Heavy rain, strong winds to lash Korea this weekend

Heavy rain, with strong winds of up to 25 meters per second, is expected over the weekend when Typhoon Pulasan passes near South Korea’s southern region on Saturday evening, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration on Friday. The state weather agency warned that heavy rain will be concentrated in the Greater Seoul area of Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province, the eastern coast of Gangwon Province, and Jeju Island, with some areas expected to receive up to 300 mm of rainfall by

Sept. 20, 2024

Police bust Vietnam-based phishing ring in W10b scam

Police have busted a Vietnam-based scam ring suspected of stealing more than 10 billion won ($7.5 million) through phishing schemes involving fake mobile wedding invitations and delivery notifications, officials said Friday. Last week, Korean and Vietnamese authorities apprehended seven individuals, six of whom -- including the leader -- have been extradited to Korea. The criminal ring is accused of stealing around 10 billion won, the largest amount recorded in such phishing scams, from 230 vict

Sept. 20, 2024

Popular AfreecaTV streamer arrested on drug charges

A popular AfreecaTV streamer, identified only by the surname Park, has been arrested and handed over to prosecutors on drug abuse charges, according to police Friday. The Gangnam Police Station in Seoul said Park's case was transferred to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office on Friday morning on charges of using illegal drugs. The court issued an arrest warrant, citing the possibility Park might flee. Park, 35, is accused of consuming drugs, including ketamine, on several oc

Sept. 20, 2024

US military personnel booked for beating taxi driver over fare dispute

A US soldier has been booked for assaulting a taxi driver in Dongducheon, Gyeonggi Province, local media reported Thursday. The US soldier -- a man in his 20s -- is being investigated for causing injuries to the driver while they were arguing about the taxi fare on Sept. 1, Dongducheon Police Station told local media Thursday. The soldier was charged 77,000 won ($58) for traveling from Seoul's Hongdae neighborhood to the city at around 8 a.m. He attacked the driver in his 70s on a sidewalk,

Sept. 20, 2024

Formation of four-way consultative body to discuss quota hike faces tough road

Eyes are on whether the much-anticipated four-way consultative body comprising the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, opposition parties and the medical circle will convene as the health care standoff continues following the Chuseok holiday. Amid the medical stalemate, Second Vice Health Minister Park Min-soo said during Friday's government response meeting that the door to talks is open. He stressed that the government is "ready to engage in discussions with an open mind" if the medic

Sept. 20, 2024

3 suspects apprehended for selling celebrity deepfake porn: police

Three suspects are accused of selling sexually explicit deepfake images and videos of over 20 South Korean celebrities, including minors, through Telegram, according to Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency on Friday. Police officials announced two suspects were arrested and one was apprehended without arrest Thursday in violation of the Juvenile Protection Act and the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes. The police said the three suspects were in their 20s and were

Sept. 20, 2024

Car crashes into restaurant; 1 dead, 5 injured

One person died and five others were injured after a car sped into a restaurant in eastern Seoul. The vehicle, driven by a 70-something driver, sped into the restaurant on the first floor of a building in Mia-dong, Gangbuk-gu, at 10:32 a.m. Friday. The car reportedly ran over a metal fence near a bus station and hit a tree on a sidewalk before crashing into the restaurant and coming to a stop. A pedestrian was found in cardiac arrest at the scene and moved to a hospital but was later pronounced

Sept. 20, 2024

Busan police scrap 281 blades amid full-on sword inspection

A monthlong inspection, prompted by a murder by a sword-wielding man two months ago in Seoul, has led to the scrapping of over 280 swords in Busan. According to the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency on Friday, a review was completed of 85 percent, or 2,979, of the 3,482 swords registered for individual possession in Busan as of earlier this month. Of the inspected swords, permits for 549 items were revoked. Among these, 281 swords were retrieved and disposed of due to abandonment of ownership and

Sept. 20, 2024

Nearly half of Koreans working abroad opt to return home: report

Nearly half of South Koreans who secured employment abroad through government programs have chosen to return home, with low job security and insufficient wages cited as the top two factors for their dissatisfaction. Of the 6,715 Koreans who secured overseas jobs with government assistance between 2018 and 2023, 46.6 percent -- totaling 3,129 individuals -- have since returned to South Korea, according to data released Friday by Representative Kang Deuk-gu of the Democratic Party of Korea, based

Sept. 20, 2024

Woman collecting cardboard killed in traffic accident

An elderly recycling collector was killed in a car accident in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, on Friday. According to the police, the victim – a woman in her 60s – was hit by a vehicle while she was pulling a cart of cardboard along the road at about 4:55 a.m. Paramedics took the victim to the hospital, but she did not survive. The driver – a man in his 70s – has been booked for manslaughter. The driver tested negative for alcohol, and the police plan to investigate the incid

Sept. 20, 2024

3.9 magnitude earthquake hits northwestern N. Korea: KMA

A 3.9 magnitude earthquake struck North Korea's northwestern province bordering China on Thursday, which is believed to be a natural one, the South Korean weather agency said. The quake struck an area 7 kilometers northeast-east of Ryongrim in Jagang Province, at 7:41 p.m., according to the Korea Meteorological Administration. The epicenter was at a latitude of 40.54 degrees north and a longitude of 126.75 degrees east, the KMA said. The quake is believed to have occurred naturally, it adde

Sept. 19, 2024

Number of ER patients drops 32% during Chuseok holiday

The number of patients who visited hospital emergency rooms dropped 32 percent during the Chuseok holiday, the health ministry said Thursday, assessing that there were no major disruptions in emergency care. A prolonged walkout by trainee doctors had fueled concerns about potential disruptions at hospital emergency rooms during the holiday, prompting the government to ask patients with mild illnesses to visit community hospitals. The average number of patients who visited emergency rooms stood a

Sept. 19, 2024

Yoo Ah-in cleared of sexual assault allegation due to lack of evidence

Charges have been dropped and the case closed against actor Yoo Ah-in for alleged sexual assault, due to insufficient evidence, local police said Thursday. Seoul Yongsan Police Station decided not to transfer the case to the prosecution. The police had begun an investigation on July 15 after the 38-year-old actor was accused of sexually assaulting a man in his 30s in an officetel flat in the district. The police had questioned the plaintiff and Yoo, but stated they could not find sufficient evid

Sept. 19, 2024

Average of 127 children, disabled and dementia patients reported missing daily

An average of 127 missing persons reports involving children are filed each day in Korea, government data showed Thursday. The data also reveal that more than 70,000 adults disappear every year, with over 1,000 of them being found dead. According to data from the National Police Agency, submitted to Rep. Han Byung-do of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, 73,423 children under the age of 18 were reported missing from 2021 to 2023. In the same period, 23,950 people with intellectual, a

Sept. 19, 2024

Heavy rain to fall nationwide over weekend, but warmer fall expected

Rainfall reaching up to 250 millimeters will fall nationwide from Friday afternoon, bringing an end to the prolonged summer weather in South Korea, said the Korea Meteorological Administration on Thursday. The atmosphere above the Korean Peninsula was covered by the Tibetan and North Pacific high-pressure systems, resulting in unprecedented heat waves and tropical nights during Chuseok, Korea’s traditional mid-autumn festival to wish for a good harvest. According to the KMA, the continued

Sept. 19, 2024

Korean hospitals get cancer recognition, but Seoul dominates

Hospitals in South Korea, recognized among the world's best, are predominantly concentrated in the Seoul metropolitan area, showing a significant disparity in healthcare accessibility and quality between the capital area and the rest. According to Newsweek's World's Best Specialized Hospitals 2025 rankings, seven South Korean medical institutions have secured spots in the top 100 for cancer treatment or oncology, which is a subspecialty of medicine dedicated to the investigation,

Sept. 19, 2024

Digital system helps victims access information on cases

The Ministry of Justice announced Thursday the official launch of an electronic system that offers victims of criminal cases and authorities investigating the cases unlimited access to case information. This digitalized criminal procedure system allows efficient viewing of the case details and ensures confidentiality and operational efficiency, according to the Justice Ministry. Through this online portal, named "Next-Generation Korea Information System of Criminal Justice Service," in

Sept. 19, 2024

Man signaling car breakdown run over by distracted driver

The South Korean police said Thursday that a man, who had been signaling to other drivers to go around his car after it broke down in a tunnel, was run over and killed by another driver who was temporarily distracted and did not see him. Officials are investigating a 20-something-year-old man for causing the accident at 4 a.m. on Wednesday, which fatally injured a man in his 40s, whose car had broken down. The younger man told investigators that he had been occupied with his smartphone's

Sept. 19, 2024

CEOs of beleaguered TMON, WeMakePrice questioned over massive payment delays

Prosecutors questioned the CEOs of e-commerce affiliates TMON and WeMakePrice on Thursday as part of an investigation over massive payment delays to vendors on their platforms. TMON CEO Ryu Kwang-jin and WeMakePrice CEO Ryu Hwa-hyun appeared at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office for questioning on suspicions of embezzlement, fraud and other illegal acts. In late July, the e-commerce platforms owned by Singapore-based Qoo10 filed for court receivership due to liquidity problems that re

Sept. 19, 2024

[Graphic News] Soaring rent in Seoul’s university areas strains students

Rampant rental deposit fraud and high loan interest rates are driving university students to opt for paying monthly rent instead of lumpsum “jeonse” deposits for leased housing. However, with a surge in the monthly rent due to limited property availability in university areas and more demand, students are facing significant financial pressure. As of July 2024, real estate big data from Dabang shows the average monthly rent in major university areas in Seoul has risen to 608,000 won

Sept. 19, 2024