Ex-vice finance minister to lead environment ministry

Kim Wan-sup, the Environment Minister nominee, is a bureaucrat who served as the second vice minister of the Finance Ministry last year. On nominating Kim, Presidential Chief of Staff Chung Jin-suk said that Kim has a “better understanding of the Yoon administration’s state philosophy than anyone else.” “The current administration expects Kim will be able to carry out balanced policies, especially given the growing impact of environmental issues on the economy, such as co

July 4, 2024

Court rejects arrest warrant for driver of fatal crash

A district court on Thursday turned down police's request for an arrest warrant against the driver of the deadly car accident in central Seoul late Monday that killed nine people and left seven injured. Namdaemun Police Station investigating the car crash said Thursday that the Seoul Central District Court dismissed the request to arrest the 68-year-old driver surnamed Cha, citing the low risk for the man not appearing for police questioning. It was also difficult to assert the necessity of

July 4, 2024

Anger sparked online over comments allegedly mocking car crash victims

With the shock of Monday night's deadly car crash in central Seoul still fresh, a photo circulating online with two handwritten notes left at the site in yellow circles has sparked anger. As of Thursday, a photo of two handwritten notes some deemed derisive of the deceased has been posted on social media and various online forums. Nine people were killed and four were injured by a speeding sedan near City Hall in central Seoul, with the cause of the crash still under investigation. "

July 4, 2024

Veteran curator named state museum director

A longtime curator with a career spanning close to two decades at the National Museum of Korea has been tapped to lead the state-run museum with the largest collection in the country. Kim Jae-hong was an NMK curator from 1993 to 2012. He left the museum following a five-month directorship at the Chuncheon National Museum -- one of 13 regional museums under the NMK. Since September 2012, the 59-year-old Kim, who has a Ph.D. in Korean history from Seoul National University, has been a Korean histo

July 4, 2024

Around 2,500 Koreans receive over 365 outpatient treatments a year: data

Approximately 2,500 Koreans, mostly elderly people, received more than 365 outpatient treatments a year over the past few years, data showed Thursday. The Ministry of Health and Welfare data, obtained by the minor Rebuilding Korea Party Rep. Kim Sun-min, revealed that the number of patients who made more than 365 outpatient visits a year was 2,561 in 2021, 2,488 in 2022 and 2,448 in 2023. In each of these years, more than half of them were aged 70 or older. In 2023, for example, the highest nu

July 4, 2024

Man sets fire to casino hotel after losing money

A man in his 50s is being investigated for arson after he set his hotel room on fire at the Kangwon Land Casino report in Gangwon Province, local police said Thursday. The suspect identified as a Chinese national told police that he set the fire because he was angry after losing a lot of money at the casino, according to the Jeongseon Police Station. He is suspected of starting the fire in his 14th-floor room of the hotel at around 2:31 a.m. on Thursday, and fleeing the scene. Hotel sprinklers e

July 4, 2024

Bullet found in flight attendant's luggage

A round of live ammunition was found inside the carry-on luggage of a Korean Air flight attendant at Incheon Airport earlier this week, leading to an investigation by airport police, officials said Thursday. According to the Incheon International Airport Police Corps, airport officials discovered the 7.62 mm caliber bullet inside a flight attendant's bag during preboarding inspection on 7:30 a.m. en route to Bangkok on Tuesday. Police seized the bullet and had her take the flight as sched

July 4, 2024

Patients' advocacy groups call on doctors to end walkout

Members of more than 90 patient advocacy groups staged a rally in central Seoul on Thursday, calling for doctors to end the ongoing walkout that has disrupted public health services for nearly five months. The protest, including members from the Korea Alliance of Patients Organization and the Korean Organization for Rare Diseases, came as trainee doctors have left their worksites since late February, causing disruptions in major hospitals, including cancellations and delays in surgeries. "U

July 4, 2024

[Graphic News] 9 in 10 S. Koreans agree country is facing climate crisis: survey

A recent online survey conducted by the Korea Meteorological Administration reveals that 90 percent of South Korean nationals agree the country is facing a climate crisis. The survey of 1,706 respondents found that 90.1 percent agree they are experiencing the effects of climate change, with 43.7 percent “strongly agreeing.” When asked which weather phenomena seem the most affected by climate change, 53.8 percent of respondents cited heat waves as their primary concern, followed by

July 4, 2024

Taxi crashes into hospital in central Seoul, injuring 2

A taxi crashed into a hospital in central Seoul on Wednesday, injuring three pedestrians, police said. The vehicle driven by a man in his 60s plowed into the emergency ward of the National Medical Center in the central district of Jung at 5:15 p.m., leaving three pedestrians injured, one seriously. The other two sustained minor injuries. The taxi also bumped into four other vehicles and damaged parts of the tiled wall of the emergency ward. The driver was almost unscathed and not under the influ

July 3, 2024

Main opposition floats 10-year mandatory service for junior doctors

South Korea’s main opposition party has proposed a bill that would mandate the establishment of state-run public medical schools, where students would be required to provide 10 years of compulsory medical service upon graduation, lawmakers said Wednesday. The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea's move comes amid the ongoing mass walkout by some 12,000 trainee doctors since late February, in protest of the government's plan to increase the country’s medical school enro

July 3, 2024

Basketball star's messy dispute with ex-girlfriend continues

A former girlfriend of South Korean basketball star Heo Ung was reported to have hired a lawyer in response to him filing complaints against her, accusing Heo of spreading false rumors. Local daily Sports Kyunghyang on Tuesday reported that the woman has hired attorney Noh Jeon-oen to represent her for what she claimed were false claims about her made by Heo. Contrary to what Heo has said, she contends the 30-year-old star never intended to marry her and forced her into two abortions, as well as

July 3, 2024

Dead marine's mother petitions to punish commanders

The mother of late Cpl. Chae Su-geun, who was killed during a search mission in a stream for victims of record downpours last year, submitted a petition to the police calling for the punishment of his commanders. According to the bereaved family of the deceased marine, the mother holds the commanders responsible for her son's death while on duty. She reportedly requested police to investigate why Chae had not been wearing a life vest or other safety gear during the mission, and had been t

July 3, 2024

Support for borderline intelligent people introduced

South Korea unveiled measures to tackle the welfare blind spots of people with borderline intellectual functioning on Wednesday, the government's first comprehensive plan to support the group, who are estimated to make up 13.59 percent of the total population. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Lee Ju-ho addressed the importance of identifying people with borderline intellectual abilities at the sixth Social Affairs Ministers' Meeting at Government Complex Seoul. He pointe

July 3, 2024

Mobile ID cards to become available for Korean nationals overseas

Mobile identification cards for South Korean nationals with permanent residency overseas were to start being issued Wednesday to help them use domestic administrative services that require personal identification, the Ministry of Interior and Safety said the same day. The ministry hosted a meeting Wednesday regarding the new service with the Presidential Committee on the Digital Platform Government, the Overseas Korean Agency and Korean nationals living overseas to officially launch the mobile

July 3, 2024

Driver in fatal crash was speeding from hotel: police

Namdaemun police investigating the deadly car crash that killed nine people on Monday evening said Wednesday that the vehicle began speeding from a hotel entrance after exiting its underground parking lot. In an initial analysis of an event data recorder -- a device installed in vehicles that records technical vehicle and occupant information for a brief period before, during and after a crash -- the police were said to have found that the driver was driving at high speed after leaving a hotel n

July 3, 2024

Mother cleared of baby-selling charge, despite getting paid

A South Korean court on Tuesday found a 45-year-old woman not guilty of selling her baby, saying the 1 million won ($720) she received from the couple who took the child does not appear to the payment for the girl. Incheon District Court cleared the baby-selling charge for the woman and the couple who took the baby. The three were indicted on charge of trading the baby born on Nov. 7, 2016, which is banned by Article 17-1 of the Child Welfare Act and punishable by up to 10 years in prison. The b

July 3, 2024

[Community Discovery] From fashion mecca to robotics hub: Gangnam-gu's new ambition

Gangnam-gu, a Seoul district famous for its luxury fashion, affluent neighborhoods, and Psy's "Gangnam Style," is now aiming to become a testbed for the robotics industry. The ward office said a robot cluster will be built in Suseo, in the southeastern part of the district, to provide testing grounds and nurture related industries. The robot testing grounds, known as Robot Plus Test Field, will span over 1,350 square meters and is set to open in July, according to the office. &ldq

July 3, 2024

Forum addresses paths to healthy aging

In search of solutions to achieve healthy aging as countries around the globe are set to join the "super-aged" club, the 2024 Health Ageing Forum on Tuesday shed light on the value of disease prevention to increase the number of years lived in good health. The forum, hosted by the British Embassy in Seoul and GSK Korea, was attended by health care experts, scholars and business representatives from Korea and overseas. In his opening remarks, British Ambassador Colin Crooks underscored

July 3, 2024

Senior doctors at Asan Medical Center to reduce procedures, outpatient care from Thursday

Senior doctors at Asan Medical Center, one of the five biggest hospitals in Seoul, said Wednesday they will cut procedures and outpatient care starting Thursday, blaming the government for causing disruptions in public health services in the wake of medical reform. Medical professors at the University of Ulsan, who serve as senior doctors at Asan Medical Center because the hospital is affiliated with the university, said the move is aimed at focusing on treatments for critically ill patients and

July 3, 2024