1 of 3 major drug kingpins in Southeast Asia extradited from Vietnam

A South Korean national considered to be one of the country's biggest drug traffickers based in Southeast Asia was repatriated from Vietnam on Tuesday, police said. The 47-year-old suspect, only identified by his surname Kim, was the subject of an Interpol red notice for supplying illegal substances, such as methamphetamine, through Telegram, since 2018, the National Police Agency (NPA) said. He did not respond to questions from reporters as he was escorted to a police vehicle outside a ter

July 19, 2022

S. Korea begins inoculation of another round of COVID-19 booster shots

Second COVID-19 booster shots for people aged 50 and older began Monday as the country battles a resurgence in cases. The second boosters are also available for those aged 18 and older who have underlying health conditions, along with patients and workers at some facilities considered vulnerable to disease transmission, such as senior care centers. For people aged 50 and older, the government will send out text messages to inform them that they are eligible for booster shots. The governme

July 18, 2022

Pregnant mothers of S. Korean children may not be eligible for government vouchers if they are foreign

Seoul city is offering transport subsidies for pregnant women, but the measure is limited to Korean residents, casting questions on the inclusiveness of the city’s policies. The Seoul city government has been offering pregnant women living in the city 700,000 won ($538) each in transportation vouchers since July 1. However, depending on their residency status, some pregnant mothers may not receive the voucher, even if they are bearing a child of South Korean nationality. According to t

July 18, 2022

Police share new drug smuggling techniques with Interpol

The National Police Agency announced that it has issued two Purple Notices related to new drug smuggling methods via airplane or ship components, which were shared with 195 member countries of the International Criminal Police Organization, or Interpol, Monday.　 Interpol Notices are “international requests for cooperation or alerts allowing police in member countries to share critical crime-related information” according to the official Interpol website. The Purple Notice is one of

July 18, 2022

Petition filed against 2019 repatriation of 2 North Korean fishermen

A member of the Seoul city council filed a petition Monday asking the state rights watchdog to get to the bottom of the previous administration's 2019 repatriation of two North Korean fishermen against their will. Lee Jong-bae, a ruling People Power Party-affiliated member of the Seoul Metropolitan Council, denounced the repatriation as human rights violations as he filed the petition with the National Human Rights Commission. In November 2019, the North Koreans were captured near the sea b

July 18, 2022

New infections more than double in week to nearly 27,000

South Korea's new coronavirus cases more than doubled Monday from a week earlier amid a resurgence of infections and the fast spread of a highly contagious new omicron subvariant. The country reported 26,299 new COVID-19 infections, including 319 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 18,788,056, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. Monday's figure fell from 41,310 cases Saturday and 40,342 on Sunday, but it more than doubled from 12,681 cases logged a we

July 18, 2022

S. Korea's Black Eagles aerobatic team wins top prizes at British air show

The South Korean Air Force's aerobatic flight team received two top awards at the world's largest military air show in Britain over the weekend, the armed service said Monday. The Black Eagles team clinched the King Hussein Memorial Sword for the best overall flying demonstration and the As the Crow Flies Trophy at the three-day Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) at Fairford, Gloucestershire, which closed Sunday. At the same air show a decade ago, the team won the same awards for it

July 18, 2022

How an idol-turned-actor became part of phone scam ring

A K-pop idol-turned-actor recently turned himself into police, claiming he was tricked into working for phone scammers.  The 32-year-old, who turned himself in to a police station in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province, said he thought he was hired for a simple job of collecting money from someone on behalf of his employer and wiring it to them. After meeting the person he was supposed to receive the money from, however, he realized that he was lured into assisting a voice phishing scam and that t

July 18, 2022

University freshman arrested in rape, death of schoolmate

A freshman at Inha University in Incheon, west of Seoul, has been formally arrested on charges of raping a schoolmate and causing her to fall to her death, officials said Monday. The Incheon District Court issued an arrest warrant for the 20-year-old suspect late Sunday after arraigning him earlier in the day, officials said. He was detained Friday after the victim was found dead earlier in the day apparently after a fall from a campus building. She was found lying naked on the ground at 3:49 a.

July 18, 2022

Euthanasia of dog which mauled 8-year-old boy in Ulsan put on hold

State prosecutors put on hold the police’s push to put down a dog which attacked and severely injured an 8-year-old boy in a case that sparked public outcry over the weekend, local reports said Sunday. They cited a lack of evidence to prove the dog was dangerous. According to reports, the disposal process of the mixed breed dog, which mauled the neck and arms of an elementary school student at an apartment complex in Ulsan on July 11, has been suspended following the prosecution’

July 17, 2022

Civic group slams China for claiming Arirang as their culture

Voluntary Agency Network of Korea, a nongovernmental diplomatic group, released a poster criticizing China’s attempt to claim the traditional Korean folk song Arirang as part of its culture on Saturday.　 The poster, released in both Korean and English, reads: “Arirang this time?! China, why again!” It shows an image of a Chinese TV show with people singing Arirang wearing hanbok. “China claims not only Korean songs, but also various aspects of Korean heritage, culture,

July 17, 2022

COVID-19 spread continues to accelerate

South Korea’s new COVID-19 infections continued to double from a week earlier on Saturday, largely due to the highly contagious BA.5 omicron subvariant and waning immunity among the people, government data showed Sunday. Health experts anticipated that daily infections could increase more than the government has projected, given the current pace of the spread. The introduction of a newer strain of omicron, BA.2.75, also known as ”centaurus,“poses another threat. According t

July 17, 2022

Court to question university freshman arrested in rape, death of schoolmate

A freshman at Inha University in Incheon, west of Seoul, appeared at a court Sunday to answer questions over charges that he raped a female schoolmate and caused her to fall to her death. "I am sorry," said the 20-year-old suspect wearing a cap and a mask upon arrival at the Incheon District Court when reporters asked him if he has anything to say to the victim. The court was to arraign him to determine whether to issue an arrest warrant for him. He was taken into emergency custody Fri

July 17, 2022

Ex-FM Chung says no request from N. Korea for fishermen's repatriation

Former Foreign Minister and National Security Adviser Chung Eui-yong rejected allegations Sunday that South Korea sent two North Korean fishermen back to their homeland in 2019 after North Korea requested their repatriation first. Chung made the remark in a statement issued via Rep. Yoon Kun-young of the main opposition Democratic Party, stressing that South Korea first asked the North if it was willing to accept the two fishermen before deporting them. The statement came after a newspaper repor

July 17, 2022

Yoon vows to safeguard constitutional values on Constitution Day

President Yoon Suk-yeol renewed his commitment to promote the constitutional values of free democracy, human rights and rule of law as South Korea commemorates Constitution Day on Sunday. "The constitutional values of free democracy, human rights and rule of law are the foundation of national unity, and the process of realizing such values leads to the road for prosperity and development," Yoon wrote on his Facebook account. "I will safeguard the spirit of the Constitution togethe

July 17, 2022

Court to question university freshman arrested in rape, death of schoolmate

A court in Incheon, west of Seoul, was to question an Inha University student Sunday to determine whether to issue a warrant to formally arrest him on charges of raping a female schoolmate and causing her to fall to her death. The suspect, 20, was taken into emergency custody Friday after the victim was found dead earlier in the day apparently after a fall from a campus building. She was found lying naked on the ground at 3:49 a.m. reportedly with blood on her head, mouth and ears. Police believ

July 17, 2022

S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases remain high at 40,342

South Korea's new coronavirus cases stayed above 40,000 on Sunday due to the spread of a highly contagious new omicron subvariant despite fewer tests over the weekend. The country reported 40,342 new COVID-19 infections, including 305 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 18,761,757, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. Sunday's figure is slightly down from 41,310 cases a day earlier. But it marked the highest figure for a Sunday since April 24 when the

July 17, 2022

State rights watchdog to oppose proposal of lowering age of criminal responsibility

The state human rights watchdog is expected to announce its opposition next month to the government's proposal to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility below 14, officials said Sunday. Currently, children aged between 10 and 14 cannot be held criminally responsible for their actions and are instead sent to juvenile detention facilities, not prisons, or made to do community service, in accordance with the Juvenile Act. Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon has ordered an amendment loweri

July 17, 2022

Pride festival returns to Seoul after two-year hiatus

Thousands of people gathered in front of City Hall in Seoul to attend the Seoul Queer Culture Festival on Saturday, marking the event’s return after two years of a pandemic-induced hiatus. With rainbow flags, colorful outfits, face paint and glitter, participants celebrated their identities and diverse sexual orientations, and joined the march for LGBT rights.  This year’s event took place with the slogan “Let’s live, unite and go forward.” In the early eveni

July 16, 2022

[Newsmaker] Seoul’s English-language radio faces existential crisis: CEO

From traffic and weather to music, current South Korean affairs and the latest COVID-19 case counts, Seoul’s mostly English-language radio station TBS eFM has kept expat listeners updated on issues and matters that impact their life in Seoul. Running 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the station has struggled financially since its 2008 launch, but has managed to continue serving the expat population thanks to city funding. Now, its future looks uncertain. “As the foreign popul

July 16, 2022