Will South Korea go back to banning phones in classrooms?

South Korea is mulling banning smartphones in schools, as the government weighs in on a bill proposed by the ruling party that would prohibit students from using personal digital devices during class. According to the National Assembly and education circles on Sunday, Rep. Cho Jung-hun of People Power Party introduced a bill in August to amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to restrict the use of smartphones in schools, adding Article 20.3 on guidance on the student's use of cel

Social AffairsNov. 3, 2024

Scandal-hit ex-lawmaker denies corruption claims as pressure on Yoon mounts

Former lawmaker and veteran politician Kim Young-sun, a central figure in allegations that President Yoon Suk Yeol meddled in the June 2022 by-elections, denied accusations that she paid for Yoon's political forecasting and alleged poll manipulation expenses in exchange for the ruling party's nomination to run for her seat in the National Assembly. The prosecution interrogated Kim on Sunday regarding what they consider a violation of the Political Funds Act, namely Kim's wiring of

PoliticsNov. 3, 2024

Domestic, sexual abuse consultations hit all-time high

The number of people consulting with the state-run counseling centers for domestic, sexual abuse and domestic conflicts was the highest on record last year, Ministry of Gender Equality and Family data showed Sunday. A total of 337,171 calls were made in 2023 to the national counseling centers for victims of domestic and sexual abuse, along with other forms of domestic conflicts and crimes such as stalking. The figure was up 15.1 percent from the previous year, according to the ministry's

Social AffairsNov. 3, 2024

Court backs school that expelled student for attacking classmate with knife

Gwangju court on Sunday said it has ruled against the parents of a high school student who challenged local education authorities for authorizing the boy's expulsion from a school, after he attacked a classmate with a weapon. The student in question attacked the victim with a stationery knife, which he attached to his hand with a glue, during a class trip to the Uleungdo Island in May of last year. He told police that he was "infuriated" that the victim was kicking his seat, and t

Social AffairsNov. 3, 2024

Man hides father's body in freezer for over a year 'because of inheritance'

A man was found to have hidden his dead father's body inside a freezer for over a year due to unspecified inheritance issues, local police said Sunday. Officials at the Icheon Police Station in Gyeonggi Province are investigating a man in his 40s for violation of the Article 161 of the Criminal Act, which covers damaging, destroying, concealing or taking possession of a corpse. The suspect turned himself in on Friday to local police, who found the body of the deceased inside the suspect&#

Social AffairsNov. 3, 2024

Handball players commended for rescuing car accident victim

The city of Busan last week presented a certificate of appreciation to three handball players who rescued a driver pinned under the car after an accident. Kim Da-young, Shin Jin-mi and Jeong Ga-hee of South Korea's Division 1 H-League were commended last Thursday for providing assistance in the aftermath of a car accident at around 1:30 p.m. on Oct. 11. The three players found a car that had overturned after colliding with a guardrail in Yangsan city, South Gyeongsang Province, and blocked

Social AffairsNov. 3, 2024

6 in 10 wage workers leave jobs within a year

Six out of 10 newly hired employees leave their jobs within the first year in South Korea, government data showed Sunday. The report, from the Korea Employment Information Service under the Labor Ministry, shows that only 40.1 percent of wage workers -- those subscribed to employment insurance schemes after being hired -- retained their positions for more than a year as of 2021. The rate of employees staying in their jobs for over a year has been steadily declining, from 42.2 percent in 2021

Social AffairsNov. 3, 2024

Ruling, opposition parties expected to wrangle over 2025 budget deliberations

The National Assembly is set to begin deliberations on the 2025 budget proposal this week, with ruling and opposition parties expected to wrangle over spending on controversial projects. On Monday, the National Assembly is set to begin deliberations on next year's budget of 677.4 trillion won ($509.7 billion), a 3.2 percent increase from the previous year. The ruling People Power Party is expected to advocate the government's focus on discretionary spending due to fiscal deficit, while

PoliticsNov. 3, 2024

EU's Borrell vows to advance security, defense ties with S. Korea

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Sunday he will discuss ways to advance the EU's security and defense cooperation with South Korea during his visit to Seoul. Borrell, the EU's high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, wrote on social media platform X earlier in the day that he arrived in Seoul to co-chair the first Strategic Dialogue with Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul. "Over the past years, we have become even closer partners making signif

DefenseNov. 3, 2024

N. Korean FM: strategic value of ties with Russia gains greater importance in severe int'l landscape

North Korea's foreign minister, currently visiting Russia for talks, said the strategic value of her country's relations with Russia holds greater importance in the severe international political landscape, the country's state media reported Saturday. Choe Son-hui made the remarks during her speech at a ceremony unveiling a plaque honoring North Korean founder Kim Il-sung's first official visit to the former Soviet Union, held at Moscow's Yaroslavl Railway Station the pr

North KoreaNov. 2, 2024

[Weekender] Welcome to S. Korea’s first ‘vegan village’

INJE, Gangwon Province -- In the village of Sinwol-ri, nestled between the mountains of Inje-gun, Gangwon Province, sits “New Moon Village,” now home for five rescued cows that are driving up hopes to rejuvenate a remote village suffering from population decline. Dubbed the “Flower Cows,” the male Holstein cows had been raised as livestock for beef, and were discovered at an unlicensed dog farm in Incheon in late 2020. As the farm was forced to shut down the same year, th

Social AffairsNov. 2, 2024

Temperatures to significantly drop from Monday

Following heavy rainfall focused on the southern region of South Korea, average nationwide temperatures will begin to significantly drop Monday, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration on Thursday. During Thursday’s press briefing, the KMA explained it anticipates temperatures to significantly drop from Monday as the continental anticyclone from the north expands above the Korean Peninsula, bringing in cold, northwesterly winds into the country. On Monday, average morning low

Social AffairsNov. 2, 2024

No evidence of 'unintended acceleration' in cars: NFS

Cars accelerating out of a driver’s control is a common fear among South Korean drivers, with suspected cases frequently highlighted in the local media. However, a forensic analysis of 364 alleged incidents found no cases with sufficient evidence to confirm sudden unintended accelerations had occurred. In all 321 cases where analysis was possible, drivers had pressed the accelerator – contrary to their claims of hitting the brake. In its report Wednesday, the National Forensic Serv

Social AffairsNov. 2, 2024

Heaviest November rain in 101 years drenches Jeju

Over 300 millimeters of rain has pummeled the southern island of Jeju over two days this week, marking the heaviest November downpour in 101 years for the region, the weather agency said Saturday. Rainfall ranging from 150 mm to 347 mm has drenched Jeju from Friday to early Saturday morning, including 333 mm in the northern mountainous regions, according to the Jeju branch of the Korea Meteorological Administration. On Friday alone, the island's northern regions received 238.4 mm of rain, m

Social AffairsNov. 2, 2024

Kim Jong-un's powerful sister condemns U.N.'s criticism of N. Korean ICBM launch

Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, on Saturday condemned the United Nations for criticizing the country's recent test-firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), reaffirming Pyongyang's stance to retain nuclear weapons development. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday denounced North Korea's launch of a Hwasong-19 ICBM as a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions. Kim Yo-jong, vice department director of the Worke

North KoreaNov. 2, 2024

S. Korea, Canada demand withdrawal of N. Korean troops from Russia

SEOUL, Nov. 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and Canada have called for the withdrawal of North Korean troops dispatched to aid Russia in its war against Ukraine, labeling the deployment "a grave escalation" of tension that threatens security in both Europe and the Indo-Pacific region. The call was made in a joint statement adopted during a "two plus two" meeting of the two countries' foreign and defense ministers in Ottawa on Friday (Canada time), Seoul's foreign minist

Foreign AffairsNov. 2, 2024

S. Korea not considering troop dispatch to Ukraine: nat'l security adviser

National Security Adviser Shin Won-sik said Friday that South Korea is "not considering the dispatch of troops to Ukraine at all," amid reports of North Korea's imminent participation in the war to support Russia. Shin made the remark during a parliamentary audit when lawmakers asked him about the possibility of South Korea sending troops to Ukraine. The adviser, however, noted that he believes the deployment of a South Korean team of observers and analysts to Ukraine is essential

DefenseNov. 1, 2024

Pyongyang to bolster readiness against nuclear retaliation: Choe

North Korean Foreign Minister Choi Son-hui said Friday the current situation on the Korean Peninsula requires Pyongyang to make efforts to bolster its readiness against nuclear retaliation, noting that the reclusive regime will not change its nuclear policy. Choe made the remark during her meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, according to a report by Sputnik, which came amid North Korean troops' possible participation in Russia's war with Ukraine. Choe was quoted as saying by the

North KoreaNov. 1, 2024

S. Korea seeks to boost cooperation in Asia on AI-incorporated legal tech: minister

South Korea looks to bolster cooperation with Asian nations to adjust and deal with the spread of legal services utilizing artificial intelligence, an official said Friday. Lee Wan-kyu, minister of government legislation, highlighted the growing incorporation of AI technology in legal services across the world and the need for Asian nations to join heads to brace for future growth, at the 12th Asian Legislative Experts Symposium held in Yeouido, western Seoul. “As you are witnessing the si

Social AffairsNov. 1, 2024

Seoul bans doctors, dentists' self-prescription of propofol

The Korean government is pushing to ban medical professionals from prescribing propofol for themselves to reduce the risk of misuse, officials said Friday. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said it will propose an amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the Narcotics Control Act to prohibit doctors and dentists from prescribing or administering propofol to themselves and receive public opinion on the policy until Dec. 10. Propofol is a sedative used mostly during cosmetic procedures or when pe

Social AffairsNov. 1, 2024