6 suspects now pinpointed in Itaewon probe

Regarding the Itaewon disaster on Oct. 29, the special investigation police division has now pinpointed six figures as suspects, including Lee Im-jae, former chief of the Yongsan Police Station, and Ryu Mi-jin from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, for alleged professional negligence resulting in death.   The special investigation division, launched last week, has been looking into the causes behind the incident and the response of authorities. "We have probed 154 people and broug

Nov. 7, 2022

[Newsmaker] French chef’s culinary tour to Itaewon ends in tragedy

Guenego Limamou, a 34-year-old French chef whose favorite Korean food was dak galbi (spicy stir-fried chicken), visited Itaewon on Oct. 29 to explore local eateries in the back alleys of Seoul's popular nightlife district. His anticipated trip to learn about the world of Korean cuisine, however, came to a tragic end when the neighborhood became the site of a disaster. He was among the 156 people who died in the fatal crowd crush in Itaewon. “He planned to create some French dishes ble

Nov. 7, 2022

"Land of Squid Game” author event to take place on Wednesday

Min Byoung-chul, an endowed chair professor at Chung-Ang University and a multicultural educator, will hold an author event in Seoul on Wednesday. In the lecture, Min will talk about his recent book “Land of Squid Game,” which highlights some deep-rooted aspects of Korea’s unique culture and traditional games. The first 100 participants will receive a copy of the book for free. A live chat with the author is limited to 50 guests on a first come, first served basis. The event

Nov. 7, 2022

S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases drop below 20,000

South Korea's new coronavirus cases fell below 20,000 on Monday due to fewer tests over the weekend amid growing concerns that daily infections could spike to as high as 200,000 during the winter. The country reported 18,671 new COVID-19 infections, including 60 from overseas, bringing the total to 25,856,910, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The figure fell from the previous day's 36,675 cases, but it was up from 14,242 cases two weeks ago and from 8,974 fo

Nov. 7, 2022

Train derails in central Seoul, injuring 30 passengers

A train derailed in central Seoul on Sunday, injuring some 30 passengers, the operator said. The derailment occurred at 8:52 p.m., when the Mugunghwa train with 275 passengers on board was entering Yeongdeungpo Station in central Seoul, according to the Korea Railroad Corp. (KORAIL). Six railroad cars including five passenger cars ran off the tracks, it added. The train was on its way to Iksan, in North Jeolla Province, some 180 kilometers south of the South Korean capital, from Yongsan, Seoul,

Nov. 6, 2022

Blind spots in anti-stalking law emerged again

Criticism against the anti-stalking law is rising again following a court's decision to acquit a man of stalking charges, based on the fact that the victim did not answer the defendant's repeated calls. The Incheon District Court announced Sunday that it had acquitted a 54-year-old man accused of stalking. The perpetrator was indicted on stalking charges after repeatedly calling and sending text messages to his former girlfriend from March 26 to June 3. In April, a restraining order wa

Nov. 6, 2022

After relief of miners' rescue, company probed over response

Police are looking into the cause of a mine collapse that trapped two miners and the mining company's response. The two miners, who were trapped underground when a zinc mine collapsed in Bonghwa, North Gyeongsang Province, were rescued Friday night. The Gyeongbuk Provincial Police announced Saturday that it had organized an investigation team dedicated to the Bonghwa mine collapse, consisting of 18 investigators. The focus of the investigation will be on how and why the company did not repo

Nov. 6, 2022

One rail worker killed, another injured while working

One railway worker was killed and another injured after being struck by a cargo train in Uiwang, just southwest of Seoul, officials said Sunday. The accident occurred at 8:20 p.m. Saturday at Obong Station in Uiwang, killing the 33-year-old employee of Korea Railroad Corp. , the operator of railway services, they said. Another KORAIL worker was treated at the scene for symptoms such as hyperventilation. The workers were trying to connect and separate cargo trains at the time, they said. Police a

Nov. 6, 2022

S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases fall below 40,000 amid 'twindemic' worries

South Korea's new coronavirus cases fell below 40,000 on Sunday amid concerns over a possible outbreak of a "twindemic" of COVID-19 and seasonal influenza during the winter. The country reported 36,675 new COVID-19 infections, including 66 from overseas, bringing the total to 25,838,239, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said. Daily infections jumped to 58,363 on Nov. 1 from 18,504 a day earlier but have been on the decline. The daily caseload stayed above 40,000 in

Nov. 6, 2022

2 trapped miners walk out of zinc mine in Bonghwa after 9 days: authorities

BONGHWA -- Two miners trapped for more than nine days in a collapsed zinc mine in southeastern South Korea walked out alive Friday, authorities said. The pair had been stuck in a vertical shaft about 190 meters underground at a zinc mine in the county of Bonghwa, 244 kilometers southeast of Seoul, since the mine collapsed on Oct. 26. Rescue authorities said the two, both surnamed Park and aged 62 and 56, came out at 11:03 p.m. after 221 hours. They are in stable health condition and have been se

Nov. 4, 2022

Same problems, same frustrations: Why Itaewon feels like deja vu

In the aftermath of the Sewol ferry sinking which killed 304 people, the government allocated a total of 1.5 trillion won ($1.06 billion) to set up a new emergency communication system. That system was officially launched last year. However, it barely worked as designed when 156 lives, most of them young people, died in a crowd crush during Halloween festivities in Itaewon on Oct. 29. From a lack of appropriate safety measures before the disaster to the authorities’ botched response afterw

Nov. 4, 2022

Police response for Itaewon tragedy leaves doubts

The whereabouts of top figures among the police and the administration’s chain of command are being pointed out as the reasons for what exacerbated the disaster in Itaewon, which took the lives of at least 156 people. The police have been operating a special investigation division to uncover the cause of the Oct. 29 tragedy. "We have completed an investigation of 85 people, including 67 witnesses and victims, 14 employees at nearby businesses and four police officers dispatched to th

Nov. 4, 2022

Yoon pays 5th visit to mourning altar for Itaewon crush victims

President Yoon Suk-yeol paid his fifth visit to a mourning altar for victims of the Halloween crowd crush on Friday in what has become a daily routine for the president. Yoon arrived in front of City Hall with his aides and laid a chrysanthemum on the altar before burning incense and bowing his head in silent prayer. The president has visited the same altar four times this week and additionally visited a mourning altar near the site of the tragedy on Tuesday. Interior Minister Lee Sang-min, one

Nov. 4, 2022

Samarkand Initiative meets global demand for mutual trust, solidarity

On Sept. 15 and 16, Samarkand hosted a very important event: the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Heads of State Council. It was different from previous editions due to its extensive program, comprehensive agenda and broad representation of states along with international and regional organizations. Leaders and senior representatives of about 20 states and heads of more than 10 international and regional organizations took part in the event. The unprecedented outcome of the summit

Nov. 4, 2022

[Herald Interview] Why South Korea should care about Russia’s war in Ukraine

Ukrainian activists on Wednesday made the case for South Korea to care more about the war in Ukraine. If the world lets Russia win, it will be another reason North Korea will not want to give up its nuclear weapons, according to Daria Kaleniuk, the co-founder of the International Center for Ukrainian Victory. “North Korea will not give up its nuclear weapons, looking at Russia as an example and how the world lets you have your way if you have nuclear weapons,” she said in an inte

Nov. 3, 2022

Never again: Nation ups safety measures in reaction to Itaewon tragedy

A string of safety measures being rolled out by the government shows how much of an impact the loss of 156 lives in last week’s Itaewon tragedy have had on Korean society. Prime Minister Han Duk-soo on Thursday said there will be a pan-government safety inspection on events where over 10,000 people are expected to partake, requesting regional government bodies to revamp their respective safety manuals. This was a reaction to the lack of safety measures and efforts by authorities to maintai

Nov. 3, 2022

[Newsmaker] Grassroots campaigns emerge to help grieving families of foreign victims

Expat communities in South Korea are rallying behind grieving families of foreign victims of the Itaewon tragedy for whom bringing their loved one home is another ordeal fraught with administrative, financial and language barriers. As of Thursday, only four of the 26 foreign nationals who died in the Oct. 29 crowd crush in Itaewon had been repatriated. Three more are expected to return home Friday, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. South Korea has pledged to treat all 156 victims equ

Nov. 3, 2022

2nd officer suspended over Itaewon failures

Another senior police officer has been dismissed from her position as authorities investigate the response to the crowd disaster in Itaewon, Seoul, on Saturday that left at least 156 people dead. On Thursday, the police dismissed Senior Superintendent Ryu Mi-jin, who was in charge of monitoring the situation in Itaewon, for not taking special action despite the 11 calls made to police hours before the incident. The police agency revealed Tuesday it had received 11 calls starting from aroun

Nov. 3, 2022

Two miners trapped for 9 days at a zinc mine in Bonghwa

While the entire nation has been fixated on the Halloween tragedy in Seoul over the weekend, families of two miners believed to be trapped at a mine in Bonghwa, North Gyeongsang Province, have been praying for their safe return for nearly 10 days. Thursday marks the ninth day since the zinc mine collapsed on Oct. 26. The two, aged 62 and 56, are thought to be in a vertical shaft some 170 meters underground. It is unclear whether they are alive. The rescue team had a minor breakthrough early

Nov. 3, 2022

CPR training programs garner attention after Halloween disaster

Choi In-ae, an office worker who works for a pharmaceutical firm, has attended emergency response training sessions annually. It was a compulsory program required by her company, which she often just got it over with. After learning about the desperate call out for those who know how to perform CPR on victims at the scene of the Itaewon crowd crush, she now thinks differently about first air training. “I received emergency response training such as CPR and the Heimlich maneuver from my c

Nov. 2, 2022