Mother cleared of baby-selling charge, despite getting paid

A South Korean court on Tuesday found a 45-year-old woman not guilty of selling her baby, saying the 1 million won ($720) she received from the couple who took the child does not appear to the payment for the girl. Incheon District Court cleared the baby-selling charge for the woman and the couple who took the baby. The three were indicted on charge of trading the baby born on Nov. 7, 2016, which is banned by Article 17-1 of the Child Welfare Act and punishable by up to 10 years in prison. The b

Social AffairsJuly 3, 2024

[Community Discovery] From fashion mecca to robotics hub: Gangnam-gu's new ambition

Gangnam-gu, a Seoul district famous for its luxury fashion, affluent neighborhoods, and Psy's "Gangnam Style," is now aiming to become a testbed for the robotics industry. The ward office said a robot cluster will be built in Suseo, in the southeastern part of the district, to provide testing grounds and nurture related industries. The robot testing grounds, known as Robot Plus Test Field, will span over 1,350 square meters and is set to open in July, according to the office. &ldq

Social AffairsJuly 3, 2024

Forum addresses paths to healthy aging

In search of solutions to achieve healthy aging as countries around the globe are set to join the "super-aged" club, the 2024 Health Ageing Forum on Tuesday shed light on the value of disease prevention to increase the number of years lived in good health. The forum, hosted by the British Embassy in Seoul and GSK Korea, was attended by health care experts, scholars and business representatives from Korea and overseas. In his opening remarks, British Ambassador Colin Crooks underscored

Social AffairsJuly 3, 2024

Online petitioners calling for Yoon's impeachment reach 1m

The number of people demanding the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol surpassed the 1 million mark Wednesday on the National Assembly's petition website. The petition, calling on the National Assembly to propose a bill on Yoon's impeachment, gained a daily average of 100,000 signatures over a period of 10 days after it was posted on June 24. Lawmakers of the Democratic Party backed the petition, saying the number of petition approvals rightfully reflects the public's views of

PoliticsJuly 3, 2024

Senior doctors at Asan Medical Center to reduce procedures, outpatient care from Thursday

Senior doctors at Asan Medical Center, one of the five biggest hospitals in Seoul, said Wednesday they will cut procedures and outpatient care starting Thursday, blaming the government for causing disruptions in public health services in the wake of medical reform. Medical professors at the University of Ulsan, who serve as senior doctors at Asan Medical Center because the hospital is affiliated with the university, said the move is aimed at focusing on treatments for critically ill patients and

Social AffairsJuly 3, 2024

Son Heung-min's father questioned in child abuse investigation

Son Woong-jung, the father of South Korean football star Son Heung-min and director of his namesake football academy, has been questioned by prosecutors over his child abuse allegations, sources said Wednesday. Per sources, prosecutors in Chuncheon, some 75 kilometers northeast of Seoul, questioned Son and two of his coaches at Son Football Academy on Tuesday over charges that they had physically and verbally abused a young player. The academy is also located in the same Gangwon Province town. O

Social AffairsJuly 3, 2024

NK leader inspects munitions factory after key party meeting

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has visited major munitions and machinery factories, calling for efforts to expand production in the overall economic sector, according to state media Wednesday. The inspection took place Tuesday, a day after North Korea wrapped up four days of a plenary meeting of the 8th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, according to the Korean Central News Agency. Accompanied by party officials, Kim visited a defense industrial enterprise, which the North s

North KoreaJuly 3, 2024

N. Korea's sending of trash-filled balloons is 'form of soft terrorism': CSIS report

North Korea's obnoxious sending of trash-filled balloons to South Korea is a "form of soft terrorism," a US think tank report said Tuesday, stressing it should not be taken lightly though it reflects the recalcitrant regime's "weakness" and "insecurity." Victor Cha, senior vice president for Asia and Korea chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and Andy Lim, an associate fellow with the CSIS Korea Chair, released the report that analy

Foreign AffairsJuly 3, 2024

Minimum wage body votes down proposal for different rates by industry

The Minimum Wage Commission on Tuesday voted down a proposal to adopt different rates by industry next year. In a vote that took place during the commission's plenary session at the government complex in the central city of Sejong, 15 were against the different minimum wage rates, while 11 were in favor. There was one invalid vote. Since differentiated minimum wages were adopted for the first time in 1988, the same minimum wage has been set annually across all industrial sectors. The ma

Social AffairsJuly 2, 2024

Democratic Party pushes multiple impeachment bills

The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea on Tuesday motioned a set of bills to impeach a high-level Yoon Suk Yeol government official and four prosecutors who investigated cases affecting party figures, including former party Chair Rep. Lee Jae-myung. The Democratic Party, which holds the majority of seats in the Assembly, put the impeachment bills to the floor without the ruling People Power Party’s support. The series of impeachments pushed by the Democratic Party leads to impeachin

PoliticsJuly 2, 2024

Vietnam PM voices support for denuclearization of Korean Peninsula

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Tuesday reaffirmed his country’s stance backing the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, stressing its consistent support for peace and stability. “It is Vietnam’s consistent stance to support the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, alongside peace, stability and cooperation,” Chinh said in an opening speech ahead of a closed-door meeting with his counterpart, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, at the Government Complex Se

PoliticsJuly 2, 2024

Gwangju school under fire for not reporting knife-wielding student

Teachers and parents at a middle school in Gwangju have strongly protested a lack of action by school officials, who failed to report to authorities a recent violent outburst by a student wielding a knife. According to the Gwangju branch of the Korean Teachers and Educational Worker's Union, 25 of the 27 teachers of the school submitted a petition to the Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education on Tuesday calling for its principal and vice principal to be replaced. "The principal did n

Social AffairsJuly 2, 2024

No kids at the pool? Hotels turn backs on families

Low birth rates are not just statistics; their implications are evident across various aspects of Korean society, including the vacation scene. As childless couples and solo vacationers emerge as key target customers, more South Korean hotels and resorts are adopting adults-only policies to cultivate a serene and sophisticated ambience for adult guests. This trend, coming on top of an increase in “no-kid” venues in the country, raises questions about inclusivity and how to balance

Social AffairsJuly 2, 2024

Boy stabs female classmate before jumping out window

A high school student boy has stabbed his female classmate and jumped out of a high-rise apartment building while on the run -- the latter suspected to be a suicide attempt. The girl sustained a serious injury and is currently recovering from surgery. Meanwhile, the boy remains in a serious condition as of Tuesday. According to Ansan Danwon Police Station in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, the suspect launched the attack on the victim at around 3:40 p.m. on Monday, in the bathroom at a hagwon they bot

Social AffairsJuly 2, 2024

Construction begins on K-pop performance venue

Seoul's first K-pop specialized performance venue, Seoul Arena cultural complex, in Chang-dong in Dobong District, northern Seoul, officially commenced construction on Tuesday, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced. The groundbreaking ceremony took place at the construction site in Chang-dong on Tuesday afternoon. Key attendees included Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, Kakao CEO Chung Shin-a, First Vice Minister of Culture Chun Byong-geuk, Dobong-gu District Head Oh Un-Seok, Nowon-gu District

Social AffairsJuly 2, 2024

[From the Scene] Passersby, families mourn tragic deaths of 9 killed by wrong-way driver

Bouquets of white chrysanthemums were laid next to Exit No. 7 of Seoul's City Hall Station on Tuesday, the rainy morning after a car crash that resulted in nine deaths in the area. Though most of the crime scene had been cleared, remnants of the accident lingered in the morning. A temporary fence enclosed the destroyed guardrails from Monday’s car crash, and police officials remained stationed at the site. Pedestrians passing by paused to look at the flowers, with some laying down t

Social AffairsJuly 2, 2024

Vehicle malfunction or negligence? Probe of deadly car crash begins

Police on Tuesday opened an investigation into a 68-year-old man for a car accident late Monday that claimed the lives of nine people and left four injured in central Seoul. They said they had mobilized forensic scientists and investigators to determine the cause of the crash, which the driver says was caused by a vehicle fault, a claim experts have cast doubt on. Police are seeking a warrant to arrest the driver on suspicion of negligent driving resulting in death, according to Chung Yong-woo,

Social AffairsJuly 2, 2024

Deadly car accident reignites debate over senior drivers

The deadly car accident that left nine people dead in Seoul Monday night has rekindled debate over whether the government should revisit a conditional driver's license system for older driver, which it shelved in May amid public backlash over potential infringement of the human right to mobility for older people. As of now, it is unclear how a car driven by a 68-year-old man came to plow into pedestrians near Seoul City Hall. The driver claimed the vehicle suddenly accelerated not due to hi

Social AffairsJuly 2, 2024

Seoul education chief vows 'inclusive' classrooms

Cho Hee-yeon, superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, pledged to put his utmost efforts into creating inclusive classrooms for minorities and students of multicultural backgrounds, while emphasizing the successful implementation of digital textbooks. Speaking at a press conference at the Education Office on Tuesday to mark the 10th anniversary of his inauguration, Cho highlighted his goal of bringing diversity and inclusiveness to schools across Seoul, addressing the import

Social AffairsJuly 2, 2024

Vietnam PM lauds Korean investments

Vietnam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh lauded South Korean investments for driving Vietnam's economic development. Speaking at a business forum on Monday in Seoul, the prime minister highlighted Korea's position as the largest foreign investor in Vietnam. "Korea is the largest investor among the 146 countries investing in Vietnam, with more than $87 billion in over 10,000 projects. We highly value the contribution of Korean companies to Vietnam’s economic and social d

Foreign AffairsJuly 2, 2024