[Out of the Shadows] Drug addiction is illness, not moral failing, experts say

Drug addiction is a thorny public health issue in South Korea that should be seen as an illness rather than a moral failing, according to experts, calling for a more supportive environment that helps those rebuilding their lives from substance use disorder. Referring to drug addiction as a "chronic disease," Kwak Young-sook, the president of the National Center for Mental Health, stressed that drug-related issues are a growing public health challenge that affects the entire community

Social AffairsNov. 19, 2024

Man gets jail term for stalking ex-girlfriend, sending over 300 messages in 2 days

A Seoul court on Monday sentenced a man to a one-year prison term for stalking his former girlfriend by leaving hundreds of unwanted messages and calls and visiting the victim's home and work. The Seoul Central District Court found the defendant guilty of violating the Act on Punishment of Crime of Stalking, which punishes stalking with up to three years in jail or a 30 million won ($21,500) fine. The defendant contacted the victim regularly against her wishes after they broke up in April

Social AffairsNov. 19, 2024

Model claims she was forced to take drugs; police say she hasn't told them

South Korean model who has confessed drug use recently claimed that she was forced to take drugs by an unidentified businessperson, but police said she made no such claims during the investigation. Kim Na-jung, who recently returned from the Philippines after admitting online to having used drugs, posted on her Instagram page Monday a statement made by her lawyer. She claimed that a "young businessman born in 1995" met with her in the Philippines, tied her up and blindfolded her and fo

Social AffairsNov. 19, 2024

8.3% of middle school students in Hwaseong used drugs: survey

Some 8.3 percent of middle school students in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province have used drugs, a survey by the state-run drug addiction center showed Monday. The Hwaseong Community Addiction Management Center conducted a survey between Aug. 28 and Sept. 27 of 2,450 middle school students in the city south of Seoul, which showed that 204 students of them said they have used substances defined as illegal drugs by the Narcotics Control Act. South Korea defines narcotics, cannabis and psychotropic subst

Social AffairsNov. 19, 2024

Traveler endures invasive search at Daegu Airport after drug scanner error

A traveler was forced to undergo an invasive body search, including the removal of her sanitary pad, after a drug detection scanner at Daegu Airport falsely flagged her for carrying drugs. On Oct. 8, a woman in her 30s was traveling from the Philippines through Daegu Airport when an ion scanner at the checkpoint detected a high level of narcotics in her suitcase, which contained e-liquid for an electronic cigarette, according to Daegu Regional Customs on Monday. She told the customs officials th

Social AffairsNov. 19, 2024

Ambulance employee fined for causing death of terminally ill patient

An employee of a privately run ambulance service has been fined for dropping a terminally ill patient and causing an injury to the head that ended up killing the patient. Seoul Central District Court found the 29-year-old employee guilty of death by negligence, for the death of the 85-year-old cancer patient in February. The patient, who had been given three months to live, was being taken home from a local hospital. The patient was dropped while being moved from the ambulance, resulting in ce

Social AffairsNov. 19, 2024

Seoul says US told it of plans to lift Ukraine arms use limit

President Yoon Suk Yeol's office confirmed it was notified of Ukraine's plan to use US-made long-range supersonic ballistic missiles to strike Russia's Kursk region before US President Joe Biden authorized the change. Asked if there was any coordination before Biden's announcement Sunday, a senior official of South Korea's presidential office told reporters in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Monday that Washington "notified Seoul that it was to give (Ukraine) permission for

PoliticsNov. 19, 2024

DP leader indicted again over alleged misuse of public funds

Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung was indicted without detention Tuesday on charges of misappropriating funds when he was the governor of Gyeonggi Province including alleged misuse of corporate cards for personal benefit, the Suwon District Prosecutors Office said. The chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party was indicted, along with his former chief secretary, identified only by his surname Chung and another former Gyeonggi Province official Bae, all on charges of breach of trust. Lee is

PoliticsNov. 19, 2024

Korean content industry reaches record-high exports at $13.2 billion

The Korean content industry exports reached an all-time high of $13.2 billion (18.38 trillion won) in 2022 as Hallyu continued to expand around the world. On Tuesday, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced that revenue from the Korean content industry grew from 128 trillion won in 2020 to 151 trillion won in 2022. Exports also reached an all-time high, rising from $11.9 billion (16.57 trillion won) to $13.2 billion (18.38 trillion won) during the same period. Building on this succ

CultureNov. 19, 2024

[Pressure Points] Should schools aim for phone-free learning environment?

The debate over whether to ban smartphones in the classroom continues to rage worldwide. South Korea is no exception, as it looks to address an epidemic of smartphone addiction among young students. In August, Rep. Cho Jung-hun of the People Power Party proposed a bill to limit smartphone use in schools. In October, the National Human Rights Commission reversed its long-standing position, ruling that schools confiscating students' phones is not a violation of their rights. Proponents view

Hashtag KoreaNov. 19, 2024

Stray Kids to perform at Son Heung-min's home stadium as part of world tour

Stray Kids to perform at Son Heung-min's home stadium as part of world tour K-pop sensation Stray Kids will perform at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, home to English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur and its star player Son Heung-min, on July 18, 2025, as part of their expanded "dominATE" world tour, becoming the first K-pop act to do so, the band's agency said Tuesday. JYP Entertainment announced that the tour will include 20 new concerts across Latin America, North America,

K-popNov. 19, 2024

Trade minister calls for strengthening foundation for economic cooperation with Africa

Trade minister calls for strengthening foundation for economic cooperation with Africa Trade Minister Cheong In-kyo said Tuesday that the South Korean government will strengthen institutional foundations to expand trade and investment opportunities with Africa. Cheong made the remarks during an Africa business forum held in Seoul, a follow-up to a South Korea-Africa summit that took place in June and aimed to deepen cooperation with African partners. The forum was organized to review the outcome

Foreign AffairsNov. 19, 2024

State auditor accuses Moon gov't of leaking THAAD-related intelligence to activists, China

The state auditor has referred senior officials of the former Moon Jae-in administration to the prosecution on suspicions of leaking intelligence related to the THAAD US missile defense system to activists and China, an official with knowledge of the matter said Tuesday. Former National Security Adviser Chung Eui-yong, former Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo, and two other officials who served in the preceding administration were referred to the Supreme Prosecutors Office by the Board of Audit

PoliticsNov. 19, 2024

Telegram designates child protection officer to respond to sexually exploitative materials: S. Korean regulator

Telegram designates child protection officer to respond to sexually exploitative materials: S. Korean regulator The global messaging service Telegram has designated an officer in charge of protecting underage users from illicit content amid criticism over its passive response against sexually exploitative materials circulating on the platform, South Korea's media regulator said Tuesday. The Korea Communications Commission said Telegram made the designation and set up an email account as a h

Social AffairsNov. 19, 2024

US, Russia exchange barbs over Biden's reported decision to allow Ukraine to hit Russian territory

The United States and Russia traded barbs Monday over President Joe Biden's reported decision to allow Ukraine to use US-provided longer-range missiles to strike targets inside Russia, amid concerns about an escalation of Moscow's protracted war in Ukraine. US officials repeated accusations that Russia was to blame for an escalation in the wake of its introduction of North Korean troops onto the battlefield, while the Kremlin accused the Biden administration of moving to "continue

Foreign AffairsNov. 19, 2024

MIKTA leaders call for adherence to UN Charter amid concerns over NK-Russia military cooperation

MIKTA leaders call for adherence to UN Charter amid concerns over NK-Russia military cooperation The leaders of South Korea and four other middle-power countries called Monday for all UN members to comply with the UN Charter and Security Council resolutions, as concerns deepened over North Korea's troop dispatch to help Russia in its war against Ukraine. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Turkish President Recep

Foreign AffairsNov. 19, 2024

Court again rejects arrest warrant for Qoo10 CEO over massive payment delays

A Seoul court again rejected an arrest warrant for Qoo10 CEO Ku Young-bae on Tuesday on fraud and embezzlement charges related to his e-commerce group's large-scale payment delays to vendors. The Seoul Central District Court made the decision following a hearing Monday, saying there was "room for dispute" over whether the allegations constitute a crime and no evidence suggesting Ku attempted to flee or destroy evidence since a previous request for an arrest warrant was rejected la

IndustryNov. 19, 2024

Yoon decries N. Korea-Russia military cooperation at G20 summit

President Yoon Suk Yeol strongly condemned the deepening military cooperation between North Korea and Russia at the Group of 20 summit in Brazil on Monday, Yoon's office said. Yoon used the G20 sessions to urge Pyongyang and Moscow to immediately cease their "illegal" military cooperation and called for international unity to issue a stern warning against such moves, Principal Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Tae-hyo said. The condemnation by Yoon came shortly after Russian Fo

Foreign AffairsNov. 19, 2024

N. Korea warns of 'retaliatory response' over S. Korea-US-Japan's summit agreement

North Korea warned Tuesday that trilateral security cooperation among South Korea, the United States, and Japan would prompt more "retaliatory responses," days after the leaders of the three nations decided to establish a secretariat to bolster three-way cooperation. The North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) carried the message in a commentary after President Yoon Suk Yeol, US President Joe Biden, and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba issued a joint statement in

Foreign AffairsNov. 19, 2024

Presidential office stresses importance of high-level communication with China

The presidential office said Monday that maintaining high-level communication is crucial to strengthening ties between South Korea and China, hoping to build on the momentum from the recent bilateral summit in Peru. While President Yoon Suk Yeol has focused on reinforcing South Korea's security alliance with the United States over the past 2 1/2 years, he said in a recent interview during his visit to Brazil that South Korea does not see US-China relations as a matter of choosing sides. Whe

Foreign AffairsNov. 19, 2024