Teacher sacked after 'past sex crime' comes to light

An elementary school teacher who was alleged to have been convicted of the sexual assault of a middle school student 13 years ago has been removed from his post, Gyeonggi Province’s Office of Education said Thursday. Officials said the decision was made Wednesday, but that the teacher in question has been on a leave of absence since an anonymous online post pinpointed him as one of the 16 high school students who assaulted the underage girl in 2010. The principal of the school -- located i

May 25, 2023

Global climate change fair, conference kick off in Busan

BUSAN -- An international fair and conference on climate change opened in the southeastern port city of Busan on Thursday, showcasing the latest eco-friendly technologies by about 500 enterprises and addresses by climate change experts. The 2023 World Climate Industry Expo will continue through Saturday at the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center in the city, 325 kilometers southeast of Seoul, under the theme "Rising above the Climate Crisis towards Sustainable Prosperity." The natio

May 25, 2023

Court rejects arrest warrant request for actor Yoo Ah-in over drug use

A Seoul court has rejected an arrest warrant requested by police for actor Yoo Ah-in on charges of using five different illegal drugs, officials said Thursday. The Seoul Central District Court made the decision Wednesday night, saying Yoo is unlikely to destroy evidence or flee as he is admitting to most of the drug charges and rejected the warrant request filed by the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency last week. Yoo is accused of illegally using five different drugs for nonmedical purposes since

May 25, 2023

Bill to mandate public officials declare crypto assets on verge of passing

South Korea's parliament is on the verge of passing a revision bill to make it mandatory for high-ranking public officials to declare any cryptocurrency asset holdings, just a few weeks after a loophole in the law aimed at preventing corruption of public officials was exposed. Lawmakers are looking to float the revision of the Public Service Ethics Act at the plenary session of the National Assembly by as early as on Thursday, following an approval at a standing committee Wednesday afternoo

May 24, 2023

Seoul the second-most surveilled city outside China: report

Chinese cities dominate the top rankings in the global chart of the most surveilled cities, but when excluding China, Seoul rises to the global No. 2 spot, a recent study shows. Seoul’s cameras density stands at 237.76 cameras per square kilometer, according to data compiled by the cybersecurity firm Comparitech. Excluding China, it is the world’s second most surveilled city, outpaced only by India’s Delhi, which recorded 575 cameras per the same land area. Singapore came in

May 24, 2023

Seoul city plans more gardens, green walkways

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Wednesday it would inject 280 billion won ($212 million) to create new outdoor gardens in the capital city to reduce fine dust levels, lower average daily temperatures and increase citizens' access to nature. Unveiling "Garden City Seoul," Mayor Oh Se-hoon said the city’s new initiative would pave the way for Seoulites to live a greener and healthier life, pointing out that nearly 60 percent of people in the capital reside in apartment

May 24, 2023

Sex offender later became school teacher

Gyeonggi Province’s Office of Education said Tuesday that a person accused of being convicted of the sexual assault of a vulnerable middle school student 13 years ago later worked as a teacher at an elementary school, confirming a recent online revelation that sparked public outrage. The office said the person, however, is currently not working at the school. It refused to give more details, citing the protection of personal information. An anonymous claim was made last Saturday on an onli

May 24, 2023

[H.eco Forum] Healthy marine ecosystem vital for humanity, experts tell forum

The ocean holds greater importance for the survival of humanity than people realize, environmental experts said, calling for people's active participation in building sustainable oceans with thriving ecosystems, at the H.eco Forum held in Seoul, Wednesday. Transformations in the seas cause significant climate change, warned speakers for the annual forum, stressing that the world needs to pay more attention to marine life and realize that drastic change in the seas would have irreversible co

May 24, 2023

Why raise the medical student quota?

  The South Korean government faces strong opposition from the medical community as it resumes discussions with doctors regarding a potential increase in the enrollment quota at medical schools. The Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korean Medical Association -- the country's largest coalition of doctors’ groups with 130,000 members -- met on Wednesday to discuss various pending issues related to the medical industry, including expanding admissions to medical schools. This is the

May 24, 2023

Yoo Ah-in awaits fate as he appears in court for arrest warrant hearing

South Korean actor Yoo Ah-in attended a hearing at the Seoul Central District Court on Wednesday as the court determines whether to issue him with a formal arrest warrant following allegations of illegal drug use. The hearing comes two days after prosecutors requested an arrest warrant for Yoo, whose real name is Uhm Hong-sick, out of concerns that Yoo might destroy evidence or flee the country. The veteran actor appeared at the hearing at 11 a.m. after the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency filed

May 24, 2023

1 out of 10 pediatric clinics close in 5 years amid low fertility, deficits

One in 10 pediatric clinics in Seoul has closed in the past five years due to Korea’s low birth rate and chronic unprofitability, data showed on Wednesday. According to a report released by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the number of pediatric clinics decreased to 456 in Seoul last year, down 12.5 percent from 521 in 2017. While the clinics face an ultra-low birth rate, the government has also frozen doctor appointment fees for over 30 years. Lim Hyun-taek, chairman o

May 24, 2023

Fire breaks out in apartment complex after woman deep-fries caterpillars

A fire broke out at an apartment building in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province on Tuesday, causing 51 residents to be evacuated. No injuries were reported. The fire broke out at 7:52 p.m. from a kitchen on the 10th floor of a 12-story building when a woman in her 40s started deep-frying caterpillars. The fire department dispatched 54 firefighters and 25 fire trucks and was able to put out the fire within 19 minutes. The fire is estimated to have caused 320,000 won ($242) in property damage. The authori

May 24, 2023

Court set to decide whether to issue arrest warrant for actor Yoo Ah-in

A Seoul court is set to decide Wednesday whether to issue a warrant to arrest actor Yoo Ah-in over his alleged use of five different illegal drugs. The Seoul Central District Court is scheduled to hold a hearing at 11 a.m. on a warrant request against Yoo filed by the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency last week. The 37-year-old actor, whose legal name is Uhm Hong-sik, is accused of illegally using five different drugs for nonmedical purposes since 2020: propofol, marijuana, cocaine, ketamine and

May 24, 2023

[Graphic News] Debt among those in 20s, 30s jumps most during pandemic

Debt among those in their 20s and 30s jumped more than 27 percent over the past three years since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, indicating they suffered financial difficulties due to rising home prices and an economic slowdown, central bank data showed. In the fourth quarter of 2022, overall loans extended to those in the age bracket soared 27.4 percent to 514.5 trillion won ($384 billion) from 404 trillion won in the fourth quarter of 2019, according to a report submitted by the Bank of Korea to t

May 24, 2023

Two skateboarders crash into truck in Itaewon

On Saturday evening, two people of foreign nationality collided with a truck while riding skateboards down Gyeongnidan-gil in Itaewon-dong, Seoul. A video clip recorded by their friend and uploaded online shows the two skateboarding the opposite way down a sloped one-way street marked "no entry," and crashing into a truck approaching from the other side. "Neither the skateboarders nor the truck driver suffered serious injuries," stated police who were called to the scene. &qu

May 23, 2023

First lady vows to make Korea 'bucket list destination' for travelers

South Korea's first lady Kim Keon Hee pledged on Tuesday to make South Korea a bucket list destination for travelers in the world, stressing a need of offering cultural experiences to visitors. "More of the world's travelers are enjoying the emerging trend of soaking themselves in the mood of being in Korea with Korean foods, cultural elements, artworks and traditional forms of architecture," she said. "I will do my best to make the world's travelers add 'K-Tou

May 23, 2023

5 Central Asian embassies, Korean colleges sign MOU

Embassies from five Central Asian countries signed a memorandum of understanding with universities in South Chungcheong Province and the provincial government to attract international students, Sunmoon University said Tuesday. Under the memorandum, the five countries, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan, will dispatch students with Korean language skills to universities in the province. The agreement also covers measures to prevent students from dropping out mid-seme

May 23, 2023

225 SNU freshmen take leave of absence

Two hundred and twenty-five freshmen at Seoul National University took a leave of absence in their first semester, with most of them believed to be preparing to take the college entrance exam again this year. According to data provided by SNU to Rep. Kim Byung-wook of the People Power Party, the number is equivalent to 6.2 percent of all first-year enrollees at the nation’s top university. The number of SNU freshmen taking time off right after enrolling at the university has more than trip

May 23, 2023

Man allegedly forced his way into elderly loner's home. He now asserts common-law marriage

A man accused of physically abusing a disabled woman in her 80s while living at her home against her will is being held for questioning, local police said Tuesday. According to Yangpyeong Police Station, the 65-year-old suspect is believed to have lived with the victim at her home in Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi Province, for over 10 years. He pretended to neighbors that he was her husband and told a local community center that he was her nephew when registering his residence at the victim’s hou

May 23, 2023

Korea should provide foreign detainees with translations of detention rules: Human rights commission

South Korea’s human rights commission has voiced the need for multilingual translations for the laws and regulations that pertain to the detention of foreign nationals in the country. In a recommendation issued Monday to the Ministry of Justice, the National Human Rights Commission said the availability of translations of what are called in Korean the “Foreigner Detention Regulations” is a matter that concerns foreign detainees' right to know and beyond that, their human

May 23, 2023