The number of Korean women married for the first time in their 30s surpassed women married in their 20s as of 2021.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2023
The average marriage age for South Korean women was consistently in their 20s for decades, but statistics showed a shifting trend where women are now getting married in their 30s.
According to Statistics Korea, the number of women married for the first time in their 30s surpassed women married in their 20s as of 2021. This is the first time in 31 years, since 1990 when the agency started to compile related data.
In 2021, the total number of reported marriages was 193,000, and of this number, women married for the first time were 157,000.
Analyzing cases by age for first-time marriages, 76,900 cases involved women in their 30s, which accounted for 49.1 % or almost half of the total number of cases. Followed by 71,263 in their 20s; 6,564 in their 40s; 798 in their teens and 724 in their 50s.
Number of first marriages for women in their 20s and 30s (Korean Statistical Information Service)
In the 1990s, the number of first-time marriages for women in their 20s was 333,000 while first-time marriages in their 30s were only 19,000. The number of first-time marriages for women in their 20s decreased to 173,000 in 2010, and for women in their 30s, it was 85,000, almost two times less than for women in their 20s.
As for men, the first-time marriage age already changed in 2005, with 121,000 in their 30s and 119,000 in their 20s.
The average age of first-time marriage was 31.1 years for women and 33.4 years for men, as of 2021. Compared to the average age of first-time marriage in 1991, 30 years ago – 24.8 for women and 27.9 for men – women and men now wait 6.3 years and 5.5 years, respectively.
In addition, the number of marriages in 2021 fell below 200,000 for the first time since 1990, recorded as the lowest statistic ever. The number of marriages, which exceeded 400,000 in the 1990s, continued to decline to 300,000 in the 2000s and to 200,000 ten years later, before falling to 193,000 as of 2021.
South Korea’s military dodgers seek new ways by using local military brokers
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2023
South Korean men seek new options to avoid their two-year mandatory military service, and the number of draft dodgers continues to grow.
According to data provided by Rep. Song Gab-seok of the Democratic Party received from the Military Manpower Administration, 578 people were turned over to prosecution for intentional draft dodging from 2012 until Nov. 30 last year.
Recently, volleyball player Jo Jae-sung was charged with contacting a local military broker to help him show false symptoms of epilepsy during a military reexamination. He was then deemed unfit to serve as a soldier due to this fake health issue, allowing him to serve as a social service agent as an alternative form of service.
The broker he had come in contact with was arrested last month for violating the Military Service Act.
Professional athletes in the fields of soccer, horse riding and bowling are also under investigation for attempting draft evasion with the broker. The names of the others have not been revealed.
On Monday, prosecutors sought an arrest warrant for another military broker, only identified by the surname Kim, for helping the draft dodgers fake disabilities that would disqualify them from their duties.
Under the current conscription system, those in grades one, two and three are eligible to enlist for active duty service. Those in grade four can serve for supplemental or second citizen service, and those in grade five are enlisted as second citizen service.
Those excused from military service due to health issues are categorized at grade six, and those in grade seven are unable to be graded due to disease or illness.
Local media outlets reported a man tried to raise his blood pressure through heavy smoking and requested for change of military service, where he received grade four.
In 2020, a man showed fake symptoms of wrist pain after being injured during arm wrestling and was later diagnosed by the military as having a congenital deformity. The court found him guilty of intentionally deceiving the doctor to receive a grade six.
A case in 2021 showed that a man purposely scratched his skin with his nails to cause hives and rashes. He received grade four but was later charged with breaching the Military Service Act.
All able-bodied South Korean men between the ages of 18 and 28 are required to serve in the country’s armed forces for about 18-21 months.
The World’s Most (and Least) Powerful Passports in 2023
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2023
As we enter the new year, the latest results from the Henley Passport Index provide fascinating insights into a world characterized by extraordinary upheaval and offer a revealing look at what lies ahead.
For the fifth year running, Japan crowns the index, which is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and ranks all the world’s 199 passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa.
Japanese citizens can now visit an astonishing 193 destinations out of 227 visa-free, while those of South Korea and Singapore, which are tied in 2nd place, enjoy a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 192.
Germany and Spain are joint 3rd, with visa-free access to 190 destinations worldwide. The UK and the US remain in 6th and 7th places, with scores of 187 and 186, respectively, and appear increasingly unlikely to regain the top spot they jointly held nearly a decade ago.
Afghanistan remains firmly at the bottom of the Henley Passport Index, with a score of just 27 – 166 fewer visa-free destinations than Japan – the widest global mobility gap in the index’s 18-year history.
Chairman of Henley & Partners, Christian H. Kaelin, says the firm’s latest research into the link between visa-free travel and global economic access unpacks what passport power means in concrete financial terms. “For global citizens, a better measure of economic mobility and fiscal opportunity afforded by their passports is to look at the percentage share of global GDP accessible to them visa-free. Our latest research into how much global economic access each passport provides is a useful tool for investors and gives new insight into the ever-widening inequality and wealth disparity that defines our world.”
Direct link between passport strength and economic power
On a macro level, the new study by Henley & Partners reveals that just 6% of passports worldwide give their holders visa-free access to more than 70% of the global economy. And only 17% of countries give their passport holders visa-free access to more than four-fifths of the world’s 227 destinations.
The Japanese passport gives visa-free access to 85% of the world and, collectively, these countries account for a whopping 98% of the global economy (Japan’s own GDP contribution is around 5%). In contrast, the Nigerian passport at the lower end of the index provides visa-free access to only 46 destinations (20% of the world), which account for just 1.5% of global GDP. The lowest-ranked Afghanistan passport provides visa-free access to just 12% of the world and less than 1% of global economic output.
Areef Suleman, Director of Economic Research and Statistics at the Islamic Development Bank Institute, says cross-country visa-free access to more stable economies helps investors mitigate country- or jurisdiction-specific risks. “In general, greater access to the world’s economic output is advantageous as it expands the basket of products available to any individual. While this is also attainable through international trade, the options with physical access are far greater, extending to the use of services that are non-exportable such as better-quality education and healthcare.”
In terms of percentage of global GDP, the US and China have the lion’s share, with 25% and 19%, respectively, but American passport holders can access a further 43% of the world’s economic output visa-free, bringing their total to 68%, whereas Chinese passport holders can access only an additional 7% visa-free, taking their total to just 26% of global GDP.
Looking at another set of comparisons, South Korea and Russia have similar national GDPs of around 1.9% of global economic output. However, South Korea has a visa-free score of 192, giving its passport holders access to 81% of the global GDP, while Russia has a score of just 118, providing its passport holders with access to only 19% of the world’s economy.
India fares even worse, despite having the world’s fifth-largest economy: its passport holders can access just 59 destinations worldwide and only 6.8% of global GDP, of which the country’s own GDP accounts for around half.
Prof. Trevor Williams, former chief economist at Lloyd’s Bank Commercial Banking, says the research proves the causal relationship between the ability to travel, foreign investment in a country, increased trade, and economic growth. “These links are mutually reinforcing and agglomerative. Skills and talent go where there is the ability to work, invest, and travel, attracting others wishing to do the same and creating a positive loop.”
The war in Ukraine: shockwaves continue
The Ukraine war is yet to have a significant impact on the Henley Passport Index scores of Russia and Ukraine, with both countries retaining roughly the same position ‘on paper’ since the invasion nearly a year ago. Russia is currently ranked 49th with a score of 118, while Ukraine sits 13 places above, ranking 36th with a score of 144. However, due to airspace closures and sanctions, Russian citizens are effectively barred from travelling throughout most of the developed world, with the marked exceptions of the UAE and Türkiye, which have become focal points.
Ukrainians, on the other hand, have been granted the right to live and work in the EU for up to three years under an emergency plan in response to what has become Europe’s biggest refugee crisis this century. Already one of the biggest climbers on the Henley Passport Index, moving up 24 places over the past decade, Ukraine would likely break into the Top Ten most powerful passports in the world if it were to join the EU. Negotiations for membership are due to begin in earnest in the next few months after the EU approved Ukraine’s application for EU candidate status in record time last June.
Leading financial journalist and author, Misha Glenny, says it’s hard to overestimate how the continuing conflict will dictate global politics and the economy throughout 2023. “It’s a brutal ground war in which one combatant possesses more nuclear warheads than any other country on the planet. The Russian and Ukrainian economies exert a huge influence over two vital sectors of the global economy – energy and agriculture. This has been reflected in steep price rises, turning a manageable inflationary struggle into a dangerous one.”
While Asian countries still dominate the very top of the index, the growing passport strength of Gulf states has been identified as a key trend in the coming year. The UAE has climbed an astonishing 49 places over the past 10 years. Ranking 64th in 2013, with a visa-free score of just 72, the UAE now sits in 15th place, with a score of 178 and access to nearly 70% of global GDP. Analysts anticipate that Kuwait and Qatar will sign a visa-free deal with the EU this year – a move that will dramatically enhance their Henley Passport Index scores.
Indonesia’s LGBT community fears threat posed by new law
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2023
Assigned male at birth, Eva identifies as female and says the country’s new criminal code banning sex outside marriage fills her with dread every day. Last month, the world’s largest Muslim-majority country, banned people from having sex outside marriage or even living together.
In a small rented room nestled within narrow alleyways in a Jakarta slum, Eva, a 45-year-old transgender Indonesian busker, carefully applies makeup on her face.
“If you ask if we are afraid, yes we are, but what can we do?” she says sitting next to her partner, Ucok, in their cramped room.
Civil society groups have slammed the new laws saying the changes constitute a huge democratic setback and pose a particular risk to LGBT people, who could be disproportionately impacted by the so-called morality clauses.
Chika, 28, another transgender woman who is also a busker by trade, commutes to her preferred spot in a nearby town every day. Every time she leaves her house she worries about being caught living with her partner.
“When I heard (the news) that we could be punished, my heart dropped. I was shocked and kept thinking about it. Really? What kind of regulation is this?” she said.
When the legal changes take effect in three years, such unmarried couples, particularly in the LGBT community already under pressure from religious conservatives, will have to contend with the constant threat of being reported to the police. Even though only a spouse, parent or child may report suspected offences under the new law, experts and rights groups have warned of the risk of misuse by those looking to crush alliances they dislike.
Although homosexuality is considered taboo in Indonesia, it is not illegal, except in the ultra-conservative, autonomous province of Aceh. But a rising tide of conservative Islam has swelled persecution of the LGBT community.
Government officials have said they hope police raids and finger-pointing by moral crusaders would be prevented by the limitations on who is allowed to report a possible offence.
Indonesia’s National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) would oversee the course of the new criminal code and has made three recommendations to ensure the laws are non-discriminatory and adhere to human rights, an official told Reuters. Officials of the law ministry did not respond to fresh requests for comment.
But few in the LGBT community are convinced.
“We must be smart in the way we socialise. Not just with our extended family, even in our neighbourhood, we try not to behave intimately, we don’t hold hands like husband and wife. We act normal when we go outside, but we’re intimate in private places. We don’t do anything (intimate) in public,” says Eva as her partner holds her arm in the privacy of their home.
Classified documents from Biden’s vice presidency found at think tank
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2023
President Joe Biden said on Tuesday he was surprised to learn that classified documents were found in a think-tank office he once used and said he and his team are cooperating fully with a review into what happened.
Biden told reporters at a joint news conference with the leaders of Mexico and Canada that he takes classified documents seriously. He said he did not know what was in the documents.
“We are cooperating fully with the review, which I hope will be finished soon,” Biden said.
Biden defended the handling of the documents.
“They found some documents in a box in a locked cabinet or at least a closet. And as soon as they did, they realized there were several classified documents in that box. And they did what they should have done. They immediately called the Archives,” he said.
“I was briefed about this discovery and surprised to learn that there were any government records that were taken there to that office, but I don’t know what’s in the documents,” he said.
He said his lawyers have suggested he not ask what was in the documents.
“I’ve turned over the boxes, they’ve turned over the boxes to the Archives, and we are cooperating fully with the review, which I hope will be finished soon. And there’ll be more detail at that time,” he said.
A Democrat, Biden has faced criticism from Republicans after his Justice Department launched an investigation last year into Republican former President Donald Trump’s handling of classified documents discovered at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida.
The cases differ in several ways.
Biden’s attorneys discovered fewer than a dozen classified records inside the office at the think tank and informed the US National Archives of their discovery, turned over the materials, and said they were cooperating with the Archives and the Justice Department.
By contrast, Trump kept thousands of government records, a few hundred of which were marked as classified, inside his Florida residence for more than a year after departing the White House, and did not return them immediately or willingly despite numerous requests by the National Archives.
Young Vietnamese lieutenant provides meals and education to 3,500 children
TUESDAY, JANUARY 10, 2023
To combat poverty and promote education in remote mountainous areas, Lieutenant Duong Hai Anh and various sponsors have come together to provide meals and schooling for more than 3,500 children.
One of their projects, “Nuôi em Mộc Châu” (Bringing up children in Mộc Châu), began in January 2021.
More than 3,500 students in 75 kindergartens in Moc Chau, Van Ho, and Bac Yen districts are receiving financial support for lunches through the project.
So far, the financial support is estimated at VNĐ9 billion (US$384,000).
Another project is “Hanh phuc cho em” (Happiness for children), which started in December 2021.
The project built 16 schools and four houses and gave scholarships to poor students in Moc Chau, Van Ho, Yen Chau, Muong La and Quynh Nhai districts, worth more than VNĐ3.4 billion ($145,200).
Anh and his 38 partners run the two projects. Most of them are police in Son La Province and students.
Anh achieved his dream in 2015 when he passed the entrance exam to the People’s Police Academy. Since then, he has enthusiastically joined the youth union’s campaigns.
But Anh does not forget his main task of studying. With excellent learning results, Anh has received many certificates of merit from the Ministry of Public Security.
After graduating from school in 2019, Anh was assigned to the traffic and public order police team in Moc Chau District Police, in charge of managing the Long Sap border gate, which is a drug hotspot.
“At that time, my station is right next to a kindergarten. Every day I see children going to school carrying only rice and water bottles to mix with rice. Therefore, every child has a very big belly but a small body, stunted and malnourished. I feel so sorry,” said Anh.
He came up with the idea to support the children with lunch. Initially, only 54 children in Long Sap received support. Then, the word spread and the number of beneficiaries increased.
To help the children, Anh and his comrades called for sponsors in social networks, including the youth union, women’s association, the police and the community.
Nguyen Thi Quyen, deputy principal of the Phong Lan Kindergarten in Moc Chau District, said that when the projects had not been implemented, the students were very miserable.
They had to quit school to help their parents in the fields.
“The projects have helped us a lot, encouraged parents to let their children go to school, reduce the rate of malnourished children and raise children’s awareness,” she said.
Ngọc Anh, deputy head of the Bringing up children in Moc Chau project, said that Hai Anh’s work was meaningful.
“I’m a lot older than Hai Anh. He’s a young man but has a great heart. He can do things my generation has not thought of and dare not do. Hai Anh is an example which we can learn from. I admire Hai Anh for his activities. He is also the inspirer to all members of the projects,” said Ngoc Anh.
Hai Anh said, “Happiness is sharing. For me, the happiness I give to others is forever”.
Besides volunteer work, Anh also does his profession very well.
He is compiling a handbook about fighting online crimes, the first kind of handbook in the country.
“When doing charity work, we insert knowledge about the law to the people, especially at the schools we built. We spread information about Children’s Law and drug-related crime prevention. The work is not only highly appreciated in Son La Province but also nationwide,” said Anh.
Being active in volunteering activities but did not forget to complete the police’s duty, particularly in 2021 successfully, Anh was awarded two certificates of merit from the Son La Province Police and one certificate of merit from the Ministry of Public Security.
He also received the National Volunteer Award in 2021.
Koh Samui’s Fisherman’s Village raises game to lure tourist shoals
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2023
Fisherman’s Village Walking Street on Koh Samui has cast its net for a bigger haul of tourists this high season with a clean-up.
Work to beautify Beach Road in Bo Phut began on Tuesday, with landscape improvements and general tidying up of more than 100 street vendors that line the 1-kilometre walking street on Samui’s coastline.
Local tourism operators say they want to highlight the street’s old charm by presenting the authentic fishing-village lifestyle in a safe, clean and uncluttered setting.
To add colour, the walking street is also hosting nightly fire baton displays.
The makeover aims to generate up to 5 million baht of cash flow per night for local street vendors.
Suwaphak Wongthanapornsil, who operates a hotel on Fisherman’s Village Walking Street, said local tourism businesses have also asked authorities to ban traffic and parking on the street from 6pm to midnight to ensure tourist safety and maximise vending areas. He is confident the move will spark a flood of tourists and turn Fisherman’s Village into a star attraction on the island.
Koh Samui was last year ranked the second-best tourist destination in Asia behind the Andaman Islands and seventh-best in the world by Travel+Leisure magazine. The magazine cited Samui’s beautiful coastline and crystal-clear waters, giving it high scores for activities, food, friendliness and overall value.
Leaner travel subsidy scheme may be added to Cabinet agenda next week: minister
TUESDAY, JANUARY 10, 2023
The toned-down fifth phase of the Rao Tiew Duay Kan (We Travel Together) subsidy was not added to this week’s Cabinet agenda.
Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said on Tuesday that the Cabinet may deliberate on it next week, once it has undergone the process of being added to the agenda.
“I think it should be ready for the next Cabinet meeting,” Phiphat said.
The ministry has tried several times to win Cabinet approval for the fifth phase of the scheme since last year.
After the Cabinet more than halved the budget for the tourism stimulus package from 8.7 billion baht to 4 billion baht, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha called on the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to discuss the budget in detail with the Budget Bureau.
TAT then came up with a toned-down subsidy scheme that will cost 2.02 billion baht.
Under the new programme, only 560,000 hotel bookings will be subsidised, and each tourist will get a discounted rate for no more than five nights and a 600 baht cash voucher per booking. The scheme will not subsidise airfares.
The remaining 1.98 billion baht of the budget will be spent on tourism promotions in Thailand and overseas.
First group of 200 Chinese tourists lands in Thailand
TUESDAY, JANUARY 10, 2023
THE NATION
The first direct flight from China since the pandemic shut borders arrived in Thailand on Monday (January 9), a day after Beijing dropped COVID border controls that had largely prevented its 1.4 billion residents from travelling for three years.
Passengers of Xiamen Airlines flight MF833, carrying 269 Chinese travellers, were given a warm welcome upon landing at Suvarnabhumi Airporton the outskirts of Bangkok.
Thai Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul handed out garlands while airport officials distributed bags of souvenirs to the arriving visitors.
“We’re very excited to come back to Thailand. We have been waiting for three years already.”
“Before the start of COVID, we come here every year. And this time I take my family to come here.”said Wang Zheyin CHINESE TOURIST
The arrival comes as Thailand suddenly rescinded a policy announced at the weekend requiring visitors to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination, Anutin said, citing sufficient immunisation levels in China and globally.
Speaking to reporters at a news conference, Anutin said requiring visitors to show evidence of vaccination was inconvenient and a panel of experts had resolved that it was unnecessary as enough vaccinations had been administered globally. The minister also said visitors not vaccinated would also be granted entry without restriction.
Joint Parliament meeting on education bill collapses for 2nd time in 2 days
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2023
A joint sitting of MPs and senators to deliberate the second reading of the education bill collapsed for the second time in two days on Wednesday after too few lawmakers registered attendance.
The collapse came a day after Tuesday’s vote on Section 7/1 of the bill was called off because not enough MPs and senators were present.
Wednesday’s vote on Section 8/1 saw 349 parliamentarians insert their ID cards to register attendance. However, some cast their vote before Parliament deputy president Pornpetch Wichitcholchai called for an official vote. As a result, Pornpetch announced he would have to clear the data so parliamentarians could register and vote again. However, only 339 MPs and senators did so, failing to meet the simple majority of both two Houses needed to form a quorum.
Opposition Pheu Thai MP Jirayu Hungsup then called for a fresh vote, which led to a dispute between opposition and coalition MPs and senators, who said Section 8/1 should be considered passed.
Piraphet Sirikul (Pheu Thai-Kalasin) informed Pornpetch that the meeting should be adjourned for failing to achieve a quorum.
Senator Somchai Sawaengkarn then rose to propose Pornpetch conduct a recount of the number of parliamentarians and votes.
But Senator Wallop Tangkhananulak rose to second Piraphet’s call for adjournment, upon which Pornpetch closed the meeting at 12.49pm.
The House of Representatives was dubbed “collapsible” by press late last year for the frequency with which meetings were adjourned and votes failed due to the lack of a quorum.
Number of first marriages for women in their 20s and 30s (Korean Statistical Information Service)
But Senator Wallop Tangkhananulak rose to second Piraphet’s call for adjournment, upon which Pornpetch closed the meeting at 12.49pm.
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