Man caught after abandoning burning car

A man who abandoned a car he was driving after it caught fire was apprehended Thursday by Incheon police, who found him in the sauna of a local bathhouse. According to Incheon Seobu Police Station, the suspect in his 20s was found at the bathhouse around 2:15 a.m. in the city's Seo-gu district. The suspect is believed to have fled the scene after his car caught fire at around 4:15 p.m. on Wednesday. Police found several canisters of butane fuel in the car, which was still burning when offic

Social AffairsFeb. 29, 2024

White House refuses to comment on whether S. Korea should send artillery shells to Ukraine

The White House declined Wednesday to comment on whether South Korea should provide 155-mm artillery shells to help Ukraine defend against Russian attacks, saying it is a military decision for Seoul to speak to. During a press briefing, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre made the remarks, expressing America's gratitude for the Asian ally's continued support for the war-torn country. "I am going to let South Korea speak to their own military decisions and their bilateral relations,

Foreign AffairsFeb. 29, 2024

S. Korea's ODA budget set at record high of W6.3tr in 2024

The government set this year's budget for official development assistance at a record high of 6.3 trillion won ($4.7 billion) Thursday in line with efforts to take full responsibility and play a leading role as a global leader. The decision was made during a meeting of the government committee on official development assistance presided over by Prime Minister Han Duck-soo. This year's budget represents a 31.1 percent increase from the previous year. "The Yoon Suk Yeol administrati

PoliticsFeb. 29, 2024

Interior minister renews calls for trainee doctors to return to work

Interior Minister Lee Sang-min renewed calls for trainee doctors to return to work Thursday as the government-set deadline is set to expire later in the day for their return from a walkout protesting the government's medical school quota hike plan. The government has given thousands of interns and resident doctors across the nation until the end of Thursday to return to their hospitals or face punitive action, such as the suspension of their medical licenses. Since Tuesday last week, the trainee

PoliticsFeb. 29, 2024

Aboriginal Australians call on Seoul to stop funding gas project near their islands

A group of Aboriginal Australians called on South Korea to withhold its loan support to a major Korean company participating in the consortium for a massive offshore gas project in the Timor Sea. In a press conference held in Seoul on Tuesday, they called out for the Korean government’s help in preserving their cultural and spiritual heritage which they say are under threat from the Barossa gas field project. “For thousands of years, we have retained and maintained our spiritual conn

Social AffairsFeb. 29, 2024

N. Korea wants Trump's reelection, will raise tensions until presidential vote: ex-German envoy

North Korea hopes for former President Donald Trump's win in the Nov. 5 US presidential election and will continue to raise tensions with Seoul and Washington until the election, a former German ambassador to Pyongyang said in a media contribution published Wednesday. Thomas Schafer made the case in a piece written to NPR, saying that Pyongyang would want to give negotiations with Trump "another try" in the event of his reelection, although a nuclear parley between him and North K

North KoreaFeb. 29, 2024

[Graphic News] S. Korean children’s screen time 3 times WHO recommendation

According to the Korea Press Foundation, South Korean children were exposed to media three times longer than the duration recommended by the World Health Organization The average time that children aged 3 to 4 used media such as TV, smartphones, tablet PCs, and computers last year was 184.4 minutes per day. The WHO recommends that media use by 2 to 4-year-olds be limited to 60 minutes per day, but Korean children aged 3-4 spend an average of 80.4 minutes watching TV, 52.6 minutes on smartphones,

Social AffairsFeb. 29, 2024

South Korean and US troops will begin major exercises next week in response to North Korean threats

South Korean and US troops will begin their expanded annual military drills next week in response to North Korea’s evolving nuclear threats, the two countries said Wednesday, a move that will likely enrage North Korea because it views its rivals’ joint training as an invasion rehearsal. In recent months, North Korea has inflamed animosities on the Korean Peninsula with fiery rhetoric and continued missile tests . While it’s unlikely for North Korea to launch full-blown at

North KoreaFeb. 28, 2024

Seoul doesn't oppose NK engaging with US, Japan: unification minister

The Yoon Suk Yeol government "does not oppose North Korea engaging with the United States and Japan," the South Korean unification minister said, concurrently acknowledging that obstacles remain for North Korea to overcome to improve relations with the two countries. "The resolution of issues pertaining to Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea appears to be a prerequisite for the advancement of relations between Japan and North Korea," Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho sa

North KoreaFeb. 28, 2024

[Herald Interview] Rival heir to Kim Ju-ae unlikely to appear: unification minister

Another heir emerging for North Korea besides Kim Jong-un's publicly promoted preteen daughter Ju-ae is unlikely because it would spark confusion within the isolated totalitarian society, according to South Korea's unification minister. During an exclusive 90-minute interview with The Korea Herald on Feb. 23, Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho underscored the "considerable internal instability" brewing within North Korea, a situation catalyzing the early debut of Ju-ae as candi

North KoreaFeb. 28, 2024

Main opposition wrestles with exodus over nomination spat

The main opposition party on Wednesday was grappling with a mass exodus of non-mainstream faction lawmakers, as many of them questioned the authenticity of its candidate nomination process for the April 10 general election. Five-term lawmaker Sul Hoon announced he would leave the Democratic Party of Korea after being placed in the bottom 10 percent of the party leadership's performance review for legislative activity. The leadership has claimed they made fair decisions on candidate nominati

PoliticsFeb. 28, 2024

Korea eyes May launch for AI-based flood forecast system

A flood forecasting system equipped with artificial intelligence technology will be implemented nationwide from May, in preparation for the rainy season during the summer, the Ministry of Environment said Wednesday. The new AI-based flood forecasting system will be installed in a total of 223 locations nationwide, including 75 locations categorized as special flood warning points such as those next to large rivers. The system will analyze the possibility of a flood occurring every 10 minutes and

Social AffairsFeb. 28, 2024

Emergency alerts to include English keywords

From Wednesday, emergency text alerts will include keywords in English to help people who don't speak Korean understand better what kind of emergencies are occurring, said the Ministry of Interior and Safety on Wednesday. Emergency text alerts are alert messages that are sent to everyone who is within a certain radius of emergency situations, such as evacuation alerts and extreme weather events like earthquakes and heavy rain. These alert messages are categorized into three different types:

Social AffairsFeb. 28, 2024

Special zones to test autonomous education policies

The government has designated six metropolitan cities and 43 local areas as trial special education zones where local governments and education offices will work with local universities and industries to autonomously create education policies, the education minister said Wednesday. As one of the four special projects promoted by the Yoon Suk Yeol administration to foster regional growth, the project aims to bridge the education gap and create conditions so that young people will want to stay i

Social AffairsFeb. 28, 2024

Police launch probe against 5 protesting doctors

Police said Wednesday they launched an investigation against five protesting doctors affiliated with the Korea Medical Association, the country’s largest doctors’ group, for charges of breaching medical law. Officials added that the case had been assigned to the public crime investigation division under the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency. The announcement came a day after the health ministry filed complaints against the five, marking the first instance of legal action taken against

Social AffairsFeb. 28, 2024

KIS Elementary to host open house

Korea International School's elementary division is opening its doors to the community for an open house on March 14, from 10 a.m. to midday. Prospective parents and curious visitors are invited to explore the purpose-built facilities that cater to a holistic approach to education. At KIS Elementary, the focus is on educating children through an inquiry-based learning foundation within a responsive environment. The early childhood education program emphasizes play-based and conceptual learn

Social AffairsFeb. 28, 2024

Seoul to launch tethered balloon ride in June

The Seoul Metropolitan Government on Wednesday announced that the city will operate a tethered helium balloon ride, dubbed Seoul’s Moon, at the Yeouido Hangang Park starting in June. The balloon will take visitors to a height of 150 meters, offering an elevated view of the capital from noon to night. Such attractions are in service at many famous tourist spots worldwide, including Disneyland Paris and the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, according to Seoul. The tethered balloon, create

Social AffairsFeb. 28, 2024

S. Korea cuts over 10,000 employees at state-run institutions in 2023

The government cut more than 10,000 workers from state-run companies in 2023 as part of efforts to reform and innovate the management of public firms, the finance ministry said Wednesday. Public companies let go of a combined 11,374 workers last year through organization restructuring, voluntary retirement and various other programs, which surpassed the government's target of shedding 11,072 employees that year, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance. State-run firms also sold 409

Social AffairsFeb. 28, 2024

S. Korea, UAE discuss railway, infrastructure cooperation

South Korea and the United Arab Emirates have recently held high-level meetings involving bilateral cooperation in the areas of railway construction, infrastructure and energy, officials said Wednesday. Park Sang-woo, South Korea's land, infrastructure and transport minister, met with Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei, minister of energy and infrastructure of the UAE, in the Middle Eastern country Monday, and agreed to expand the scope of cooperation to new business areas, such as hydrogen and cle

Social AffairsFeb. 28, 2024

S. Korea, US to launch annual joint military drills next week

South Korea and the United States plan to kick off major combined military drills next week, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said Wednesday, as the allies seek to bolster joint readiness against evolving military threats from North Korea. The annual Freedom Shield exercise is set to take place from Monday to March 14 to carry out the computer simulation-based command post exercise, field training and other maneuvers, the JCS said. The exercise is aimed at strengthening the combined defe

Foreign AffairsFeb. 28, 2024