Over 80,000 crimes by romantic partners reported in last 5 years: lawmaker

More than 80,000 crimes by romantic partners were reported in the past five years, with the numbers showing an upward trend, data showed Monday. Of the 81,056 reports, 61,133 involved violent crimes such as murder, sexual assault, other assault, battery or criminal intimidation, according to the data submitted by the National Police Agency to Rep. Yang Ki-dae of the ruling Democratic Party. There were 227 murder reports involving romantic partners during the five-year period. According to the

Social AffairsOct. 25, 2021

VANK, Yi Je-seok launch campaign to correct names of Dokdo, East Sea

On the occasion of Dokdo Day, local civic group Voluntary Agency Network of Korea has developed an online campaign in collaboration with advertising guru Yi Je-seok to encourage the public to check and report errors of names of Dokdo and East Sea in maps on overseas sites.  The models for this campaign are independence activists, Ahn Jung-geun, Yun Bong-gil and Ryu Gwan-sun, who are portrayed as discovering and correcting errors on overseas sites using cellphones and computers. The c

Social AffairsOct. 25, 2021

S. Korea to raise need for int'l discussions on Japan's Fukushima plan in IMO meeting

South Korea will once again call for international discussions on Japan's plan to discharge radioactive water from its crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant into the ocean at this week's international maritime gathering, the oceans ministry said Monday. During the London Convention and Protocol meeting set to begin on the day, the ministry will raise the need to discuss Japan's planned disposal within the Protocol framework, and urge Japan to disclose related information in a full and transpar

Foreign AffairsOct. 25, 2021

[Us and Them] Public sector fuels xenophobia in S. Korea

South Korean authorities’ overzealous approach to the COVID-19 response regarding foreigners has raised concerns about discrimination and xenophobia. “When a Korean person catches COVID-19, people in the area are notified that someone has been infected. The alert goes right to their phone. When someone who isn’t Korean catches COVID-19, that same message suddenly is amended to state the nationality of the infected person. Why is it important to know the person’s nationa

Social AffairsOct. 25, 2021

Military reports 7 additional COVID-19 cases

South Korea's military reported seven additional COVID-19 cases Monday, bringing the total caseload among its personnel to 2,011, the defense ministry said. Four Navy officers and two draftees, as well as a civilian employee, tested positive for the virus, according to military data. Of the cumulative cases in the military, 1,951, or 97 percent, have been fully cured, with 60 still under treatment. (Yonhap)  

DefenseOct. 25, 2021

Moon says S. Korea to begin gradual return to normal life from November

South Korea will take steps toward a gradual return to normal life from the COVID-19 pandemic next month, as the nation's vaccination rate surpassed the key milestone of 70 percent, President Moon Jae-in said Monday. Despite the measures, however, some anti-virus restrictions, including a mask-wearing rule, will remain in place after November to continue to slow the spread of the virus, Moon said in a budget speech at the National Assembly. Some 35.9 million of the nation's 51.3 million popula

Social AffairsOct. 25, 2021

Former US ambassador Gregg calls for 'dynamic' steps toward N. Korea diplomacy

Donald Gregg, a former US ambassador to South Korea, stressed that the United States should take a more proactive approach to resume talks with North Korea and break the impasse in the Korean peace process. Gregg, who served in the South Korean embassy from 1989 to 1993 and is known for expertise on regional security issues, said the Joe Biden administration is in a more advantageous position than the Kim Jong-un regime and that's why Washington should first reach out to Pyongyang. "I hop

North KoreaOct. 25, 2021

Infection rates continue to trend downward with S. Korea hitting vaccine milestone

South Korea reported 1,190 new cases Monday, continuing a sustained decline in the number of coronavirus cases as its vaccination rate reached the milestone of 70 percent over the weekend. Monday's tally, including 1,167 local infections, raised the total caseload to 353,089, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. It is down from the 1,423 counted the previous day. New virus cases stayed below 2,000 for the 17th day in a row. The death toll came to 2,773, up seven from a

Social AffairsOct. 25, 2021

[Graphic News] Car accidents involving unlicensed teenagers up 34%: data

Car accidents involving unlicensed teenagers soared by 34 percent between 2018 and 2020, road traffic data showed. According to a Korea Road Traffic Authority report submitted to Rep. Kang Deuk-gu of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, teenagers were in 833 accidents last year while driving without a license, a sharp jump from 618 and 689 accidents in 2018 and 2019, respectively. More than 3,100 people suffered injuries and 63 died in the total 2,140 accidents involving unlicensed teenagers

Social AffairsOct. 25, 2021

N. Korea touts 'invincible' ties with China on Korean War anniversary

North Korea and China will continue their "invincible" friendly relations for a "common cause," the North's official newspaper said Monday, marking the 71st anniversary of China's participation in the Korean War. Rodong Sinmun, an official newspaper of the North's Workers' Party of Korea, vowed for the continuation of the ties between the two socialist countries forged during the three-year war. "The invincible friendship (between the North and China) established by bl

North KoreaOct. 25, 2021

Military identifies remains of four Korean War soldiers

The military has identified the remains of four South Korean troops killed during the 1950-53 Korean War, about a decade after their excavation from former battle sites, the defense ministry said Monday. The identification and recovery of the remains came as the military has been carrying out a government project since 2000 to return remains of fallen troops to their families and remember their sacrifices. The remains of the four soldiers were excavated in Gangwon and North Gyeongsang Province

DefenseOct. 25, 2021

Over 80,000 dating violence cases reported in past 5 years: police data

More than 80,000 cases of dating violence were reported in the past five years nationwide, with more than 200 cases resulting in murder, police data showed Monday. According to the data of the National Police Agency, obtained by Rep. Yang Ki-dae of the ruling Democratic Party, 81,056 cases of dating abuse were reported to police between 2016 and last year. The annual total rose steadily from 9,364 in 2016 to 18,945 last year, the data showed. Of the total, 61,133 cases involved serious types

Social AffairsOct. 25, 2021

S. Korea ranks 4th in relative poverty among OECD nations

South Korea ranks fourth in relative poverty among major economies in the world, data showed Monday, in a sign of its high income inequality. The country's relative poverty rate, referring to the percentage of people with an income below 50 percent of the median income, came to 16.7 percent in 2018-19, according to the data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). It is the fourth-highest rate among 37 member countries of the Paris-based club of rich nations. Sout

Social AffairsOct. 25, 2021

Media reports of N. Korean leader's sister staging coup not true at all: spy agency

South Korea's spy agency said Sunday media reports of North Korean leader's sister succeeding coup against her brother are not true at all. The National Intelligence Service (NIS) dismissed reports that claimed Kim Yo-jong ousted North Korean leader Kim Jong-un after a coup. A separate government official also said such reports are not true. Citing a report from US-based tabloid "Globe," some news outlets here said Kim Yo-jong staged a coup between May 6 and June 5, and removed Kim

North KoreaOct. 24, 2021

Delayed response blamed in COVID-19 patient’s death at home

A Seoul man in his 60s who was being treated at home for COVID-19 died on Thursday before he could receive hospital care, raising concerns over potential safety problems with the at-home program. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare announcements, the 68-year-old patient, who was not vaccinated, died while under home isolation Thursday, just a day after testing positive. He is the first known patient to die at home since the eligibility criteria were expanded last month. Mo

Social AffairsOct. 24, 2021

US, South Korea discuss ways to resume talks

The US will explore possibilities surrounding declaring a formal end to the Korean War with South Korea, with regards to resuming talks on North Korea’s denuclearization, the US nuclear envoy for North Korea said Sunday during talks with his South Korean counterpart in Seoul.　 The 1950-53 conflict concluded with an armistice, not a peace treaty. The Moon Jae-in administration backs signing the declaration to lay the groundwork for denuclearization and a treaty to come, while neither Washi

Foreign AffairsOct. 24, 2021

[News Focus] Foreign-owned land in Korea increases 32% since 2011

SEJONG -- Land owned by foreigners in South Korea has reached an all-time high in terms of combined size, amid their active purchases of apartments or sites for business, such as manufacturing and leisure facilities, government data showed. According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, foreigners owned 253.3 million square meters of land as of December 2020, which is the latest figure available. Though this accounts for less than 0.3 percent of the nation’s entire terri

Social AffairsOct. 24, 2021

‘Lesser evil’? disapproval of presidential candidates rises

About four months before the upcoming presidential election, voters increasingly disapprove of three key candidates from both the ruling and opposition parties amid constant scandals, doubts and slip-ups. According to a survey of 1,000 adults nationwide conducted Oct. 19-21 by Gallup Korea, Lee Jae-myung, the ruling Democratic Party of Korea’s sole presidential candidate, marked a 32 percent approval rating. Two opposition party candidates, Hong Joon-pyo and Yoon Seok-youl, received 31 p

PoliticsOct. 24, 2021

S. Korean defense firms clinch deals worth $128m at ADEX: organizers

South Korean defense companies have signed business contracts worth $128 million in total during a biennial arms exhibition held south of Seoul last week, its organizers said Sunday. More than 250 local companies joined the five-day Seoul International Aerospace & Defense Exhibition (ADEX), which ended Saturday. The event marked a rare opportunity for the companies to explore new opportunities in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to the finalized contracts, local companies ha

DefenseOct. 24, 2021

Prosecutors resummon key suspects amid growing calls for special probe

Prosecutors on Sunday again summoned key suspects of the high-profile land development scandal for continued questioning amid growing calls for an independent counsel investigation into the case. Kim Man-bae, who is believed to be the founder and a major stakeholder in Hwacheon Daeyu, appeared at the prosecutor‘s office for the fourth round of questioning, which came just three days after a round of questioning on Thursday. Another key figure, Nam Wook, the second-largest stakeholder of

Social AffairsOct. 24, 2021