One in five foreigners staying in S. Korea illegally: data

Nearly one in five foreigners staying in South Korea are without a valid visa, latest government data shows. According to the Korea Immigration Service, as of July, a total of 395,068 foreigners were staying illegally, which is 19 percent of the country’s total foreigner population of over 2 million. The figure, which is up 4,665 from a year earlier, was the highest since September 2020, when the country estimated the illegal immigrant tally to be 396,728. The ratio of people overstaying t

Sept. 1, 2022

Typhoon Hinnamnor on its way

Typhoon Hinnamnor has grown into the strongest level typhoon, and is expected to pass by Jeju Island by early next week. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, Hinnamnor will reach 470 km south-southwest of the city of Seogwipo, Jeju, on Monday and be 180 km east-northeast of Seogwipo at 9 a.m. on Tuesday. Most of the route prediction models expect Hinnamnor to pass through the Korea Straits between South Korea and Japan, but some predict that it will strike South Jeolla Province

Sept. 1, 2022

S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases dip to 80,000s; deaths hit 4-month high

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases fell to the 80,000 range Thursday amid a moderate declining trend, though a sharp rise in the death toll called for a continued close watch over serious cases. The country reported 81,573 new COVID-19 infections, including 300 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 23,327,897, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The latest tally is down from Wednesday's 103,503 and 113,371 counted a week ago, marking a gradual slowdown of

Sept. 1, 2022

South Korea to appeal international tribunal’s order to pay Lone Star

South Korea plans to seek annulment of an international tribunal’s verdict to compensate Lone Star Funds in a decadelong investor-to-state dispute arbitration. According to the Ministry of Justice, the World Bank’s International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes has ruled that South Korea should pay damages of 280 billion won ($216 million). The amount is just 4.6 percent of the 6.1 trillion won sought by the US private equity fund plus interest. Justice Minister Han Do

Aug. 31, 2022

Police probe chat-room child sexual abuse ring

The police are investigating the online sexual exploitation of minors through chat rooms similar to those used in the "Nth Room" and “Baksa Room” incidents that caused public outrage two years ago. According to police Tuesday, the cybercrime investigation unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency is investigating a suspect on charges of violating of the law on protection of children against sex offenses. The police believe that the suspect coerced several minors to take

Aug. 31, 2022

Foreign workers arrested for drug smuggling amid narcotic crimes increase

Three foreign workers accused of smuggling drugs to Korea from Southeast Asia have been arrested, amid statistics that seem to show narcotic crimes on the rise. Busan Regional Customs said that it referred three foreign workers in their 30s to prosecutors on charges of smuggling the drugs, Wednesday. Two of them are suspected of smuggling a synthetic drug known as spice by hiding it inside packaged snacks from October to November last year, and the other is suspected of smuggling 100 pills of MD

Aug. 31, 2022

[Korea Quiz] (18) Religions in South Korea

Test your knowledge of Korea with our weekly quiz on the language, culture, history or anything K-related. -- Ed There is no state religion in South Korea and over half of Koreans profess no religion. But among those who are religious, the two largest groups are Christianity and Buddhism. According to a census conducted in 2015, 19.7 percent of the country’s population consider themselves Protestant Christians. Together with Roman Catholics, who make up another 7.9 percent of the pop

Aug. 31, 2022

S. Korea to lift pre-travel COVID-19 test requirement for inbound travelers this week

South Korea will lift its current pre-travel COVID-19 test requirement for inbound travelers later this week, an official said Wednesday, as the government believes the recent virus wave has passed its peak and the spread of omicron could slow down. The new rule that will take effect Saturday came after a state infectious disease advisory committee recommended the government lift the mandatory pre-travel polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests for inbound travelers. "All inbound travelers, wh

Aug. 31, 2022

[Newsmaker] Does Korea need a ‘loneliness minister’?

An empty fridge, a sink full of instant noodle packets, and notices for unpaid bills were what filled the home of a 50-something man in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, who was found dead on June 28. His passing added to the growing number of lonely deaths in South Korea, where nearly one-third of all households consist of a single person. Social isolation and loneliness are becoming severe issues in modern society, a problem that ails not just South Korea. In recent years, countries like the United Kingdom

Aug. 30, 2022

Students from multicultural families in Korea on the rise: study

A recent study showed the number of students from multicultural families has been increasing for 10 consecutive years, the Education Ministry said Tuesday. According to the study conducted by the Ministry of Education and the Korean Educational Development Institute shared Tuesday, the number of students from multicultural families increased by 5.4 percentage point, from 160,058 in 2021 to 168,645 this year. The number has been on a steady increase since the study was first conducted in 2012.

Aug. 30, 2022

S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases soar to over 115,000

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases rebounded to over 115,000 Tuesday after declining for a few days, due largely to fewer tests, as the virus trend continues at a steady pace. The country reported 115,638 new COVID-19 infections, including 380 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 23,142,479, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. Tuesday's tally is a jump from the previous day's 43,142, but is in the range of 100,000-150,000 reported last week, e

Aug. 30, 2022

S. Korea’s expert committee advises ending testing regulations for inbound travelers

South Korea’s advisory committee on infectious diseases, under the office of the prime minister, on Monday advised the government to lift COVID-19 testing regulations for inbound travelers. The committee’s announcement is fanning speculations that the government will lift the predeparture COVID-19 testing rule. The government’s decision is expected to be made this week. At present, all travelers to South Korea must submit the results of a polymerase chain reaction test tak

Aug. 29, 2022

S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases fall below 50,000; critically ill cases on the rise

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases fell below 50,000 on Monday, but the number of critically ill patients kept rising despite a slowing virus trend. The country reported 43,142 new COVID-19 infections, including 360 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 23,026,960, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. Monday's count is sharply down from 85,295 recorded the previous day. Daily cases tend to drop on Mondays due largely to fewer tests over the weekend.

Aug. 29, 2022

64.1% opposed to banning call recording: poll

About two-thirds of South Koreans are opposed to a proposed bill that bans the recording of phone calls without consent because such recordings can be used to protect themselves or for public good, such as whistleblowing, a survey showed Monday. A group of ruling People Power Party lawmakers, led by Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun, has proposed the bill that bans phone recordings without the consent of everyone taking part in the conversation. Those who breach the law can face up to 10 years in prison, acco

Aug. 29, 2022

Recording of phone calls: Should it be banned?

Kim Jin-ahn, a marketer at a cosmetics company in Seoul, finds his Samsung Galaxy smartphone’s built-in call recording feature very helpful, as his job entails numerous conversations on the phone.  “I receive many work-related calls, especially when I work from home. I listen to the recordings whenever I get confused about the tasks,” he said. Recording phone calls is not illegal in South Korea, if the person recording is a party to the conversation. Quite to the contra

Aug. 28, 2022

Govt. to introduce stronger health warnings on cigarette packaging

Cigarette manufacturers in South Korea will be required to strengthen health warnings on cigarette packaging starting in late December under a new government regulation, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said Sunday. The ministry plans to distribute the updated manual for labeling health warnings on cigarette packaging Monday, as a follow-up to the government's tobacco industry regulation revision passed in June. The new regulation is to take effect Dec. 23. The manual requires companies t

Aug. 28, 2022

S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases under 90,000, critical patients rise

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases dropped below 90,000 on Sunday, while the number of critically ill patients reached its highest level since late April. The country added 85,295 new COVID-19 infections, including 363 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 22,983,818, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. It marked a decline from 101,140 on Friday and 95,604 on Saturday. Daily cases fell as low as 59,028 on Monday but rebounded to above 100,000 throughout most of las

Aug. 28, 2022

[Newsmaker] Archbishop Lazzaro You Heung-sik to become S. Korea's fourth cardinal

VATICAN -- Archbishop Lazzaro You Heung-sik became the fourth South Korean cardinal in an appointment ceremony at the Vatican on Saturday. You, 70, was sworn in at St. Peter's Basilica at 4 p.m. as one of 20 new cardinals appointed by Pope Francis. The appointment was announced in May. He was also among 16 cardinal electors under 80 years old, who are eligible to vote for the next pontiff in a secret conclave. You became the fourth Korean cardinal after the late Cardinal Stephen Kim Sou-hwan, th

Aug. 27, 2022

[Photo News] Hangang night market revived

People are gathered around to enjoy a night time festival called Hangang Moon Light Market at the Han River's riverside park in Banpo district, Seocho-gu, Southern Seoul on Friday. The event, which has reopened after a nearly three-year hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic, will run on Fridays and Saturdays between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. for a total of 10 times from Aug. 26 to Oct. 29., except for Chuseok holiday season. Some 40 food trucks and another 60 booths are operated by individual ve

Aug. 27, 2022

Tried, punished and yet banned from cursing and drinking?

In May, a ruling by a Jeju court made headlines when it ordered the accused -- found guilty of threatening his subordinate -- not to curse and mistreat the victim, in addition to the suspended prison term he received. The man, a high-ranking official at a bus company, had been at odds with the plaintiff after the latter had joined the labor union and filed charges against him for assault. While judges hand out punishments in accordance with the law, there is a clause that allows them, or the p

Aug. 27, 2022