Dog meat ban in South Korea, animal activists calling it tipping point

Lawmakers in South Korea on Tuesday passed a watershed ban on the production and sale of dog meat for human consumption, a centuries-old practice animal rights activists in the country have tried to eradicate for generations.

South Korea's parliament voted 208-0 in favor of the ban, which will go into effect in 2027, after a three-year transition period allowing dog farmers and restaurants to repurpose or close their businesses.

Animal rights activists celebrated the ban Tuesday, which comes after several decades of organized, vocal opposition to the practice of eating dog meat, such as in stews. South Korea joins a growing list of places that have passed similar bans, including Hong Kong, Taiwan, the Philippines, India, Thailand and Singapore, and individual cities across China, Indonesia and the Siem Reap province in Cambodia, according to Humane Society International.

The practice of eating dog meat, which is connected to traditional Korean medicine, hasn't been popular among younger South Koreans for generations, said David Fields, a professor and director for the Center for East Asian Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

"I've never met a young Korean my age who engaged in this practice," said Fields, 40, noting only South Koreans of his parents' or grandparents' generation still partake in it.

Traditional Korean medicine taught many older South Koreans to eat dog meat on the hottest days of the summer to stay cool, said Fields, who said he has discussed the topic of eating dog meat with Koreans while he lived in the country on and off for four years. Part of the reason the practice has lost popularity could also be because many more people have now have air conditioning, he said.

Humane Society International's executive director for Korea applauded South Korea's ban Tuesday, calling the ban "history in the making."

"We reached a tipping point where most Korean citizens reject eating dogs and want to see this suffering consigned to the history books," HSI/Korea executive director JungAh Chae said in a statement.

Fields also said the decision by South Korean lawmakers reflects the country's desire to be in-step with international norms and the values of the majority of its citizens.

"It's an example of how Korea is really willing to make fundamental changes, even to cultural institutions that are hundreds of years old, to keep with the dictates of a modern society," Fields said.

Recent surveys show more than half of South Koreans want dog meat banned and a majority no longer eat it, the Associated Press reported. A 2023 Nielsen Korea opinion poll shows that 86% of South Koreans won’t eat dog meat in the future and 57% support a ban, HSI/Korea said in a statement Tuesday.

Animal rights activists long decried poor conditions at dog farms

In the bill, South Korean lawmakers said the legislation is meant to strengthen animal rights in the country.

“This law is aimed at contributing to realizing the values of animal rights, which pursue respect for life and a harmonious co-existence between humans and animals,” the legislation says.

For years, animal rights activists in South Korea have pointed to examples of inhumane treatment of dogs at farms across the country.

In 2018, while covering the Winter Olympics in South Korea, USA TODAY reporters found grim, inhumane conditions at a handful of dog farms not far from some Olympic stadiums. Hundreds of dogs were packed into filthy cages and most were emaciated, USA TODAY reported.

Most farms in South Korea raise about 500 dogs, but one visited by the Associated Press in July had about 7,000, the news wire service reported. For years, South Korea has also been the only country with industrial-scale dog farms, according to the Associated Press.

Dogs are also eaten in China, Vietnam, Indonesia, North Korea and in some African countries.

It's important to remember that someone's food choices are highly influenced by where they grew up and their nationality, said Shigeru Osuka, a professor of Asian and Japanese studies at Seton Hall University in New Jersey.

Culturally, the very intimate practice of what one eats and why falls "between" national norms and multicultural or multinational norms, he said.

"Korea’s ban on dog meat is a natural process that Korea wants to meet the so-called international standard," Osuka said. "Eventually China and Vietnam will follow the international standard, which emphasizes on protecting animals."

People in the U.S. used to eat whale meat, he noted, until whale-hunting ended in the 20th century and the International Whaling Commission banned commercial whaling in 1986.

South Korea dog meat ban offers compensation to dog farmers

South Korea's ban would make slaughtering, breeding and selling dog meat for human consumption illegal starting in 2027 and punishable by two to three years in prison. It doesn’t provide any penalties for eating dog meat.

The bill offers assistance to dog farmers and others in the industry in shutting down their businesses and shifting to alternatives. Details are to be worked out amongst government officials, farmers, experts and animal rights activists.

But the legislation doesn’t clearly specify how dog farmers and others in the industry will be supported. Agriculture Minister Song Mi-ryung said Tuesday the government will try to formulate reasonable assistance programs for them.

Ju Yeongbong, an official of the farmers’ association, said most farmers are in their 60s and 80s and hope to continue their businesses until older people, their main customers, die. But Ju said the legislation would “strip them of their right to live” because it would likely end up only offering assistance for dismantling their facilities and for transitions, without compensation for giving up their dogs.

Son Won Hak, a farmer and former leader of a farmers’ association, said many elderly dog farmers are willing to close their farms if proper financial compensation is provided because of the extremely negative public view of their jobs. He also said dog farmers will file a petition with the Constitutional Court of Korea and hold demonstrations against the ban.

Contributing: The Associated Press

Eating dogs and cats banned in House-passed bill

WASHINGTON – The House has passed legislation that would outlaw the slaughter of dogs and cats for food – a practice that, although rare, is still legal in 44 states.

The bipartisan bill by Florida Reps. Vern Buchanan, a Republican, and Alcee Hastings, a Democrat, would amend the federal Animal Welfare Act to ban the slaughter of dogs and cats for human consumption in the United States. It was passed Wednesday by voice vote.

The bill makes it illegal to knowingly slaughter, transport, possess, buy, sell or donate dogs or cats or their parts for human consumption. Violators would be fined up to $5,000.

Buchanan said he is optimistic the Senate will pass the Dog and Cat Meal Trade Prohibition Act before Congress adjourns this fall. Animal protection has been one of the rare issues where lawmakers have found bipartisan agreement.

"Dogs and cats provide love and companionship to millions of people and should not be slaughtered and sold as food," Buchanan said.

The House also passed a nonbinding resolution urging other nations to end the dog and cat meat trade. It asks the governments of China, South Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, India and other nations to ban consumption of the animals. Taiwan last year became the first Asian government to outlaw the slaughter of dogs and cats for human consumption.

"This bill is a reflection of our values and gives us a greater standing in urging all other countries to end this horrific practice once and for all," Hastings said.

The House action was cheered by animal rights groups, who say there is a small underground market for dog and cat meat in the United States.

It is illegal in all states for slaughterhouses to handle dogs and cats, and it's illegal for stores to sell the meat. However, individuals in most states can kill and eat a dog or cat or sell the meat to other people.

"These animals are our dutiful companions and not our dinner fare," said Marty Irby, executive director of Animal Wellness Action.

More:Congress finds bipartisanship on animal protection issues

More:It's more economical to view sharks than to kill them, study finds

More:Does your restaurant get 5 stars for animal welfare?

Senate passes legislation to ban TikTok from US government ...

CNN —

The Senate passed legislation Wednesday evening to ban TikTok from US government devices, in a move designed to limit perceived information-security risks stemming from the social media app.

The vote by unanimous consent approved the No TikTok on Government Devices Act, a bill authored by Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley.

The move marks lawmakers’ latest step against the short-form video app that has become popular with over a billion users worldwide. US officials fear that TikTok’s user data could end up in the hands of the Chinese government due to that country’s influence over TikTok’s parent, ByteDance.

A companion bill was introduced in the House last year by Colorado Republican Rep. Ken Buck. It has yet to be approved by members of the House Oversight Committee.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday it isn’t yet clear whether the chamber will take up the TikTok bill in light of its Senate passage, saying lawmakers were consulting with White House officials on its language.

“Once again, Sen. Hawley has moved forward with legislation to ban TikTok on government devices, a proposal which does nothing to advance U.S. national security interests,” a spokesperson for TikTok said in a statement. “We hope that rather than continuing down that road, he will urge the Administration to move forward on an agreement that would actually address his concerns.”

The latest legislative action comes as TikTok and the US government have been negotiating a deal that may allow the app to keep serving US users. There have been years of closed-door talks between TikTok and the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, as well as recent reports of delays in the negotiations.

Some lawmakers have expressed frustration with an apparent lack of progress in those talks. Following Wednesday’s vote, Virginia Democratic Sen. Mark Warner, a vocal critic of TikTok, said of the process: “My patience is running out.”

On Tuesday, US lawmakers led by Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio introduced a bill to ban TikTok in the United States more generally, along with other apps based in, or under the “substantial influence” of, countries that are considered foreign adversaries, including China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba and Venezuela. In introducing the bill, Rubio also indicated some frustration, saying that the federal government “has yet to take a single meaningful action” on the matter.

But several senators, including Warner and Hawley, have stopped short of endorsing Rubio’s proposal. On Thursday, Hawley said he would be “fine” if the US government and TikTok reached a deal to safeguard US users’ data. “But if they don’t do that … then I think we’re going to have to look at more stringent measures,” Hawley said.

In the past two weeks, at least seven states have said they will bar public employees from using the app on government devices, including Alabama, Maryland, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah and Texas. (Another state, Nebraska, banned TikTok from state devices in 2020.)

Some US government agencies have independently taken steps to limit TikTok usage among their employees. Already, the US military, the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security have restricted the app from government-owned devices. But Wednesday’s bill would apply to the entire federal workforce.

Indonesia bans sex outside marriage as parliament passes ...

Jakarta, Indonesia CNN —

Indonesian lawmakers unanimously passed a sweeping new criminal code on Tuesday that criminalizes sex outside marriage, as part of a tranche of changes that critics say threaten human rights and freedoms in the Southeast Asian country.

The new code, which also applies to foreign residents and tourists, bans cohabitation before marriage, apostasy, and provides punishments for insulting the president or expressing views counter to the national ideology.

“All have agreed to ratify the (draft changes) into law,” said lawmaker Bambang Wuryanto, who led the parliamentary commission in charge of revising the colonial-era code. “The old code belongs to Dutch heritage … and is no longer relevant.”

The world’s largest Muslim-majority nation, Indonesia has seen a rise in religious conservatism in recent years. Strict Islamic laws are already enforced in parts of the country, including the semi-autonomous Aceh province, where alcohol and gambling are banned. Public floggings also take place in the region for a range of offenses including homosexuality and adultery.

The changes to the criminal code have not only alarmed human rights advocates, who warned of their potential to stifle personal freedoms, but also travel industry representatives – who worried about their potential effect on tourism.

In a news conference Tuesday, Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly said it wasn’t easy for a multicultural and multi-ethnic country to make a criminal code that “accommodates all interests.”

He said he hoped that Indonesians understood that lawmakers had done everything they could to accommodate “public aspiration,” and invited dissatisfied parties to submit a judicial review to the constitutional court.

In the lead up to Tuesday’s vote, rights groups and critics warned that the new code would “disproportionately impact women” and further curtail human rights and freedoms in the country of more than 270 million people.

“What we’re witnessing is a huge setback to Indonesia’s hard-won progress in protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms after the 1998 revolution. This criminal code should have never been passed in the first place,” said Usman Hamid, executive director of Amnesty International Indonesia.

What’s in the criminal code?

The new criminal code runs to 200 pages and has been years in the making.

A previous draft was set to be passed in 2019 but the vote was postponed after thousands of protesters, mostly students, took to the streets demanding the government withdraw it.

In a televised address at the time, President Joko Widodo said he would delay the vote after “seriously considering feedback from different parties who feel objections on some substantial content of the criminal code.”

Hamid from Amnesty noted there had been “no meaningful changes” enacted since 2019.

Under the version passed Tuesday, sex outside marriage carries a potential one-year prison term though there a restrictions on who can lodge a formal complaint. For example, the parents of children who are cohabitating before marriage have the authority to report them.

As well as introducing new offenses, the code also expands on existing laws and punishments. Blasphemy laws have increased from “one to six provisions” and can now lead to a maximum five-year prison sentence, according to a draft document.

Hamid said laws on insulting the country’s leaders and unsanctioned protests will have a “chilling effect” on free speech.

“The reinstatement of provisions banning insults to the president and vice president, the sitting government as well as state institutions would further create a palpable chilling effect on freedom of speech and criminalize legitimate criticisms,” he said.

Human Rights Watch Indonesia Researcher Andreas Harsono said the laws are “a setback for already declining religious freedom in Indonesia,” warning they could be misused to target certain individuals.

“The danger of oppressive laws is not that they’ll be broadly applied, it’s that they provide avenue for selective enforcement,” he said.

Hadi Rahmat Purnama, from the University of Indonesia’s law faculty, said the laws would be implemented after a transitional period of three years.

Foreigners and tourists

The laws are expected to trouble the business community, especially those who regularly host and cater for foreign nationals and tourists.

The island of Bali, for example, relies heavily on tourist revenue and is still recovering from the pandemic slowdown that kept travelers away.

Putu Winastra, chairman of the Association of the Indonesian Tour and Travel Agencies (ASITA) in Bali, told CNN the laws would “make foreigners think twice” about visiting Indonesia.

“From our point of view as tourism industry players, this law will be very troublesome,” said Putu, who questioned how the laws would be policed.

“Should we ask (overseas unmarried couples) if they are married or not? Do tourist couples have to prove that they are married?” he asked.

Putu said the laws could be “counterproductive” to any efforts to entice tourists back to the island.

“If these laws are really implemented later, tourists might be (subjected) to jail and this will harm tourism,” he said.

Masrur Jamaluddin Heather Chen Angus Watson

Chinese influence bill passes Legislature, signed by DeSantis ...

TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed a bill into law that targets United States-adversarial countries, but has many Florida Chinese groups worried it will lead to discrimination.

"Today is one example of Florida really leading the nation in terms of what we're doing to stop the influence of the Chinese Communist party," DeSantis said at Monday press conference in Hernando County.

Many of DeSantis’ comments behind the podium Monday appeared geared toward a national audience.

"When you look at foreign threats, and you look at a country like China and their ambitions, one you've got to recognize the folly of prior American policies for the last generation," said DeSantis, who is expected to soon announce a presidential run. “A strong America abroad requires a strong America at home, and I think the elites in this country have ignored problems at home for far too long."

SB 264, which goes into effect on July 1, bounced between the Senate and House with different amendments and different Democrats expressing concerns last week, until it finally passed Thursday evening.

It targets “foreign countries of concern,” including Russia, Cuba, Iran and North Korea. It puts the biggest spotlight on China, carving out language specifically devoted to how the legislation applies to its government and those connected with it.

Worries raised over SB 264:'Terrified': Chinese protesters tell Florida lawmakers bill threatens their 'American dream'

2023 session summary:DeSantis-dominated legislative session: The priorities that sailed, struggled and sank

"My concern has always been with the lack of definitions with some of the critical terms used in the bill," said House Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell of Tampa. "Because we have a lack of definitions, if they were viewed to be overbroad, we could veering into the area of national origin discrimination."

But bill supporters dismissed those concerns, saying the bill is needed to address national security.

"This bill should never be about right or left, or Democrat or Republican," said Rep. David Borrero, R-Sweetwater, the sponsor of the House version of the legislation. "This is a bill that protects the national security interests of Floridians."

The bill had been a big priority of DeSantis, who promoted many of the ideas seen in the legislation during a press conference in September.

DeSantis on Monday also signed SB 258, which puts into statute and expands Florida's government device ban on TikTok and other foreign country of concern-created, maintained or owned apps. He signed SB 846, too, which bans state colleges and universities from accepting gifts from and making agreements with foreign countries of concern.

Back story:8 Florida universities have banned TikTok. Here's what you need to know:

The bill passed the House by a 95-17 vote and the Senate with only eight lawmakers opposed.

In its final form, the bill prevents the foreign countries of concern and their officers from buying farmland as well as property within 10 miles of a military installation or critical infrastructure facility.

And no one connected with the Chinese government or the CCP is allowed to purchase real estate in Florida under the bill, nor can anyone who is "domiciled" in China and not a United States citizen or lawful permanent resident.

Lawmakers added in an exception for non-tourist Visa holders, as long as they buy one real estate property that is not within five miles of one of these installations and not larger than two acres.

"We want to make sure that our agricultural land is not compromised by CCP influence," DeSantis said. "[The law] ensures our seaports, it ensures our airports, powerplants, telecom systems and other critical infrastructure will not be compromised by the CPP or any foreign adversary."

It also prevents Florida governmental entities from entering into contracts with these countries of concern if personal identifying information is in play. They also want to prevent economic incentives contracts from going to these countries.

That legislation initially flew through the Capitol with bipartisan support, passing the Senate and two of three committees in the House without any fireworks.

Then a coalition of Florida Chinese groups caught wind of measure. At the bill's last House committee stop, more than 100 people signed up to testify in opposition. Like Driskell and other Democrats who've spoken against the measure, they worry the language is too broad and will lead to discrimination.

They worry property sellers will be hesitant to consider the Chinese community — or any other Asian community — over fears they'll be breaking the law. And they say the legislation conflates Chinese people with the Chinese government and the CCP.

That conflation happened during the legislative process, as some of the bill sponsors — Borrero and Rep. Katherine Waldron, D-Wellington, another sponsor — alleged the CPP was behind opposition to the bill.

"I would invite you to look more closely at where those protests are germinating from and where the protesters who have shown up here and throughout the state in recent weeks actually live and what groups they are associated with before believing what they are selling you," Waldron said.

But when the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida interviewed various protesters last month, none said they lived outside of Florida. And committee meeting records show almost all of the more than 100 people who testified in opposition to the legislation listed Florida addresses.

Echo King, a China-born Orlando immigration attorney who helped organize the turnout of a multitude of Chinese organizations to protest the legislation, denied the allegation and called it harmful and scary.

"I'm not CCP. Why would they think that?" King said. "I am afraid because already there's all kinds of rumors about me. But the thing is they can't silence us. If I don't stand up, what am I going to do?"

USA Today Network-Florida government accountability reporter Douglas Soule is based in Tallahassee, Fla. He can be reached at DSoule@gannett.com. Twitter: @DouglasSoule.

South Korea's middle aged men are dying 'lonely deaths' | CNN

CNN —

South Korea has a problem: thousands of people, many middle aged and isolated, are dying alone each year, often going undiscovered for days or weeks.

This is “godoksa,” or “lonely deaths,” a widespread phenomenon the government has been trying to combat for years as its population rapidly ages.

Under South Korean law, a “lonely death” is when someone who lives alone, cut off from family or relatives, dies due to suicide or illness, with their body found only after “a certain amount of time” has passed.

The issue has gained national attention over the past decade as the number of lonely deaths increased. Factors behind the trend include the country’s demographic crisis, gaps in social welfare, poverty and social isolation – all of which have become more pronounced since the Covid-19 pandemic.

Last year, the country recorded 3,378 such deaths, up from 2,412 in 2017, according to a report released last Wednesday by the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

The ministry’s report was the first since the government enacted the Lonely Death Prevention and Management Act in 2021, under which updates are required every five years to help establish “policies to prevent lonely deaths.”

Staff at a non-profit organization, which holds funerals for those who died "lonely deaths," move a coffin at a crematorium in Goyang, South Korea, on June 16, 2016. Jean Chung/Getty Images

Although lonely deaths affect people across various demographics, the report showed middle aged and elderly men appear particularly at risk.

The number of men suffering lonely deaths was 5.3 times that of women in 2021, up from four times previously.

People in their 50s and 60s made up to 60% of lonely deaths last year, with a large number in their 40s and 70s as well. People in their 20s and 30s accounted for 6% to 8%.

The report did not go into possible causes. But the phenomenon has been studied for years as authorities try to understand what drives these lonely deaths, and how to better support vulnerable people.

“In preparation for a super-aged society, it is necessary to actively respond to lonely deaths,” said South Korea’s legislative research body in a news release earlier this year, adding that the government’s priority was to “quickly identify cases of social isolation.”

Elderly in poverty

South Korea is one of several Asian countries – including Japan and China – facing demographic decline, with people having fewer babies and giving birth later in life.

The country’s birth rate has been dropping steadily since 2015, with experts blaming various factors such as demanding work culture, rising costs of living, and stagnating wages for putting people off parenthood. At the same time, the work force is shrinking, raising fears there won’t be enough workers to support the ballooning elderly population in fields such as health care and home assistance.

Some of the consequences of this skewed age distribution are becoming apparent, with millions of aging residents struggling to survive on their own.

As of 2016, more than 43% of Koreans aged over 65 were under the poverty line, according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development – more than three times the national average of other OECD countries.

The lives of middle-aged and elderly Koreans “rapidly deteriorate” if they are excluded from the labor and housing markets and this is “a major cause of death,” Song In-joo, senior research fellow at the Seoul Welfare Center, wrote in a 2021 study about lonely deaths.

The study analyzed nine lonely death cases, and conducted in-depth interviews with their neighbors, landlords and case workers.

A volunteer pastor prays before a makeshift shrine for two people who died "lonely deaths," inside the waiting room of a crematoriumon on July 4, 2016 in Goyang, South Korea. Jean Chung/Getty Images

One case involved a 64-year-old laborer who died from alcohol-related liver disease, a year after losing his job due to disability. He had no education, family or even a cell phone. In another case, an 88-year-old woman suffered financial hardship following the death of her son. She died after the elderly welfare center she attended, which provided free meals, closed at the onset of the pandemic.

“The difficulties expressed before death by those at risk of dying alone were health problems, economic difficulties, disconnection and rejection, and difficulties in managing daily life,” Song wrote.

Compounding factors included delayed government assistance and a “lack of at-home care” for those with serious or chronic illness.

The findings of the 2021 study were echoed in the Ministry of Health and Welfare report, which said many of those at risk found their life satisfaction “rapidly declining due to job loss and divorce” – especially if they were “unfamiliar with heath care and housework.”

Many of the people in the 2021 study lived in cramped, dingy spaces such as subdivided apartments known as jjokbang, where residents often share communal facilities, and basement apartments known as banjiha, which made headlines earlier this year when a family was trapped and drowned during record rainfall in Seoul.

In major cities like Seoul, the notoriously expensive housing market means these apartments are some of the most affordable options available. And apart from the poor living conditions, they also carry the risk of further isolation; these housing structures “have already been criticized as slums … and are also stigmatized,” with many residents living “anonymous” lives, said the 2021 study.

“It’s concerning because the (housing concentration) of lonely deaths could be another characteristic of the poverty subculture,” Song wrote.

Closing the gaps

Rising public concern over lonely deaths has prompted various regional and national initiatives over the years.

In 2018, the Seoul metropolitan government announced a “neighborhood watcher” program, in which community members pay visits to single-person households in vulnerable areas such as basement apartments and subdivided housing, according to news agency Yonhap.

Under this plan, hospitals, landlords and convenience store staff play the role of “watchmen,” notifying community workers when patients or regular customers are not seen for a long time, or when rent and other fees go unpaid.

Several cities, including Seoul, Ulsan and Jeonju, have rolled out mobile apps for those living alone, which automatically send a message to an emergency contact if the phone is inactive for a period of time.

Other organizations such as churches and nonprofits have also stepped up outreach services and community events – as well as handling funeral rites for the deceased who have nobody left to claim or mourn them.

The Lonely Death Prevention and Management Act passed last year was the latest and most sweeping measure yet, ordering local governments to set up policies to identify and assist residents at risk. Apart from establishing the five-yearly situation report, it also required the government to write up a comprehensive preventative plan, which is still in the works.

Staff and a volunteer Buddhist nun of a nonprofit organization carry the name tablets of people who died "lonely deaths" at a crematorium on June 16, 2016 in Goyang, South Korea. Jean Chung/Getty Images

In another study published November, Song recommended authorities create more systems of support for those trying to get back on their feet, including education, training and counseling programs for the middle-aged and elderly.

In a news release accompanying Wednesday’s report, the Minister of Health and Welfare Cho Kyu-hong said South Korea was working to “become like other countries, including the United Kingdom and Japan, that recently launched strategies … (to deal with) lonely deaths.”

“This analysis is meaningful as the first step for the central and local governments to responsibly deal with this crisis of a new blind spot in welfare,” he said.

Jessie Yeung Yoonjung Seo
Jessie Yeung
Yoonjung Seo

TIKTok ban bill introduced by US lawmakers | CNN Business

Washington CNN —

A trio of US lawmakers has introduced new legislation that aims to ban TikTok from operating in the United States.

The new bill by Sen. Marco Rubio, the top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee, and a bipartisan pair of congressmen in the House, reflects the latest escalation by US policymakers against the Chinese-owned short-form video app. TikTok has faced doubts about its ability to safeguard US user data from the Chinese government.

The proposed legislation would “block and prohibit all transactions” in the United States by social media companies with at least one million monthly users that are based in, or under the “substantial influence” of, countries that are considered foreign adversaries, including China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba and Venezuela.

The bill specifically names TikTok and its parent, ByteDance, as social media companies for the purposes of the legislation. Rubio and one of the House sponsors of the bill, Wisconsin Republican Rep. Mike Gallagher, had indicated their intention to introduce the bill in a Washington Post op-ed last month.

The legislation comes as a wave of states led by Republican governors have introduced state-level restrictions on the use of TikTok on government-owned devices. In the past two weeks, at least seven states have introduced such measures, including Maryland, South Dakota and Utah.

The flurry of activity contrasts with the lengthy negotiations TikTok has been having for years with the US government on a potential deal that may allow the company to address the national security concerns and to continue serving US users.

“The federal government has yet to take a single meaningful action to protect American users from the threat of TikTok,” Rubio said in a statement. “There is no more time to waste on meaningless negotiations with a CCP-puppet company. It is time to ban Beijing-controlled TikTok for good.”

“It’s troubling that rather than encouraging the Administration to conclude its national security review of TikTok, some members of Congress have decided to push for a politically-motivated ban that will do nothing to advance the national security of the United States,” Hilary McQuaide, a spokesperson for TikTok, said in a statement.

“We will continue to brief members of Congress on the plans that have been developed under the oversight of our country’s top national security agencies—plans that we are well underway in implementing—to further secure our platform in the United States,” McQuaide added.

TikTok has previously said it doesn’t share information with the Chinese government and that a US-based security team decides who can access US user data from China. TikTok has also previously acknowledged that employees based in China can currently access user data.

Tuesday’s bill is not the only federal legislation to target TikTok. Last year, US lawmakers proposed a law that would ban TikTok usage by federal agencies, and Rubio introduced a bill that would force some app makers to disclose ownership information. Another bill introduced this fall would prohibit TikTok from allowing China-based employees to access the user data of US citizens.

Already, the US military, the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security have restricted TikTok from devices under their control.

Canada's Trudeau announces bill to cap sales, transfers and ...

CNN —

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday announced the introduction of a bill that would place a national freeze on handgun ownership across Canada.

“What this means is that it will no longer be possible to buy, sell, transfer or import handguns anywhere in Canada,” Trudeau said in a news conference.

“In other words we’re capping the market,” he added.

If passed, the new anti-gun legislation will fine gun smuggling and trafficking “by increasing maximum criminal penalties and providing more tools for law enforcement to investigate firearm crimes,” Trudeau said.

The new legislation would also require that long gun magazines “can never” hold more than five rounds.

“Gun violence is a complex problem, but at the end of the day the math is really quite simple: The fewer the guns in our communities, the safer everyone will be,” the Prime Minister said.

Trudeau added that while most gun owners use their handguns safely and in accordance with the law, “we don’t need assault style weapons that were designed to kill the largest number of people in the shortest amount of time.”

The announcement comes in the wake of two recent mass shootings in the United States. On May 24, a gunman entered an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, and fired more than 100 bullets, killing 19 children and two teachers. On May 14, 10 people were killed in a racist mass shooting at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York.

Ending gun violence was part of Trudeau’s campaign in the country’s 2019 election. In 2020, his government banned more than 1,500 types of military-style assault weapons just after Canada’s deadliest gun rampage in its modern history.

Handguns were “the most serious weapon present in the majority of firearm-related violent crimes” between 2009 and 2020, making up 59% of those crimes, according to a Monday release from Trudeau’s office.

The number of registered handguns in the country increased 71% between 2010 and 2020 to about 1.1 million, according to the release.

Claudia Dominguez Theresa Waldrop
Claudia Dominguez
Theresa Waldrop

South Korea spent $200 billion, but it can't pay people enough to ...

Seoul, South Korea CNN —

The season of baby fairs is here once again in South Korea. Busy, noisy affairs held in cavernous conference halls where hundreds of vendors try to sell expectant parents everything they could possibly desire for their new bundle of joy – and plenty of other things they never knew they needed.

But this is a shrinking business, and the customer base is dwindling.

South Korea recently broke its own record for the world’s lowest fertility rate. Figures released in November showed the average number of children a South Korean woman will have in her lifetime is down to just 0.79.

That is far below the 2.1 needed to maintain a stable population and low even compared to other developed countries where the rate is falling, such as the United States (1.6) and Japan – which at 1.3 reported its own lowest rate on record.

And it spells trouble for a country with an aging population that faces a looming shortage of workers to support its pension system.

Nurses at a nearly empty infant unit of a hospital in Seoul, South Korea, in February 2017. Yonhap/EPA/Shutterstock

The problem is commonly blamed on economic factors that have put off the young from having families – high real estate prices, the cost of education and greater economic anxiety – yet it has proved beyond the ability of successive governments to fix, however much money is thrown at it.

Critics say that is a sign the problems go deeper than economics and that a change in approach is needed. Whether the government is listening is another matter.

Throwing money at the problem

During a visit to a nursery in September, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol admitted that more than $200 billion has been spent trying to boost the population over the past 16 years.

Yet since assuming office in May, his administration has come up with few ideas for solving the problem other than continuing in a similar vein – setting up a committee to discuss the issue and promising yet more financial support for newborns. A monthly allowance for parents with babies up to 1-year-old will increase from the current 300,000 won to 700,000 won ($230 to $540) in 2023 and to 1 million Korean won ($770) by 2024, according to the Yoon administration.

According to President Yoon Suk Yeol, South Korea has spent more than $200 billion in the past 16 years trying to solve its population problem. Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images

The public’s skepticism that Yoon has any better grip on the problem than his predecessors has only been reinforced by the president’s at times clumsy messaging.

During his visit to the nursery, Yoon expressed surprise that babies and toddlers were not being looked after at home and appeared to suggest that it was common for 6-month-old babies to be able to walk, leading to criticism that he was out of touch (the average age for babies to walk is more like 12 months).

Many experts believe the current throw-money-at-it approach is too one-dimensional and that what is needed instead is continuing support throughout the child’s life.

Prams at a baby fair in Seoul, South Korea, on Sept. 15. Yonhap/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Browsing the stalls at a recent baby fair was Kim Min-jeong, whose second child is due this month. She brushed aside the government’s pledge of more funds, saying: “They’ve changed the names and merged allowances but for parents like us, there are no more benefits.”

The problem she faces, she said, is that she hasn’t been able to work since her first child was born as she and her husband cannot afford private child care.

Government-funded nurseries are free but a handful of scandals in recent years involving caregivers striking infants has put many parents off. While the cases were minimal, they were well publicized and the CCTV footage emotive.

‘A puritanical approach’

Also standing in the way of would-be parents are a host of problems that are more social than economic in nature and likely to endure however much money is splashed around.

Among them are what might be called the unwritten rules for parenthood.

While having a baby is very much expected of married couples in South Korea, society still frowns on single parents. IVF treatment is not offered to single women, official hospital figures show.

“We still have a very puritanical approach to single mothers,” said law professor Cho Hee-kyoung, who writes a newspaper column on social issues.

“It’s as if they have done something wrong by becoming pregnant out of wedlock… why does it necessarily have to be within a marriage that you can raise a child?”

Meanwhile, couples in non-traditional partnerships also face discrimination; South Korea does not recognize same-sex marriage and regulations make it difficult for unwed couples to adopt.

Author Lee Jin-song at Spain Bookshop in Seoul where her books are sold. Charles Miller/CNN

Lee Jin-song, who has written books about the trend of young people choosing not to get married or have a baby, said policies to boost the birth rate need to embrace more than just the traditional idea of marriage as being between a man and a woman.

“I’ve thought about how heterocentric and normality-centric discussion is in the traditional sense of marriage… (it) excludes people with disabilities, diseases or poor reproductive health,” Lee said.

Choosing to stay single

Lee pointed to a common joke that in South Korea, “if you are not dating by the time you are 25, you’ll turn into a crane, meaning if you’re single you become non-human.”

She said society considers her, and others like her, selfish for not conforming to the traditional expectations of marriage and children, “neglecting their duties for society only for the sake of their happiness.”

Lee highlighted the pressures of having children on women in a patriarchal society that is slow to evolve. “Marriage, childbirth and child care require too much sacrifice for women in a patriarchal society especially over the past decade. So, they are beginning to explore the possibility of being able to live well without getting married.”

Professor Cho agreed, saying there is a lingering social expectation that the father sacrifices for the company and the mother supports the family, even if she also works.

“I know so many couples where the women are actually earning more money than the men, but when they come home, it’s the women who have to do the housework and look after the children and provide emotional support to the husband.”

The job doesn’t end when the office shuts

Meanwhile, husbands who would like to be more involved in child-rearing find the business culture in South Korea does not always allow for that.

While on paper, parental leave has been increased, few feel comfortable to take it in full.

Back at the baby fair, Kim’s husband Park Kyung-su said he is hoping to help with his second child, but “there is no special understanding or treatment from work for having a young child. I can use my time off, but I feel uncomfortable using it because I want good feedback at work.”

There is a widespread fear that the workers who are promoted are rarely the ones who put family first.

Lee Se-eun, a mother of two boys, hasn't worked in seven years. Charles Miller/CNN

Lee Se-eun, who has two boys ages 3 and 5, said she would welcome more help from her husband, but he is rarely home in time.

“It would be nice if companies would recognize employees with babies, for example, to exclude them from dinners or nights,” she said.

In South Korea, the job does not end when the office closes for the day. Rather, there is a culture of “team-building” after hours, which it is frowned upon to miss.

Lee used to work in a brokerage firm before launching her own start-up, but she has not worked in seven years and feels there was no option to continue her career as she did not want to put her boys in child care.

“Raising a child is a very valuable, meaningful and very good thing from a personal point of view, but sometimes it feels like it doesn’t get valued in society,” Lee said.

North Korea passes new law declaring itself a nuclear weapons ...

CNN —

North Korea has passed a new law declaring itself a nuclear weapons state in a move leader Kim Jong Un says is “irreversible.”

Kim vowed the country would “never give up” its nuclear weapons and said there could be no negotiations on denuclearization as he hailed the passage of the law, North Korean state media reported Friday.

The new law also enshrines Pyongyang’s right to use preemptive nuclear strikes to protect itself – updating a previous stance under which it had said it would keep its weapons only until other countries denuclearized and would not use them preemptively against non-nuclear states.

Nuclear weapons represent the “dignity, body, and absolute power of the state,” Kim said as he welcomed the decision by the country’s rubber-stamp parliament – the Supreme People’s Assembly – to pass the new law in a unanimous vote.

“The adoption of laws and regulations related to the national nuclear force policy is a remarkable event as it’s our declaration that we legally acquired war deterrence as a means of national defense,” Kim said.

“As long as nuclear weapons exist on Earth, and imperialism and the anti-North Korean maneuvers of the US and its followers remain, our road to strengthening our nuclear force will never end.”

The new law also bans the sharing of nuclear technology with other countries.

It comes amid rising regional tensions over North Korea’s expansion of its nuclear weapons and missiles program.

Kim has made increasingly provocative threats of nuclear conflict toward the United States and its allies in Asia in recent months.

At the same time, the US has become increasingly concerned that North Korea may be preparing to carry out its first underground nuclear test in years

Video Ad Feedback See how US and South Korea responded to North Korea's missile tests 01:13 - Source: CNN

Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, said the law demonstrated Pyongyang’s hopes of strengthening its relations with China and Russia at a time of heightened global tensions.

“North Korea mentioning the possibility of using nuclear weapons if and when an attack on the state and leader is imminent is significant, even though it states nuclear weapons as a defensive last resort,” Yang said.

Yoonjung Seo Larry Register Heather Chen