Boy's emergency medical treatment delayed 2 hours due to staff shortage

Emergency rescue operators in Busan said Thursday that an ambulance carrying a middle school student had been turned away from multiple hospitals due to a lack of medical staff, causing a delay of treatment for the boy. The mother of the 15-year-old living in Busan called the 119 emergency service when her son suffered what turned out to be acute appendicitis at around 7:30 p.m. on Monday, according to the Busan Metropolitan City Fire and Disaster Headquarters. But the university hospital that

Sept. 26, 2024

'Shaman says president will die,' caller warns

The South Korean police said Thursday it is investigating a man who called a ruling party lawmaker's office to say President Yoon Suk Yeol will die on Oct. 26. It was revealed that the man had said so based on a prophecy made by a local shaman. The man called the office of Rep. Ihn Yo-han of the ruling People Power Party Wednesday afternoon, saying, "The president will pass away on Oct. 26, so they should reinforce protection for him," according to Seoul Yeongdeungpo Police Stat

Sept. 26, 2024

Seoul wins WHO award for age-friendly policies

Seoul has received an award from the World Health Organization for its policies dedicated to improving the management of senior health in the city, the city government said Thursday. Presented at the 10th Global Conference of the Alliance for Healthy Cities at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul from Wednesday to Friday, the Healthy Cities Recognition Award for Age-Friendly Cities highlights Seoul's commitment to promoting the health and well-being of its aging population, according to city of

Sept. 26, 2024

Bus driver helps wheelchair user stranded in crosswalk

South Korean internet circles have been buzzing over a heartwarming tale of a bus driver who rushed to help a man in a wheelchair stranded in the middle of a crosswalk on a rainy night. Several citizens during the Chuseok holidays posted online compliments about the driver of Seoul bus No. 470 for his actions in Seocho-gu, southern Seoul, at around 9:40 p.m. on Sept.13. A man on a self-propelled wheelchair was wheeling himself across the crosswalk when the light changed and he was barely halfw

Sept. 26, 2024

University student council catches suspect in knife attack threat

After police caught a man who warned of a knife attack at the Kangwon National University festival on Tuesday, it was revealed that members of the school's student council had played a crucial role in apprehending the suspect. The suspect -- who was revealed to be a 21-year-old student of the school -- posted on his Instagram page at 6:50 p.m. Tuesday that he would attack those at the student-run bar at the festival on the university's main campus in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province. He w

Sept. 26, 2024

[Contribution] Turkmenistan celebrates the 33rd anniversary of its Independence

This year Turkmenistan celebrates the 33rd anniversary of its Independence and marks the 32nd anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations with the Republic of Korea. Thirty-three years ago, the Constitutional Act on the independence and state structure of Turkmenistan was adopted, according to which Turkmenistan was proclaimed as an independent democratic state. From the date of its independence, under the wise leadership of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, Turkmenistan has confiden

Sept. 26, 2024

OECD cuts S. Korea's 2024 growth outlook to 2.5 pct

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) slashed the growth outlook for the South Korean economy to 2.5 percent this year, Seoul's finance ministry said Wednesday. The latest figure marked a 0.1 percentage point fall from its projection presented in May and is on a par with the forecasts by the International Monetary Fund. The South Korean government expected a 2.6 percent expansion, and the Bank of Korea (BOK) forecast a 2.4 percent growth this year. "Growth is

Sept. 25, 2024

Wild boars killed as over 20 spotted around rural village

Around 20 wild boars unsettled a hillside village in Dangjin, South Chungcheong Province, prompting a hunt that resulted in the killing of three boars by Wednesday noon, authorities said. According to Chungcheongnam-do Fire Headquarters, the initial report was made to the 119 emergency operations center at 8:05 a.m., alerting them to the sighting of dozens of wild boars rushing down from the mountain in Unjeong-ri, Dangjin, South Chungcheong Province. The call prompted the immediate dispatch

Sept. 25, 2024

Herald to host 1st Hangeul Olympiad

To celebrate Hangeul Day, which commemorates the invention and proclamation of the Korean alphabet, the 1st Sejong Hangeul Olympiad and 2024 Hangeul Run will take place Oct. 8-9 in Sejong Special Self-governing City. The two-day event is co-organized by Sejong City, the Sejong Culture and Tourism Foundation and Herald Media Group, publisher of The Korea Herald. As a Korean-language proficiency competition for learners, the Hangeul Olympiad will take place at the Government Complex Sejong Conve

Sept. 25, 2024

Court upholds 4-year prison term for W2.3b embezzlement by funeral home employee

A South Korean appellate court upheld the four-year prison sentence Tuesday for a woman in her 50s for embezzling about 2.3 billion won ($1.73 million) over eight years from a funeral home. The 54-year-old employee was convicted in June for embezzlement and had appealed her original sentence, claiming it was excessively harsh. However, the Daejeon High Court rejected her appeal. The woman was accused of siphoning company funds while working as a bookkeeper at a funeral home in Asan, South Chungc

Sept. 25, 2024

Less than 20% of this year's E-9 migrant worker quota filled

Despite the South Korean government increasing the quota of non-professional work visas to an all-time high this year, less than 30,000 have actually been recruited so far, data from the Ministry of Employment and Labor showed Wednesday. As of July, 29,316 foreign nationals were issued the E-9 visa for non-professional employment this year, according to the ministry data submitted to Rep. Kim Ui-sang of the ruling People Power Party. A total of 13,102 workplaces have received permits to hire wor

Sept. 25, 2024

Twin brothers convicted of academic fraud via proxy testing

A pair of 35-year-old twin brothers were convicted after one impersonated the other to take an exam that is part of the official recruitment process for the Financial Supervisory Service. The younger brother who orchestrated the fraud received a prison sentence, while the older brother who took the test as his proxy was given a suspended sentence. Judge Kang Ji-yeop of Namyangju District Court on Monday sentenced the younger brother to one year in prison on charges of the obstruction of business

Sept. 25, 2024

Student violence on rise since pandemic

The number of elementary, middle and high school students reporting being bullied at school increased for the fourth straight year, pushing the corresponding rate to 2 percent for the first time in 11 years. With 1 out of 50 children having experienced school violence, the proportion of victim students was higher among younger students. The modality of violence became more insidious and adroit as the ratio of verbal and cyber violence took over physical bullying, according to the report by the M

Sept. 25, 2024

1,200 accidents at kids cafes since 2019 -- trampolines the biggest culprit

Accidents at kids' cafes are rising, with trampolines accounting for the largest proportion, prompting a government agency to issue a warning. According to the Korea Consumer Agency, 1,205 accidents occurred at kids' cafes -- indoor playing facilities for children -- from 2019 to 2023. The number of accidents went from 397 to 150 in 2020 and 97 in 2021, likely due to COVID-19 social distancing -- but the number rebounded to 225 in 2022 and 337 in 2023. The data showed that by equipme

Sept. 25, 2024

48 nabbed for trafficking, using yaba tablets

South Korean police apprehended 48 Thai nationals involved in the trafficking and use of yaba, a synthetic drug referred to as “crazy medicine" in Thai. Yaba, typically in the form of pink tablets, is a mix of methamphetamine and caffeine. According to the North Chungcheong Provincial Police Wednesday, of the 48 suspects, 16 accused of selling the illegal substance were arrested for charges of violating the Narcotics Control Act. The remaining 32 individuals suspected of purchasing

Sept. 25, 2024

College is expensive? In S. Korea, English preschools cost much more

In South Korea, where English education is highly valued, the cost of preschools providing English immersive education outstrips that of college tuition by a wide margin, according to a local civic group. The Seoul-based World Without Worry About Private Education said in its report released Wednesday that the average yearly fees for "English kindergartens" in Seoul amounted to 15.72 million won ($11,800) in 2023 -- 2.3 times higher than the average annual university tuition of 6.78 mi

Sept. 25, 2024

NK trash balloons disrupted airport operations for 413 minutes this year

North Korea's trash-carrying balloons have disrupted runway operations at South Korea's two biggest airports for an accumulated 413 minutes this year, government data showed Wednesday. Operations at Incheon International Airport and Gimpo International Airport were disrupted 20 times this year as of Monday, according to the Seoul Regional Aviation Administration data submitted to Rep. Yang Bu-nam of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea. This first occurred at Incheon on June

Sept. 25, 2024

Education officials gather in Seoul to discuss digital classroom transformation

To cope with the rapidly changing landscape of education since the pandemic and the increasingly prevalent use of digital tools in schools, educational officials from 17 countries gathered Tuesday in Seoul to discuss challenges and strategies in digital transformation and present a new paradigm for future classrooms. Co-hosted by the Ministry of Education and the World Bank, the Digital Education Global Forum 2024 takes place at Coex for three days. It brings together some 100 education experts

Sept. 24, 2024

Seoul seeks to improve foreign nanny program after two abscond

In the wake of two caregivers from the Philippines abruptly disappearing just two weeks into Seoul's foreign caregiver pilot program, officials from the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Ministry of Employment and Labor convened a meeting in Seoul Tuesday to address operational challenges faced by the caregivers. Among the issues the meeting participants highlighted were lengthy commutes between assignments and a heavy workload associated with caring for multiple children. The meeting i

Sept. 24, 2024

Malnutrition cases nearly triple in last 5 years

The number of patients suffering from malnutrition in South Korea has increased by nearly three times in the last five years, particularly among low-income households, data showed Tuesday. According to an official report from the National Health Insurance Service delivered to Rep. Jun Jin-sook of the Democratic Party of Korea, a total of 63,274 patients received treatment for malnutrition from 2019 to the first half of this year. The number of patients suffering from malnutrition increased signi

Sept. 24, 2024