The recent Supreme Court ruling relating to the expanded scope of ordinary wages is stirring the economic community in the form of labor-management disputes, reduction in investment, and employment shrinkages. Korean enterprises, which are already concerned over mounting uncertainties, are about to

A legislative move to define and regulate online game addiction is gaining momentum.The Act on Prevention, Control and Treatment of Online Game Addiction was introduced on December 19 for discussion in the National Assembly’s Standing Committee, after the Enforcement Decree of the Online Gaming Indu

The Indonesian government asked the Korean government to officially guarantee the construction of a Hyundai Motor Company plant in Indonesia as one of the conditions for the final conclusion of the mutual Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). It is expected to result in quite a stir i

The Supreme Court stated on December 18 that wages paid for one’s work are regarded as ordinary wages provided that the payment is made on a “regular, uniform, and fixed basis.” The court added, “Regular bonuses are considered to be ordinary wages on the condition that those bonuses are paid regular

The general strike by the Korean Railway Workers’ Union entered its 10th day on December 18, exacerbating passenger and logistics transport problems. The operations of the subways in the metropolitan area and the KTX railway have been reduced, and the Korean Cargo Workers’ Union decided to refuse th

The Supreme Court ruled that a regular bonus is considered to be ordinary wages, but money for employee welfare such as vacation bonuses are not, because these are not considered as money paid for labor. The court added that overtime and severance pay cannot be claimed later when an employee and his

The Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning announced on December 16 the results of its study on Koreans’ Internet usage in 2013.According to the study, the number of Internet users in Korea reached 40.08 million this year, up nearly 10 million from 10 years ago (29.22 million). The nation's In

President Park Geun-hye’s visit to the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) on December 17 is her first visit since December 26 in 2012, when she visited as President-elect. There have been several talks with business leaders, but this is the first time she visited FKI and met with the heads of Kor

Asia’s lowest-cost airline, Air Asia, is planning to launch its own subsidiary in Korea. According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MLIT) and aviation industry officials on November 15, Air Asia has begun the process of establishing a subsidiary company in Korea, to be named “A

The Korean government finalized its 4th plan to invigorate investment aimed at easing rules on the medical and education sectors at the 4th trade and investment promotion meeting presided over by President Park Geun-hye in the Blue House on December 13. President Park said, “It’s regrettable that lo

Huawei rose up in opposition to the concerns expressed by the United States over its telecoms equipment to be imported by LG U+.According to the December 13 report of the United Daily News of Taiwan, Huawei’s Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Shao Yang remarked on the previous day in Beijing that the Un

The aftermath of the execution of Jang Sung-thaek, the North’s second most powerful man and leader Kim Jong-un’s uncle, is drawing a lot of attention. Jang, who served as vice chairman of the powerful National Defense Commission, was executed on December 12 right after a military trial ruled his gui

On December 11, the Finance Ministry ordered 12 debt-ridden major public organizations to map out self-rescue plans in a bid to tackle their soaring debt and become more efficient in management. They were also urged to sell unnecessary assets, refrain from issuing additional bonds, and conduct more

In a December 8 article posted on its website, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that the crash of Asiana Flight 214 at San Francisco in July was caused by excessive dependence on cockpit computers, together with pilot confusion about automated thrust settings.WSJ pointed out that after the Asi

It is predicted that the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement, which is led by the United States, is unlikely to be concluded within this year. On December 10, Kyodo News and the Financial Times quoted an anonymous source as saying that the TPP agreement is expected to be signed in the first ha

Pyongyang’s state-run media reported on December 8 that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s powerful uncle was dismissed from all posts in the ruling party and administration for trying to form his own faction within the party. Jang Song-thaek, the former vice chairman of the Central Military Commissi

CNN’s article on November 28 (local time) posted on its website has grabbed people’s attention. The Cable News Network cited Internet penetration, the use of credit cards, a culture of overwork, and others as “10 things South Korea does better than anywhere else.” The first mentioned wired culture r

The Democratic Party announced on December 8 that US Vice President Joe Biden’s “betting” remark during his meeting with President Park Geun-hye would remain the rudest words in the history of talks between officials of the two countries. Democratic Party spokesperson Park Yong-jin called into quest

The government announced its new South Korean Air Defense Identification Zone (KADIZ) that includes the submerged rock of Ieodo and areas south of the two islands of Marado and Hongdo. This is the first time for the KADIZ to be expanded in 62 years after its initial establishment in March 1951 by th

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) announced the results of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) on December 3. The PISA is conducted every three years to compare the knowledge of mathematics, science, and reading abilities of 15-year-old students f