Seoul's population falls, gets more diverse

Seoul’s total population over the first quarter of 2024 dropped to 9.38 million, a 6.4 percent decline from the total population 20 years ago, 10.2 million, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Monday. Out of the 25 districts in the city, Nowon-gu in northern Seoul has seen a 20 percent fall in its population over the last 20 years. While the district saw its population reach 630,555 in 2004, these numbers saw a large decline in the first quarter of 2023 to 501,727. Besides No

Social AffairsJune 17, 2024

Seoul cautions Moscow on Putin's NK visit

Seoul has warned Moscow against "going beyond a certain point," amid reports that Russia and North Korea are seeking to deepen their military ties during President Vladimir Putin's imminent visit to Pyongyang. National Security Adviser Chang Ho-jin told Yonhap News TV on Sunday evening that Seoul has "cautioned his Russian counterpart that Russia should not go beyond a certain point." "Our intelligence suggests that there is room for (Russia and North Korea) to adop

PoliticsJune 17, 2024

Doctors begin indefinite strike

Reaching a new height in the monthslong confrontation between the government and doctors, a group of protesting medical professors at South Korea's most prestigious medical institution, Seoul National University Hospital, began an indefinite strike Monday, calling for the complete abandonment of the government's medical school expansion plan. They were the first among doctors in South Korea to go on a walkout without a time limit. The Korea Medical Association, representing some 140,00

Social AffairsJune 17, 2024

Students' sexual harassment of teachers rises by 77% in 4 years: report

More students than ever before are being accused of sexual misconduct against teachers, government data shows. There were 331 cases of sexual harassment or some kind of sexual misconduct against teachers reported to the Ministry of Education in 2022, local media reported. The figure is a 77 percent surge from the 187 in 2018. It is not clear how many cases were referred to the police. The rise is far steeper than the increase in the total number of cases concerning infringement of teachers'

Social AffairsJune 17, 2024

[Bills in Focus] Support for small air services, safe environment for AI

Proposed Bill: Partial Amendment to the Act on Restriction on Special Cases Concerning Taxation Proposed by Rep. Park Choong-kwon (People Power Party) ● This amendment extends the sunset date of the special provision of tax deduction related to national strategic technologies, including semiconductor technologies, from Dec. 31, 2024, to Dec. 31, 2030. Proposed Bill: Act on Artificial Intelligence Industry Promotion and Trust Securement Proposed by Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo (People Power Party) ● As a

PoliticsJune 17, 2024

Govt. to hold experts' meeting for development of potential oil, gas reserves off East Sea

The industry ministry and the state-run Korea National Oil Corp. plan to hold a meeting with experts this week to discuss strategies for developing potential oil and gas reserves off the East Sea, industry sources said Monday. The meeting scheduled for Friday comes as the government and KNOC plan to choose the site for the first drilling operation in July, under the project that could potentially uncover between 3.5 billion and 14 billion barrels of gas and oil in the East Sea, according to the

PoliticsJune 17, 2024

Prosecution to begin probe into ex-first lady's trip to India

Prosecutors have begun an investigation into allegations that former President Moon Jae-in's wife, Kim Jung-sook, spent a large sum of taxpayer money to fund her solo trip to India in 2018, prosecution officials said Monday. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office plans to call in Lee Jong-bae, a Seoul city councilor affiliated with the ruling People Power Party, as an accuser on Wednesday, as he filed a complaint against Kim last December. The councilor accused the former first lady

PoliticsJune 17, 2024

Pastor in luxury bag scandal booked for defamation, illegal electioneering

A Korean American pastor at the center of a luxury bag scandal involving first lady Kim Keon Hee has been under a police investigation on charges of defaming a ruling party lawmaker and engaging in illegal electioneering ahead of April's general elections, officials said Monday. The pastor, named Choi Jae-young, has been booked for investigation for allegedly defaming Rep. Lee Chul-gyu of the ruling People Power Party by mentioning Lee and the first lady together during a lecture in March,

Social AffairsJune 17, 2024

S. Korea expresses commitment to continuing aid to Ukraine at peace summit

South Korea expressed its commitment to continuing aid to war-torn Ukraine at an international peace summit in Switzerland last weekend, the Office for Government Policy Coordination said. Government Policy Coordination Minister Bang Ki-seon attended the Summit on Peace in Ukraine in Burgenstock, Switzerland, on Saturday and Sunday, as South Korea's chief representative, according to his office. Bang told a meeting Sunday that as a global pivotal state, South Korea has continued to express

Foreign AffairsJune 17, 2024

Ruling party, govt. agree to provide energy vouchers to 1.3m households this summer

The ruling People Power Party and government officials on Sunday agreed to provide energy vouchers to 1.3 million vulnerable households as the country braces for a hotter-than-average summer. The support scheme was announced during a meeting of senior officials of the government, the presidential office and the ruling party, according to Rep. Jang Dong-hyuk, the party's chief spokesperson. The decision to provide support of up to 53,000 won ($38), up 10,000 won from last year, comes as Sout

PoliticsJune 16, 2024

Memorial altar for Itaewon tragedy victims moved to new site

A memorial altar set up for victims of the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush was moved to a new site Sunday from its original location outside Seoul City Hall. The altar, which commemorates the 159 people killed in a crowd crush in Seoul's Itaewon neighborhood during Halloween weekend in 2022, was relocated to Burim Building near Seoul Plaza after operating on the plaza for 16 months. The relocation agreement was reached between families of the victims and the Seoul metropolitan government following

Social AffairsJune 16, 2024

Putin’s Pyongyang trip highlights need for bond in isolation

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s impending trip to North Korea, which Seoul authorities say could happen any moment, reflects a mutual interest in building a closer bond for the two countries facing self-inflicted isolation from the West, experts say. The last time Putin was in Pyongyang in 2000, he was stopping by on his way to the summit of the Group of Eight or G8 in Japan, long before Russia was suspended indefinitely from the group of leading industrialized countries over the annexa

PoliticsJune 16, 2024

Doctors to go on indefinite walkout as government rejects final demands

The government on Sunday rejected the doctors' final proposal to abandon plans to increase medical school enrollment quotas, stating that it does not consider it appropriate for doctors to make such a demand. The Korean Medical Association -- the largest coalition of doctors' groups with approximately 140,000 members, mostly private practitioners -- sent a "final ultimatum" to the government Sunday saying its members will shut down their services and rally starting Tuesday if

Social AffairsJune 16, 2024

No. of mosquitoes unusually high in June

Amid a relentless heat wave sweeping across South Korea, Seoul has seen a significant surge in mosquito populations over the past two weeks, turning a seasonal nuisance into a widespread concern. According to the Seoul Mosquito Forecast System, the average mosquito activity index in the capital city has increased to its highest level of 100, in its four-tier system, for two consecutive weeks from June 2. The highest level, "unpleasant," means outdoor mosquito larval habitats are formed

Social AffairsJune 16, 2024

Yoon returns amid tensions over Putin's Pyongyang visit

President Yoon Suk Yeol returned home Sunday after a weeklong trip to three Central Asian countries amid rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula with an imminent summit between the leaders of Russia and North Korea in Pyongyang this week, which has sparked concerns about closer military ties. Amid reports on Putin's visit to North Korea, the first in 24 years, Yoon's office on Friday officially "confirmed" his visit, stressing that it would closely examine countermeasures to

PoliticsJune 16, 2024

Yoon returns to Seoul after Central Asia trip

President Yoon Suk Yeol returned to Seoul early Sunday morning as the couple wrapped up the state visits to three Central Asian countries. Yoon on Saturday flew from the ancient city of Samarkand, about 270 kilometers southwest of Uzbekistan's capital city Tashkent, for his final engagement with his counterpart, Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Mirziyoyev formerly served as the governor of the Samarkand region from 2001 to 2003. They visited historical sites that used to be the center of

PoliticsJune 16, 2024

Yoon visits ancient Uzbek city, wraps up Central Asia trip

SAMARKAND, Uzbekistan -- President Yoon Suk Yeol visited ancient city of Samarkand before wrapping up the state visits to three Central Asian countries, according to the presidential office on Saturday. Flying about 270 kilometers southwest of Uzbekistan's capital city Tashkent, Yoon and his counterpart, Uzbek President President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, visited historic sites of what served as the center of the Timurid Empire in the 14th century, such as a public square Registan and Gur-e-Amir,

PoliticsJune 15, 2024

[Weekender] IV drips: A quick energy shot for overworked Koreans

“Feeling burnt out? You’ve come to the right place,” the doctor said during my consultation at a clinic in Yeouido, Seoul's financial district, before prescribing what he called a “garlic injection.” As an average South Korean national, I am used to eating tons of garlic, but I wasn’t quite ready to have it injected into my veins. It turned out that the “garlic injection” wasn't actually a shot of garlic extract or anything similar. It&

Social AffairsJune 15, 2024

Unlicensed driver rams day care center van into wall

A 70-something-year-old man caused an accident while driving the van of a local day care center and is being investigated for operating the vehicle without a valid driver's license, local media outlets reported Thursday. No injuries occurred outside of the driver, as the car had no passengers at the time. Officials of the Seoul Seongdong Police Station are investigating the man for violating Article 43 of the Road Traffic Act, which prohibits driving a motor vehicle without a valid licens

Social AffairsJune 15, 2024

Opposition leader calls for inter-Korean talks amid tensions

Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung on Saturday said the two Koreas should sit together and communicate to ease the escalating tensions over Pyongyang's trash-carrying balloon campaign and Seoul's response. On social media, Lee said the peace built up on the Korean Peninsula is at risk as the two Koreas have been engaged in tit-for-tat measures. Referring to the North's sending of balloons carrying trash across the border, South Korean civic group's sending of anti-Pyongyang leaf

PoliticsJune 15, 2024