South Korea

Black bear

South Korea ends breeding of bears and extraction of their bile

By / / Good News For Humankind

South Korea has passed a landmark law to ban bear bile farming, bringing an end to an industry established in the 1980s. The legislation prohibits the breeding and slaughter of bears for their bile, with a full phase-out mandated by January 1, 2026. The government has committed to building sanctuaries to house the approximately 300 remaining bears and will provide compensation to farmers. This collaborative victory, driven by the Ministry of Environment and animal welfare groups, marks a major win for global animal rights.

Neon Pride Rainbow

South Korea census allows same-sex couples to identify as spouses in “historic” change

By / / Good News For Humankind

South Korea has taken a major step toward equality by officially updating its national census to recognize same-sex couples as spouses. This victory, driven by civil rights advocates, is crucial for improving visibility and ensuring accurate demographic data. This powerful institutional recognition builds momentum for future legal reforms. It sets a progressive model for other nations in East Asia seeking to affirm the dignity of LGBTQ+ citizens in their national frameworks.

​Korean scientists develop technique that detects nearly 100% of bacterial infections in under 3 hours​

By / / Good news links

Scientists at the Ulsan National Institute of Science & Technology (UNIST) in South Korea have made a major breakthrough in the accuracy and speed at which often deadly pathogen infections can be identified and treated. In many cases, this accelerated process can save lives. The new technique, known as fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), detected seven species of bacteria that commonly infect humans. It proved to be more than 99% accurate for all but one – a pathogen that infects skin tissue – which had a still-impressive 96.3% success rate.

South Korean flags

South Korean youth score historic climate victory

By / / Good news links

A top court in South Korea has ruled the country’s measures to fight climate change insufficient for protecting the rights of its citizens in Asia’s first climate litigation ruling of its kind. Currently, South Korea does not have any legally binding targets to cut greenhouse gas emissions between 2031 and 2049. This absence means the government cannot guarantee the protection of future generations, a right engrained in its constitution, the Constitutional Court of Korea ruled.

Good news for LGBTQ rights

South Korea’s top court upholds the rights of people in same-sex relationships in historic ruling

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The landmark ruling states that benefits from South Korea’s National Health Insurance Service can be claimed by people in same-sex partnerships and that treating same-sex couples differently than heterosexual ones is “an act of discrimination that… violates human dignity and the right to pursue happiness.” South Korea does not recognize same-sex marriage under the law, so the ruling is major progress in extending the protections and rights to same-sex couples.

Biogas plant in agricultural landscape.

South Korea to require producers of organic waste resources to make biogas

By / / Good news links

According to the East Asian nation’s Environment Ministry’s new biogas law, public and private industries that generate organic waste such as livestock manure and food waste will now be required to produce them in the form of biogas. Biogas is a gaseous renewable energy source produced from raw materials such as agricultural waste, plant material and manure and can be used in vehicles that operate on natural gas.