North Chungcheong Police raid gambling den, seize 38 million won

Police raided a large illegal gambling den on Wednesday, confiscating 38 million won ($28,700) at a location in Boeun, North Chungcheong Province. A total of 32 people, including the gambling den organizer in her 60s, were caught at the countryside vacation home, Boeun Police Station announced Monday. They were suspected of playing an alternative form of Go-Stop, also known as Hwatu, where a group of people play the Asian card game from both sides of a line and combine scores on each side to dec

Feb. 28, 2023

Forced apology, restraining order in cases of school bullying constitutional: court

The Constitutional Court on Tuesday ruled that the law that dictates that students who commit school violence can face measures such as a mandatory apology to the victim, prohibition of contact or retaliation and changing classes is constitutional. The Constitutional Court rejected an appeal that claimed the law forcing perpetrators to apologize to victims infringes on their freedom of conscience and personal rights. Six judges out of nine voted that the law is constitutional. The case was filed

Feb. 28, 2023

Jeju leaders fuming over school bullying of island-native student

The school bullying case involving the son of prosecutor-turned-lawyer Chung Sun-sin has angered many South Koreans, but it sparked a particularly strong outcry among residents and leaders of Jeju Island. According to local reports, Chung’s son constantly abused a classmate who was also his dormitory roommate, calling him a “pig from Jeju” and a “commie,” while they were attending an elite, private high school in Gangwon Province in 2017. Oh Young-hun, governor of t

Feb. 28, 2023

More Seoul buses to go cashless

The Seoul city government takes a big step toward cashless payments on public transportation Wednesday, as cash payments began to be phased out on buses. A quarter of the city's 7,394 buses, on 108 of its 370 routes, will only allow passengers to pay by card or app. The expansion is a fivefold increase from the current 418 buses on 18 routes. Night buses are so far not being included. Following the change, riders on cashless buses will have to tap a contactless bank card or mobile wallet to

Feb. 28, 2023

S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases below 11,000 for 6th day

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases remained below 11,000 for the sixth straight day Tuesday, as the country is seeing a gradual slowdown in the pace of infections. The country reported 10,817 new COVID-19 infections, including 30 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 30,513,721, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said. The daily tally is slightly higher than the weekly average of 9,725 but down by more than 1,000 than a week ago. The virus has been spreading more sl

Feb. 28, 2023

Stricter rules to be applied for insurance coverage in MRI, ultrasound checkups

Amid growing concerns over the deteriorating finances of the National Health Insurance Service, the government plans to reduce provision of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) checkups and ultrasound scans. Reporting on a meeting it held with doctors' groups, the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service and the National Health Insurance Service, The Ministry of Health and Welfare said an agreement had been reached on stricter standards when approving coverage for MRI checkups and ultraso

Feb. 27, 2023

Gender Ministry unveils 5-year plan to protect teens from online, offline threats

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family will conduct a joint inspection of sexual exploitation and unsuitable businesses to protect children and adolescents from harmful environments. In order to keep children away from potentially damaging environments, the ministry will conduct a crackdown on businesses deemed inappropriate for adolescents to visit or work at. The ministry will first clarify the type of facilities and businesses that teenagers should stay away from, and then conduct a joint

Feb. 27, 2023

40-year-old Mt.Seorak cable car project gets conditional green light

A cable car project on Mount Seorak first proposed in the early 1980s which has been at the center of controversy over its environmental impact received a partial nod from the Ministry of Environment on Monday. The Environment Ministry's grant, though conditional, lifts the biggest administrative hurdle for the project pursued by a municipality in Gangwon Province for decades. The project budget of 50 billion won ($38 million) will undergo a regional finance review by the Ministry of the In

Feb. 27, 2023

[Herald Interview] Ashurst-Hwahyun joint venture looks to growing cross-border litigations in Korea

South Korea's first joint venture between foreign and local law firms said it would provide comprehensive legal services for companies facing a growing number of cross-border litigations, touting its competitiveness in practicing both Korean and international law in Korea. "As companies invest internationally, and often into challenging jurisdictions, the result is often cross-border arbitrations and investigations related to compliance with anti-bribery, anti-money laundering and sanc

Feb. 27, 2023

More than 1 in 5 young adults heavily in debt

More than 1 in 5 young adults are suffering huge debt in the face of soaring housing costs or living expenses, data showed Monday. According to a recent study by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, a state-run research institute, more than 21 percent of householders aged between 19 and 39 saw their debt-to-income ratios exceed 300 percent as of 2021, meaning their level of debt was more than three times their income. The proportion of young people with debt ratios above 300 perc

Feb. 27, 2023

Hospital mandating recovering alcoholic to clean facility is a rights violation: court

A Seoul court on Monday ruled against a local hospital which mandated a recovering alcoholic to clean its facility as part of its rehabilitation program. The Seoul Administrative Court said the hospital’s policy was tantamount to a violation of patients’ rights in terms of human dignity and access to care. Court documents showed that the hospital in question mandated its in-patients to engaging in manual labor including cleaning, laundry and meal distribution, as part of its recovery

Feb. 27, 2023

S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases hit lowest tally in 8 months

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases hit the lowest tally in eight months Monday amid a gradual virus downtrend. The country reported 4,026 new COVID-19 infections, including 15 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 30,502,904, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said. The virus has been spreading more slowly, despite the removal of the indoor mask mandate late last month. Monday's tally is down 298 from the previous week and is less than half of the total caseloa

Feb. 27, 2023

[From the Scene] In Seoul, Ukrainians and Russians protest against war

A large crowd turned out at a series of vigils and rallies held outside the Russian Embassy in Seoul on Friday and Saturday to show support for Ukraine, one year since Russia’s invasion of the country. Chants denouncing Russia -- “Withdraw Russian troops from Ukraine! If Russia stops fighting, there is no war!” -- rung around the square near the embassy, as Ukraine supporters and anti-war demonstrators gathered. One of them was Andrei Litvinov, a Ukrainian teacher at a school i

Feb. 26, 2023

Yoon's office mulls raising limit on anti-graft law

South Korea's Presidential Office is mulling a revision of the anti-graft law, also known as the Kim Young-ran law, to raise the limit on food price from the current 30,000 won ($22.82) to 50,000 won. Unveiling the plan, Lee Do-woon, spokesperson of President Yoon Suk Yeol's office, said the revision is being discussed to prop up the local economy. Those subject to the law, including public officials, school teachers and journalists, are currently banned from being offered with meals t

Feb. 26, 2023

SIS offers 'Maker Education' to nurture students’ creativity, real-life skills

Seoul International School offers Maker Education that focuses on the STEAM disciplines -- science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics -- through elementary and middle school programs. Maker Education, also known as hands-on learning, is rooted in the Maker movement that began in 2005, it said. It encourages students to engage in creative processes to gain knowledge and experience rather than simply observing them. Maker Education enhances students' creativity and thinking skills

Feb. 26, 2023

More Korean women think marriage, childbirth unneccessary: survey

More than a half of women said that marriage and childbirth are not an essential part of their lives, a survey showed Sunday, suggesting a growing trend of women defying the expectations of traditional gender roles in Korean society. According to a survey by the Korean Association for Social Welfare Studies, only 4 percent of the female respondents said marriage and childbirth are "mandatory," while 12.9 percent of male respondents answered the same. In the survey conducted on 281 sing

Feb. 26, 2023

Actor Yoo Ah-in allegedly took propofol 73 times in 2021

Korean actor Yoo Ah-in, whose real name is Uhm Hong-sik, was administered propofol 73 times in 2021, police said, quoting data submitted by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. Propofol prescribed to Yoo between January and December 2021 exceeded 4.4 liters in total. The intravenous anesthetic agent was used six times a month, far more frequent than the advised usage of the drug for simple procedures and diagnoses which is once a month, according to investigators and local reports. The record

Feb. 26, 2023

Netflix ‘Physical 100’ contestant says she was ‘only verbally abusive’ in school

Kim Da-young, a contestant on the Netflix competition reality series “Physical 100,” said she was only verbally abusive to other students back in middle school, but did not physically hurt or extort things from anyone, denying any claims that she did. Kim posted an apology and denial on her Instagram on Friday following an accusation by a purported ex-schoolmate which went viral, saying that Kim extorted cash from her and her friends, and took them to a karaoke room and physically as

Feb. 26, 2023

Top court confirms prison sentence for notorious burglar

The Supreme Court has upheld the 1 1/2-year prison sentence for Cho Se-hyeong, an 85-year-old notorious burglar, convicted of stealing again just a month after being released from prison, court officials said Saturday. In January 2022, Cho was arrested for stealing precious items worth 27.5 million won (US$21,020) from a luxury country home in Yongin, 40 kilometers south of Seoul. He was initially sentenced to two years in prison by a lower court. An appellate court later reduced the sentence to

Feb. 25, 2023

S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases above 10,000 for 5th day

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases remained above 10,000 for the fifth straight day Saturday, with daily infections falling by around 660 cases compared with a week earlier. The country reported 10,055 new infection cases, including 29 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 30,489,666, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. Saturday's tally fell from 10,718 cases a week ago and 12,801 cases two weeks earlier. The pace of the spread of the virus has slowed in spite of t

Feb. 25, 2023