Citizens chase down jewelry thief, identify culprits

Multiple people in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, aided in bringing jewelry thieves to justice, according to local police, chasing one thief on foot and also identifying him and his accomplice. The National Police Agency on Friday posted a video of their recent arrest, in which two men who stole gold jewelry with an estimated value of 35.7 million won ($25,800) were arrested. In the video posted on the NPA's official YouTube page, a customer apparently took a gold necklace while pretending t

Oct. 28, 2024

Incheon Airport scraps 'celebrity' security lanes amid favoritism dispute

Incheon International Airport Corporation said Sunday it is retracting a much-disputed plan to provide designated security lanes for celebrities in order to prevent overcrowding by onlookers, after a backlash from the general public and lawmakers against preferential treatment for famous people. Officials at South Korea's main gateway said the airport will not be implementing the plan to permit celebrities to use security lanes such as those for flight crews, diplomats and disabled passen

Oct. 28, 2024

South Korean ID card to get redesign

South Korea’s resident identification card is due to get a fresh look. On Monday, the government announced a nationwide design competition to revamp the card, which was last redesigned in 1999. The competition, which will run from Nov. 18-28, will involve both professional designers and the general public. "Through this competition, we aim to actively solicit public input and incorporate expert ideas to create a new ID card design that represents South Korea," the Ministry of the

Oct. 28, 2024

'1 million' Christians join anti-LGBTQ+ marriage rally

As many as 1.1 million Christians in South Korea participated in a mass rally in Seoul on Sunday to oppose the legalization of same-sex marriage and legislation of an antidiscrimination ordinance that has been floating around for over a decade. One of the largest religious gatherings in the country's history occurred across the country's capital in Seoul Plaza, Gwanghwamun Square, Seoul Station and Yeouido, with organizers claiming some 1.1 million participants, while police have estim

Oct. 28, 2024

[Graphic News] Majority of postpartum centers in Seoul, Gyeonggi Province

More than half of South Korea’s postpartum care centers are concentrated in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province. The cost of these services has surged, with the highest prices reaching up to 17 million won ($12,600) in areas like Gangnam, Seoul. The price gap between regions has widened significantly, with Gangnam’s costs being more than ten times higher than in other areas. In Korea, new mothers typically spend around two weeks at a care center receiving medical attention and nutrition to

Oct. 28, 2024

Ticketing system error disrupts bus terminals across nation

A massive ticketing delay occurred at bus terminals across the nation Sunday due to malfunctioning of the T-money ticketing system, causing inconvenience for travelers. At 1:06 p.m., the system error occurred at the T-money smart ticketing network and lasted for about two hours, according to T-money, the operator of smart transportation cards. The malfunctioning caused halts in online ticketing at around 140 bus terminals across the nation, including the Seoul Express Bus Terminal in southern Se

Oct. 27, 2024

[Photo News] Rallying against LGBTQ+

A large crowd attends a rally organized by an ad hoc committee comprising the Communion of Churches in Korea and Protestant groups at Seoul Plaza on Sunday afternoon. The rally, which was against antidiscrimination legislation and the legalization of same-sex marriage, also convened at Gwanghwamun Square, Seoul Station and Yeouido. The organizers claim "over a million" participated in the rally across all locations while the police estimate was 120,000. (Yonhap)

Oct. 27, 2024

K-Respect campaign launches in US

The “K-Respect” campaign, launched by Seoul-based civic group Sunfull Foundation to promote respect for all cultures, has reached the United States, bringing Korean and US leaders together at two recent events. The first event, held at the Northern Illinois University in DeKalb on Oct. 18, saw the US university’s faculty members, officials and alums gather to mark the campaign’s first declaration in the US. Joan Phillips-Hernandez, dean of the NIU's College of Busi

Oct. 27, 2024

4 in 10 young South Koreans take up 'irregular' jobs: data

Young South Koreans entering the workforce increasingly find themselves taking on "irregular" jobs -- positions that fall outside traditional full-time employment, the latest government data shows. Four out of 10 workers aged 15-29, primarily first-time, entry-level job seekers, now hold irregular positions, marking the highest level since the government began tracking these statistics in 2003, Statistics Korea reported Sunday. Irregular employment encompasses a broad category of nonst

Oct. 27, 2024

Two years on, thousands mourn Itaewon tragedy, calling for accountability

Thousands of people, including grieving families, gathered Saturday at Seoul Plaza to commemorate the second anniversary of the Itaewon crowd crush, a tragedy that claimed 159 lives -- most of them young adults -- during Halloween celebrations on October 29, 2022. Organized by the 10.29 Itaewon Disaster Bereaved Families Committee and estimated to have drawn around 5,000 participants, the ceremony began at 6:34 p.m., the exact time of the first emergency call from Itaewon that night, hours befor

Oct. 27, 2024

Lee Jae-myung's push to bring junior doctors to talks falls short

Despite the main opposition’s bid to break the medical impasse, Saturday’s closed-door meeting between the Democratic Party of Korea leader and the junior doctors’ representative failed to secure key stakeholders' backing for a proposed four-way consultative body. The bipartisan consultative body, designed to bring together the Yoon administration, ruling and main opposition parties, and the medical community, has been touted as a possible tool for resolving the continue

Oct. 27, 2024

4 middle schoolers booked for producing deepfake porn of classmates

Four middle school students in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, have been booked by the police for producing, possessing and distributing deepfake pornography, according to Gyeonggi Bukbu Provincial Police Agency. Police officials confirmed on Saturday that two of the four individuals are suspected of using photos of their female classmates to create sexually explicit deepfake content since November 2023. The two students are additionally charged with possession of the deepfakes and sharing them wi

Oct. 27, 2024

[Exclusive] Korean adoptee sisters meet for the first time in 39 years

Incheon Airport witnessed a heartfelt reunion on Friday afternoon as Darragh Hannan and Jee Won Ha, sisters separated at birth and raised worlds apart, met face-to-face for the first time. The two, adopted as infants—Hannan in the US and Ha in Belgium—recently discovered their full sibling connection through a MyHeritage DNA test, sparking this life-changing encounter. Hannan, adopted in Minnesota shortly after her birth in 1986, grew up in a loving and supportive home. Ha, on the

Oct. 26, 2024

Civil servant’s death linked to workplace bullying

A 38-year-old civil servant, who died just two months after being hired, was found to have been bullied at the workplace by a superior, according to the findings of a provincial audit Thursday. The North Chungcheong Province audit office concluded that the deceased, identified only by the surname Kim, was subjected to an excessive workload and inappropriate treatment by his immediate superior at the Goesan Country Office. As a result, the provincial office requested the county office to enforce

Oct. 26, 2024

FT Island's Choi Min-hwan under investigation for allegedly soliciting prostitution

FT Island's Choi Min-hwan is under police investigation following allegations of soliciting prostitution, Friday. The Gangnam Police Station confirmed on Friday that it has launched an internal investigation into Choi on charges related to the Act on the Punishment of Arrangement of Commercial Sex Acts. The case began after a complaint was filed through the national petition platform. The allegations first came to light when Choi’s ex-wife, Yulhee, a former member of girl group La Bou

Oct. 25, 2024

Empowering women is vital to long-lasting peace: UN military adviser

What Tyson Nicholas of the Royal Australian Navy experienced in South Sudan in 2015 as part of the United Nations peacekeeping mission changed the course of his career and solidified his commitment to advancing gender equality in armed conflicts. In South Sudan, Nicholas witnessed firsthand the ways conflict disproportionately affects women and girls. “It was a moral injury,” he recalls, describing the emotional and ethical burden of seeing widespread sexual violence exploited during

Oct. 25, 2024

KMA chief demands money in exchange for dropping defamation suit against member

A dispute has emerged surrounding Lim Hyun-taek, chair of South Korea's largest doctors' association, that he had alleged requested to be paid by a member doctor as a settlement for dropping a defamation lawsuit. Local media outlets here reported that Korean Medical Association chief Lim had recently sought to file a defamation suit against the member, who had criticized him online. The member, who is public relations director of the Seoul Medical Association, sent Lim a written lett

Oct. 25, 2024

Gangnam real estate scammer sentenced to 20 years after defrauding 100 investors

A man who defrauded 100 investors of about 20 billion won ($14.4 million) by impersonating an investment adviser for the state-run housing developer and selling apartments in Seoul’s affluent Gangnam area was sentenced to 20 years in prison, slightly reduced, on Friday. The defendant, a man in his 40s identified only by his surname Seo, was sentenced to 20 years and 10 months in April, but the Seoul High Court cut the sentence by 10 months. The court noted that the defendant’s meth

Oct. 25, 2024

Korea's average salary $29,709, 87% less than top 1%: report

The average pretax annual salary in South Korea came to 41.23 million won ($29,709) last year, with the vast majority of high-paying jobs concentrated in the Seoul metropolitan area, highlighting the need to solve significant salary disparities between average and top earners, as well as between regions. According to data from the National Tax Service released by Rep. Ahn Do-geol of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea on Friday, the nation’s total number of salaried workers reach

Oct. 25, 2024

Nearly half of residents who resigned now reemployed at lower-tier clinics

Some 44.9 percent of the medical residents who resigned en masse to protest the government's medical school admissions hike have been rehired at other medical institutions, a Ministry of Health and Welfare data showed Thursday. Of the 9,163 residents who have walked of the job in the nationwide medical strike, 4,111 have been reemployed as doctors as of Sunday, according to the ministry data submitted to Rep. Kim Yoon of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea. The data showed that

Oct. 25, 2024