In Beijing, S. Korean top diplomat aims to jumpstart ties with China

South Korea's top diplomat said Monday that he would use his first trip to China as a first step toward fostering enhanced bilateral relations between Seoul and Beijing and as a pivotal opportunity to invigorate strategic communications. Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul embarked on a two-day journey to Beijing, which included his first in-person meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Monday afternoon, amid a period of strained bilateral ties. The foreign ministerial meeting convened at

Foreign AffairsMay 13, 2024

Resources to protect kids on way to school inadequate: report

Despite South Korea witnessing an alarming average of over 89,000 children involved in traffic accidents annually for the past three years, recent data unveiled on Monday that Seoul suffers from inadequate resources to safeguard them from such accidents within school zones. Typically, elementary schools need at least six people per school to guide and direct students at crosswalks near schools. However, across the country's 565 public elementary schools, a total of 767 staff responsible for

Social AffairsMay 13, 2024

Yoon to set up new office to address low birth rate

President Yoon Suk Yeol's office is working to set up a new office and hire a new senior secretary to address the matter of South Korea's low birth rate, doubling down on the president's pledge to prioritize his policy focus on the potential population crisis. Yoon ordered his aides in a closed-door meeting Monday in his office in Seoul to establish a new senior secretary office dedicated to low birth rate, Yoon's spokesperson Kim Soo-kyung told reporters in a briefing. According to Yoon's offic

PoliticsMay 13, 2024

Ice cube alert: Viral YouTube video exposes dangers of unclean ice machines

Frequently used but unclean ice-making equipment at cafes and restaurants has stirred concern online due to a YouTube video that went viral, drawing attention to the potential health risks posed by ingesting ice cubes from such machines. In an April video posted on the Korean YouTube channel, I am a Businessperson, (direct translation) featuring salespeople and other businesspeople, a cleaning service provider in his 50s, specializing in air conditioning and ice maker maintenance, underscores

Social AffairsMay 13, 2024

More than quarter of young couples have no kids: study

More than a quarter of Korean couples aged between 25 and 39 were childless in 2022, a study showed Monday, with a substantial increase in the ratio of DINK -- double income, no kids -- couples among young South Koreans. The Korea Labor Institute report analyzed the trend of young married couples, particularly related to households with the head of the family aged between 25 and 39. The study showed that the percentage of couples without kids in the 25-39 age group came to 27.1 percent, up almos

Social AffairsMay 13, 2024

Autopsy confirms man beaten to death, allegedly by wife, daughter

An autopsy has confirmed that a man in his 50s was beaten to death, with local police suspecting the perpetrators to be the man's wife and teenage daughter. The National Forensic Service conducted an autopsy on the victim on Saturday and submitted its opinion on the victim's cause of death, according to Yangju Police Station in Gyeonggi Province. The NFS will perform toxicology tests on the victim to check for drugs, the results of which will take another two to three weeks. The vict

Social AffairsMay 13, 2024

Woman jailed for swindling multiple men in romance scam

A South Korean woman has been sentenced by a court to three years in prison for swindling 670 million won ($490,000) from three male victims by pretending to be in a romantic relationship with them, although investigators believe there may be more victims. The defendant was found guilty of fraud by the Ulsan District Court, officials said Monday. She was accused of extorting money from three male victims, each in their 30s, 40s and 50s, from September of 2018 to October 2023, while posing as a

Social AffairsMay 13, 2024

Seoul fires civil servant for poor performance for first time

The concept of the "iron rice bowl" -- a Korean term signifying lifetime job security for civil servants -- appears to be cracking, as the Seoul government fired an employee on the basis of poor performance for the first time. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s official gazette, released Monday, the employment contract of the official, among the four who received the lowest grade in performance, has been terminated after the person received the lowest possible rat

Social AffairsMay 13, 2024

[Bills in Focus] Bills to boost construction investment, AI business

Proposed Bill: Partial Amendment to the Restitution of Development Gains Act Proposed by Rep. Suh Bum-soo (People Power Party) ● In 2023, construction permits were issued for a total area of land 25.6 percent smaller than last year, while the area of land under construction also decreased by 31.7 percent. Considering the significant impact that construction investment and the real estate market have on local economies and the job market, development charges must be alleviated to improve economic

PoliticsMay 13, 2024

[Graphic News] Over 80% of people filing bankruptcy in Seoul in their 50s and older

More than 8 out of 10 people who filed for bankruptcy in Seoul last year were in their 50s and older, with many of them found to be male and people living alone, data showed. Of the 1,361 valid applications filed with the Seoul Financial Welfare Counseling Center last year, 86 percent were from those in their 50s or older, and 83.5 percent were recipients of basic living allowances from the government, according to survey results from the center. Of them, 64.4 percent were male, while single-p

Social AffairsMay 13, 2024

N. Korea expresses full support for Palestinian UN membership

North Korea supports a United Nations resolution for Palestine's full membership, Pyongyang's foreign ministry said Sunday, criticizing the United States for vetoing the move. The remark came after the UN General Assembly urged the security council to give "favorable consideration" to full Palestinian membership on Friday (US time). "The DPRK fully supports it," a spokesperson for the North's foreign ministry said in a statement carried by the Korean Central Ne

North KoreaMay 12, 2024

1 passenger dies after falling overboard on cruise ship

A passenger died after falling overboard on a cruise ship operating in the East Sea, authorities said Sunday. The 65-year-old passenger was transported to a nearby hospital after being rescued at 2:30 p.m., where the victim later died, according to the Gangwon State Fire Headquarters and the Korea Coast Guard. Two crew members also jumped into the sea to rescue the victim, with one of them being treated at the hospital for symptoms of hypothermia. The ship departed from Jumunjin, a port on the e

Social AffairsMay 12, 2024

Yoon names new military manpower chief

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has approved the appointment of Kim Jong-cheol, the incumbent deputy chief of the Presidential Security Service, as the new commissioner of the Military Manpower Administration as of Monday, Yoon's office announced on Sunday. Kim becomes the second head of the governmental body responsible for conscription, call-ups, and other military administration under the Yoon presidency. According to the presidential office, Kim is described as a "military adm

DefenseMay 12, 2024

Court's ruling set to shape path of medical school expansion

The Korean government's plan to increase the number of medical students starting next year will soon take shape as the Seoul High Court is expected to deliver its decision this week on the medical circle's request to suspend the implementation of the planned medical student quota hike. If the court rejects the appeal filed by medical professors, students and junior doctors against the government's hike in the medical school quota in 32 medical schools, the government will likely a

Social AffairsMay 12, 2024

Prosecutors to summon pastor who allegedly gave Dior bag to first lady

The South Korean prosecution is gearing up to summon Korean American pastor Choi Jae-young whose spy camera footage shows him meeting with first lady Kim Keon Hee and giving her a Christian Dior handbag valued at 3 million won ($2,210). The Seoul Central District Prosecutor's Office is scheduled to question Choi officially on Monday for the first time. It comes in the wake of the video's public disclosure last November by local media outlet and YouTube channel Voice of Seoul. The outle

Social AffairsMay 12, 2024

Ruling party interim leader appoints new leadership committee members

The ruling party’s new interim leader on Sunday named members of the emergency leadership committee, who will be joining him in helping the incoming lawmakers prepare for the start of the new parliament on May 30. Hwang Woo-yea, former deputy prime minister-turned-ruling party interim leader, named incumbent People Power Party Reps. Yoo Sang-bum, Jun Joo-hyae, and Eom Tae-young alongside incoming lawmaker Kim Yong-tae, as the new members of the emergency leadership committee, according to

PoliticsMay 12, 2024

Controversy rekindled over when to name criminals, suspects

Concerns surrounding the disclosure of the personal information of convicted criminals and those suspected of having committed crimes have been mounting in South Korea, sparked by the recent revival of a name-and-shame website known as "Digital Prison," around four years after it was shut down by South Korean authorities. The debate was triggered by the unauthorized release of the personal details of a 25-year-old man surnamed Choi, who is accused of stabbing his girlfriend to death on

Social AffairsMay 12, 2024

Seoul transit pass for travelers to be available starting July

  Seoul's all-inclusive transit pass, the "Climate Card," will soon be available for short-term use by visitors to Korea starting in July, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said Sunday. The city's initiative to introduce a short-term pass, available for one, two, three, five, and seven days, is geared towards enhancing the user experience through its affordable pricing. City officials explained that the pass is estimated to cost around 20,000 won ($15) for a five-day duration. Thi

Social AffairsMay 12, 2024

ASEAN-Korea center holds roundtable on trade, investments

The ASEAN-Korea Center (AKC) and the Korea Institute of International Economic Policy (KIEP) convened the fourth edition of the Trade and Investment Roundtable on Wednesday to bolster economic collaboration between the ASEAN region and Korea. Themed "ASEAN-Korea Cooperation for Next Decade to Come," the roundtable focused on supply chain resilience and digital transformation in ASEAN and Korea. In his opening remarks, Kim Jae-shin, Secretary General of the ASEAN-Korea Centre, emphasize

Foreign AffairsMay 11, 2024

NK appoints new ambassador to UN office in Geneva

North Korea has appointed a new ambassador to its mission at the United Nations office in Geneva, the UN website showed Saturday. Jo Chol-su, who previously served as director-general of international organizations at North Korea's foreign ministry, presented his credentials to the UN Office at Geneva on Friday, according to the website. Jo's appointment comes five months after his predecessor, Han Tae-song, returned to the North amid allegations of his involvement in ivory smuggling.

North KoreaMay 11, 2024