Sword permit loopholes exposed in recent fatal slashing

A recent fatal attack by a sword-wielding man in Seoul has brought the country's control of lethal weapons into question. On Monday night at an apartment complex in Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul, the suspect, a 37-year-old resident there, wielded a 120-centimeter Japanese sword against a victim in his 40s, eventually resulting in his death. Police have said they barely knew each other. The suspect, who was arrested at his home about an hour after the killing, told police he had believed the victim

Social AffairsJuly 31, 2024

Covert agent identity leaks trigger alarm over S. Korea's intelligence operations

An ongoing investigation into the leak of military secrets, including personal details of South Korean covert agents abroad, has raised serious concerns about the potential impact on the human intelligence operations critical for gathering information on North Korea. South Korea's Defense Ministry confirmed Tuesday that its central military court issued an arrest warrant for a civilian military employee of the Korean Defense Intelligence Command "on charges including leaking military s

North KoreaJuly 31, 2024

Sex crimes using deepfakes 'rampant' on school grounds

Deepfake sex crimes using artificial intelligence are increasing on school grounds in South Korea, raising concerns over insufficient education and measures to prevent further damage. A student at an international school in Jeju English education city has been handed over to prosecutors for allegedly making sexually exploitative videos of his female student peers, according to the Seogwipo Police Department on Tuesday. The police also sent three of his classmates who watched the videos with him

Social AffairsJuly 31, 2024

Main opposition threatens impeachment of new broadcasting regulator head

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday officially approved Lee Jin-sook, a former journalist of Munhwa Broadcasting Corp., as the new chief of the country’s top broadcasting regulator amid threats from the main opposition to propose an impeachment motion against her. Lee’s term as the new chief of the Korea Communications Commission immediately began Wednesday, with the 63-year-old former reporter and ex-CEO of the public terrestrial broadcaster's Daejeon branch pledging to &ldquo

PoliticsJuly 31, 2024

Malaria alert amid heat wave in Greater Seoul, Gangwon

Due to South Korea’s hot and humid temperatures, cases of malaria have been on the rise, with the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency reporting 367 cases as of Tuesday. Though the number of malaria cases so far this year is half of last year's total figures, the agency on Wednesday noted there has been an unusual surge in malaria cases in Seoul and that it is possible this year's total figures could pass last year's. In previous years, malaria cases were normally rep

Social AffairsJuly 31, 2024

Yoon advises Han to embrace political allies

President Yoon Suk Yeol told the ruling People Power Party Chair Han Dong-hoon to embrace his political allies as they sat down for closed-door talks for about 1 1/2 hours Tuesday morning, the president's office said Wednesday. It was among the agenda items discussed at the highly anticipated meeting of Yoon and Han that took place in the presidential office from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. -- 30 minutes longer than initially planned. Yoon's chief of staff Chung Jin-suk was also in attendanc

PoliticsJuly 31, 2024

7 in 10 S. Korean seniors want to keep working: data

Nearly 70 percent of South Koreans aged 55 to 79 are willing to work past retirement, data showed, reflecting the ongoing financial insecurities among the country's senior population. The figure, coming from a May survey by the government’s statistics body, represents an increase of 0.9 percentage point from the previous month. Additionally, 20.7 percent of seniors actively sought employment in the past year, also up 0.9 percentage point from April. The data was released Tuesday. Resp

Social AffairsJuly 31, 2024

Rapper apparently fakes own death on Instagram

A South Korean rapper confirmed that he is alive and well, bringing to a close commotion over a rumor he had died, believed to have been orchestrated by either him or his girlfriend. Rapper Ch1tkey, whose real name is Jeong Jun-hyeok, uploaded a video on his Instagram account on Tuesday afternoon with the caption, "Nice to meet you," in Korean. It showed him posing on a rooftop, in a bathroom holding a knife and an electric saw, dancing in an elevator, walking up stairs and sitting on

Social AffairsJuly 31, 2024

Seoul mayor suggests revival of urban diplomacy with Beijing, Tokyo

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon met his Beijing counterpart Mayor Yin Yong in the Chinese capital on Tuesday to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral economic and cultural cooperation between the two megacities, his office said Wednesday. In the mayoral meeting held for the first time in six years, Oh addressed the need to revive the trilateral partnership among Seoul, Beijing and Tokyo, stressing the importance of urban diplomacy to discuss the challenges and opportunities of metropolitan cities at a sub

Social AffairsJuly 31, 2024

APQA uses video abstract to globally promote research

The state-run Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency has begun a video abstract service to promote its research output, with top articles already promoted via the new service. According to the agency, an affiliate of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the APQA library has also made a section for the video abstract on its website. It expects that the research output of APQA will spread to research institutes in other countries, opening doors for more research collaboration opportu

Social AffairsJuly 31, 2024

Ex-Gyeonggi governor named new labor minister, but faces opposition

President Yoon Suk Yeol nominated Kim Moon-soo, a seasoned conservative politician and a former labor activist who recently served as the governor of Gyeonggi Province, as the new labor minister on Wednesday. Kim, who is currently a chair of the presidential advisory body the Economic, Social and Labor Council, will succeed Lee Jung-sik once he gets Yoon's final approval after going through a parliamentary hearing. Yoon is likely to push for appointing the former Gyeonggi governor without t

PoliticsJuly 31, 2024

WFP extends gratitude for Korean government’s rice support

The United Nations World Food Program expressed its appreciation to the Korean government for its rice support amid the global food crisis during a meeting between WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain and Korean Agriculture Minister Song Mi-ryung in Seoul on Tuesday. McCain conveyed her gratitude to the Korean government and its citizens for doubling the provision of rice aid in 2024 amid a worsening global food crisis caused by conflicts, diseases, and climate change. "I am deeply thankful

Social AffairsJuly 31, 2024

Appellate court dismisses compensation collection bid by victims of Japan's sexual enslavement

An attempt by victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery to collect court-ordered compensation from the Japanese government has fallen through as Tokyo refused to submit a list of its assets in South Korea. The case involves several Korean victims of Japan's sexual enslavement during World War II, who won a damages suit against the Japanese government in early 2021, securing a claim of 100 million won ($72,364) in compensation per person. However, Japan refused to pay the ordered compen

Foreign AffairsJuly 31, 2024

Driver behind deadly car crash in downtown Seoul arrested

The driver in the fatal car crash near Seoul City Hall was arrested Tuesday, about a month after the accident that left nine people dead. The Seoul Central District Court issued an arrest warrant for the driver, known only by his last name, Cha, citing a flight risk. The court held a hearing earlier in the day to determine whether to issue a writ for the 68-year-old. Ahead of the hearing, Cha, who appeared in public for the first time, repeatedly said he was sorry to the victims and their famili

Social AffairsJuly 30, 2024

S. Korea condemns deadly Golan Heights attack

South Korea condemns the deadly rocket strike in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights that killed 12 children and calls on all parties to avoid escalating tensions, the foreign ministry said Tuesday. "We condemn the attack on the Druze community village of Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights and extend heartfelt condolences and sympathies to the family members of the 12 children who lost their lives in the attack," the ministry spokesperson said in a commentary. "We urge all parties

Diplomatic CircuitJuly 30, 2024

Official at military's intelligence command arrested for alleged leak of 'black agents' info

A military court has issued a warrant to arrest an official at the military's intelligence command for allegedly leaking information of South Korean espionage agents operating overseas, the defense ministry said Tuesday. The civilian official at the Korea Defense Intelligence Command, whose identity is withheld, is suspected of handing over personal information of so-called black agents to a Chinese national of Korean descent. Black agents refer to intelligence officials conducting undercov

DefenseJuly 30, 2024

S. Korea to provide $1m in humanitarian aid for Ethiopia's landslide disaster

South Korea has decided to provide $1 million in humanitarian aid to support relief efforts following a devastating landslide in southern Ethiopia, the foreign ministry said Tuesday. "Our government hopes this aid will assist in the recovery of the affected areas and help the local residents return to their daily lives as quickly as possible," the ministry said in a release. According to recent reports, the death toll from the landslide in the mountainous village of Gopa in southern

Diplomatic CircuitJuly 30, 2024

S. Korea, Australia to launch 'economic security dialogue'

South Korea and Australia agreed Tuesday to launch an "economic security dialogue" aimed at enhancing communication and cooperation in the economic security field between the two countries, Seoul's foreign ministry said. The agreement was reached during bilateral talks in Seoul between Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yu and his Australian counterpart, Penny Wong, the ministry said in a release. The chief secretary for economic security from the presidential office and the deputy secretar

Diplomatic CircuitJuly 30, 2024

Foreign ministry to check for need to amend Sado mine exhibits on wartime forced labor

The South Korean foreign ministry said Tuesday it will check if there is a need to make changes to the exhibits on Japan's wartime forced labor of Koreans at a museum near an old Japanese mine complex newly registered as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Seoul government has come under criticism for what critics call a lack of efforts to ensure Japan reflects the coercive nature of its forced mobilization of Koreans to the Sado gold and silver mines during World War II, before the mine co

Diplomatic CircuitJuly 30, 2024

Man kills neighbor with sword

The South Korean police said Tuesday that it has arrested a 37-year-old man for murdering another man with a Japanese-style sword at an apartment complex in Seoul. The suspect is believed to have attacked the victim in his 40s at around 11:30 p.m. on Monday near the entrance of the complex's parking lot in Eunpyeong-gu, northwestern Seoul. He and the victim were both residents of the complex and were acquainted, but not particularly close. It was reported that the suspect picked a fight wit

Social AffairsJuly 30, 2024