Fu Bao experiencing ‘pseudopregnancy’ amid health concerns

Fu Bao, a beloved giant panda born in South Korea and now living in China, has entered the “pseudopregnancy” stage, according to the Chinese panda center, amid growing concerns about her health. The four-year-old Fu Bao has recently been seen displaying unusual behaviors, decreased appetite and lower activity levels since August in videos, sparking concerns from local fans that the panda may have health problems due to China’s extreme heat or that she may be mistreated in the c

Sept. 3, 2024

Foreign nannies start service with 'clarified guidelines'

A total of 100 Filipina domestic workers began providing services on Tuesday for 142 families across Seoul, following the introduction of detailed job guidelines designed to clarify their role, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government. The city government and the Ministry of Employment and Labor have been advancing a project to introduce foreign caregivers in response to the declining number of local domestic workers, amid an aging population and the rising costs of child care. The start o

Sept. 3, 2024

[Community Discovery] Yangcheon out to become Korea's top education, innovation hub

Yangcheon-gu, a densely populated residential area in southwestern Seoul, is home to Mok-dong, one of the city's largest hagwon districts. This area is known for its thriving private education industry, with many children aspiring to gain admission to prestigious colleges. According to district Mayor Lee Ki-jae, Yangcheon aims to expand its presence in the education sector by transforming into a comprehensive educational hub that caters to all learning needs, from toddlers to seniors. "

Sept. 3, 2024

Only 5.5% of online sex crime suspects detained

  Over 7,000 people were investigated for online sex crimes between 2021 and 2023, but only 5.5 percent of them were detained, police data showed Tuesday. A total of 9,864 such crimes occurred in that period, according to National Police Agency data submitted to Democratic Party Rep. Hwang Jung-a. A total of 3,295 of them were related to child pornography -- accounting for 43.8 percent -- followed by 2,415 cases involving illegally filmed content and 1,563 cases involving other illegal porn

Sept. 3, 2024

[Graphic News] 1 in 3 workers taking parental leave are dads

According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor, one in three workers who took parental leave in the first half of this year were fathers. From January to June, 69,631 workers began receiving parental leave benefits, excluding civil servants and teachers not enrolled in employment insurance. This represents a 3.2 percent increase from the same period last year, which had 67,465 recipients. By gender, 47,171 women (67.7 percent) took parental leave, a slight decrease of 1.8 percent from last

Sept. 3, 2024

Take the high road: Suspect on drugs drives to police station

South Korean police said Monday that a man in his 30s is being investigated for suspected drug use after he parked his car at a police station while apparently still under the influence of illegal drugs. The suspect was taken into custody by officers at Ilsan Dongbu Police Station in Gyeonggi Province on Saturday, after he parked his car in the handicapped zone of the station at around 5 p.m. He told the police official who approached him that he came to visit the traffic investigation unit, b

Sept. 2, 2024

S. Korea's rare red fox population grows to 120

Over 100 red foxes, once thought to be extinct in the wild, now thrive in South Korea, primarily around the Sobaeksan region in North Gyeongsang Province, following a decade-long reintroduction effort. According to the Korea National Park Service under the Environment Ministry on Monday, the estimated population of red foxes on the South Korean territory, as of September, was around 120, including 21 foxes born in the wild. This marks an increase from last year when the estimated number of red f

Sept. 2, 2024

Police launch preliminary probe into Telegram for allegedly abetting deepfake sex crimes

South Korea’s police officials have launched an initial investigation into Telegram, following allegations of "complicity, aiding and abetting" online sexual crimes involving deepfake technology. Woo Jong-soo, the head of the National Office of Investigation, told reporters Monday that the police have launched an unofficial and preliminary investigation into Telegram on suspicion of "complicity, aiding and abetting crimes involving deepfake pornography.” “Investi

Sept. 2, 2024

South Korean school administration goes digital

In a shift towards digitization, the traditional method of submitting a child's absence report by paper, a process familiar to countless South Korean parents, is soon to become a thing of the past. No longer will parents need to fold an absence note, and slip it into their child's backpack. Instead, parents will be able to submit these reports online, according to the Ministry of Education on Monday. Starting Monday, parents of elementary, middle and high school students across South K

Sept. 2, 2024

Hole-in-one insurance agent's license revoked for fraud

A South Korean court recently upheld the state financial watchdog's decision to revoke the license of an insurance salesperson, after he submitted a fraudulent receipt in order to receive benefits for his hole-in-one insurance subscription. The Seoul Administrative Court ruled against the insurance agent, who challenged the Financial Services Commission's decision to take away his license for insurance fraud. In November 2014, the plaintiff shot a hole in one at a local golf course th

Sept. 2, 2024

YouTuber who attacked Ive, BTS members denies defamation accusation

A 35-year-old YouTuber who posted multiple videos about top K-pop stars denied accusations of defamation in a court hearing Monday. The lawyer of the defendant, surnamed Park, told the Incheon District Court that she admits to making the videos but denies the charges of defamation and insult she had been indicted with. Park claimed that the relevant statements in her videos were a mere expression of her personal opinion, and that her actions does not constitute defamation as she truly believed

Sept. 2, 2024

Man dies in fire he started in 'gaming center' after apparently losing money

South Korean police said Monday they plan to forward to prosecutors the case of a suspected arson that occurred Sunday at a gaming center, which testimonies suggest was due to the suspect's anger after losing money. Officials will not request criminal charges against the suspect, as he perished in the fire that left four others injured and resulted in 12.4 million won ($9,250) of damage to the facility. The suspect, identified only as a Chinese national in his 60s, is believed to have set

Sept. 2, 2024

DDP lights up for annual media art festival

Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Jung-gu, central Seoul, is celebrating the return of fall with an annual media art festival that garnered over a million visitors last year. Seoul Light DDP, a media art festival jointly hosted and organized by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and Seoul Design Foundation, showcases media artworks by projecting them onto the 222-meter-long exterior of the city's landmark with spaceship-like architecture. This year’s festival, which runs through Sunday, celeb

Sept. 2, 2024

43% of Koreans aged 20-49 do not plan to have kids: survey

Nearly 43 percent of South Korean nationals between ages 20 and 49 do not plan to have children, though a substantial number of respondents said they would consider changing their minds if government policies and corporate support for it were significantly expanded, a survey showed. The Korean Peninsula Population Institute for Future on Sunday revealed the results of its survey of 2,000 Korean nationals, including singles and couples both with and without children. Some 42.6 percent said they h

Sept. 2, 2024

Mongolia hopes for summit with S. Korea: Mongolian presidential chief of staff

Mongolia hopes for a bilateral summit with South Korea with the leaders of the two countries paving the way to improve ties for the future, according to Gombojavyn Zandanshatar, Chief of Staff to the Mongolian President. During a breakfast meeting at the 2nd Korea-Mongolia Vision Strategy Forum, hosted by Herald Corp. — publisher of The Korea Herald and Herald Business — and the Ahnsei Foundation at the Novotel in Ulaanbaatar on Aug. 27, Zandanshatar stated, "We planned two su

Sept. 2, 2024

[Graphic News] Kyochon tops brand rankings for chicken franchises

Recent data from the Korea Fair Trade Commission showed that franchises had grown to account for over 70 percent of the local fried chicken market. According to a recent big data analysis by Rankify, Kyochon Chicken claimed the leading position in the brand index rankings for South Korean chicken franchises, earning 20,135 points. Goobne Chicken followed in second place with 11,110 points. BHC Chicken secured third place, with 60Gye Chicken in fourth and Norang Tongdak rounding out the top fiv

Sept. 2, 2024

1 dead, 4 injured in apparent arson at game hall

YEONGAM, South Korea -- One person died and four others were injured Sunday in an apparent act of arson at a game hall in the southwestern county of Yeongam, police and fire authorities said. The fire was put out 20 minutes after a report was filed at 1:29 p.m. but a Chinese national was found dead, they said. One of the four employees and visitors who suffered injuries was reportedly in a critical condition. A preliminary probe showed that the Chinese national allegedly started the fire and tha

Sept. 1, 2024

Man chases down thief who stole woman's bag as she was attempting suicide

While a woman was attempting to take her own life by jumping into the Han River in Seoul, a man stole her bag and fled the scene on a bicycle. Amid the chaotic chase that ensued, another man on a motorcycle chased the suspect down to assist the police in catching him. The Seoul police said recently that Mapo Police Station has awarded a man surnamed Lee a certificate of appreciation for his assistance in stopping the suspect from getting away on Aug. 18, after the suspect stole the bag of a woma

Sept. 1, 2024

Most EV chargers underground, lack overcharge prevention

Nearly 60 percent of all slow and rapid electric vehicle charging stations in South Korea are installed underground, with the majority being slow chargers lacking overcharge prevention systems -- a major fire risk. According to a report provided by the Environment Ministry to Rep. Lim Lee-ja of the People Power Party, 373,961 EV charging stations were installed nationwide as of July 2024. This marks the first time the ministry has fully assessed the total number of underground EV chargers. The s

Sept. 1, 2024

Ex-President Moon named suspect in bribery probe

Prosecutors have identified former President Moon Jae-in a suspect in a bribery case, alleging that his former son-in-law received preferential treatment in securing a job with an airline in return for arranging a key government appointment for the politician who founded the airline, according to legal sources on Sunday. The Criminal Division 3 of the Jeonju District Prosecutor’s Office is leading the investigation into Moon's potential involvement, as detailed in a search warrant e

Sept. 1, 2024