Oct. 27

• ●SMEs with 'excellent' work-family balance to defer tax audits: Gov't Korea JoongAng Daily
  Korea seeks to allow small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) designated with an "excellent" work-family balance to defer tax audits as part of efforts to tackle the country's chronic low birthrate, the presidential office said Sunday.
  
  

• ●Govt. plans to unveil road map to tackle low birth rate, aging population The Korea Herald
  The Yoon Suk Yeol administration plans to unveil a population strategy road map next year, coinciding with the laungh of a new ministry dedicated to addressing South Korea's declining birth rate and rapidly aging population, the presidential office announced Sunday.
  
  

• ●4 in 10 young South Koreans take up 'irregular' jobs: data The Korea Herald
  Young South Koreans entering the workforce increasingly find themselves taking on "irregular" jobs -- positions that fall outside traditional full-time employment, the latest government data shows.

Oct. 28

• ●Majority of postpartum centers in Seoul, Gyeonggi Province The Korea Herald
  More than half of South Korea's postpartum care centers are concentrated in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province.
  
  

• ●Seoul city to expand suicide prevention measures Korea JoongAng Daily
  The Seoul Metropolitan Government will more than double the size of its 24-hour call center for people struggling with suicidal impulses and establish community-based networks for those vulnerable to suicide, aiming to reduce the suicide rate, officials said Monday.
  
  

• ●Seoul aims to halve current suicide rate by 2030 The Korea Herald
  The Seoul Metropolitan Government introduced a set of measures on Monday -- including increasing the staff of its 24-hour call center for people struggling with suicidal impulses -- to reduce its current suicide rate by 50 percent by 2030.
  
  

• ●Stroke patients in Korea show more history of smoking, diabetes: report The Korea Herald
  Diabetes and smoking are common causes of strokes, which can damage blood vessels and cause death, and stroke patients in South Korea have a higher rate of both storke factors compared to Western countries, a study showed Monday, suggesting a need to strengthen prevention efforts to improve public health outcomes.
  
  

• ●Nearly half of 20-somethings in Korea hold temporary jobs The Chosun Daily
  The employment rate for South Koreans aged 20 to 29 has reached a record high, but the surge is driven by a rise in contingent work or temporary employment, according to new data.

Oct. 29

• ●Seoul city budgets $4.8B through 2026 on initiatives to stimulate birthrate Korea JoongAng Daily
  The Seoul Metropolitan Government on Tuesday announced that it would spend 6.7 trillion won ($4.8 billion) over the next two years to boost the city's birthrate.
  
  

• ●Gov't to allow med schools to grant students leave Korea JoongAng Daily
  The Education Ministry decided Tuesday to allow medical schools the freedom to grant academic leave requested by students, as most medical students have been boycotting classes for months in protest against the increase in the medical school admissions quota.
  
  

• ●'Pongpongnam' row exposes South Korea's gender divide The Korea Herald
  While expressing disparagement of the opposite sex in a show of hatred has long ailed South Korea, the severe gender conflict took a turn for the worse after a cartoon recently came under fire for misogyny.
  
  

• ●Flexibility granted to medical schools on student leave The Korea Herald
  In response to pressing demands from national medical schools, the government has decided to allow universities to individually authorize leaves of absence for medical students, reversing its previous stance.
  
  

• ●Fitness center rejecting senior citizen is age discrimination: rights commission The Korea Herald
  A fitness center's rejection of the annual membership application of a 68-year-old senior citizen is an act of age discrimination, the state human rights commission stated Tuesday.
  
  

• ●Seoul City to spend W6.7tr to encourage couples to have kids The Korea Herald
  The Seoul city government will spend 6.7 trillion won ($4.9 billion) from 2025 to 2026 to financially help residents raise children, city officials said Tuesday.
  
  

• ●6 in 10 college seniors, grads not actively hunting jobs: survey The Korea Herald
  Over 60 percent of young Korean job candidates are not actively pursuing careers amid intensified negative sentiments surrounding the job market, data showed Tuesday.
  
  

• ●ER patients with heat-related illnesses up 31%, seniors most affected The Korea Herald
  The number of heat-related emergency room patients increased by 31.4 percent this year compared to the previous year, according to data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.
  
  

• ●Korea sees increase in 'no-seniors zones' despite aging population The Korea Times
  Korea is witnessing a rise in discrimination against older adults, with many sports facilities and coffee shopts implementing "no-seniors zone" policies that restrict access, despite the country's aging population.
  
  

• ●Seoul city to invest $4.8 bil. over 2 years to boost birthrate The Korea Times
  The Seoul city government will invest 6.7 trillion won ($4.8 billion) over the next two years to provide housing, household subsidies and other support aimed at boosting the city's birthrate, officials said Tuesday.
  
  

• ●Ban on sports club memberships for over 65s ruled 'discriminatory' by rights commission The Korea Times
  The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) deemed the restriction of sports facility memberships based on age as discriminatory.
  
  

• ●Is Korea ready to embrace diverse forms of family? The Korea Times
  What does a family look like in today's Korea?

Oct. 30

• ●From 'superstars' to 'privileged and spoiled': Doctors fight souring image The Korea Herald
  It used to be that Park Ji-sun, a 45-year-old office worker, thought of a Korean doctor, it was the 2020 tvN drama series "Hospital Playlist" that first came to her mind.
  
  

• ●Cousin marriage ban poised to lose effect The Korea Herald
  Marriages between third cousins or closer relatives are prohibited in South Korea, with the ban enforced by nullifying the effects of such unions when they are discovered.
  
  

• ●Celebrity revelations raise issue of marital sexual abuse The Korea Herald
  After a series of recent revelations of unwanted sexual behavior within marriages surrounding South Korean celebrity couples came to light, these allegations have raised issues about the accountability of spouses in cases of marital sexual abuse.
  
  

• ●Expanding migrant labor is 'inevitable' for solving birth rate-related labor shortage, says expert The Hankyoreh
  "Integrated policy packages which bring together jobs, family and migration are needed. ..."
  
  

• ●Local gov'ts reorganize to better address population decline The Korea Times
  With Korea's declining population recognized as a critical national challenge, municipal administrations are stepping up their efforts to create and expand agencies focused on population issues, according to officials, Tuesday.

Oct. 31

• ●Korea aims to extend leave for female workers after miscarriage, stillbirth The Korea Times
  Korea will aim to expand paid leave for women who experience miscarriage or stillbirth and introduce a similar leave for husbands as part of statewide efforts to address the nation's low birthrate, according to officials, Wednesday.
  
  

• ●Hiring people with disabilities remains thorny issue The Korea Times
  People with disabilities still face significant challenges in gaining employment, as companies often opt to bypass their social responsibility by paying fines for not keeping to a government quota of hiring people with disabilities.
  
  

• ●Seoul city's $35B budget to address birthrate, health and safety issues Korea JoongAng Daily
  The Seoul Metropolitan Government has drawn up an annual budget of 48.4 trillion won ($35.1 billion) for next year, with a fiscal focus on addressing the city's low birthrate and enhancing policies to protect citizens' health and safety.
  
  

• ●Over half of S. Koreans in their 30s unmarried The Chosun Daily
  The percentage of single men and women in their 30s in South Korea who have never married surpassed half of this age group last year, reaching 51.3%.

Nov. 1

• ●Local gov't matchmaking programs criticized for ineffectiveness The Korea Times
  Municipal administrations have been scrambling to host matchmaking events to help boost the country's ever-falling birthrates, but criticism is rising over their effectiveness, according to critics, Thursday.
  
  

• ●S. Korea considers raising retirement age amid pressures on 'sandwich generation' The Chosun Daily
  The Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the City of Daegu recently announced plans to extend the retirement age of certain public employees - those in roles such as cleaning and facility management - up to 65 years.
  
  

• ●Seoul bans doctors, dentists' self-prescription of propofol The Korea Herald
  The Korean government is pushing to ban medical professionals from prescribing propofol for themselves to reduce the rist of misuse, officials said Friday.