Sleepless Monday as quake prompts phones to squeal in wee hours

In the wee hours of Monday, cellphones in homes and offices suddenly started making beeping sounds en masse in Greater Seoul. It was the emergency text alert for a 3.7 magnitude earthquake detected near Ganghwa County, Incheon. The earthquake occurred at 1:28 a.m. in waters about 25 kilometers west of Ganghwa County. It was the first quake stronger than 3.0 magnitude to hit the nation this year. No damage has been reported, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration. Many sleepers we

Jan. 9, 2023

Military dodgers seek new ways by using local military brokers

South Korean men seek new options to avoid their two-year mandatory military service, and the number of draft dodgers continues to grow. According to data provided by Rep. Song Gab-seok of the Democratic Party received from the Military Manpower Administration, 578 people were turned over to prosecution for intentional draft dodging from 2012 until Nov. 30 last year. Recently, volleyball player Jo Jae-sung was charged with contacting a local military broker to help him show false symptoms of e

Jan. 9, 2023

Composer Don Spike gets suspended sentence for meth abuse

K-pop composer Kim Min-su, better known by his stage name Don Spike, was handed a three-year suspended jail sentence on Monday for buying 45 million-won ($36,100) worth of methamphetamine and abusing it for recreational purposes for at least 14 times. The Seoul Northern District Court ordered the 45-year-old to serve five years of probation and 80 hours of drug awareness classes for treatment. He was also given 120 hours of community service, and some 40 million won in penalty charges. The light

Jan. 9, 2023

Fire engulfs parking tower in Busan; no injuries reported

BUSAN -- A fire engulfed a parking tower in the southern port city of Busan on Monday, but no injuries were reported, fire officials said. The fire broke out at 6:32 a.m. at the parking structure connected to a building with residential and commercial units in downtown Busan, according to the Busan Metropolitan City Fire Disaster Headquarters. The fire agency said no injuries have been reported but 36 people inhaled smoke. Another 30 residents living nearby have also been evacuated, they said.

Jan. 9, 2023

S. Korea's COVID-19 cases down to nine-week low

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases fell to the lowest in nine weeks Monday amid the government's efforts to contain the inflow of the virus from China. The country reported 19,106 new COVID-19 infections, including 109 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 29,539,706, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said. Monday's tally marked a decrease since Nov. 7, when the country reported 18,665 new cases. The country added 35 COVID-19 deaths, bringing the death to

Jan. 9, 2023

3.7 magnitude earthquake strikes off Ganghwa

A 3.7 magnitude earthquake struck off the western county of Ganghwa early Monday, the first quake stronger than 3.0 magnitude to hit South Korea this year, but no damage was reported, the state weather agency said. The quake occurred at 1:28 a.m. and was centered in waters 25 kilometers west of Ganghwa with a depth of 19 km, the Korea Meteorological Administration said. The earthquake was earlier estimated to be magnitude 4.0 but was later revised down. The seismic intensity of Monday's qua

Jan. 9, 2023

Police investigation into Itaewon tragedy coming to close

The monthslong investigation into the Itaewon crowd crush is coming to a close, with police planning to refer Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency chief Kim Kwang-ho and other officials to the prosecution this week for possible indictment. Kim is expected to be charged with professional negligence in connection with the Oct. 29 tragedy that killed 159 people, mostly those in their 20s. He is expected to be the highest-ranking police official to be held accountable. Other officials expected to be ref

Jan. 9, 2023

[Graphic News] More than 70% of S. Koreans use streaming services: survey

More than 70 percent of South Koreans use online streaming services last year amid the protracted pandemic, a government survey showed. According to the annual poll conducted by the Korea Communications Commission, 72 percent of 6,708 respondents said they are using at least one over-the-top media service in 2022, up slightly from 69.5 percent last year. Among them, 95.7 percent said they use the service once or more per week, while 60.7 percent said they watch content five days a week on the pl

Jan. 9, 2023

Local gov'ts to be granted authority to financially support colleges

The government and the ruling People Power Party agreed Sunday to transfer the education ministry's authority related to financial support for local universities to provincial governments by 2025 as part of education reform measures under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration. Top government and senior PPP officials also agreed to ease regulations on the operation of universities nationwide to allow them to restructure departments, adjust the number of students and dispose of their assets, PPP

Jan. 8, 2023

Woman fined for throwing dog from 11th-floor apartment

A woman in Ulsan, was fined for killing her husband's pet by throwing it from the veranda of their 11th-floor apartment after she was asked for a divorce, according to legal professionals and news reports Sunday. The Ulsan District Court ruled the woman to pay a fine of 5 million won ($4,000) for violating the the Animal Protection Act, in an appeals trial, upping the previous sentence of a 3 million won of fine. It was reported that the woman, who is in her 20s, came home after drinking in

Jan. 8, 2023

Fine dust to blanket Korea until Friday

Fine dust will likely plague most parts of South Korea until rain falls on Friday, authorities said Sunday, advising people to stay at home or to wear masks if they go outside. Fine dust levels are expected to be “bad” across most of the country, including the greater Seoul area, Gangwon, Chungcheong, North Gyeongsang, Jeolla Provinces as well as inland cities including Daegu and surrounding areas, according to Korea Meteorological Administration. As high levels of fine and yellow du

Jan. 8, 2023

Minor fire breaks out at Taean coal power plant; no casualties reported

TAEAN -- A fire broke out at a coal power plant in the southwestern city of Taean on Sunday, with no casualties reported, fire authorities said. They received a 119 emergency call at 8:46 a.m., reporting that flames had risen from the 380-megawatt thermal plant in Taean, 109 kilometers south of Seoul, and there was the sound of an explosion. Firefighters were soon dispatched to the site and put out the fire at 11:32 a.m., according to the authorities. No deaths or injuries have been reported, as

Jan. 8, 2023

S. Korea's COVID-19 cases down for fifth straight day

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases fell for the fifth consecutive day Sunday amid the government's efforts to prevent the inflow of the virus from China. A total of 46,766 new coronavirus infections, including 132 from overseas, have been confirmed, bringing the total to 29,520,600, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. The number of daily infections surged to over 80,000 on Tuesday but has since been on a steady decline. Compared with a week earlier, Sunday'

Jan. 8, 2023

Memorial Mass for late Pope Benedict XVI held in S. Korea

South Korean Catholics held a Mass on Saturday in memory of late former Pope Benedict XVI, remembering and praising, in particular, his past keen interest in establishing peace on the Korean Peninsula. The Mass, organized by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea and Catholic priests in the country, was held at Myeongdong Cathedral in central Seoul and was attended by Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-taick, the archbishop of Seoul, and Alfred Xuereb, the Apostolic Nuncio to South Korea, among

Jan. 7, 2023

S. Korea's COVID-19 cases down for 4th straight day

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases fell for the fourth consecutive day Saturday amid the government's efforts to prevent the inflow of the virus from China. South Korea confirmed 53,807 new coronavirus infections, including 219 from overseas, bringing the total to 29,473,834, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said. The daily caseload surged to over 80,000 earlier this week but has since been on a steady decline. Compared with a week earlier, Saturday's figure is down b

Jan. 7, 2023

[Photo News] Fine dust covers Seoul

South Korea had its worst air quality this winter on Saturday, with fine dust and yellow dust covering most of the country. The weather authorities issued an ultrafine dust advisory for all regions except for the southernmost island of Jeju. The daily average concentration of ultrafine dust particles was measured at 86 micrograms per cubic meter, far exceeding 2021’s yearly average of 18.

Jan. 7, 2023

Fine dust level soars to worst this winter

South Korea's air quality reached the worst level this winter Saturday due to high levels of fine dust and yellow dust, according to weather authorities. As of 10 a.m., the daily average concentration of ultrafine dust particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter, known as PM2.5, was 86 micrograms per cubic meter, while that of fine dust known as PM10 was 143 micrograms per cubic meter across the country, according to Air Korea run by the environment ministry. The figures were much hi

Jan. 7, 2023

Test cannot tell whether Paju murders suspect is psychopath: police

Police said Friday they were unable to tell whether Lee Ki-young, suspected of the murders of a taxi driver and an ex-girlfriend in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, is a psychopath or not. "We've concluded that we are lacking materials with regards to some evaluation methods to assess (Lee's) psychopathy," said an official of Ilsan Dongbu Police Station. According to police, they will not further conduct another psychopathy test, while prosecutors are likely to continue with such testing, as t

Jan. 6, 2023

Police raid road management company over soundproof tunnel fire

Police investigating a deadly fire at the soundproof tunnel on the second Gyeongin Expressway in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, which killed five people on Dec. 29 last year, have raided a road management company. Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency said Friday that it raided the offices of the 2nd Seoul-Incheon Linking Highway Co. as well as the Seoul office of a company entrusted with road management work on Thursday. The search and seizure operation, which involved 22 investigators, lasted

Jan. 6, 2023

Korea vows stern punishment against Chinese tourist who escaped COVID quarantine

South Korea vowed Friday to take stern actions against a Chinese tourist who was arrested in central Seoul after fleeing COVID-19 isolation for two days. The 41-year-old tested positive for COVID-19 immediately after arriving in Korea with his wife. He was sent to a quarantine facility near Incheon Airport, but escaped the facility on Tuesday. "The escapee, who tested positive upon arrival in Korea and was arrested Thursday, will face serious punishment under the law and according to princi

Jan. 6, 2023