Govt. to temporarily raise health insurance payments to hospitals for Chuseok holiday

President Yoon Suk Yeol said Tuesday the government will temporarily raise health insurance payments to hospitals for the upcoming Chuseok holiday to better reward their services and to prevent disruptions in emergency medical care. During a Cabinet meeting, Yoon addressed concerns over possible disruptions to the medical system during the extended holiday, which starts later this week, as a majority of junior doctors have stayed away from the job since February in protest of a sharp hike in the

PoliticsSept. 10, 2024

FSS chief urges banks to curb household debts

The head of the financial watchdog on Tuesday called for banks to curb a continuing rise in household lending. Lee Bok-hyun, chief of the Financial Supervisory Service, made the call in a meeting with the heads of 18 banks. "Should we fail to keep household debts at a proper level in the future, it may lead to increased economic burden by expanding market volatility and working as an obstacle to economic growth," Lee told the meeting. Tuesday's meeting follows reports that househo

PoliticsSept. 10, 2024

Seoul records season's latest tropical night as heat wave continues into fall

Overnight temperatures in Seoul stayed above 25 C, marking the season's latest tropical night since meteorological observation began, the state weather agency said Tuesday. The lowest nighttime temperature overnight in the capital city was 25.6 C at 6 a.m., another tropical night that refers to a phenomenon where temperatures do not drop below 25 C until 9 a.m., according to the Korea Meteorological Administration. It marks the season's latest tropical night record in Seoul since recor

Social AffairsSept. 10, 2024

Harris, Trump set to face off in high-stakes presidential debate this week

Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and her Republican rival Donald Trump are set to face off against each other in their first -- potentially only -- debate this week, with its outcome expected to substantially impact their final sprint to Election Day in November. The high-stakes 90-minute debate will take place at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia in the battleground state of Pennsylvania on Tuesday night, as recent polls have shown Vice President Harris and former

Foreign AffairsSept. 10, 2024

N. Korea's leader vows push for exponential increase in nuclear weapons

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has vowed to bolster the country's nuclear capabilities to deter any threats by enemies, saying it is steadily carrying out a policy to increase the number of nuclear weapons exponentially, state media said Tuesday. Kim made the vow during a speech in a meeting with senior party and government officials on the occasion of the 76th founding anniversary of the regime, according to the Korean Central News Agency. The North's leader delivered a speech for th

North KoreaSept. 10, 2024

[Graphic News] Korea’s electricity demand soars to record high in August

South Korea’s electricity demand hit a historic peak in August, driven by the intense summer heat wave. According to the Korea Power Exchange, the nation’s peak power demand averaged 87.8 gigawatts, a 6.1 percent increase from the previous year. This surge in energy consumption was largely attributed to increased air conditioning usage amid the sweltering conditions. The Korea Meteorological Administration reported that August experienced 16 days where temperatures exceeded 33 degr

Social AffairsSept. 10, 2024

New defense chief inspects readiness at frontline Marine Corps unit

New Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun visited a western frontline unit Monday in his first on-site inspection after taking office last week, the defense ministry said. Kim checked troop readiness at the 2nd Marine Division's observation post at an undisclosed location after assuming his new role Friday, according to the ministry. "If the enemy undertakes a provocation ... punish them fully and sternly until they are unable to carry out more provocations," Kim was quoted as saying. No

Social AffairsSept. 9, 2024

S. Korea sees spike in confiscation of illegal drugs

South Korean customs officials confiscated 769 kilograms of illegal drugs being smuggled into the country last year, 18 percent more than the year before, data from state-run bodies showed Monday. The confiscated drugs are reportedly worth about 61.3 billion won ($45.7 million), according to the data compiled by the Incheon International Airport Corp. and the Korea Customs Service, submitted to Rep. Jeon Yong-gi of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea. The amount of drugs seized by auth

Social AffairsSept. 9, 2024

First lady likely to escape 'Dior bag' indictment

First lady Kim Keon Hee is unlikely to be indicted for alleged antigraft rule violations, as the final legal procedure concerning her acceptance of luxury gifts totaling over 5 million won ($3,730), including a Christian Dior bag, has been cleared. Outgoing Prosecutor General Lee One-seok told reporters on Monday on his way to his office in Seocho-gu in southern Seoul that he "respects" the recommendation Friday by a 15-member independent review panel of the Supreme Prosecutors' O

PoliticsSept. 9, 2024

KAIST, NYU to implement joint degree for AI

South Korea's science and technology university KAIST and New York University signed an agreement in Seoul to introduce a joint degree program in artificial intelligence on Monday. The agreement came after both universities shared a consensus that strengthening capabilities in the field of artificial intelligence and fostering global talent is an essential element that can contribute to the future development of society as a whole, beyond mere technical education, KAIST explained. The two u

Social AffairsSept. 9, 2024

Ex-police officer behind murder of Korean in Philippines vanishes after guilty verdict: report

The whereabouts of a dismissed Filipino police officer, reportedly the main culprit behind the 2016 killing of a South Korean businessperson in Angeles City, the Philippines, remain unknown as of Monday, nearly two months after a local court sentenced him to life without parole. According to local sources cited by Yonhap News Agency on Monday, the Philippine National Police has been unsuccessful so far in locating Rafael Dumlao, former head of the Philippine National Police’s Anti-illega

Social AffairsSept. 9, 2024

[Feature] Constant competition drives Koreans to despair

Kim, a 25-year-old corporate worker, often wonders if others are living better lives than her. She thinks about who might be making more money, getting better recognition at work or more opportunities. When Kim feels she’s falling behind her colleagues, those her age job-wise or in her love life, she feels blue and uneasy. “I’m grateful for what I have -- working at a large conglomerate, being raised in a good family and graduating from a prestigious school. But everything alwa

Social AffairsSept. 9, 2024

Not just deepfake porn, concerns rise over 'cyberflashing’

Amid growing concerns of fast-spreading digital sex crimes like deepfake pornography, there has been an increase in the number of social media users falling victim to "cyberflashing," or sending someone unsolicited sexual images or videos. According to an official report released jointly by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and the Women’s Human Rights Institute of Korea, the number of people seeking help at the institute for cyber harassment increased from 251 individua

Social AffairsSept. 9, 2024

Provincial patients continue to prefer top hospitals in Seoul

Patients from outside Seoul coming into the capital still heavily favor the city's "Big 5" hospitals, government data showed Monday. According to data from the National Health Insurance Service provided by Rep. Kim Mi-ae of the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee, 60 percent of patients from outside Seoul who sought treatment in the capital's large hospitals during the first half of 2024 went to those hospitals, which have suffered from staff shortages for m

Social AffairsSept. 9, 2024

S. Korea to expand support for single parent households

With families becoming increasingly diverse in South Korea, support for single-parent households will be expanded, including the introduction of a new budget to increase housing provisions and the amount of the advance payment system for child support. Next year's budget to support single-parent families will be 590.1 billion won ($440 million), an increase of 46 billion won or 8.5 percent from this year's budget, according to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family on Monday. To ea

Social AffairsSept. 9, 2024

Gangnam-gu's removal of LGBTQ+ dating app ad draws fire

A backlash from the LGBTQ+ community has been mounting over Gangnam-gu office's decision to take down after four days what it called an "indecent" digital advertisement, which featured same-sex couples facing each other, hugging and kissing. Yang Sun-woo, chair of the Seoul Queer Culture Festival organizing committee, told local media that the decision was based on discrimination against LGBTQ+ members of society. "Many advertisements in Korea depict the affection between dif

Social AffairsSept. 9, 2024

N. Korean trash balloon blamed for Paju warehouse fire

The past five days have seen a flurry of trash and debris littering the greater Seoul area again as North Korea resumed its campaign of floating hundreds of trash-carrying balloons over the border into South Korean territory. On Sunday, one of these balloons touched off a fire in a warehouse in the city of Paju, just 28 kilometers north of Seoul, local fire officials reported Monday. The fire reportedly broke out on the rooftop of a single-story pharmaceutical warehouse at around 1:59 p.m on Sun

Social AffairsSept. 9, 2024

NewJeans video director accuses Ador of lying about content removal

Another controversy surrounding NewJeans is rising, this time over pages run by production company Dolphiners Films. Shin Woo-seok, best known to the public for directing four NewJeans music videos, demanded a public apology from the group's label Ador through his Instagram page, accusing the label of lying about details behind the removal of videos. All NewJeans-related content on Dolphiners Films' social media pages and its nonprofit YouTube channel Ban Heesoo has been removed. Ban

Social AffairsSept. 9, 2024

Yoon taps ex-police deputy commissioner for security role

President Yoon Suk Yeol tapped former Deputy Police Commissioner Park Jong-joon as the new head of the Presidential Security Service in charge of the security and protection of the South Korean leader, the presidential office announced Monday. Effective Monday, the 59-year-old Park replaced Kim Yong-hyun, who was appointed minister of national defense on Friday to succeed Yoon's new national security adviser Shin Won-sik. Park told reporters Monday that he recognized the safety of a country

PoliticsSept. 9, 2024

N. Korea holds celebrations to mark 76th state founding anniv.

North Korea has held celebrative events to mark the 76th anniversary of the regime's founding, with senior officials visiting a mausoleum to pay tribute to the country's late former leaders, state media reported Monday. Premier Kim Tok-hun and other key officials on Sunday visited the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, where the embalmed bodies of the current leader's father, Kim Jong-il, and grandfather, Kim Il-sung, lie in state, according to the Korean Central News Agency. The North&#

North KoreaSept. 9, 2024