The South Korean government will expand the annual quota for E-7-4 visas issued to skilled workers to 30,000 by the end of this year, a fifteen-fold increase from last year, the Justice Ministry announced Thursday. "Resolving manpower shortages faced by many industries is an important short-term task. We are making efforts to accept more foreign workers to fill job vacancies as instructed by the president,&rdquo.
Starting next month, habitual drunk drivers could face the forfeiture of their vehicles. The punishment is among a package of measures to combat drunk driving announced Wednesday by the Supreme Public Prosecutors' Office and the National Police Agency. Drivers to be subject to vehicle seizure are those who have caused a car crash resulting in death or serious injury, and those with a history of two or more drunk.
Yoo Jae-suk, arguably the biggest television celebrity in Korea, has become the third-largest shareholder of his entertainment agency, Antenna Music, according to news reports Monday. He reportedly bought a 20.7 percent stake in the unlisted firm from its largest shareholder, Kakao Entertainment, for 3 billion won ($2.3 million) on Jun. 9. In a separate deal, Antenna CEO Yoo Hee-yeol has acquired a 21.37 percent stak.
South Korean Buddhist monk Doyeon is seeking to renounce monastic life and return to lay life, following revelations that he may have fathered two children. According to the Jogye Order, the largest Buddhist sect in South Korea to which he belongs, Ven. Doyeon has officially notified the sect of his intention to leave, without giving any specific reason for his decision. Earlier this month, allegations arose that he .
Operators of a mobile application on which brothels share the personal information of their customers, including phone numbers, were arrested by police, officials said Friday. They are accused of violating of the law on personal information protection and the law on punishment of prostitution. According to the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police, some 6,400 sex work establishments shared information about sex buyers, in.