Agency raises caution on faulty weight-loss drugs

The state-run consumer protection agency said Thursday that it has received 203 complaints about weight-loss drugs since 2021, raising caution about using such medications. The number of requests for government intervention on consumer damages related to antiobesity medication has been on the rise, from 17 in 2021 to 44 in 2022, 85 in 2023 and 57 from January to June of this year, according to the Korea Consumer Agency. The number of such complaints in the first half of this year increased, comp

Aug. 22, 2024

Head-on collision of 2 vehicles in New Zealand kills 3 South Korean skiers

A head-on collision of vehicles on a New Zealand highway killed three South Korean skiers and seriously injured two other people, local police and South Korean sports officials said. The van and a four-wheel-drive vehicle were traveling in opposite directions before crashing at an intersection near the rural South Island town of Geraldine, the district’s police inspector Vicki Walker said. The collision Wednesday killed three of the van’s passengers and critically injured another p

Aug. 22, 2024

Diaspora journey of running for US Congress

More than 100 politicians of Korean descent from across the globe gathered in Seoul this week for the 10th Global Korean Politicians Forum to connect and discuss items on the agenda such as security, welfare and education. Among those is a name to watch in US politics: 40-year-old David Kim, a children’s court attorney and activist, who is currently running for Los Angeles’ 34th Congressional District. In a community brimming with the cultural vibrancy of Korean Americans, Kim stands

Aug. 22, 2024

S. Korea sees surge in bee stings

South Korea has seen a surge in bee stings as subtropical wasps, such as Asian hornets, have gotten more active due to high temperatures, according to the National Fire Agency on Thursday. According to the fire agency’s data, the number of cases where patients had to be transported to emergency services due to bee stings reached up to 2,583 over June to July in 2024. On average, the fire agency had seen up to 42 reports made daily regarding bee stings. There has also been a 35.9 percent in

Aug. 22, 2024

Celebrities on photo line: walk of shame or equal treatment?

Suga of BTS not showing up for his first round of police questioning Thursday reignited debates over whether high-profile figures are unfairly targeted by being made to face the media on the photo line when they are under investigation. The star of the mega-hit K-pop group faces accusations of driving an electric scooter under the influence earlier this month. Reports initially indicated that he would appear for questioning at Yongsan Police Station for the first time on Thursday, drawing dozens

Aug. 22, 2024

Harsher punishment sought for illegal driving of e-scooters, in light of related accidents

Lawmakers are seeking to impose stricter penalties for illegal operation of electric-powered scooters, on the coattails of safety concerns sparked by a series of accidents, including one involving K-pop superstar Suga. The controversy surrounding what are legally defined as electric-powered bicycles and electric kick scooters erupted earlier this month, when the BTS member was caught driving an e-scooter while under the influence of alcohol. The incident fueled ongoing concerns over the safety o

Aug. 22, 2024

Seoulites eat less fruit, more meat than decade ago: study

The eating habits of people living in Seoul have shifted towards consuming more meat, fewer vegetables and less fruit in the past decade, a study by the city-funded Seoul Institute showed Thursday. Seoul residents were eating 33.2 percent less fruit and 26.2 percent more meat in 2021 compared to in 2012, according to the study. Specifically, fruit consumption fell from 181.4 grams a day per person to 12.8 grams a day, while meat consumption rose from 110 grams per day per person to 149.1 grams a

Aug. 22, 2024

Seoul increases translations of local laws for growing foreign community

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Thursday that it is expanding translations of its local self-government laws, a crucial service for foreign nationals living, studying or working in the city, who now account for nearly 5 percent of the total population. Local self-government laws are sets of ordinances and regulations issued by local councils in addition to citywide laws. This initiative to provide local self-government laws in foreign languages began in 2010 during Mayor Oh Se-hoon&#

Aug. 22, 2024

Police probe pro-NK media founded by controversial pastor

Police have opened an investigation into a pro-North Korean online media outlet founded by Korean American pastor Choi Jae-young on suspicion of violating the National Security Act, officials said Thursday. Choi, who has made headlines for secretly filming himself handing over a luxury handbag gift to first lady Kim Keon Hee in 2022, reportedly participated in the creation of the media outlet in 2018. The Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency, 33 kilometers west of Seoul, has been investigating an

Aug. 22, 2024

Binggrae CEO indicted for beating police officer while drunk

The CEO of Binggrae Co., South Korea's major dairy maker, was indicted for assaulting a police officer under the influence of alcohol, judicial officials said Thursday. The Seoul Western District Prosecutors Office indicted Kim Dong-hwan, the oldest son of Kim Ho-youn, the former chairman of the food company, on charges of obstruction of official duties last week. Kim, 41, is accused of beating a police officer who arrived at the scene after a resident filed a complaint against him for kick

Aug. 22, 2024

Number of COVID-19 inpatients shows signs of abating

The number of patients hospitalized for COVID-19 showed signs of abating, health authorities said Thursday. Although the weekly number of COVID-19 inpatients grew last week, the growth rate of hospitalization plunged, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. The number of COVID-19 patients in 220 hospitals last week came to 1,444, up 5.7 percent from a week earlier, the KDCA said. That compared with 1,366 patients in the second week of this month, up 55.2 percent from a week

Aug. 22, 2024

[Graphic News] Number of registered dogs and cats up 7.6% in 2023: data

The number of registered dogs and cats in South Korea rose 7.6 percent on-year in 2023, data showed. The figure reached 3.28 million in 2023, up from 3.05 million the previous year, according to data compiled by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Dogs accounted for 3.24 million of the registrations, while cats made up approximately 40,000. In 2023, the number of newly registered dogs and cats came to 271,000, a decrease of 10.4 percent compared with the previous year. In Kore

Aug. 22, 2024

Number of heat-related patients nears 3,000 to second-highest level

Nearly 3,000 people have experienced heat-related illnesses this summer as scorching heat continues to plague South Korea, authorities said Wednesday. A total of 98 people were taken to emergency rooms due to heat-related illnesses on Tuesday alone, bringing the total number of such patients to 2,994 since May 20, when the government began monitoring such cases for the year, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. It is the second-largest tally ever, with the country report

Aug. 21, 2024

Another heat wave impact: Smelly tap water

This summer’s relentless heat wave isn’t just driving up temperatures – it’s also affecting tap water. On Tuesday, several cities in the Seoul metropolitan area, including Incheon and Anyang, and Gwacheon of Gyeonggi Province, issued public alerts following resident complaints about an unusual grassy odor coming from faucets. The culprit, officials said, is a widespread algae outbreak in the water reservoirs, triggered by months of scorching heat. The unpleasant smell com

Aug. 21, 2024

Civil defense drill to be held Thursday

The annual civil defense drill is take place across South Korea on Thursday, with an air-raid alarm sounding and traffic blocked on some roads. This year’s drill will last for 20 minutes starting at 2 p.m., the Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced. The drill, designed to help people living here be prepared for possible attacks, will begin with a one-minute air-raid alarm. Pedestrians will be guided to swiftly move to nearby safe basements or shelters. People's movements will

Aug. 21, 2024

Watch your fingers: Ministry revises safety infographic after pinching gesture complaints

The Ministry of Labor and Employment had to revise images in its public materials following complaints that one of the illustrations featured what some saw as a hand gesture associated with misandry, local media reported Wednesday. The illustration was part of a safety infographic shared via Kakao Talk messenger on Aug. 5 to alert the public about recent serious industrial accidents. It detailed the safety hazards leading to the fatal fall on Aug. 2 of a worker who had been fixing roofing materi

Aug. 21, 2024

Doctors angered by plan to require additional license to open practices

As the medical standoff extends over seven months, the government has been discussing mandating an additional license in order to open private hospitals, sparking fury among young doctors here, many of whom have walked off the job to protest the government's medical school quota hike. In line with the government's health care reform plan, the Health Ministry is reviewing introducing a so-called “practice license” in the future, arguing that a doctor's license alone can

Aug. 21, 2024

Rain to continue until Thursday after Typhoon Jongdari weakens

Though Typhoon Jongdari weakened to a tropical depression late Tuesday evening, the Korea Meteorological Administration said on Wednesday that rain will continue to fall, focusing on central regions of South Korea to Thursday. As of 9 p.m., Tuesday, Typhoon Jongdari weakened to a tropical depression 30 kilometers off the southeastern coast of Heuksando, South Jeolla Province, according to the KMA. The typhoon then passed by Seosan, South Chungcheong Province, at 3 a.m., before dissipating nearby

Aug. 21, 2024

Medical standoff puts Korea's COVID-19 response to test

South Korea's health system, which for years worked to shield the nation from the deadly threat of COVID-19, finds itself under renewed pressure from a virus resurgence amid the prolonged standoff between medical professionals and the government, putting its capacity to the test. The virus is likely to peak later this month at a time when the country's health care has for six months been stretched beyond its capacity, after intern and resident doctors resigned en masse in mid-February

Aug. 21, 2024

Prosecutors drop luxury bag charges against first lady

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office has decided to drop the anticorruption charges against first lady Kim Keon Hee, closing its investigation into allegations that she received a luxury Christian Dior handbag and other expensive gifts in exchange for favors. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office, which is in charge of the first lady's case, has recently decided not to press charges and report its decision to Prosecutor General Lee One-seok, according to legal circle

Aug. 21, 2024