Fire at apartment building in northern Seoul kills 2, injures 29 people

A fire broke out at an apartment building in northern Seoul, leaving two people dead and injuring 29 others, firefighters said Monday. The blaze occurred at the third floor of the 23-story apartment building in Seoul's Dobong district at around 4:57 a.m., according to fire services. Two men in their 30s and a woman in her 70s were found in a state of cardiac arrest and sent to a hospital. The two men were pronounced dead, but the woman is known to have regained consciousness. The other 28 p

Social AffairsDec. 25, 2023

Yoon attends Christmas service at church

President Yoon Suk Yeol attended a Christmas service at a church in Seoul on Monday and vowed efforts to build the state to become a "good gift" to people, his office said. Yoon visited the Chungdong First Methodist Church in central Seoul in the morning to take part in the church service for about an hour, according to the presidential office. In response to a supportive message by an elderly Christian after the service, Yoon said he will make efforts to make the country become a &quo

PoliticsDec. 25, 2023

Seoul welcomes white Christmas for the first time in 8 years

A canopy of white covered the capital city of Seoul on Christmas morning, making it a white Christmas for the first time since 2015. In Gwanghwamun Square, central Seoul, while there were several pedestrians hurrying to get indoors to escape the snow, there were also some taking photos of the winter scenery. “It really feels like Christmas today,” said 25-year-old Baek Ji-yoon. “Christmas is one of my favorite holidays of the year because of its general atmosphere, but the sn

Social AffairsDec. 25, 2023

Not just pay, SME workers lag behind in benefits, too

The welfare benefits offered to employees at small to medium companies were around one-third of those provided by major corporations last year, amid widening gaps between the two groups, government data showed Monday. Smaller companies with less than 300 employees provided nonstatutory welfare benefits, also called fringe benefits, averaging 136,900 won ($105) per month as of the end of last year, according to data compiled in a report called "Corporate Labor Cost Survey for the 2022 Fiscal

Social AffairsDec. 25, 2023

Incoming ruling party chief faces uphill battle

The ruling party interim nominee, former Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon faces an uphill battle as he seeks to lead party reform while tackling opposition proposals for a special investigation into first lady Kim Keon Hee. Han will be elected as the chair of the emergency committee of the ruling People Power Party on Tuesday, following the approval of the party's national committee. An emergency committee led by Han will be launched on Friday. But even prior to the official launch, Han will

PoliticsDec. 25, 2023

[Herald Interview] Young leaders of Korea, Indonesia ask: How can we help each other?

In South Korea, concern over a looming demographic crisis is escalating, as the rapid aging of the population is feared to sap the vitality of what was once a dynamic society. From an Indonesian perspective, the country has something to offer: its abundant young workforce. Young leaders of Korea and Indonesia who are part of the nonprofit and nongovernmental organization Junior Chamber International have been exploring such opportunities. “If Korean companies have problems in hiring new,

Social AffairsDec. 25, 2023

Christmas tragedy: Father dies after 4th floor jump with child to escape fire

A father in his 30s died Monday after jumping from the fourth floor of a high-rise apartment building in Seoul carrying his young child, in a desperate attempt to flee from a fire on Christmas Day. He was one of two fatalities from the fire, which broke out at the apartment building in Banghak-dong, in Seoul's Dobong district. As of Monday afternoon, 30 suffered injuries. According to local news reports, the 30-something-year-old victim, wife and two children aged 7 months and 2 years, were

Social AffairsDec. 25, 2023

More strollers sold for furry companions than infants

In perhaps yet another sign of the country's declining number of births, South Korea’s largest online marketplace reported Monday that sales of pet strollers exceeded those of baby strollers for the first time this year. According to Gmarket, of the total strollers sold on the platform during the first three quarters of this year, those for pet animals accounted for 57 percent, while those for babies constituted the remaining 43 percent. This situation marks a notable change from pr

Social AffairsDec. 25, 2023

Fire at apartment building in northern Seoul kills 2, injures 29 people

A fire broke out at an apartment building in northern Seoul, leaving two people dead and injuring 29 people, firefighters said Monday. The blaze occurred at the third floor of the 27-story apartment building in Seoul's Dobong district at around 4:57 a.m., according to fire services. Two men in their 30s and a woman in her 70s were found in a state of cardiac arrest and sent to a hospital, and two of them were pronounced dead. About 222 firefighters battled the fire and extinguished it abo

Social AffairsDec. 25, 2023

At least 68 killed in central Gaza in airstrike, adding to weekend's bloodshed

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza — At least 68 people were killed by an Israeli strike in central Gaza, health officials said Sunday, while the number of Israeli soldiers killed in combat over the weekend rose to 15. Associated Press journalists at a nearby hospital watched frantic Palestinians carry the dead, including a baby, and wounded following the strike on the Maghazi refugee camp east of Deir al-Balah. One bloodied young girl looked stunned while her body was checked for broken bones. The 68

Foreign AffairsDec. 25, 2023

Yoon wishes joy of blessing on Christmas Eve

President Yoon Suk Yeol expressed hope for a happy and blessed Christmas in a message to the public posted on the eve on Sunday. "It is a Christmas full of love from Jesus ... Today, there are many people around us who practice Jesus' love and grow the embers of hope," Yoon said in a Facebook post. "The government and I will also try harder to make small embers burn with greater love. I hope all of you will enjoy the joy of a happy and blessed Christmas," Yoon said.

PoliticsDec. 25, 2023

80% of foreign workers in S. Korea have jobs at small firms

The number of foreign nationals having jobs in South Korea reached an all-time high of nearly 1 million this year, and nearly 80 percent of them were affiliated with companies with fewer than 50 workers, data showed Sunday. The number of foreigners aged 15 and older residing in the country came to 1.43 million as of May, and 923,000 of them had jobs here, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea. Both figures marked about a 10 percent on-year increase to hit a record high, the data sho

Social AffairsDec. 24, 2023

[Herald Interview] Why Korean teachers are speaking out in English on school reality?

Not long after a 23-year-old elementary school teacher’s death in July laid bare the truth of waning respect for educators, a group of 30 elementary and middle school teachers came together to shed light on the realities of teaching in South Korea. In late August, they formed the group “K-Teachers,” an abbreviation for Korean teachers, to create and upload English-language content on educational issues in Korea on Instagram and YouTube. There, they speak their minds on what nee

Social AffairsDec. 24, 2023

Hero rescue dog retires after a career of saving 9 lives

Gyeonggi Province fire authorities said Friday that veteran rescue dog A-rong is retiring after a six-year stint, and is seeking a new family. A-rong, a male Labrador retriever weighing 32 kilograms, was born in 2014 and participated in 312 rescue operations and aided the rescue of nine individuals, according to the Gyeonggi Fire and Disaster Headquarters. A member of the Gyeonggi-do Northern Special Response Unit since December of 2017, he has had special training for rescue operations in the m

Social AffairsDec. 24, 2023

Regional governments roll out measures to boost birth rate

With the country's record-low birth rate expected to fall even further next year, regional governments across the country have been implementing policies to motivate South Korean families to have more children. A December report by Statistics Korea projected that the country's total fertility rate -- the number of children a woman is expected to have in her lifetime -- will be 0.68 in 2024 and 0.65 in 2025. South Korea already recorded the lowest figure in the world with 0.78 in 2022,

Social AffairsDec. 24, 2023

Meat preservative added to list of 'suicide hazardous materials' in Korea

Sodium nitrite, commonly found in sausages and other processed meats as a preservative, has recently been added to the list of “suicide hazardous materials” in South Korea as the country seeks to address increasing instances in which this food additive was used for self-harm. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the listing blocks the online sale and distribution of the white powdery substance, which can be lethal in doses as small as 4 to 6 grams, for suicide purposes. A

Social AffairsDec. 24, 2023

Presidential office says special probe bills are designed to leave 'scratch' on Yoon administration

The presidential office believes that opposition-led special investigation proposals, including one into allegations involving first lady Kim Keon Hee, are designed to leave a "scratch" on the Yoon Suk Yeol administration ahead of the general elections, a senior official said Sunday. Lee Kwan-sup, director of national policy at the presidential office, made the remark during his appearance on KBS TV, as the main opposition Democratic Party plans to pass the two investigation proposals

PoliticsDec. 24, 2023

US expresses serious concern over signs of NK commissioning light-water reactor

The United States has expressed serious concern over North Korea showing signs of starting the operation of a new light-water nuclear reactor in a possible attempt to produce nuclear weapons fuel. International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi said Thursday that the agency has detected more signs of the North commissioning the light-water reactor at the North's main Yongbyon nuclear complex, such as warm water being discharged from it. The North's "commissioning

North KoreaDec. 24, 2023

Religious leader appeals 23-year prison sentence over his sexual offenses

Jeong Myeong-seok, the leader of a controversial religious organization, the Jesus Morning Star, has lodged an appeal against a recent ruling over sexual offenses. Jeong appealed to the Daejeon District Court on Friday to reconsider the ruling handed down that day that ordered the 78-year-old to be put behind bars for 23 years for sexual assault and molestation. He was convicted of raping and sexually assaulting two female followers of foreign nationality and a South Korean female follower betwe

Social AffairsDec. 24, 2023

3 killed from electrocution at public bathhouse in Sejong

Three elderly women died from electrocution at a public bathhouse in the central city of Sejong on Sunday, police said. The three, all in their 70s, were in a hot tub at the bathhouse in Sejong's Jochiwon district when the accident happened at 5:37 a.m. A witness told the police the three collapsed with a scream, and she called the 119 emergency number for help. When rescue workers arrived, all three were in a state of cardiac arrest and were rushed to a hospital, but two of them died short

Social AffairsDec. 24, 2023