48 nabbed for trafficking, using yaba tablets

South Korean police apprehended 48 Thai nationals involved in the trafficking and use of yaba, a synthetic drug referred to as “crazy medicine" in Thai. Yaba, typically in the form of pink tablets, is a mix of methamphetamine and caffeine. According to the North Chungcheong Provincial Police Wednesday, of the 48 suspects, 16 accused of selling the illegal substance were arrested for charges of violating the Narcotics Control Act. The remaining 32 individuals suspected of purchasing

Social AffairsSept. 25, 2024

College is expensive? In S. Korea, English preschools cost much more

In South Korea, where English education is highly valued, the cost of preschools providing English immersive education outstrips that of college tuition by a wide margin, according to a local civic group. The Seoul-based World Without Worry About Private Education said in its report released Wednesday that the average yearly fees for "English kindergartens" in Seoul amounted to 15.72 million won ($11,800) in 2023 -- 2.3 times higher than the average annual university tuition of 6.78 mi

Social AffairsSept. 25, 2024

NK trash balloons disrupted airport operations for 413 minutes this year

North Korea's trash-carrying balloons have disrupted runway operations at South Korea's two biggest airports for an accumulated 413 minutes this year, government data showed Wednesday. Operations at Incheon International Airport and Gimpo International Airport were disrupted 20 times this year as of Monday, according to the Seoul Regional Aviation Administration data submitted to Rep. Yang Bu-nam of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea. This first occurred at Incheon on June

Social AffairsSept. 25, 2024

S. Korea, Morocco discuss joint economic projects on energy, transportation

South Korea and Morocco have held a policy consultation meeting on envisioned joint economic and industry projects through a cooperation fund, Seoul's finance ministry said Wednesday. During the two-day meeting held in Rabat from Monday, the two nations chose energy, transportation, green growth and digital fields as key cooperation fields under the Economic Development Cooperation Fund framework and discussed candidate projects, according to the finance ministry. The move came as South Kor

Diplomatic CircuitSept. 25, 2024

Trump says his reelection would see 'mass exodus' of manufacturing to US from S. Korea, other countries

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said Tuesday that voters will see a "mass exodus of manufacturing" to America from South Korea, China and other countries if they vote for him in November, as he stepped up efforts to court swing voters in a battleground state. Trump made the remarks during a campaign speech on tax policy in Savannah, Georgia, as various polls have shown the former president and his Democratic rival, Kamala Harris, in a tight race with the general election l

Foreign AffairsSept. 25, 2024

Biden makes no mention of N. Korea in final speech to UN General Assembly as president

US President Joe Biden on Tuesday made no reference to North Korea in his fourth and final speech to the UN General Assembly as president, though he stressed his commitment to diplomacy with Pyongyang and decried its sanctions violations in past addresses to the annual high-level gathering. The absence of his reference to the North came as Washington's repeated overtures for dialogue with the recalcitrant regime have gone unanswered with Pyongyang doubling down on its nuclear and missile pr

Foreign AffairsSept. 25, 2024

N. Korea accuses US of using Quad to justify anti-Pyongyang confrontational policy

North Korea on Wednesday denounced the United States for violating the North's sovereign rights and trying to justify its hostile policy against Pyongyang by hosting the Quad summit with the leaders of India, Japan and Australia. After holding the fourth in-person summit in Wilmington, Delaware, the leaders of the four nations in the Quad security partnership on Saturday issued a joint statement denouncing North Korea's missile launches and its nuclear program, and reaffirming their co

North KoreaSept. 25, 2024

S. Korean science ministry opens joint AI research lab with NYU

South Korea's science ministry said Tuesday it has opened a joint artificial intelligence research lab in collaboration with New York University as part of efforts to lead global-level AI research projects. The new Global AI Frontier Lab at NYU aims to become a global AI joint research hub for researchers from South Korea and the United States, as well as many other countries, according to the Ministry of Science and ICT. The lab will be co-led by two distinguished computer scientists -- Ch

PoliticsSept. 24, 2024

N. Korean leader's sister vows to 'limitlessly' bolster nuclear war deterrent over US submarine arrival

Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, vowed Tuesday to "continuously and limitlessly" bolster the North's nuclear war deterrent against what it called US threats, denouncing the arrival of a US nuclear-powered submarine in South Korea. The remark came a day after the 7,800-ton USS Vermont entered a major naval base in Busan, 320 kilometers southeast of Seoul, to replenish supplies and provide rest for crew members. "The DPRK's nuclear

North KoreaSept. 24, 2024

Yoon hosts dinner with PPP leadership amid tensions with Han

President Yoon Suk Yeol hosted a dinner meeting with the leadership of the ruling People Power Party on Tuesday, which will be a test of how he decides to manage relations with PPP chief Han Dong-hoon and address pending issues. Yoon met with Han, PPP floor leader Rep. Choo Kyung-ho and Supreme Council members at the presidential office, the second such gathering following Han's election in July. The gathering was initially planned for late August but was postponed after Han diverged from Y

PoliticsSept. 24, 2024

S. Korea reviews emergency evacuation plan in Middle East

South Korea is reviewing an emergency evacuation plan to ensure the safety of South Korean citizens in the Middle East as the region on Monday suffered the deadliest conflict in almost two decades with Israel's airstrike in Lebanon targeting Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah. The measure was discussed at the emergency meeting on Tuesday to monitor the situation in the Middle East in terms of national security and economy, presided over by President Yoon Suk Yeol's aides, National Se

PoliticsSept. 24, 2024

Education officials gather in Seoul to discuss digital classroom transformation

To cope with the rapidly changing landscape of education since the pandemic and the increasingly prevalent use of digital tools in schools, educational officials from 17 countries gathered Tuesday in Seoul to discuss challenges and strategies in digital transformation and present a new paradigm for future classrooms. Co-hosted by the Ministry of Education and the World Bank, the Digital Education Global Forum 2024 takes place at Coex for three days. It brings together some 100 education experts

Social AffairsSept. 24, 2024

Seoul seeks to improve foreign nanny program after two abscond

In the wake of two caregivers from the Philippines abruptly disappearing just two weeks into Seoul's foreign caregiver pilot program, officials from the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Ministry of Employment and Labor convened a meeting in Seoul Tuesday to address operational challenges faced by the caregivers. Among the issues the meeting participants highlighted were lengthy commutes between assignments and a heavy workload associated with caring for multiple children. The meeting i

Social AffairsSept. 24, 2024

KFA Chair denies unfair hiring of national coach

Korea Football Association chief Chung Mong-gyu on Tuesday denied any attempts to plot a “scheme or cover up the truth,” in the hiring of men’s national football team head coach Hong Myung-bo, which has been under suspicion of irregularities. He was summoned to testify before the National Assembly’s Culture, Sports, and Tourism Committee on the allegations that the KFA hired the 55-year-old star football player-turned-coach in July as the head coach of the men’s squ

PoliticsSept. 24, 2024

Malnutrition cases nearly triple in last 5 years

The number of patients suffering from malnutrition in South Korea has increased by nearly three times in the last five years, particularly among low-income households, data showed Tuesday. According to an official report from the National Health Insurance Service delivered to Rep. Jun Jin-sook of the Democratic Party of Korea, a total of 63,274 patients received treatment for malnutrition from 2019 to the first half of this year. The number of patients suffering from malnutrition increased signi

Social AffairsSept. 24, 2024

Couple welcoming quintuplets to receive over W170m in childbirth grants

In a country grappling with the world’s lowest fertility rate of 0.72, the arrival of quintuplets to a couple last week has become national news, generating a flurry of articles. On Tuesday, the focus shifted to the sum of all government grants that the babies will be receiving -- totalling at least 170 million won ($128,000). Whether this is enough is now being hotly debated online. Kim Joon-young and Sagong Hye-ran from Dongducheon, Gyeonggi Province, welcomed three boys and two girls

Social AffairsSept. 24, 2024

Despite 92 calls to ER, young heart attack patient dies

A woman in her 30s in cardiac arrest died last week due to delays in finding an emergency room to treat her during the Chuseok holidays, a government report revealed Monday. It was found that emergency medical technicians in Busan called hospitals in the area 92 times to find a ER that could treat her, but failed to locate while the patient was suffering multiple heart attacks, according to the data submitted to Rep. Youn Kun-young of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea. The woman su

Social AffairsSept. 24, 2024

Meteorologist who predicted summer heatwave warns extreme winter cold

The meteorologist who correctly forecast summer heat waves exceeding 40 degrees Celsius this year, has now warned of extreme cold snaps sweeping the country in the upcoming winter. Kim Hae-dong, a professor of environmental engineering at Keimyung University, said in a radio interview with CBS on Monday that “this winter will be very cold, similar to the winter of 2021 and 2022 when the temperature fell below minus 18 degrees Celsius.” Kim added that as Korea enters winter, La Nina

Social AffairsSept. 24, 2024

Yoon denounces 'two Koreas' suggestion as unconstitutional

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday criticized liberal politicians, including his predecessor Moon Jae-in, for advocating the recognition of North and South Korea as separate states, denouncing the proposal as "unconstitutional." "North Korea is now threatening a nuclear attack while recognizing its relationship with South Korea as belligerent. In this context, how can someone dare to bring up the concept of the peaceful coexistence of the two Koreas?" Yoon said at a Cabinet m

PoliticsSept. 24, 2024

Only 1.4% of med students get low-income scholarships

Only 1.43 percent of all medical school freshmen over the past decade received scholarships for students from low-income households, government data showed Tuesday. Medical schools here received a total of 31,883 new students between 2013 and 2024, but only 469 received the country's national scholarship program aimed at supporting students from low-income backgrounds, according to data submitted by the Education Ministry, the Korea Student Aid Foundation and each medical school to Rep. Cho

Social AffairsSept. 24, 2024