First ultrafine dust advisory in nine months issued across Seoul

The first ultrafine dust advisory in nine months was issued across Seoul on Thursday, the city government said. The advisory was issued at midnight over the capital, the first since Feb. 11, according to the Research Institute of Public Health and Environment of the city government. The advisory is issued when the hourly average concentration of PM 2.5 -- particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter -- stay above 75 micrograms per cubic meter for over two hours. The hourly average concentr

Nov. 10, 2022

Prosecution takes into custody head of NGO over allegations of smuggling currency into NK

Prosecution took into custody a man suspected of colluding with Ssangbangwool Group to smuggle huge sums of foreign currency into North Korea about three years ago, according to judicial sources. The Suwon District Prosecutors Office apprehended the chief of the Asia Pacific Exchange Association, a Seoul-based nongovernmental organization, at an unidentified place in Seoul where he was hiding out, on charges of violating the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act. Prosecutors have been investigatin

Nov. 9, 2022

Stop making scapegoat out of first responders, firefighters cry foul

Firefighters deployed to the scene of the Oct. 29 Itaewon tragedy on Wednesday cried foul over the police’s ongoing investigation on their response, claiming that the government is placing the blame on the ones who worked the hardest. During Wednesday’s meeting with opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, held on National Firefighters’ Day, members of the Yongsan Fire Station claimed that their chief, Choi Seong-beom, who was booked by police for negligence, was the first among those

Nov. 9, 2022

International NGO rescues dogs, calls on Korean government for change

Thirty-four dogs have been rescued from local dog meat farms and sent to the US, an international nongovernmental organization said Monday, criticizing the lack of progress in the discussions on banning dog meat. Humane Society International rescued the dogs from farms across South Korea, and flew them to the US to be cared for Humane Society US. The dogs are to be transferred to shelters before arrangements are made for their adoption. The South Korean government announced plans to begin discus

Nov. 9, 2022

Watchdog wrong to drop probe of 2019 forced return of two North Koreans: court

The Seoul court ruled on Tuesday that it was wrong for the National Human Rights Commission of Korea to drop the petition filed on behalf of the two North Korean fishermen who were forcibly repatriated three years ago. The Lawyers for Human Rights and Unification of Korea -- more widely known as Hanbyun -- filed the petition asking the public human rights watchdog to investigate the possible violations that may have occurred in the South Korea decision to deport the fishermen. The South Korea

Nov. 9, 2022

Survivor of Halloween disaster calls for ‘acceptance of fault’ from government

Nathan Taverniti, a 24-year-old from Australia, lost two friends to the tragic crowd crush on Oct. 29. He had come to Seoul with the friends to celebrate Halloween after hearing about how popular the day is in the city’s hip district of Itaewon through TikToks and the popular Korean TV series “Itaewon Class.” What began as a fun night unfolded unexpectedly. Caught in a crowd, he was hit by a wave of pressure that led people to fall on top of each other and block an entire alley

Nov. 9, 2022

Prosecution raids Democratic Party headquarters

The prosecution on Wednesday searched the headquarters of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea in its probe into allegations surrounding a land development project in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. With the latest search and seizure, the prosecution appears to be accelerating the investigation that many watchers expect to ultimately hone in on Democratic Party leader Rep. Lee Jae-myung. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office raided the home and office of Jeong Jin-sang, vice

Nov. 9, 2022

Hotel next to Itaewon crowd crush raided over unauthorized extension

Police have started an investigation into Hamilton Hotel, which stands on one side of the alley where more than 150 people lost their lives in the deadly crowd crush in Itaewon, it said Wednesday. The hotel is currently believed to have built an illegal extension, which led to the narrowing of the alley. Under the Building Act, pedestrian passage should be wider than 4 meters for the safety of pedestrians. But, the hotel’s building addition has made the alley narrow to 3.2 meters at one en

Nov. 9, 2022

Oil depot-turned-cultural space provides tours for all visitors, including those with visual impairments

Located to the west of Seoul World Cup Stadium in Mapo-gu, Seoul, Oil Tank Culture Park is a cultural complex created in a transformation from an oil depot. The cultural complex provides a wide range of cultural events, welcoming locals and tourists alike, along with features catering to those with visual impairments. Oil Tank Culture Park said earlier this week that it started a pilot tour program for people who are blind or have a visual impairment. The new program is designed to introduce arc

Nov. 9, 2022

S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases hit nearly two-month high

South Korea's new coronavirus cases reached the highest level in nearly two months Wednesday to stay over 60,000 for a second day, as the country is bracing for another wave of the virus in winter. The country reported 62,472 new COVID-19 infections, including 42 from overseas, bringing the total to 25,981,655, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. It is the largest daily count since Sept. 15, when the country reported 71,444 infections. The country has seen a growth

Nov. 9, 2022

Media union accuse paper companies of collusion

The National Union of Media Workers on Tuesday reported three paper companies to the Fair Trade Commission, accusing them of colluding on price hikes. The three companies -- Jeonju Paper, Paper Korea and Daehan Paper -- raised the price of newsprint paper beginning in May and supplied less product to certain newspaper companies that did not cooperate with their price raise, the union claimed. "If the paper price rises amid financial difficulty, newspaper companies will pass the burden to th

Nov. 8, 2022

Radio communication among rescue team during Itaewon tragedy released

Radio communication exchanged between emergency rescue officers responding to the Oct. 29 Itaewon disaster was released Tuesday, revealing the chaotic situation that took place that tragic night. Rep. Lee Sung-man of the main opposition Democratic Party released the transcripts of the recordings he received from the Seoul Emergency Operations Center. It shows communication among the rescue officers sent after the initial citizen’s report to the 119 emergency center on 10:15 p.m., which is

Nov. 8, 2022

Rethinking the Nation’s Safety on the 60th National Fire Service Day

Nam Hwa-yeong, Acting Commissioner General of the National Fire Agency It was a tragedy that should not have happened. Too many young lives were lost in the Itaewon disaster last month. With our deepest condolences to the victims and their families, the National Fire Agency commemorates the sixtieth National Fire Service Day with a very heavy heart. As the first line of support for citizens in danger, the weight of responsibility on our shoulders feels heavier than ever as we take another look a

Nov. 8, 2022

Architecture biennale to draw up master plan to restore Seoul's urban green spaces

The Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism 2023 will invite experts from Korea and abroad to discuss a master plan for restoring urban green spaces in the country’s capital city, the Seoul city government said Tuesday. At the Seoul Hall of Urbanism and Architecture, the Seoul city government on Monday held a pre-biennale under the title of “Land Architecture, Land Urbanism: City of Mountain Ranges, Waterways, and Wind Breezes -- Drawing of the Seoul’s Next 100 years.&rdquo

Nov. 8, 2022

Crowd crush probe zeroes in on police

The special investigation division looking into the causes behind the recent Itaewon tragedy has narrowed its sights on top police figures, after President Yoon Suk-yeol slammed police leadership for their insufficient response on Monday. A special investigation team set up by the National Police Agency searched 55 sites related to the Itaewon disaster Tuesday, including the offices of Yoon Hee-keun, chief of the National Police Agency, Kim Kwang-ho, chief of the Seoul Metropolitan Agency, and L

Nov. 8, 2022

[Newsmaker] K-ETA draws complaints from travelers

Over a year after an online travel permit system called the Korea Electronic Travel Authorization (K-ETA) for nationals of over 100 visa-waiver countries came into effect, international travelers’ experiences with the new system have been mixed, highlighting the need for consistency and transparency in the K-ETA’s application approval process. The system was meant to speed up the entry process for travelers upon arrival here, while saving those who would be denied entry unnecessary t

Nov. 8, 2022

S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases top 60,000 as fears of virus resurgence mount

South Korea's new coronavirus cases swelled to over 60,000 on Tuesday, with a possible winter surge of the virus on the horizon. The country reported 62,273 new COVID-19 infections, including 52 from overseas, bringing the total to 25,919,183, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said. The figure compared with 58,363 cases a week ago, 43,741 two weeks ago and 15,465 four weeks ago, showing a sustained increase in infections. The average daily cases for the past seven days were 43

Nov. 8, 2022

‘Where were the police?’ Top officials grilled over Halloween crowd crush

The National Assembly on Monday grilled high-ranking officials over their handling of the Itaewon crowd crush as the country tries to get to the bottom of a tragedy that has left at least 156 people dead. At the parliamentary grilling, the police and the fire authorities came under fire as details of their tardy response emerged. The police station in Yongsan, the district where Itaewon is located, failed to dispatch its teams in time despite getting 11 calls starting from nearly four hours p

Nov. 7, 2022

Revision to domestic violence law proposed to regulate stalking crimes

Lawmakers at the National Assembly proposed revising a domestic violence law to allow the punishment of stalking crimes committed by family members. Independent Rep. Yang Jeong-sook and other 10 lawmakers on Thursday purposed a revision to the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Crimes of Domestic Violence to extend the scope of punishing stalking crimes, Yang’s office announced Monday. The current domestic violence law has only regulated limited scope of stalking crimes, suc

Nov. 7, 2022

Speedy treatment, coping techniques needed for Itaewon trauma: experts

Although the national mourning period for the Itaewon disaster ended on Saturday, many people are left traumatized by direct and indirect exposure to tragic scenes. Experts and mental health associations asked hospitals to prioritize the treatment of patients suffering from the disaster. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare on Sunday, the Korean Association of Psychiatric Practitioners recently sent a text message to its members saying, "We ask for prompt therapeutic intervention

Nov. 7, 2022