Forced labor system in NK shows features of 'servitude, slavery': UN

North Korea's institutionalized and extensive system of forced labor, spanning prisons, schools, military conscription, and overseas dispatches, "exhibits features of servitude and slavery" in some instances, the UN Human Rights Office said Tuesday. The report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights is based on sources, including 183 in-depth interviews conducted from June 2015 to May 2023 with victims and witnesses of forced labor who have fled Nor

North KoreaJuly 16, 2024

Yoon likely to name new police chief, promote his secretaries soon

President Yoon Suk Yeol will reportedly name a new chief for South Korea's National Police Agency as well as nominate new and replace some ministers later this week. According to news reports, Jo Ji-ho, the incumbent chief of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, will likely be nominated as chief of the Korean National Police Agency. A KNPA chief nominee -- a vice-minister-level official in South Korea -- is required to go through a parliamentary hearing at the National Assembly. Yoon will

PoliticsJuly 16, 2024

[ASEAN Plus Korea] Seoul, Manila must expand economic, maritime partnership: ex-FM

South Korea and the Philippines have enjoyed vibrant cultural exchanges over the years. But now is the time for both countries to expand economic and maritime cooperation, according to a former foreign minister of the Southeast Asian country. "You cannot imagine how many Korean restaurants there are in the Philippines -- on every street corner," said Delia Domingo Albert, the first woman to serve as secretary of foreign affairs in the Philippines, in 2003 and 2004. Not only Korean rest

Foreign AffairsJuly 16, 2024

NTS chief nominee apologizes for controversy over thesis

The nominee to head the National Tax Service on Tuesday apologized for controversies surrounding his master’s degree thesis, which included allegations of plagiarism and using “inappropriate terms” to describe the May 18 Gwangju Democratic Uprising. Kang Min-soo, the former chief of the Seoul Regional Tax Office, who was tapped by President Yoon Suk Yeol as the next commissioner of the NTS, was recently accused of using terms that describe the previous military Chun Doo-hwan

PoliticsJuly 16, 2024

Controversial foreign nanny project sets sail in Seoul

The Seoul Metropolitan Government and Labor Ministry announced on Tuesday that applications from families interested in hiring caregivers from the Philippines are to open Wednesday, marking a step forward in implementing a government-facilitated foreign nanny program for the first time. Families eligible for the pilot program are those with children under 12 years old, single-parent households, households with multiple children and dual-income families. Applications are to be accepted via design

Social AffairsJuly 16, 2024

Police to probe YouTube video of abortion at 36 weeks

The police said they are to investigate a YouTuber who posted a controversial video of her going through an abortion at 36 weeks of pregnancy last month. In an unprecedented move on Monday, police vowed a "thorough crackdown" on the YouTuber, noting that it plans to take stern measures against the issue compared to other cases involving abortion. Officials made the remarks after the Health Ministry said it requested a thorough investigation by the police into the woman and the doctor l

Social AffairsJuly 16, 2024

Filipino child born with heart disease cured in Korea with aid from JYP Entertainment

A Filipino child with congenital heart disease successfully underwent surgery in Korea with support from JYP Entertainment. The 7-year-old child named Kim Abibg Rosello recovered from surgery and treatment at Severance Hospital in Seoul, the hospital announced Tuesday. He was born with Tetralogy of Fallot, a congenital heart condition characterized by severe heart defects that can cause cyanoderma and brain damage in the most serious cases. The child had not been treated properly because of fina

Social AffairsJuly 16, 2024

Yoon hails S. Korea-US 'nuclear-based' alliance in face of NK missiles

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday hailed the signing of guidelines for extended deterrence cooperation by Seoul and Washington as enhancing the bilateral alliance to one that he said is "nuclear-based," meant to counter North Korea's nuclear missile threats. The "US-ROK Guidelines for Nuclear Deterrence and Nuclear Operations on the Korean Peninsula" document, signed between Yoon and his US counterpart Joe Biden on Thursday during Yoon's visit to Washington, "sets the s

PoliticsJuly 16, 2024

Man sets apartment building on fire, injuring 8

The South Korean police said Tuesday a man in his 50s is under investigation on suspicion of starting a fire at an apartment complex, leading to its evacuation and the injuries of eight residents. According to the Gyeongju Police Station, the suspect was allegedly arguing with his wife at home on the third floor of their 13-story apartment building in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province at 6:45 p.m. on Monday. In the heat of the argument, he set a blanket on fire, which spread to the entire ho

Social AffairsJuly 16, 2024

N. Korean senior diplomat in Cuba defected to S. Korea last year: Seoul

Ri Il-kyu, who was serving as a counselor at the North Korean Embassy in Cuba, defected to South Korea in November of last year, South Korea's spy agency confirmed Tuesday. This confirmation followed a report by the Chosun Ilbo daily, which interviewed the 52-year-old former diplomat who had fled to South Korea with his wife and children. This is the first confirmed defection of a North Korean diplomat since 2019, when Jo Song-gil, then the acting ambassador to Italy, defected in July, foll

North KoreaJuly 16, 2024

Tzuyang's blackmailers apologize amid legal actions, profit ban

The three YouTubers accused of exploiting popular YouTuber Tzuyang issued an apology regarding the incident, as the victim plans to file criminal charges against them and the video-sharing platform disabled monetization for their channels. Gu Je Yeok, Caracula and Jeon Gukjin all issued some forms of apology Monday, while still denying that they had blackmailed Tzuyang. It was revealed last week in a recording of their discussion that the three were potentially involved in a blackmail of Tzuya

Social AffairsJuly 16, 2024

Unpaid taxes seized from hagwon quadruple last year: tax agency

The state-run tax agency said it seized 28.6 billion won ($20.6 million) in unpaid taxes from local hagwon last year, over four times the amount collected the previous year. The additional taxes were collected after a series of nationwide tax evasion crackdowns on hagwon by the National Tax Service, according to NTS data submitted to Rep. Lim Gwang-hyeon of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea. Last year, the figure hit 6.6 billion won, compared to 5.1 billion won in 2021 and 18.9 bil

Social AffairsJuly 16, 2024

Hagwon teacher tried for sexual harassment of 5-year-old girl

A Busan court on Tuesday held a hearing for a teacher at a private academy who was accused of sexually harassing a 5-year-old girl in May, with the defendant saying he had been drunk at the time. The defendant, identified only as a US citizen in his 30s, told the Busan District Court that he drank seven bottles of soju before making the unwanted physical contact on the child during a class at a hagwon in Dongnae-gu, Busan, on May 22. His lawyer told the court that his client was admitting the

Social AffairsJuly 16, 2024

N. Korea's Kim calls for developing offshore aquaculture during Sinpho visit

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un called for nurturing offshore fish farming in the port city of Sinpho, state media said Tuesday, as the North seeks to develop backward provinces to narrow widening economic gaps among regions. Kim visited a construction site for an offshore fish farm in the coastal city in South Hamgyong Province on Monday and presided over a meeting where developing the envisioned farm "into a new fine model of shallow-sea culture" was discussed, according to the Korea

North KoreaJuly 16, 2024

Trump picks Ohio Sen. Vance as vice presidential running mate

Former President Donald Trump on Monday announced Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio as his vice presidential running mate, as the Republican Party kicked off a national convention to officially crown Trump as the GOP nominee for the November general election. Trump made the announcement on the 39-year-old critic-turned-supporter in a social media post as GOP delegates and others gathered at the four-day Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, the largest city in the battleground state of Wisconsin. V

Foreign AffairsJuly 16, 2024

Trump formally nominated as 2024 Republican presidential nominee

The Republican Party formally nominated former President Donald Trump as the GOP standard-bearer for the Nov. 5 general election on Monday, as a weekend assassination attempt against him has brought more voter attention to his campaign and further cemented his support base. GOP delegates crowned Trump as the presidential nominee for a third time in a roll call vote as the Republican Party Convention kicked off its four-day run in Milwaukee in the battleground state of Wisconsin, two days after h

Foreign AffairsJuly 16, 2024

[Graphic News] Elder abuse cases steadily rising: data

South Korea is experiencing a growing number of elder abuse cases as its population rapidly ages, according to a recent report from the Ministry of Health and Welfare. The data, compiled from complaints received by senior abuse hotlines and welfare centers, highlights an alarming trend. In 2023, reported cases of elder abuse increased by 12 percent compared to the previous year, rising from 19,552 to 21,936. The percentage of confirmed cases also saw an uptick, increasing by 3.2 percent to acc

Social AffairsJuly 16, 2024

Osong victims commemorated on tragedy's 1st anniversary

A series of memorial events were held across the country Monday to mark the first anniversary of the Osong tragedy, where 14 people lost their lives and 16 were injured due to the flooding of an underground roadway in July last year. At a ceremony held at the Gungpyeong 2 underpass in Osong-eup of Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province — the site of the tragedy — Rep. Park Chan-dae, floor leader and acting leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, vowed to remember the v

Social AffairsJuly 15, 2024

Parties ramp up security for politicians ahead of conventions

South Korea’s two largest political parties have decided to bolster security measures for their respective leader candidates, as both party conventions are scheduled to be held by the end of next month, sources close to the matter said Monday. The moves follow the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump in Pennsylvania, the US, last week, prompting concerns about political violence here as well. With only a few weeks left until its July 23 party convention, the ruling People

PoliticsJuly 15, 2024

Driver consumes additional alcohol after accident to hide drunk driving

The South Korean prosecutors said Monday it indicted a man in his 50s for causing a fatal traffic accident last month, despite the man consuming more alcohol after the accident to hide his drunk driving. Jeonju District Prosecutors' Office said it indicted the suspect on charges of drunk driving and violation of the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Settlement of Traffic Accidents. The suspect is believed to have driven his Porsche vehicle into a compact car at around 12:45 a.m. on June 2

Social AffairsJuly 15, 2024