[Photo News] Dolphin with severed beak raises alarm over dolphin tourism

A dolphin with a severely damaged beak and fin was spotted on Monday off the southwestern shore of Jeju Island, raising concerns over dolphin tourism. Photos of the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin and its herd taken by local media show that large parts of its beak and fin have been severed. The injuries appear quite recent, with what appears to be blood still visible around the affected areas. Jeju-based dolphin advocacy groups have argued that fishing boats and ferries severely harm dolphins by

April 19, 2023

S. Korea unlikely to have massive mpox surge

The number of locally transmitted cases of mpox infection is on the rise, but the country is unlikely to face a massive surge of the virus, which is most commonly transmitted through close personal contact, not via air, Korea's health authorities said Wednesday. Kim Sung-ho, the vice interior minister in charge of disaster and safety management, said during a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters that “Given the characteristics of the virus, which spr

April 19, 2023

Seoul, KTO, Louis Vuitton sign deal to boost tourism

The Seoul city government said Wednesday it had signed an agreement with the Korea Tourism Organization and French luxury fashion house Louis Vuitton to team up to promote tourism as part of the city’s “Visit Korea Year 2023-2024” initiative. Under the partnership, the Seoul Metropolitan Government aims to attract foreign visitors to Korea through promoting “K-culture,” including holding special events on the banks of the Han River and in other cultural spaces. The

April 19, 2023

[Korean Dilemma] Can we blame public education?

When talking about education, South Koreans often attribute their rising spending on children’s lessons outside school to an undemanding public education. My daughter, who went to a Singaporean public primary school for a year and half, and now goes to a Korean public elementary school, said the latter is less work and more fun. I did tell her once that I heard Korean kids do much of their studying at hagwon, or cram schools, and that I agree it is strange, but that’s how things are

April 18, 2023

From dream job to no-go: Civil servant jobs lose out

Recent data shows that about half of the Seoul Metropolitan Government employees that quit their jobs last year had worked for less than five years at their posts. And in March, the Ministry of Personnel Management announced that competition for an entry-level civil servant job was its lowest in over 30 years. The two separate studies point to one thing: Civil servant jobs, once highly coveted by young workers, are no longer dream jobs here. The job security and pension are not enough to retain

April 18, 2023

Seoul vows harsher crackdowns to help teens steer clear of drugs

South Korea on Tuesday vowed harsher crackdowns on drug trafficking activities at all fronts by ramping up punishment, monitoring and education through a pan-governmental push. The plans reviewed at a Cabinet meeting Tuesday in the presidential office will be aimed at stamping out teenage drug use, President Yoon Suk Yeol said during the meeting. Yoon said he finds it "alarming" to see that illegal drugs are easy to find among adolescents, leaving them in jeopardy. "A decade befor

April 18, 2023

JMS leader’s aides arrested as key accomplices to sex crimes

Two aides of religious organization leader Jeong Myeong-seok, who was previously convicted with the sexual molestation of his female followers, were arrested on Tuesday as accomplices to Jeong’s alleged sex crimes. The Daejeon District Court issued arrest warrants for the two individuals, citing their flight risk and the possibility of evidence being destroyed. Arrest warrants for four other former officials of the religious group were dismissed as they have since left the group. One of th

April 18, 2023

Metabolic syndrome linked to risk of gastric cancer: study

Metabolic syndrome, a term for a combination of diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity, has been linked to an increased risk of developing gastric cancer, a common cancer among Koreans, a study showed Tuesday. People with metabolic syndrome had a 26 percent higher risk of developing gastric cancer, according to research led by professor Kang Dae-hee of the Preventive Medicine Department at Seoul National University College of Medicine. This risk was further increased when accompanied by smoki

April 18, 2023

Peeping Tom arrested in Daejeon

A man was apprehended in Daejeon for peeping into windows of ground-level dwellings, police said Monday. Targeting unlocked windows in residential areas with mostly one-room studios, the suspect was arrested on suspicions of habitual breaking and entering, said Daejeon Metropolitan Police on Monday. The CCTV footage revealed by the police shows the suspect putting his hands through the steel grating guarding a window and opening the window from the outside. He then put his face up close to the w

April 18, 2023

'Depression community' member suspected of aiding teen's livestreamed suicide

A 27-year-old man who was with the teenager who livestreamed her suicide may be charged with abetting suicide, local media reported Tuesday. Police have confirmed that she was with the man around the time she killed herself on Sunday, and that the two were active on an online community. Police have conducted digital forensics on her phone, and an autopsy will be carried out. Police believe she entered a suicide pact with the man through an online community. According to a blog post he uploaded M

April 18, 2023

About 100 flights canceled on Jeju Island due to strong winds

JEJU -- Nearly 100 flights were grounded on the southern island of Jeju on Tuesday due to dangerous wind conditions. The weather authorities issued alerts for high winds and wind shear, which refers to sudden changes in wind direction and speed, for the island. As of 8:50 a.m., Jeju International Airport had reported the cancellation of 97 domestic flights to and from the airport. In addition, an airplane from Singapore, scheduled to arrive at Jeju at 6:45 a.m., was diverted. A total of 480 flig

April 18, 2023

S. Korea's new COVID-19 infections bounce back to over 10,000 amid eased virus curbs

South Korea's new coronavirus cases bounced back to over 10,000 on Tuesday amid eased virus curbs aimed at regaining pre-pandemic normalcy. The country reported 15,173 cases, including 20 imported cases, bringing the total caseload to 31,009,261, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said. Tuesday's tally jumped from 4,946 cases a day earlier and is higher than the 12,437 a week ago. The daily caseload stayed above 10,000 for six days through Sunday. The country added 10 COVI

April 18, 2023

[Graphic News] 441 wildfires in Korea so far this year

The number of large and small forest fires in Korea has increased every year over the past decade. On April 11, A massive wildfire hit the northeastern coastal city of Gangneung, Gangwon Province, destroying about 70 homes and buildings, and burning woodland the size of 530 soccer fields. President Yoon Suk Yeol designated Gangneung a special disaster zone on April 12 after the eastern coastal city was ravaged. According to the Korea Forest Service, 441 forest fires have occurred nationwide this

April 18, 2023

S. Korea confirms 3 more mpox cases via local transmission

Health authorities in South Korea identified three new locally acquired mpox cases Monday. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, three South Koreans tested positive for mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, bringing the total cases here to 13. Korea’s 11th case was confirmed on Friday, and the 12th and 13th were confirmed on Saturday. The KDCA said the three new cases were locally transmitted, as the infected patients had not traveled overseas in the past three weeks.

April 17, 2023

Another suicide following house rental scam

Another death linked to a growing house rental scam was reported Monday, pushing up the death toll to three. All the deaths are thought to be from suicide. The so-called "construction king" fraud is a massive house rental scam that occurred in Incheon. A woman in her 30s was found unconscious at around 2:12 a.m. at her house in Incheon, along with a suicide note. The woman died in transit to the hospital, Incheon Michuhol District Police Station said. According to the police investigat

April 17, 2023

Teen livestreams suicide death on Instagram

A teenage girl livestreamed her death by apparent suicide on Instagram on Sunday, prompting several viewers to alert the police, officials said Monday. Seoul Gangnam Police Station said the victim, whose name and exact age was withheld, died after falling from a 19-story building near Gangnam Station at around 2:30 p.m. on Sunday. She reportedly suffered from severe depression. It is unclear how many watched the suicide livestream, but police said they received “several” reports from

April 17, 2023

Free Namsan tunnel toll fees for next month

The Seoul city government began to stop collecting toll fees at Namsan tunnels on Monday until May 16 to determine if the temporary pricing model for congested highways effectively alleviates traffic. Under the temporary scheme, the city will waive fees for vehicles with less than three people traveling through tunnel numbers one and three from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m. The decision comes as questions were raised over the effectiveness of the policy implemented in 1996, by which the city has been char

April 17, 2023

S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases below 10,000 amid eased virus curbs

South Korea's new coronavirus cases fell below 10,000 on Monday due to fewer tests over the weekend, with the country moving toward regaining pre-pandemic normalcy following the relaxation of most antivirus restrictions. The country reported 4,946 cases, including 23 imported cases, bringing the total caseload to 30,994,088, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said. Monday's tally fell from 10,188 cases a day earlier but is higher than 4,005 a week ago. The daily caseload s

April 17, 2023

New COVID-19 cases below 12,000 for 3rd day

South Korea's daily coronavirus caseload stayed under 12,000 for a third straight day on Saturday, with new deaths declining. The country reported 11,682 cases, including 25 imported cases, bringing the total caseload to 30,978,954, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said. Saturday's tally is up from 11,666 the previous day and 10,372 a week ago. The country added two COVID-19 deaths, raising the death toll to 34,368. The number of critically ill patients came to 114, down

April 15, 2023

[Exclusive] Foreign English teachers in Korea seek to launch first nationwide union

A group of foreign English teachers employed across the private academy industry are seeking to launch the first nationwide union to represent their rights, organizers told The Korea Herald. Most new foreign English teachers, as well as Korean parents and students, are unaware of the labor abuses rampant in the private academy industry, they said. Wage theft is among a list of common issues, they explained, referring to online posts of teachers claiming they have been forced to work more than th

April 14, 2023