Korea to mandate better disclosure of veterinary fees

Veterinary clinics will be required to disclose information on the cost of a wider range of treatments starting next year. After pet owners in Korea have complained about unexpectedly hefty bills from vet visits due to a lack of transparency, clinics have been required since January to disclose the costs of 12 veterinary services. This requirement will be expanded to 20 services starting Jan. 1 of next year, the government announced on Thursday. The eight new additions include computed tomograph

Sept. 5, 2024

[Graphic News] Number of foreign nationals entering Korea to study exceeds 200,000

The time high in the first half of this year, exceeding 200,000. According to the Korea Tourism Organization, 204,000 people visited for such purposes — a 50.6 percent increase from the same period last year. This growth is largely attributed to global interest in Korean culture, with visitors from China leading the way at 112,724 (55.2 percent). Other top countries include Vietnam, Japan, Mongolia and Uzbekistan. Experts credit the surge to the worldwide popularity of Korean music, film

Sept. 5, 2024

Workload and low wages push more young police officers and fire fighters to quit

A growing number of young police officers and firefighters in South Korea are quitting their jobs, citing heavy workloads and low wages, data showed Wednesday. According to data from the National Police Agency submitted to Rep. Shin Jung-hoon of the Democratic Party of Korea, the number of police officers with less than ten years of service who resigned voluntarily nearly doubled from 155 in 2022 to 301 last year. Similarly, 125 firefighters with less than ten years of service resigned last year

Sept. 4, 2024

IWIK head attends ESG forum in Bhutan

The International World in Korea said Wednesday that its president, Kim Ah-sol, visited the kingdom of Bhutan at the invitation of the Korea-Bhutan Friendship Association, a nonprofit organization authorized by Bhutan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs to promote cultural exchanges between the two nations. Kim's visit was part of the 2024 Bhutan ESG Forum Tour, hosted by the Korea-Bhutan Friendship Association, from Aug. 27 to Monday. On the second day of the tour, Kim visited the National

Sept. 4, 2024

Stigma, criticism follow deepfake victims

As hundreds of reports have been recently made to police regarding the distribution and creation of sexually explicit deepfake images and videos, calls for increased protection and stronger punishment of perpetrators are being raised in South Korea. According to the Korean National Police Agency, authorities have seen a giant surge in the number of reports made by victims of deepfake pornography since it declared a seven-month crackdown on digital sex crimes from Aug. 27 to March 31, 2025. As of

Sept. 4, 2024

Stress and unhealthy stress relief fan cancer prevalence in Korea

High stress and subsequent unhealthy eating habits are key factors contributing to the surge in cancer diagnoses in South Korea, according to Kim Eui-shin, a leading cancer specialist. He also noted that the country’s negative perception of cancer is a major hurdle in its fight against the disease. In a recent appearance on the YouTube channel “Jisik Hansang,” Kim identified stress as a significant cancer risk factor. “Korean society is very competitive, and there is no s

Sept. 4, 2024

More ERs cut nighttime operations during Chuseok

More emergency departments are suspending nighttime operations or providing services during the upcoming Chuseok holiday due to severe workforce shortages, despite efforts to recruit additional staff and the deployment of military physicians to mitigate disruptions. Ajou University Hospital in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, notified patients that it would only admit patients needing around-the-clock cardiopulmonary resuscitation or those in severe conditions from 7 a.m. every Thursday to 7 a.m. the

Sept. 4, 2024

Illegal immigration starts to fall from last year's record high

Among foreign nationals in South Korea, approximately 1 in 6 -- 15.8 percent -- is here illegally, according to government data from the end of June. Out of the country's total foreign population of 2.61 million -- including tourists and other nonresidents --- 414,730 are in the country without permission, according to Justice Ministry statistics for June. That is down from the record high of 430,389 in October last year. The proportion is also down from 20 percent at the end of 2021, as th

Sept. 4, 2024

1 out of 3 households in Gyeonggi live alone

A full 31.2 percent of the 5.5 million total households in Gyeonggi Province consist of just one person as of last November, a report by the regional government showed Wednesday. As of November 2023, there were a total of 1.71 million single-person households in the province, up from 1.63 million the previous year. A full 21.9 percent of all single-person households nationwide are in Gyeonggi. South Korea's most populous province, Gyeonggi has a population of 13.67 million as of August 2024

Sept. 4, 2024

Number of foreign students in Korea hits record high

The number of foreign students enrolled in South Korean universities exceeded 200,000 this year, stepping closer to the government's goal of attracting 300,000 by 2028. The number of international students enrolled at colleges in 2024 is 208,962, a 25 percent increase from 2022, the year before the plan was implemented, according to the education ministry at a briefing on its Study Korea 300K Project. It follows separate Justice Ministry data, which measures by visa rather than enrollment,

Sept. 4, 2024

First responders' request to locate ERs doubles amid medical strike

As South Korea suffers from the prolonged disruption of medical services across the country, government data showed Wednesday that rescue workers' requests for ERs have more than doubled this year compared to the same period last year. From February to June 25, 119 emergency control centers have selected hospitals for emergency patients on 1,196 occasions, according to the National Fire Agency. This marks an increase of 131 percent compared to 519 such cases in the same period last year.

Sept. 4, 2024

Gyeonggi's unionized bus drivers call off planned strike after wage deal

A powerful union of bus drivers in Gyeonggi Province, which surrounds Seoul, called off a strike planned for Wednesday after reaching a last-minute wage hike agreement with their employers before dawn. The union, which has about 90 percent of city and intercity bus drivers in the nation's most populous province under its wing, and representatives of the province's bus company owners agreed to a 7 percent wage increase around 3 a.m. Wednesday after marathon negotiations that began at 3

Sept. 4, 2024

[Graphic News] Nearly 60% of Koreans see AI's benefits outweighing risks

A recent survey conducted by South Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT found that 57 percent of South Korean nationals believe the benefits of artificial intelligence technology surpass its risks. Additionally, 23.7 percent of respondents felt that the risks and benefits were roughly equal, while 19.1 percent expressed concern that the potential risks outweighed the benefits. When asked about AI’s advantages, 30.6 percent of respondents highlighted “improved convenience in da

Sept. 4, 2024

Mother of abuse victim thanks perpetrators, urges no punishment

The mother of a 17-year-old girl who died from severe abuse by church members said she was "thankful" to the perpetrators, reiterating that she did not want them to be punished. The 52-year-old woman testified in a court hearing held at Incheon District Court on Monday and stated that there was no coercion from the defendants for the child to be sent to the church. A 52-year-old leader of an Incheon church choir and two other members are currently being tried on allegations of child

Sept. 3, 2024

Bus drivers urge passengers to give up seats for pregnant women

Stories of bus drivers encouraging passengers to give up seats for pregnant women have been circulating online, most recently with a woman's compliment posted on the Seoul Bus Labor Union website on Monday. A woman who identified herself as 12 weeks pregnant said she got on a Seoul bus No. 440 at around 6 p.m. on Monday with no real hopes of getting a seat during rush hour. But when the driver saw her pregnancy badge, he asked the passengers sitting in the priority zones to give up their se

Sept. 3, 2024

Incheon airport to prevent 'excessive private security' for celebrities

Incheon Airport will introduce a new manual on dealing with private security personnel employed by celebrities, in light of the recent controversy surrounding what was alleged to be excessive security measures for actor Byeon Woo-seok. The manual will detail proper responses for when the terminals get crowded due to high-profile personnel leaving or arriving at the airport, according to the Incheon International Airport Corp. report submitted to Rep. Jeon Yong-gi of the main opposition Democrati

Sept. 3, 2024

Adult-only gaming arcades mushrooming in rural Korea

The number of adult-only gaming centers and internet cafes, known here as “PC bangs,” has seen a rapid increase in rural areas where agriculture and fishing are prevalent, data showed Tuesday. According to data provided by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, a total of 278 establishments received business permits to operate as adult-only gaming halls last year across the country, up from 215 in 2022. Of the total, Gyeonggi Province had the highest number with 52 newly licensed

Sept. 3, 2024

What's really going on in ERs?

Last month, 33-year-old office worker Kim A-young experienced a nightmare when a first responder refused to take her to the emergency room despite her severe stomach pain. "I was informed that ERs at university hospitals wouldn't accept patients with stomach pain, which was later diagnosed as acute appendicitis," she said. "I was taken to a nearby community hospital but couldn't have the surgery immediately. Although the doctor indicated that my case was severe, I had to

Sept. 3, 2024

Seoul opens first dog-friendly campground

Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on Tuesday that it would open a dog-friendly campground for dog owners at Noeul Park in Mapo-gu, western Seoul, as part of the city government’s initiative to establish a pet-friendly culture in the city. The city government will operate a trial run of its new service after taking reservations from 64 groups starting Wednesday at 3 p.m. After monitoring the trial run, the city government will officially begin running the dog-friendly camping sites fr

Sept. 3, 2024

Yoo Ah-in sentenced to one year in prison for drug abuse

Actor Yoo Ah-in was sentenced to one year in prison by the Seoul Central District Court on Tuesday for repeated drug use. The court ordered Yoo's immediate detention after handing down the sentence, which included a one-year prison term, a 2 million won fine ($1,489) and a surcharge of 1.54 million won. Yoo was ordered to pay a surcharge for the value of items obtained illegally. "Prescription narcotics, like propofol, are tightly controlled because of their potential for dependence an

Sept. 3, 2024