👁️ Teachers in Korea are leaving their jobs at an alarming rate.

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 👀 Today’s Email about:

• Teachers in Korea are leaving their jobs at an alarming rate.

• Political parties and the government are working to establish a consultative body with doctors to resolve the medical crisis.

• Korean fried chicken ranks as the top regional delicacy among foreign tourists, according to a report.

NEWS 📰

Teachers in Korea are leaving their jobs at an alarming rate.

Over the past five years, over 32,000 teachers in Korea have left their positions before retirement, with over 3,300 departing this year alone. A report by Rep. Jung Sung-kook shows that resignations have risen, from 5,937 in 2019 to 7,404 in 2023, reflecting growing dissatisfaction among educators. Voluntary resignations have increased, alongside early retirements, with teachers citing declining respect, student management challenges, and low pay as major issues. Younger teachers, especially those with less than 10 years of experience, are leaving at an increasing rate. The government is being urged to address these problems to retain teachers. The issue gained national attention following the suicide of a teacher in 2022, sparking protests over teacher treatment and authority.

Political parties and the government are working to establish a consultative body with doctors to resolve the medical crisis.

Korea is amid a medical crisis as political parties and the government work to resolve disputes over expanding medical school admission quotas. Both the ruling People Power Party (PPP) and the opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) have agreed to form a four-party consultative body to address the staffing shortages in hospitals caused by a walkout of trainee doctors. However, doctors' groups, like the Korean Medical Association (KMA), oppose the government's plan to increase medical school admissions by 1,500 for 2025, citing inadequate university resources.

While some doctors support dialogue, the KMA insists the quota increase should be delayed until 2027 for further discussion. Despite ongoing disagreements, the government remains open to adjusting the 2026 quota but is unlikely to change the 2025 quota due to imminent university admissions.

This impasse has strained emergency medical services nationwide, raising concerns of a deeper crisis as the Chuseok holiday approaches, with emergency rooms already operating with fewer staff. Negotiations are expected to be challenging, with legal and logistical hurdles ahead.

Korean fried chicken ranks as the top regional delicacy among foreign tourists, according to a report.

Foreign tourists visiting Korea are spending more on Korean fried chicken than any other local delicacy, according to BC Card. Over the past three years, fried chicken, especially popular in Daegu, has been the top choice among international visitors. Jajangmyeon, a Korean-Chinese noodle dish, ranked second, while soy sauce-marinated crab, particularly from Incheon, rose to third place, boosted by the global popularity of Korean media.

Tourists are increasingly exploring regional specialties like soft tofu from northeastern Korea and pork rice soup from the southeast. BC Card noted that foreign tourists spent significantly more on local delicacies than Koreans from the same regions, with those familiar with transportation options like KTX trains and rental cars spending up to 50% more. The company emphasized that international visitors' preferences for Korean food are evolving and plans to share data to help promote tourism.

ENTERTAINMENT 🌄

Is it appropriate to request celebrities to display their abs?

It's become common for male idols and celebrities to be asked to reveal their abs, which often places undue pressure on them. Recently, singer and actor Doh Kyung-soo (D.O.) politely refused such a request, saying, "There will never be a time in my life when I reveal my abs," and emphasized the discomfort of working out just to showcase his body. Many stars face similar situations during live events or concerts, where fans express disappointment if they don't comply.

While abs are often seen as a symbol of discipline, not all celebrities are comfortable displaying them outside of professional roles. This parallels past entertainment trends where idols were expected to perform "aegyo" (acting cute), which has been criticized for infantilizing them.

There is a growing call to respect celebrities' boundaries and reconsider the culture of pressuring them to expose their bodies for fan satisfaction. Stars should feel free to refuse such requests without discomfort or awkwardness, and fans should respect their choices.

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