For the first time since 2018, the South Korean government may not publish its annual report denouncing violations by the North Korean regime. The decision, in line with President Lee Jae-myung's policy of rapprochement, aims to avoid tensions and revive contacts between the two Koreas. APyongyang has recently conducted military exercises in response to joint manoeuvres by Seoul and Washington.
This has been confirmed by data released by the Korean Agency for Occupational Safety and Health. Between 2022 and 2024, Kosha conducted 16,607 counseling sessions, with figures rising sharply over the last three years. The cases involve serious accidents at work, suicides of colleagues, bullying, harassment, and sexual violence.
In the large open space outside Rome, one million young people celebrated their Jubilee ahead of the next WYD in Asia. AsiaNews spoke to some of the 1,500 Koreans in attendance, “eagerly waiting” and “diligently preparing for 2027.” One said that his mother’s conversion “brought me here today, to Rome.” Young people from Japan, India, Lebanon, and Iraq will hold in their hearts the unique encounters that rekindled their faith.
On August 4, parliament will vote on the Yellow Envelope Law, a measure that blocks companies from seeking compensation from workers for “illegitimate” protests and extends liability to subcontractors. Already approved last year, the bill was blocked by a veto from then-conservative President Yoon. The chaebol, Korea's large industrial conglomerates, are opposed to the bill, fearing they will lose further ground.
For eleven consecutive months, South Korea, which held the sad record of being the country with the lowest fertility rate in the world, has been recording a reversal of this trend, albeit in a context that remains far from the replacement rate. From January to May 2025, birth growth accelerated with a 6.9% increase compared to the same period last year. This is mainly due to public incentives for marriage. But the challenge remains to convince those who do not want to have children today.
A new law will end a practice that began after the Korean War and lasted for decades. The process will now pass from private agencies to the state, in accordance with the Hague Convention. However, some issues remain, including the need for more legislative action and budgetary support from the country’s new administration.
