Ex-Trump official to visit Seoul for trilateral economic dialogue between S. Korea, US, Japan next month

A US senator, known for his close ties to former President Donald Trump, said Thursday that he will visit Seoul next month to attend an annual trilateral economic meeting between South Korea, the United States, and Japan. Sen. Bill Hagerty, who served as the US ambassador to Japan from 2017-2019 during Trump's presidency, plans to participate in the second annual Trilateral Economic Dialogue on Sept. 4 that will bring together private- and public-sector leaders from the three countries. The

Foreign AffairsAug. 23, 2024

Senate committee chief expects Harris to seek Korean Peninsula denuclearization goal

The chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee anticipated Thursday that Vice President Kamala Harris would pursue the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula as a foreign policy goal should she win the White House in the Nov. 5 presidential election. Sen. Ben Cardin of Maryland, a Democrat, made the remarks as questions have lingered over the omission of the denuclearization goal in the recently approved Democratic policy platform, which is expected to help set the tone for Harris' p

Foreign AffairsAug. 23, 2024

[Graphic News] Average commute hits 48.4 minutes

The average daily commute for South Korean workers takes 48.4 minutes, with those living in Gyeonggi Province spending the most time on the road and experiencing the highest stress levels, according to a survey by Job Korea. The online recruiting company polled 1,010 people nationwide to assess the current status of work commutes. Workers in Gyeonggi Province reported the longest average commute at 58.2 minutes. Seoul residents followed with an average of 46.8 minutes, while those living outsi

Social AffairsAug. 23, 2024

1 killed, 4 in cardiac arrest in hotel fire in Bucheon

BUCHEON, Gyeonggi Province (Yonhap) -- One person was killed and four others were in cardiac arrest following a fire at a hotel in Bucheon, just west of Seoul, on Thursday, police said. According to the Gyeonggi Province firefighting headquarters, the fire began on the eighth floor of the nine-story hotel at 7:39 p.m. "We're currently putting out the fire and trying to rescue people, so we haven't determined the exact number of casualties," a firefighting official said. "

Social AffairsAug. 22, 2024

Police launch probe into threats posted on German Embassy's website

Police said Thursday they have launched an investigation into threatening messages posted on the website of the German Embassy in Seoul. Nearly 100 messages have been posted on the website since Tuesday, including threats to install explosives at the embassy or blow up key facilities, such as Seoul Station and Asan Medical Center, according to Namdaemun Police Station. The texts were written in German, Korean and Japanese, police said. The messages did not indicate when the explosions would take

Social AffairsAug. 22, 2024

Yoon pledges overhaul of athlete environment

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday pledged to carry out an overhaul to ensure fair chances for young athletes and to create a better training environment, as he and his wife Kim Keon Hee hosted a dinner for South Korean Olympians who competed at the Paris Games. Some 270 participants -- including athletes and family members, as well as coaches, members of sports associations and other staff -- attended the event at Shilla Seoul. According to the presidential office, Yoon told participants he wo

PoliticsAug. 22, 2024

In South Korea, 'communist party' joke leads to espionage investigation

A group of vacationers inadvertently triggered a national security investigation after a photo of their gathering with a banner jokingly referring to it as a "Communist Party" meeting circulated online. The image, which showed approximately 20 individuals including children under a banner reading "Inaugural Korean Communist Party Family Summer Camp," quickly spread across online forums, leading multiple concerned citizens to file espionage complaints with the authorities. On

Social AffairsAug. 22, 2024

Explosion at Gwangju dental clinic; no casualties

A man was arrested Thursday on suspicion of causing an explosion that led to a fire at a dental clinic in Gwangju, some 270 kilometers south of Seoul. The suspect, 79, brought a makeshift explosive comprised of four canisters of butane gas and a container with flammable material to the reception area of the clinic, located on the third floor of a building in Seo-gu, western Gwangju. He set fire to the material at 1:14 p.m. Thursday, setting off a chain of explosions that forced some 90 people to

Social AffairsAug. 22, 2024

Gyeonggi leads the way with 4.5-day workweek pilot

Gyeonggi Province is pushing forward with South Korea’s first pilot four-and-a-half-day workweek program aimed at improving people's work-life balance, quality of life, happiness and ideally, the falling birth rate. Korea's most populous province has allocated an initial budget 250 million won ($186,971) for the program, part of an annual investment of 10 billion won pledged for the initiative. In a press conference last Wednesday, Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon unvei

PoliticsAug. 22, 2024

Government to hold ‘K-Community Challenge’ for foreign participants

The Korean government has launched the “K-Community Challenge” competition for foreigners, set to run until Sept. 22, officials said Thursday. The contest is being promoted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism. This initiative invites participants to submit videos showcasing performances and demonstrations across four categories: Joseon pop, "sogochum" (Korean folk dances) "taekwonm

Social AffairsAug. 22, 2024

Woman gives birth in ambulance after 4 hospitals turned her down

South Korean rescue officials said Wednesday that a pregnant woman recently gave birth inside an ambulance after four hospitals refused to take her in because they lacked the necessary medical staff or beds in their emergency rooms. According to Jincheon Fire Station in North Chungcheong Province, the woman called an ambulance at 1:31 a.m. on Aug. 15 after she went into labor. The rescue workers reached out to the four nearest hospitals in Cheonan and Cheongju, but all four said they did not h

Social AffairsAug. 22, 2024

Agency raises caution on faulty weight-loss drugs

The state-run consumer protection agency said Thursday that it has received 203 complaints about weight-loss drugs since 2021, raising caution about using such medications. The number of requests for government intervention on consumer damages related to antiobesity medication has been on the rise, from 17 in 2021 to 44 in 2022, 85 in 2023 and 57 from January to June of this year, according to the Korea Consumer Agency. The number of such complaints in the first half of this year increased, comp

Social AffairsAug. 22, 2024

Head-on collision of 2 vehicles in New Zealand kills 3 South Korean skiers

A head-on collision of vehicles on a New Zealand highway killed three South Korean skiers and seriously injured two other people, local police and South Korean sports officials said. The van and a four-wheel-drive vehicle were traveling in opposite directions before crashing at an intersection near the rural South Island town of Geraldine, the district’s police inspector Vicki Walker said. The collision Wednesday killed three of the van’s passengers and critically injured another p

Social AffairsAug. 22, 2024

Diaspora journey of running for US Congress

More than 100 politicians of Korean descent from across the globe gathered in Seoul this week for the 10th Global Korean Politicians Forum to connect and discuss items on the agenda such as security, welfare and education. Among those is a name to watch in US politics: 40-year-old David Kim, a children’s court attorney and activist, who is currently running for Los Angeles’ 34th Congressional District. In a community brimming with the cultural vibrancy of Korean Americans, Kim stands

Social AffairsAug. 22, 2024

S. Korea sees surge in bee stings

South Korea has seen a surge in bee stings as subtropical wasps, such as Asian hornets, have gotten more active due to high temperatures, according to the National Fire Agency on Thursday. According to the fire agency’s data, the number of cases where patients had to be transported to emergency services due to bee stings reached up to 2,583 over June to July in 2024. On average, the fire agency had seen up to 42 reports made daily regarding bee stings. There has also been a 35.9 percent in

Social AffairsAug. 22, 2024

Opposition chief isolates over COVID-19, cancels key events

Rep. Lee Jae-myung, chairperson of the Democratic Party of Korea, tested positive for COVID-19 and went into self-isolation Wednesday, the same day he was due to meet with former President Moon Jae-in. The Democratic Party said in an announcement to reporters that Lee had tested positive for COVID-19 and canceled his public itinerary to keep in line with government guidelines that recommend at-home isolation until a day after symptoms go away. His COVID-19 diagnosis delayed highly anticipated me

PoliticsAug. 22, 2024

Celebrities on photo line: walk of shame or equal treatment?

Suga of BTS not showing up for his first round of police questioning Thursday reignited debates over whether high-profile figures are unfairly targeted by being made to face the media on the photo line when they are under investigation. The star of the mega-hit K-pop group faces accusations of driving an electric scooter under the influence earlier this month. Reports initially indicated that he would appear for questioning at Yongsan Police Station for the first time on Thursday, drawing dozens

Social AffairsAug. 22, 2024

Harsher punishment sought for illegal driving of e-scooters, in light of related accidents

Lawmakers are seeking to impose stricter penalties for illegal operation of electric-powered scooters, on the coattails of safety concerns sparked by a series of accidents, including one involving K-pop superstar Suga. The controversy surrounding what are legally defined as electric-powered bicycles and electric kick scooters erupted earlier this month, when the BTS member was caught driving an e-scooter while under the influence of alcohol. The incident fueled ongoing concerns over the safety o

Social AffairsAug. 22, 2024

Seoulites eat less fruit, more meat than decade ago: study

The eating habits of people living in Seoul have shifted towards consuming more meat, fewer vegetables and less fruit in the past decade, a study by the city-funded Seoul Institute showed Thursday. Seoul residents were eating 33.2 percent less fruit and 26.2 percent more meat in 2021 compared to in 2012, according to the study. Specifically, fruit consumption fell from 181.4 grams a day per person to 12.8 grams a day, while meat consumption rose from 110 grams per day per person to 149.1 grams a

Social AffairsAug. 22, 2024

Seoul increases translations of local laws for growing foreign community

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Thursday that it is expanding translations of its local self-government laws, a crucial service for foreign nationals living, studying or working in the city, who now account for nearly 5 percent of the total population. Local self-government laws are sets of ordinances and regulations issued by local councils in addition to citywide laws. This initiative to provide local self-government laws in foreign languages began in 2010 during Mayor Oh Se-hoon&#

Social AffairsAug. 22, 2024