Korean Railway Workers Union are staging a two-day strike starting today at 9 am in non-metropolitan areas. Workers in urban area such as Seoul will join the walkout tomorrow. The Korea Railroad Corporation expects service disruptions over the next two days on subway Line 1, passenger trains, and freight trains, but plans to hire emergency workers to minimize the impact. Workers at the Korea Gas Corporation, Korea Pension Service, and the Kyungpook National University Hospital will join railway workers tomorrow, and all four groups say they will hold a series of strikes until November 20th. The unions representing these workers are members of the Federation of Korean Trade Unions and Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, who also hinted a few weeks ago at a general strike for December if the government passes controversial labour reforms.

Public schools have been closing in response to the increasing H1N1 alert across Korea, but private after-school schools have yet to face the same closures. However, the education ministry announced that it will begin to urge hagwons that are close to public schools that have already been closed to help prevent the spread of the flu by keeping students at home as well.

Korea will introduce a fingerprint scan for all foreigners entering the country starting in 2012. With similar policies currently in effect in the U.S. and Japan, the Justice Ministry says the policy does not discriminate against foreigners and that Koreans over the age of 17 have to provide fingerprints when apply for their resident registration cards. The change is also being seen as a way to shorten the process for foreign professionals who are filing for a change of workplace.

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