[Graphic News] S. Korea's tourism rebounds as foreigners return

South Korea is enjoying a significant tourism rebound, with visitor numbers in the first four months of 2024 reaching nearly 89 percent of pre-pandemic levels, according to the government’s tourism agency. From January to April, South Korea welcomed 4.866 million foreign visitors, marking an 86.9 percent increase from the same period last year. Tourists from Singapore and the United States led the recovery, surpassing pre-pandemic numbers by 54.7 percent and 19.5 percent, respectively. W

July 1, 2024

Landslides, power outages reported as heavy rain soaks S. Korea

Houses and roads were flooded Sunday as strong winds and heavy rain pounded the country, disrupting flights and passenger ships, and causing landslides and power outages in some areas, fire and provincial authorities said. Due to heavy rain that began Saturday, 18 domestic flights were canceled, and 13 domestic and international flights had been delayed at Jeju International Airport on the southern resort island of Jeju as of 10 a.m. Passenger ships connecting Incheon, west of Seoul, and nearby

June 30, 2024

Crackdown on drunk driving to begin in July

Ahead of the summer vacation season, the national police agency announced that it will conduct a special crackdown on drunk driving nationwide for two months starting Monday. The Korean National Police Agency will administer breath tests every Friday, and each municipal police agency will lead the crackdown at least twice a week. Crackdowns will also be carried out on a regular basis by region, according to the police. The crackdown is aimed at highlighting the need to eradicate drunk driving, p

June 30, 2024

Heavy rainfall soaks Korea as summer rainy season begins

South Korea on Sunday saw heavy rainfall across the country overnight, marking the start of the summer rain season. The government activated the first stage of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters and raised the heavy rain warning level from "concern" to "caution." The rain front, dumping strong rain mainly in the southern part of the country, moved further inland Sunday, causing rain to fall in most parts of the country, including Seoul, according to

June 30, 2024

One-third of new students at Korea’s ‘SKY’ universities are from Seoul

One-third of new students at Korea’s top three universities were found to come from high schools in the nation’s capital city, Seoul. According to Yonhap News reports citing the state-run Higher Education in Korea website on Sunday, among 13,141 entrants to Seoul National University, Yonsei University, and Korea University, 32 percent were from high schools in Seoul -- double the national average. By school, Seoul National University had the largest percentage of its students from Se

June 30, 2024

22 heat-related workplace deaths occurred in past 6 years: report

From 2018 to 2023, there had been 22 cases in which a heat-related death were officially recognized as workplace deaths, a report by a state-run agency showed Sunday. The Korea Workers Compensation and Welfare Service recently submitted statistics on industrial hazards related to diseases caused by high temperature, such as heat exhaustion. The report showed that there had been 147 of such cases in the past six years, 35 in 2018, 26 in 2019, 13 in 2020, 19 in 2021, 23 in 2022, and 31 in 2023.

June 30, 2024

Daegu stokes controversy over idolization of strongman Park

Last week, Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo alluded to details about plans to honor controversial former President Park Chung-hee in the city, saying the metropolitan government will build a 3-meter statue in the Dongdaegu Station Plaza and another 6-meter one at the Representative Library of Daegu. "I personally believe it should be smaller than statue of Adm. Yi Sun-sin in Seoul Gwanghwamun Plaza," the conservative mayor said in a press conference, referring to the 6.5-meter statue of the

June 30, 2024

Owner of illegal gambling business arrested, 110 investigated

An owner of a family-run pub suspected of providing illegal gambling has been arrested, police said Thursday, with 110 people suspected of operating the business or gambling there also being placed under investigation. The Jeonbuk Provincial Police Agency recently raided one of the poker-themed bars -- locally called a "hold 'em pub" -- in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, which is suspected of running a secret gambling business. The owner has been placed under arrest for possible

June 29, 2024

Delivery workers bewildered by new fees to enter apartment complex

Delivery workers in the Osong area of Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, are protesting a new apartment rule requiring them to pay a fee to access an underground parking area, which is the only way for delivery vehicles to enter the premises, according to local news reports Thursday. According to Yonhap News Agency, citing a delivery worker who reported the issue, the driver recently was notified of a change in the complex's administration rules meaning that delivery vehicles must regi

June 29, 2024

Matchmaking agency releases its 'standard model' of those who marry

South Korean matchmaking company Duo recently released a report on the men and women who got married through its services, including the average heights, incomes, academic backgrounds and other conditions of its members. The company analyzed the data of the 1,887 couples who got married between June 2022 and May 2024 after using its services, and compiled what it called "the standard model of men and women who succeeded in marriage." The couples got married on average of 14.8 months af

June 29, 2024

Over 80% of bank transactions occur online: data

About 83.2 percent of the bank services in South Korea involving withdrawals and deposits of bank accounts took place online in the first quarter of this year. According to the Economic Statistics System of the Bank of Korea, the percentage of online banking among the total number of financial transfers between accounts went up each quarter from 79.8 percent in the Q1 of 2023. It marked the highest figure ever. Online banking refers to the services available through a bank's homepage or mob

June 29, 2024

Busan seen entering phase of extinction: study

Busan, South Korea's second-largest city, appears to have entered a phase of extinction due to low birthrates and superaging population, becoming the nation's first metropolitan city to do so, said a research paper published on Friday. The paper from the Korea Employment Information Service estimated Busan's ratio of the population aged 65 or older at 23 percent as of March this year, making it the only metropolitan city to become a superaging society. The southeastern port city&#

June 29, 2024

[From the Scene] Soar over Seoul: First balloon ride ready to take off for aerial tour

On top of a grass field at Yeouido Park near Yeouido, western Seoul sits a large white balloon, with the city’s slogan “Seoul My Soul” written on it. However, this isn’t just any balloon. Also known as “Seouldal” -- “dal” meaning moon in Korean -- it is a tethered helium balloon ride that the Seoul Metropolitan Government hopes will become a new nightlife attraction offering views of the cityscape from high in the air. Seouldal is ready to take peo

June 28, 2024

Fatal fire at lithium battery plant exposes 5-year oversight lapse

Aricell, a lithium battery plant that recently experienced a fatal fire resulting in 23 deaths, had not undergone any government industrial safety inspections in the past five years, despite the hazardous nature of the materials it was using, according to the Ministry of Labor and Employment. Data obtained by Democratic Party lawmaker Park Hae-cheol from the Ministry of Labor and Employment confirms that no government industrial safety inspections or supervision had been conducted at Aricell in

June 28, 2024

Iconic public venues open for weddings

Picture this: Exchanging vows at the National Museum of Korea or the National Library of Korea. Or perhaps, saying "I do" surrounded by the breathtaking beauty of Seoraksan National Park. South Korean government announced Friday a plan to make these public venues available for weddings in the latter half of 2024. The cost? As little as free. In a move aimed at alleviating the financial burden on couples planning their wedding, the Cabinet on Wedensday endorsed this measure, adding 48

June 28, 2024

Daejeon city, queer group lock horns over pride festival

Local government authorities and LGBTQ+ campaigners are at odds over hosting the first pride festival in the Chungcheong region on July 6, with the two sides showing little signs of backing off. The organizing committee for this year's queer culture festival in Daejeon said Friday that it would host the event "as planned" under the theme "Love is you, we are here (unofficial translation)," noting that it has already reported to the Daejeon Metropolitan Police of its plan

June 28, 2024

Constitutional court strikes down family crime exemption clause

The Constitutional Court on Thursday struck down the “special exception" in the Criminal Law for relatives, which exempts property crimes committed by family members from punishment, citing that it infringes upon victims' rights to seek justice. National institutions such as the courts and prosecution can no longer apply Clause 1 under Article 328 of the Criminal Act starting Thursday. Clause 1 states that property crimes committed against immediate family members, including pare

June 28, 2024

Court dismisses damages suit by former broadcasting watchdog chief against YTN

A Seoul court on Friday dismissed a damages suit filed by Lee Dong-kwan, a former head of the state broadcasting watchdog, against local news channel YTN for covering allegations that his wife had received bribes in return for job favors. Lee, former chairman of the Korea Communications Commission, filed the suit after the news channel reported on allegations that his wife had received money in exchange for job favors in 2010 before returning it two months later. He claimed the news channel had

June 28, 2024

Authorities confirm identities of all 23 deceased in Hwaseong battery plant fire

HWASEONG -- Authorities said Thursday they have confirmed the identities of all 23 people killed in the fire at a lithium battery factory south of Seoul, three days after the blaze that took the lives of many foreign workers. Police received the DNA results of six more victims from the National Forensic Service, making the identification process for all 23 deceased individuals complete, the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police investigating the case said. The fire at the Aricell lithium battery pl

June 27, 2024

3 senior judges nominated as top court justices

Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae recommended Thursday three senior judges as candidates to replace three outgoing justices at the top court, court officials said. Cho picked Roh Kyung-pil, a senior judge at the Suwon High Court; Park Young-jae, a senior judge at the Seoul High Court; and Lee Sook-yeon, a judge at the Patent Court, and delivered the recommendation to President Yoon Suk Yeol, according to the Supreme Court. The appointment process will begin, including the parliamentary h

June 27, 2024