and lost consciousness while crammed into a sloped, narrow alley. TV footage showed people frantically giving CPR to victims lying motionless near a row of dead bodies covered by blue blankets.
“When I first saw such things on TV, I thought they were happening in a foreign country, not here,” said Kim Suk Hee, 40, a real estate agent. “I was so stunned to learn that it was Itaewon, because I had actually planned to go there with my family for Halloween the next day. I still have trauma over what happened.”
Jang Seung-Jin, a professor at Seoul’s Kookmin University, said the Itaewon crush proved again that South Korea still has a long way to go to become an advanced country in all aspects. He said what’s important now is how the country will handle the aftermath.
Since the disaster, some top officials have been severely criticized over comments that were seen as trying to avoid government responsibility for the crush or even joking about it.
A public survey taken after the disaster shows President Yoon’s approval rating is about 30%, a very low rate given he took office only six months ago.
His future popularity could depend on how he handles the Itaewon tragedy, said Choi Jin, director of the Seoul-based Institute of Presidential Leadership.
At a Seoul mourning center, Vietnam war veteran Park Young-kee, 82, laid white flowers and bowed to the memory of the dead, including a distant relative who was a high school student.
“This kind of disaster didn’t happen when I was young. I can’t describe how I feel,” Park said. “This occurred because we are not an advanced country. If we are really an advanced country, could it have happened?”
Seoul Halloween stampede: Death toll climbs to 153
South Koreans mourned and searched for relatives lost in the "hell-like” chaos that killed more than 150 people, mostly young adults, when a huge Halloween party crowd surged into a narrow alley in a nightlife district in Seoul.
It remained unclear what led the crowd to surge into the downhill alley in the Itaewon area on Saturday night, and authorities promised a thorough investigation. Witnesses said people fell on each other “like dominoes,” and some victims were bleeding from their noses and mouths while being given CPR.
Kim Mi Sung, an official at a nonprofit organization that promotes tourism in Itaewon, said she performed CPR on 10 people who were unconscious, mostly women wearing witch outfits and other Halloween costumes. Nine of them were declared dead on the spot.
“I still can’t believe what has happened. It was like a hell,” Kim said.
As of Sunday evening, officials said 153 people were killed and 133 were injured. Nearly two-thirds of those killed — 97 — were women. More than 80% of the dead were in their 20s and 30s, and at least four were teenagers.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety said the death count could further rise as 37 of the injured people were in serious condition.
Witnesses said many people appeared not to realize the disaster that was unfolding steps away from them. Some clad in Halloween costumes continued to sing and dance nearby as others lay lifeless on the ground.
Ken Fallas, a Costa Rican architect who went to Itaewon with expat friends, used his smartphone to film video showing unconscious people being carried out from the alley as others shouted for help. He said the loud music made things more chaotic.
“When we just started to move forward, there was no way to go back,” Fallas said. “We didn’t hear anything because the music was really loud. Now, I think that was one of the main things that made this so complicated.”
At least 20 of the dead are foreigners from China, Russia, Iran and elsewhere. There is one American among the dead, the Interior Ministry said in a release.
Authorities said thousands of people have called or visited a nearby city office, reporting missing relatives and asking officials to confirm whether they were among those injured or dead after the crush.
The bodies of the dead were being kept at 42 hospitals in Seoul and nearby Gyeonggi province, according to Seoul City, which said it will instruct crematories to burn more bodies per day as part of plans to support funeral proceedings.
An estimated 100,000 people had gathered in Itaewon for the country’s biggest outdoor Halloween festivities since the pandemic began. The South Korean government had eased COVID-19 restrictions in recent months.
While Halloween isn’t a traditional holiday in South Korea — where children rarely go trick-or-treating — it’s still a major attraction for young adults, and costume parties at bars and clubs have become hugely popular in recent years.
Seoul’s marquee Halloween destination is Itaewon, near where the former headquarters of U.S. military forces in South Korea operated for decades before moving out of the capital in 2018. The expat-friendly district is known for its trendy bars, clubs and restaurants.
Witnesses said the streets were so densely clogged with people and slow-moving vehicles that it was practically impossible for emergency workers and ambulances to swiftly reach the alley near Hamilton Hotel, a major party spot in Seoul.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared a one-week national mourning period on Sunday and ordered flags at government buildings and public offices to fly at half-staff. Around 100 businesses in the Hamilton Hotel area have agreed to shut down their shops through Monday to reduce the number of partygoers who would come to the streets through Halloween day.
During a televised speech, Yoon said supporting the families of the victims, including their funeral preparations, and the treatment of the injured would be a top priority for his government. He also called for officials to thoroughly investigate the cause of the accident and review the safety of other large cultural and entertainment events.
“This is really devastating. The tragedy and disaster that need not have happened took place in the heart of Seoul amid Halloween (celebrations),” Yoon said during the speech. “I feel heavy hearted and cannot contain my sadness as a president responsible for the people’s lives and safety.”
After the speech, Yoon visited the alley where the disaster occurred. Local TV footage showed Yoon inspecting the trash-filled alley and being briefed by emergency officials.
World leaders offered condolences, including Pope Francis.
“We pray the Risen Lord also for those — especially young people — who died last night in Seoul, due to the tragic consequences of a sudden crush,” Francis said after his Sunday’s Angelus prayer in St. Peter’s Square, inviting the crowd to pray for the victims.
Among the 20 foreigners who died are four from China; three from Russia; two from Iran; and one each from Vietnam, Austria, Norway, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Sri Lanka and the United States, the Interior Ministry said. It added the nationalities of the four other foreigners have not been confirmed.
The University of Kentucky issued a statement saying the victims included one of its students who was studying in South Korea this semester with an education abroad program.
Some local media said the tally of foreign dead rose to 26. France and Thailand each said one and Japan said two of their nationals had also died during the Itaewon disaster, but the South Korean Interior Ministry couldn't immediately confirm the reports.
The crowd surge was South Korea's deadliest disaster since 2014, when 304 people, mostly high school students, died in a ferry sinking.
The sinking exposed lax safety rules and regulatory failures. It was partially blamed on excessive and poorly fastened cargo and a crew poorly trained for emergency situations. Saturday’s deaths will likely draw public scrutiny of what government officials have done to improve public safety standards since the ferry disaster.
Halloween crowd stampede in Seoul leaves at least 151 dead
A mass of mostly young people celebrating Halloween in Seoul became trapped and crushed as the crowd surged into a narrow alley, killing at least 151 people and injuring 82 others in South Korea’s worst disaster in years.
Emergency workers and pedestrians desperately performed CPR on people lying in the streets after the crush in the capital’s nightlife district of Itaewon on Saturday night.
Those killed or hurt were mostly teens and people in their 20s, according to Choi Seong-beom, chief of Seoul’s Yongsan fire department. The dead included 19 foreigners, he said, whose nationalities weren’t immediately released. The death toll could rise further as 19 of those injured were in critical condition.
An estimated 100,000 people had gathered in Itaewon for the country’s biggest outdoor Halloween festivities since the pandemic began and strict rules on gatherings were enforced. The South Korean government eased COVID-19 restrictions in recent months and this was the first big chance to get out and party for many young people.
Read More: Indonesian football match stampede: Death toll climbs to 174
While Halloween isn’t a traditional holiday in South Korea, where children rarely go trick-or-treating, it’s still a major attraction for young adults, and costume parties at bars and clubs have become hugely popular in recent years.
Itaewon, near where the former headquarters of U.S. military forces in South Korea operated before moving out of the capital in 2018, is an expat-friendly district known for its trendy bars, clubs and restaurants and it's the city's marquee Halloween destination.
Officials initially said 150 people were injured as of Sunday morning before later lowering their tally.
National Fire Agency officials didn’t immediately explain why the tally was reduced but said emergency workers would have had a more accurate idea of the casualties as rescue operations proceeded and that some of the injured would have been converted to deaths. It was also possible that some of those who were lightly injured had returned home overnight and were no longer counted.
Read More: 3 killed in India temple stampede
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared a national mourning period on Sunday and ordered flags at government buildings and public offices to be raised at half-staff. During a televised speech, Yoon said supporting the families of the victims, including their funeral preparations, and the treatment of the injured would be a top priority for his government.
He also called for officials to thoroughly investigate the cause of the accident and review the safety of other large cultural and entertainment events, including regional festivals, to ensure that they proceed safely.
“This is really devastating. The tragedy and disaster that need not have happened took place in the heart of Seoul amid Halloween (celebrations),” Yoon said during the speech. “I feel heavy-hearted and cannot contain my sadness as a president responsible for the people’s lives and safety.”
After the speech, Yoon visited Itaewon alley where the disaster occurred. Local TV footage showed Yoon inspecting the alley filled with trash and being briefed by emergency officials.
Read More: Costumed revelers march in 46th NYC Halloween parade
It was not immediately clear what led the crowd to surge into the narrow downhill alley near the Hamilton Hotel, a major party spot in Seoul. One survivor said many people fell and toppled one another “like dominos” after they were pushed by others. The survivor, surnamed Kim, said they were trapped for about an hour and a half before being rescued, as some people shouted “Help me!” and others were short of breath, according to the Seoul-based Hankyoreh newspaper.
Another survivor, Lee Chang-kyu, said he saw about five to six men push others before one or two began falling, according to the newspaper.
In an interview with news channel YTN, Hwang Min-hyeok, a visitor to Itaewon, said it was shocking to see rows of bodies near the hotel. He said emergency workers were initially overwhelmed, leaving pedestrians struggling to administer CPR to the injured lying on the streets. People wailed beside the bodies of their friends, he said.
Another survivor in his 20s said he avoided being trampled by managing to get into a bar whose door was open in the alley, Yonhap news agency reported. A woman in her 20s surnamed Park told Yonhap that she and others were standing along the side of the alley while others caught in the middle of the alley had no escape.
Read More: 4 dead, 4 wounded in Halloween party shooting in SF Bay Area
Choi, the fire department chief, said that bodies were being sent to hospitals or a gym, where bereaved family members could identify them. He said most of the dead and injured are in their 20s.
“Horrific news from Seoul tonight," British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak tweeted. "All our thoughts are with those currently responding and all South Koreans at this very distressing time.”
Jake Sullivan, the U.S. national security adviser, tweeted that reports of the disaster were “heartbreaking” and said Washington “stands ready to provide the Republic of Korea with any support it needs.”
The last South Korean disaster this deadly also hit young people the hardest. In April 2014, 304 people, mostly high school students, died in a ferry sinking. The sinking exposed lax safety rules and regulatory failures; it was partially blamed on excessive and poorly fastened cargo and a crew poorly trained for emergency situations. Saturday’s deaths will likely draw public scrutiny of what government officials have done to improve public safety standards since the ferry disaster.
Read More: No arrests after California Halloween shooting kills 5
It was also Asia’s second major crushing disaster in a month. On Oct. 1, police in Indonesia fired tear gas at a soccer match, causing a crush that killed 132 people as spectators attempted to flee.
More than 1,700 response personnel from across the country were deployed to the streets to help the wounded, including about 520 firefighters, 1,100 police officers and 70 government workers. The National Fire Agency separately said in a statement that officials were still trying to determine the exact number of emergency patients.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol issued a statement calling for officials to ensure swift treatment for those injured and review the safety of the festivity sites.
This was the deadliest crushing disaster in South Korean history. In 2005, 11 people were killed and around 60 others were injured at a pop concert in the southern city of Sangju.
Read Morocco: 18 migrants dead in stampede to enter Melilla
In 1960, 31 people died after being crushed on the stairs of a train station as large crowds rushed to board a train during the Lunar New Year holidays.
Walton signs MoU with South Korea's HAAN to develop new, innovative appliances
Walton has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with South Korea-based HAAN Easy Life to develop new and innovative appliances and expand its global market presence.
Also, Walton and HAAN will collaborate on the second-generation vacuum cleaner model. The model already got the "RED DOT Award 2022."
HAAN Chairman Nam Sukh Koh and Walton Global Business Division President Edward Kim signed the MoU in Dhaka Tuesday, according to a media statement.
Nam Sukh Koh said: "I am very much excited and amazed to see the facilities and manufacturing plant like this (Walton Hi-Tech Industries PLC). This is the best time for Walton and Bangladesh to grow in the consumer electronics market as everybody is looking for alternative options to come out from China."
Read: Walton launches 1st smartphone of its new series 'Orbit'
Walton Managing Director and CEO Golam Murshed said: "Walton has already established a design and innovation centre in Korea for its global expansion. We are now focusing on creating new and innovative products. Walton will participate in the CES fair in the US in January 2023 to showcase its new products."
Training: 12 senior govt officials to go to South Korea
Twelve senior government officials from the Ministry of Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment, Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET) and Technical Training Centers (TTC) will go to South Korea to attend a seven-day training next month.
The training course titled “Leadership Programme for Policymakers and Managers of BEST (Better Employment with Skills Training)” will be conducted in two batches.
Training for the first batch will be held from October 2 to October 8 while the second batch’s training is scheduled for October 9 to October 15.
Speaking at the pre-departure orientation session held at KOICA Bangladesh office on Thursday. County Director of KOICA Young-Ah Doh said Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) is one of the priority areas of KOICA.
Read: KOICA to improve Bangladesh fire service officials' capacity through training in S Korea
“KOICA is continuously supporting the development of the skilled human resources of Bangladesh so that Bangladesh can meet the demand of skilled human resources to be a high-income country by 2041,” Doh said.
Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) is supporting this training programme under its BEST project.
The BEST project is being implemented in collaboration with MoEWOE and BMET with a budget of $8.5million for the period of 2018 to 2023.
The project’s main objectives are to support improving the quality of Bangladesh’s TVET, develop capacity of the training providers for quality training delivery, enhance opportunity of employment by developing mid-level technical human resources aligned with Bangladesh’s job market and strengthen institutional capacities of three TTCs namely, Bangla-German TTC, Sylhet TTC and Khulna TTC.
On behalf of KOICA, KPC (Korea Productivity Center) will organize the training including field visits to important sites and offices in Korea for better understanding of Korea’s TVET policy and strategy.
Typhoon batters South Korea, forcing thousands to flee
The most powerful typhoon to hit South Korea in years battered its southern region Tuesday, dumping almost a meter (3 feet) of rain, destroying roads and felling power lines, leaving 20,000 homes without electricity as thousands of people fled to safer ground.
Typhoon Hinnamnor grazed the resort island of Jeju and made landfall near the mainland port of Busan in the morning and was moving northeast toward the sea with winds of up to 144 kilometers (89 miles) per hour. It is on track to move closer to eastern China later in the week, after ferry services in eastern China and flights in Japan were suspended in previous days.
South Korean officials put the nation on alert about potential damages from flooding, landslides and tidal waves unleashed by Hinnamnor, which came just weeks after heavy rains in the region around the capital Seoul caused flooding that killed at least 14 people.
Also read: More than 200 dead after typhoon slams Philippines
Prime Minister Han Duk-soo called for evacuations in areas vulnerable to flooding, saying Hinnamnor could end up being a “historically strong typhoon that we never experienced before.”
The storm dumped more than 94 centimeters (37 inches) of rain in central Jeju since Sunday, where winds peaked at 155 kph (96 mph).
A 25-year-old man was missing after falling into a rain-swollen stream in the southern city of Ulsan, according to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, which didn’t immediately report more casualties. Fires were reported at a major steel plant operated by POSCO in the southern city of Pohang, but it wasn’t immediately clear whether they were caused by the storm.
The Safety Ministry said more than 3,400 people in the southern regions were forced to evacuate from their homes because of safety concerns and that officials were advising or ordering 14,000 more people to evacuate. At least five homes and buildings were flooded or destroyed, and scores of roads were damaged.
More than 600 schools were closed or converted to online classes. More than 250 flights and 70 ferry services were grounded while more than 66,000 fishing boats evacuated to ports. Workers as of 6 a.m. managed to restore electricity to 2,795 of the 20,334 households that were knocked out of power.
Also read: Typhoon In-fa hits China’s east coast, canceling flights
A South Korean presidential official, who spoke on condition of anonymity during a background briefing, said officials were investigating the cause of the fires at POSCO's Pohang plant, where firefighters were working to extinguish flames that damaged at least three facilities at the complex.
Lim Yoon-sook, an official from the North Gyeongsang province fire department, said the flames destroyed a building housing electricity equipment and were continuing to burn through a separate office building, although workers were close to extinguishing a smaller fire at a cokes factory.
In North Korea, state media reported “all-out efforts” to minimize damage from flooding and landslides. The Korean Central News Agency reported leader Kim Jong Un during government meetings had issued unspecified “detailed tasks” to improve the country’s disaster response capacity but it didn’t elaborate on the plans.
North Korea sustained serious damage from heavy rains and floods in 2020 that destroyed buildings, roads and crops, shocking the country's already-crippled economy.