'Beauty Taxi' discontinues makeup service due to safety concerns

A South Korean taxi driver who provided cosmetics supplies for passengers has been instructed not to do so anymore, after complaints that some of the items could present safety concerns. Kakao Mobility, the operator of the Kakao T taxi service, said Tuesday that it has ordered driver Ahn Seon-woo to remove all the makeup equipment from inside his vehicle. The 62-year-old driver based in Daejeon had been providing the services on his own initiative, gaining media attention and earning the nicknam

Social AffairsFeb. 6, 2024

[Op-ed] Holding firm in support of Ukraine

This month we mark a grim anniversary; two years since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. This period has seen Russia breach international law, commit war crimes and engage in unlawful military cooperation with the DPRK. The Ambassadors of the European Union reiterate their condemnation of these actions, and their appreciation for the solid support of the Republic of Korea for Ukraine. We are confident that the ROK’s support will remain firm, including in full implementation of sanction

Foreign AffairsFeb. 6, 2024

South Korea to lower EV subsidies by W1m

Subsidies given to those who purchase electric vehicles will be lower regardless of vehicle size compared to the subsidies given last year, said the Ministry of Environment on Tuesday. During the Ministry of Environment’s press briefing on its new EV subsidy plan, the environment ministry confirmed that the performance subsidies for EVs of all sizes have been reduced by 1 million won ($752). According to this new plan, the maximum subsidy for medium and large-sized EVs will reduced from 5

Social AffairsFeb. 6, 2024

Popular YouTuber apologizes for racism

Tzuyang, one of the most popular internet celebrities in South Korea, issued a public apology late Monday after being accused of racism for featuring a comedian doing an offensive portrayal of a Filipino character in one of her videos, Jan. 28. "It was a huge oversight on my part not to realize that the content we produced might unintentionally cause emotional pain, which was not our intention. I sincerely apologize once again to the Filipino viewers and to anyone who felt uncomfortable wat

Social AffairsFeb. 6, 2024

Yoon meets trilateral dialogue representatives for 1st time

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday met representatives of the country’s tripartite panel of labor, management and the government, urging them to jointly resolve pending issues. “Labor-management issues are not simply issues between groups with different interests but should be discussed within the larger framework of ‘sustainability’ in this society," he said as he hosted a luncheon with the member of the Economic, Social and Labor Affairs Committee. "If we comm

Social AffairsFeb. 6, 2024

Criticism of hereditary succession grows in N. Korea: report

Discontent among North Koreans toward the hereditary succession of the country's leadership has grown over time, coupled with a pervasive negative public assessment of the performance of leader Kim Jong-un, according to a report from the Unification Ministry in Seoul. South Korea's Unification Ministry unveiled a 280-page report comprehensively detailing the reality of economic and social conditions in North Korea. This first-ever report of its kind is based on in-depth interviews with

North KoreaFeb. 6, 2024

Yoon pardons tycoons, ex-President Park's aides

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday approved pardons for former President Park Geun-hye's aides, including former chief of staff Kim Ki-choon and former national security adviser Kim Kwan-jin, ahead of Seollal, or South Korea's Lunar New Year holiday. The special pardon announcement came less than a week after both aides' prison terms were finalized by the courts. The ex-chief of staff's two-year imprisonment was confirmed on Feb. 1 for his involvement in the blacklisting of n

PoliticsFeb. 6, 2024

S. Korea to increase med students by 2,000 despite doctors’ threat to strike

The South Korean government on Tuesday announced it will increase the medical school enrollment quota by 2,000 to address the shortage of doctors in non-metropolitan areas and broaden the reach of healthcare services despite the medical circle’s strong opposition and threat to hold a nationwide strike. According to the plan, approved by the medical policy review body held on Tuesday afternoon, the number of medical students will be increased to 5,058. The hike is the first in 27 years sinc

Social AffairsFeb. 6, 2024

Ruling party pledges to spend more on senior citizens

The ruling party on Tuesday announced a set of pledges aimed to improve the lives of senior citizens here, which includes tax benefits and an expanded free lunch system, as the country grapples with the issue of entering a super-aged society. In its sixth pledge announced ahead of the general election on April 10, the People Power Party said it plans to expand the role of the government and taxpayers' money in taking care of Korea's older population. "The government plans to launc

PoliticsFeb. 6, 2024

YouTuber arrested after broadcasting while driving under the influence

South Korean police said Tuesday they are investigating a YouTuber on suspicion of drunk driving after he broadcast himself driving under the influence of alcohol. According to Geoje Police Station, the YouTuber started the broadcast around noon on Sunday at his residence in Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province. Then he left in his car to go fishing at around 7:10 p.m., at which point one of the viewers reported drunk driving to the police. Police caught the suspect at around 7:30 p.m. and found tha

Social AffairsFeb. 6, 2024

Man caught pretending to be passenger to hide drunk driving

Police said Tuesday they had found that a man who pretended to be a passenger of a mystery friend who had run away after hitting a parked bus had in fact caused the accident while driving under the influence of alcohol. According to the Incheon Sangrok Police Station, the suspect drove his car into a bus in Sangrok-gu, Incheon at around 5:45 p.m. on Monday. He then destroyed the SIM card in the black box of his car and sat in the passenger seat, to hide his drunk driving. When the police arrived

Social AffairsFeb. 6, 2024

National security adviser met with Russian deputy FM during Seoul visit: sources

National Security Adviser Chang Ho-jin met with Russia Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko when he visited Seoul last week, sources said Tuesday, amid heightened tensions between Seoul and Moscow over North Korea. The meeting took place on Saturday, the sources said, as tensions have flared anew since Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova denounced President Yoon Suk Yeol's remarks on North Korea as "blatantly biased" on Thursday. In response, Seoul's forei

Foreign AffairsFeb. 6, 2024

Doctors warn of nationwide strike against envisioned medical school quota hike

The doctors' association vowed Tuesday to launch a nationwide strike if the government "unilaterally" pushes for raising the medial school enrollment quota. The health ministry is widely expected to announce a plan later in the day to increase the number of medical students by up to around 2,000 starting 2025 as part effort to address the chronic shortages of doctors in rural areas and the essential health care field. It will be the first hike in nearly 20 years, as the current li

Social AffairsFeb. 6, 2024

S. Korea to mass-produce 155 mm extended-range artillery shell

South Korea will mass-produce a 155-millimeter extended-range artillery shell this year after successfully completing its development in a yearslong project, the state arms procurement agency said Tuesday. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration held a meeting with ammunition maker Poongsan at the company's research center in Daejeon, 139 kilometers south of Seoul, to officially conclude the development project launched in 2014 after the shell was assessed as combat suitable last Aug

DefenseFeb. 6, 2024

US stresses close trilateral coordination with S. Korea, Japan over 'destabilizing' NK actions

The United States highlighted its focus on close trilateral security coordination with South Korea and Japan on Monday, criticizing North Korea's recent cruise missile launches as "deeply destabilizing." Pyongyang has conducted four rounds of cruise missile launches this year, including the test-fire of a submarine-launched ballistic missile, amid questions over how to rein in such cruise missile launches that are not subject to UN Security Council resolutions. "These kinds o

North KoreaFeb. 6, 2024

After suspected KF-21 leak, lawmakers blame weak laws on military secrets

Indonesian employees at the Korea Aerospace Industries are under investigation on suspicion of attempting to leak secrets about South Korean fighter aircraft. The incident sparked calls for laws on leaks of confidential military information to be strengthened, the bills for which are currently stuck at the National Assembly. The KAI, the developer for the KF-21 fighters, caught the employees trying to take removable drives containing secret data last month. They have since been reported to the D

PoliticsFeb. 5, 2024

24/7 support system needed for independence of disabled: experts

Experts and activists have repeated their calls for a more long-term, attentive care system for those with disabilities to prevent further tragedies in the wake of another murder-suicide by the parent of a disabled child. On Sept. 16, 2023, a family of five was found dead in their home in Yeongam, South Jeolla Province, after the father killed his wife, his three sons with developmental and physical disabilities and himself. On Friday, a man in his 40s was found dead alongside the body of his 10

Social AffairsFeb. 5, 2024

Drunk man goes into wrong home and commits murder

The Supreme Court recently confirmed a 19-year prison term for a South Korean man who mistakenly went into the wrong home and stabbed a person to death while under the influence of alcohol, officials said Monday. The court found the defendant guilty of murder, threat and violence charges, upholding a lower court ruling. Although the defendant, in his 60s, requested a lighter punishment based on a legal clause that mitigates sentences for those who have committed a crime while not of sound mind,

Social AffairsFeb. 5, 2024

Lee Sun-kyun reports were leaked: police

South Korean police told reporters Monday that information related to the drug investigation into the since-deceased actor Lee Sun-kyun were consistently being leaked, and that officials are looking into how the reports were relayed to outside parties. Officials have confirmed suspicions that a photocopy of the original investigation report had been leaked, according to the National Office of Investigation's chief, Woo Jong-soo. Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency has been probing alleg

Social AffairsFeb. 5, 2024

Is streaming making you want to smoke? Korea to propose regulating smoking scenes

In the hit Netflix drama series "The Glory," Lim Ji-yeon, adorned in an elegant magenta blouse, black skirt and gold earrings, leans casually against her white Mercedes-Benz, pulling out a cigarette. The scene, as successful as the drama itself, quickly went viral, prompting the creation of numerous parody videos. Nonetheless, the Korean government seems uneasy about such a smoking scene gaining widespread attention. Dramas aired on broadcast television in Korea are prohibited from dir

Social AffairsFeb. 5, 2024