Prosecution starts looking into 'black money’ confession of ex-president's grandson

South Korean prosecutors on Wednesday said they are reviewing allegations of illicit funds surrounding late ex-President Chun Doo-hwan’s family, sparked by Chun’s grandson’s recent confession on social media that his family was “living off black money.” According to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, the case has been allocated to the Criminal Proceeds Recovery Department to see if the disclosure made last week by Chun Woo-won -- the grandson in q

March 22, 2023

Free COVID-19 shot to be offered from October

The government will offer free COVID-19 vaccinations to all Korean nationals and residents with foreign registration numbers in the final quarter of the year to better control the spread of the disease that the authorities believe is under control. The vaccine will likely be offered once a year for free, similar to flu shots. While it has yet to be officially confirmed, once-a-year vaccinations will likely be maintained based on scientific evidence, according to Kim Won-ki, an official at the Ko

March 22, 2023

Former athlete from 'Physical:100' indicted for sexual assault

A former South Korean rugby national team member who starred in Netflix’s sports entertainment show “Physical: 100” has been indicted on charges of rape and physical assault against his girlfriend. He allegedly committed the assault while threatening her with a knife. Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office said on Wednesday that it had indicted the athlete the previous day. The suspect has been in police custody since he was apprehended on Feb. 23. A knife, believed to

March 22, 2023

Father booked for using drugs in front of newborn son

A father was booked by police on Monday for possessing and using controlled drugs in the presence of his newborn baby. The Women’s and Juvenile Affairs bureau under Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said Tuesday that it had booked the man, only identified by his surname Jung, for breaching the Child Welfare Act, stating that abuse of drugs can cause emotional child abuse to an infant. According to a complaint filed to the police last week by his family, Jung, who owns a home appliance impor

March 22, 2023

Soldier fined for asking women to 'spit on him'

A soldier was fined for sexual harassment, asking random women on the street to spit on him. The soldier was fined 150,000 won ($115) by the military court under violation of the Minor Offense Law on Monday. In October, the soldier approached a 27-year-old woman in a residential area in Busan, inquiring as to whether she was a smoker and then asking her to spit on him. Then he is reported to had said, "Can you spit on me? If that's too much, could I have the cigarette end when you are

March 22, 2023

S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases tick up amid eased curbs

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases rose to over 13,000 Wednesday, two days after the country lifted its mask mandate on public transportation. The country reported 13,081 new COVID-19 infections, including 23 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 30,728,057, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said. The Wednesday figure is slightly up from Tuesday's 12,016. The daily coronavirus caseload tends to peak at mid-week before falling again toward the weekend. The KDCA

March 22, 2023

Police look into drug allegations raised by ex-president's grandson

Police are investigating drug allegations stirred up after a series of disclosures by a grandson of the late former President Chun Doo-hwan, Chun Woo-won, through social media, as well as his own drug suspicions. The National Police Agency on Monday said it had partially verified claims made by Chun Woo-won, and that preparations were underway to open a formal investigation. Police acquired a warrant for search and confiscation of Instagram for a closer look into the accused. Chun Woo-won posted

March 21, 2023

American suspect in 70s flew to Manila after taking bullets onto flight

Police said on Tuesday they have filed for the arrest warrant of a male US national in his 70s who allegedly carried two bullets onboard a Korean Air flight on March 10. The charges are for violating aviation security law. The suspect's current whereabouts are unknown. Under the aviation security law, anyone who carries prohibited items onto an aircraft, or has another person do so, are subject to between two and five years in jail, or between 20 and 50 million won ($15,200 - $38,100) in

March 21, 2023

Animals found dead after being sent to animal shelter

The police are after suspects who absconded with money they collected from operating a temporary animal shelter in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, leaving several animals abandoned, abused and even dead. Arrest warrants have been issued for three suspects on the run for violating animal protection law. They face charges of allegedly receiving about 1 million won ($765) per animal "to take care of them" and then vanishing, neglecting or abusing the dogs and cats, said police on Tuesday. The

March 21, 2023

Korean men report sexual experiences younger than women: survey

The age at which people start having sex is earlier for men than women in South Korea, with 65.9 percent of men and 57.4 percent of women reporting having first had sexual intercourse between the ages of 20 and 24, survey data showed Tuesday. According to the report from the National Evidence-based Health Care Collaborating Agency, which surveyed 3,193 individuals aged 19 to 59 from Jan. 6 through March 18, 8.9 percent of men and 6 percent of women had their first sexual intercourse aged 19 or

March 21, 2023

Seoul city to build new marina, floating swimming pools

The Seoul Metropolitan Government on Tuesday introduced blueprints to build a floating pool and marina facilities on the banks of the Han River in Ichon, central Seoul. Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said during his trip to Denmark on Sunday that the swimming complex was inspired by the Harbor Bath, an open-air floating public swimming pool in the Danish capital, Copenhagen. Seoul city authorities explained that Copenhagen’s floating public pool had played a noticeable role in transforming the ind

March 21, 2023

[Korean Dilemma] Swearing on TV: How sensitive, or sensible, should we be?

Last week, a home shopping channel host blurted out an expletive on air. Upon mounting complaints from viewers, the nation’s broadcast media watchdog demanded an explanation from the channel before it decides on disciplinary action. The wealthy villains of the Korean revenge drama “The Glory,” which became one of Netflix’s most-viewed shows of all time less than a week after its season 2 release, hurl the most offensive swearwords almost every time they speak. Upon hearin

March 21, 2023

S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases bounce back amid eased curbs

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases rose back to the 12,000 level Tuesday, the day after the country lifted its mask mandate on public transportation. The country reported 12,016 new COVID-19 infections, including 17 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 30,714,976, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The Tuesday figure is up from Monday's nine-month low of 3,930. The KDCA reported seven deaths from COVID-19, raising the death toll to 34,178. The num

March 21, 2023

Where does Korea stand on same-sex marriage?

A ruling last month by a high court in Seoul has resurrected the debate on same-sex marriages, which, unlike in many other countries, is a topic rarely-discussed in South Korea. The judgement acknowledged people in same-sex partnerships as eligible dependents for national health insurance coverage under a partner’s subscription, a decision which was hailed by sexual minorities and their advocates, and denounced by naysayers, including conservative Christian groups. “Common-law marria

March 20, 2023

Seoul to build 2nd Sejong Center in Yeouido

The Seoul Metropolitan Government on Monday announced plans to build the second Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Yeouido near the banks of the Han River, as part of the city government's Seoul renovation plan. Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said during his trip to Germany that the new concert hall will be inspired by the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, a concert hall located on the banks of Elbe River in Hamburg. According to the city government, the northern part of Yeouido Park will be transform

March 20, 2023

Ex-Navy SEAL admits violating passport law

Rhee Keun, a Korean YouTuber and former Korean Navy special forces officer who went to Ukraine a year ago to help the country's defense against Russia, on Monday admitted to charges of violating passport law. Rhee was indicted in January on charges of traveling to the war-stricken country in defiance of a travel ban. In March last year, Rhee entered the European country to help the Ukrainian forces, which he publicized on social media. He voluntarily turned himself in to police after he ret

March 20, 2023

No. of first-time brides in 40s outstrips those in 20s

As a growing number of South Korean women are tying the knot in their early 40s, the number of middle-aged first-time brides has outstripped brides in their 20s for two consecutive years, government data showed Monday. According to data from Statistics Korea, there were 10,949 marriages among women aged between 40 to 44 last year, outpacing the 10,113 marriages by women aged between 20 to 24. The number of early 40-something first-time brides surpassed brides in their early 20s for the first tim

March 20, 2023

Doctor indicted for leaking patients’ medical records

A physician at a medical examination center in Seoul has been indicted for taking endoscopic pictures of patients and sharing them in a group chat room. The 52-year-old, whose name and gender weren’t disclosed, is facing charges of breaching the Personal Information Protect Act, according to police and prosecution on Monday. The doctor reportedly took pictures of computer screens that contained the personal information of 97 patients during his stint at an examination center in Seoul&rsquo

March 20, 2023

S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases at 9-month low; govt. lifts mask mandate on public transportation

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases fell to the lowest daily tally in about nine months on Monday, the first day of completely lifting the indoor mask mandate on public transportation. The country reported 3,930 new COVID-19 infections, including 14 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 30,702,960, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said. The Monday figure is the lowest since June 27, when the tally stood at 3,419. The KDCA reported nine deaths from COVID-19, raising

March 20, 2023

S. Korea reports additional African swine fever case in one month

South Korea reported another African swine fever case after a one-month hiatus on Monday, and issued a standstill order on pig farms and related facilities in the country's northern regions, the agriculture ministry said. The animal disease was found at a pig farm in the city of Pocheon, 41 kilometers northeast of Seoul, which raised 12,842 pigs, after 50 of the pigs died last week and an in-depth inspection was conducted, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. It

March 20, 2023