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By Lee Yeon-woo
The year 2022 will soon disappear into history. In the New Year, the nation will face a lot of changes. The new changes, albeit subtle and gradual, are being introduced to help the nation adapt to the ever-changing needs of the public.
Among others, the clock is ticking for the closure of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. It remains to be seen whether President Yoon Suk-yeol's push to shut down the ministry can eventually win over the main opposition party.
Koreans will get younger as the new age counting scheme was introduced. And there are other changes that will make 2023 a milestone.
Goodbye 2022, and welcome 2023! Here are the things that are set to change from next year.
Koreans become younger
Koreans will get one to two years younger from June, as bills to revise the current age counting system were passed in the National Assembly this month. So far, a newborn baby is counted as one year old, and everyone gets a year older on New Year's Day, regardless of their date of birth. With the introduction of the new age system, the government said unnecessary confusion about Koreans' ages will disappear.
Subsidies for newborn babies
Starting Jan. 1, parents with infants who are younger than 12 months will receive a monthly subsidy of 700,000 won ($555), and with infants younger than 24 months 350,000 won ($277). The new childcare subsidy was introduced as part of the nation's efforts to stop the falling birthrate.
Fate of gender ministry dangling
President Yoon Suk-yeol's campaign pledge to abolish the gender ministry has generated heated debate. His controversial pledge, however, has been in limbo due to opposition from the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), which controls the National Assembly. A shakeup of Cabinet ministries needs approval from the National Assembly. It remains to be seen whether Yoon's plan will get the green light from lawmakers in the new year. In October, the government unveiled a plan to abolish the gender ministry and transfer its functions to other ministries.
Gender Equality and Family Minister Kim Hyun-sook called for an end to her ministry. In a New Year speech, Kim called for the creation of a new ministry encompassing all related areas of birthrates, childcare and employment to achieve a true meaning of gender equality. She noted that the current gender ministry should be merged into the welfare ministry with the introduction of a department handling population and gender equality.
Minimum wage
The minimum hourly wage for 2023 will be increased to 9,620 won ($7.63), a 5 percent increase from 2022. The wage will be applied to all industries across the country.
Public transportation fare hike
The basic taxi fare in Seoul will rise from 3,800 won ($3.10) to 4,800 won in February. The taxi fare increase was introduced to ease the shortage of cabs. The Seoul Metropolitan Government is also considering raising subway and bus fares both by 300 won. In 2022, the adult fare in Seoul was 1,250 won for the subway, and 1,200 won for a bus ride.
Better treatment of asylum-seekers
The Ministry of Justice will improve legal and administrative systems at government detention facilities for foreign nationals. The new measure comes as the country was criticized for the inhumane treatment of a detained Moroccan asylum-seeker. Starting March 6, each facility will be monitored by human rights officials, and tools to control defiant behavior will be codified more specifically.
New food storage guidelines
Starting in January, the current sell-by-date method will be changed to the use-by-date method. A use-by date, indicating when a food item will be at its best quality, is set 20 percent longer than the sell-by date. The new guideline reflects environmental concerns, as people tend to dump products once they pass the sell-by date even though they're still safe to consume.
