Autopsy confirms man beaten to death, allegedly by wife, daughter

An autopsy has confirmed that a man in his 50s was beaten to death, with local police suspecting the perpetrators to be the man's wife and teenage daughter. The National Forensic Service conducted an autopsy on the victim on Saturday and submitted its opinion on the victim's cause of death, according to Yangju Police Station in Gyeonggi Province. The NFS will perform toxicology tests on the victim to check for drugs, the results of which will take another two to three weeks. The vict

May 13, 2024

Woman jailed for swindling multiple men in romance scam

A South Korean woman has been sentenced by a court to three years in prison for swindling 670 million won ($490,000) from three male victims by pretending to be in a romantic relationship with them, although investigators believe there may be more victims. The defendant was found guilty of fraud by the Ulsan District Court, officials said Monday. She was accused of extorting money from three male victims, each in their 30s, 40s and 50s, from September of 2018 to October 2023, while posing as a

May 13, 2024

Seoul fires civil servant for poor performance for first time

The concept of the "iron rice bowl" -- a Korean term signifying lifetime job security for civil servants -- appears to be cracking, as the Seoul government fired an employee on the basis of poor performance for the first time. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s official gazette, released Monday, the employment contract of the official, among the four who received the lowest grade in performance, has been terminated after the person received the lowest possible rat

May 13, 2024

[Graphic News] Over 80% of people filing bankruptcy in Seoul in their 50s and older

More than 8 out of 10 people who filed for bankruptcy in Seoul last year were in their 50s and older, with many of them found to be male and people living alone, data showed. Of the 1,361 valid applications filed with the Seoul Financial Welfare Counseling Center last year, 86 percent were from those in their 50s or older, and 83.5 percent were recipients of basic living allowances from the government, according to survey results from the center. Of them, 64.4 percent were male, while single-p

May 13, 2024

1 passenger dies after falling overboard on cruise ship

A passenger died after falling overboard on a cruise ship operating in the East Sea, authorities said Sunday. The 65-year-old passenger was transported to a nearby hospital after being rescued at 2:30 p.m., where the victim later died, according to the Gangwon State Fire Headquarters and the Korea Coast Guard. Two crew members also jumped into the sea to rescue the victim, with one of them being treated at the hospital for symptoms of hypothermia. The ship departed from Jumunjin, a port on the e

May 12, 2024

Court's ruling set to shape path of medical school expansion

The Korean government's plan to increase the number of medical students starting next year will soon take shape as the Seoul High Court is expected to deliver its decision this week on the medical circle's request to suspend the implementation of the planned medical student quota hike. If the court rejects the appeal filed by medical professors, students and junior doctors against the government's hike in the medical school quota in 32 medical schools, the government will likely a

May 12, 2024

Prosecutors to summon pastor who allegedly gave Dior bag to first lady

The South Korean prosecution is gearing up to summon Korean American pastor Choi Jae-young whose spy camera footage shows him meeting with first lady Kim Keon Hee and giving her a Christian Dior handbag valued at 3 million won ($2,210). The Seoul Central District Prosecutor's Office is scheduled to question Choi officially on Monday for the first time. It comes in the wake of the video's public disclosure last November by local media outlet and YouTube channel Voice of Seoul. The outle

May 12, 2024

Controversy rekindled over when to name criminals, suspects

Concerns surrounding the disclosure of the personal information of convicted criminals and those suspected of having committed crimes have been mounting in South Korea, sparked by the recent revival of a name-and-shame website known as "Digital Prison," around four years after it was shut down by South Korean authorities. The debate was triggered by the unauthorized release of the personal details of a 25-year-old man surnamed Choi, who is accused of stabbing his girlfriend to death on

May 12, 2024

Seoul transit pass for travelers to be available starting July

  Seoul's all-inclusive transit pass, the "Climate Card," will soon be available for short-term use by visitors to Korea starting in July, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said Sunday. The city's initiative to introduce a short-term pass, available for one, two, three, five, and seven days, is geared towards enhancing the user experience through its affordable pricing. City officials explained that the pass is estimated to cost around 20,000 won ($15) for a five-day duration. Thi

May 12, 2024

Buddha's birthday lantern parade to light up Seoul

A lantern parade marking the upcoming Buddha's birthday will take place in Seoul on Saturday, drawing an expected 50,000 people and leading to road closures. The parade and related festivities are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, before Buddha's birthday that falls on Wednesday, according to a Buddhist committee preserving the lotus lantern festival. A procession of lantern holders will leave Dongdaemun gate at 7 p.m. Saturday and walk across the Jonggak intersection before reaching

May 11, 2024

State-led adoption system to be established to ensure adoptees' well-being, minimize overseas adoption

The government plans to establish a state-led adoption system to better ensure the well-being of adoptees and reduce the number of children adopted overseas, health ministry officials said Friday. The announcement of the adoption system reform comes ahead of the scheduled implementation of laws on overseas and domestic adoption in July next year, aimed at enhancing the rights and well-being of adoptees and adoptive families. In the envisioned system, the central and the regional government will

May 10, 2024

Hostilities get out of hand as YouTuber murders another outside courthouse

The Busan police on Friday requested an arrest warrant for a YouTuber in his 50s, accused of stabbing to death another YouTuber whom he was quarreling with in front of a local court. The suspect surnamed Hong is accused of murdering the victim surnamed Jo, also in his 50s, in front of the Busan District Court in Yeonje-gu, Busan, at around 9:52 a.m. on Thursday. The suspect fled the scene afterward but was captured by police at around 11:35 a.m. in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, some 70 ki

May 10, 2024

Leader of doctors' group continues to spark controversy after 'racism' dispute

Lim Hyun-taek, the chief of the Korean Medical Association, made yet another controversial comment at a press conference Friday, during which he seemingly disparaged medical schools in other countries. The recently-elected leader of the doctors' group launched harsh criticism against the South Korean government's plan to allow foreign doctors to practice medicine in the country, in a bid to fill the health care void from the mass walkout of trainee doctors here. "There are (medica

May 10, 2024

No plan to let doctors with foreign licenses practice here anytime soon: PM

After strong defiance from Korean doctors on the government’s plan to allow those holding foreign medical licenses to practice medicine in the country, a scheme to let such doctors practice medicine here is unlikely to take effect anytime soon. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said Friday that there are no immediate plans to bring in foreign license holders to fill the current medical void, emphasizing that if such a situation were to arise, sufficient safety measures would be put in place. Ear

May 10, 2024

Police officer jumps barefoot into drainage tunnel to save man

The National Police Agency on Thursday posted a video of a South Korean police officer who plowed through the cold waters inside the drain system to save a drunken man who fell and injured himself. According to the NPA, emergency rescue services in Nam-gu, Ulsan, received reports that a man was lying inside a drainage tunnel at around 9 p.m., May 4. Police officers and emergency workers were dispatched to the scene and found a man in his 50s, who while walking intoxicated lost his footing and fe

May 10, 2024

Tattooists call for legalization of nonmedical tattoos ahead of jury trial

South Korean tattooists held a protest in Daegu on Thursday calling for the legalization of nonmedical tattoos, ahead of the country's first-ever jury trial case involving the legal basis for a tattoo performed by a person without a medical license. Several members of the Korea Tattoo Federation gathered in front of the Daegu District Court in Suseong-gu and demanded a not-guilty verdict for a practitioner charged with giving a person an eyebrow tattoo without a medical license. The 20-som

May 10, 2024

Korea to crack down on pseudo-casino acts at 'hold'em pubs'

The South Korean government said Friday that it has devised a guideline to clamp down on businesses that run "pseudo-casino operations," addressing the legal loophole that has allowed de facto gambling at drinking establishments such as the poker-themed bars commonly called "hold'em pubs." The guideline on bans of pseudo-casino operations was jointly developed by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the National Police Agency and the National Gambling Control Com

May 10, 2024

Gun holders no longer need plastic cards; online verification begins

The police announced Friday that they will begin a service to verify gun permit licenses online in cooperation with Naver, the nation's largest search engine, starting this month. The service enables the online verification of licenses certified by the police for the possession of guns, swords, gas sprayers and electric shock devices, allowing for easy checks on Naver. Previously, license holders were required to carry plastic card-type licenses issued by the police station when possess

May 10, 2024

Medical professors set to take day off amid protracted walkouts by junior doctors

Medical professors at major hospitals took a day off Friday, the third of its kind in two weeks, as they expressed fatigue from filling the void of trainee doctors who left their worksites in protest of the government's medical reform. While fatigued medical professors take a leave of absence, treatment of critically ill patients and inpatient services at their hospitals are provided, according to the hospitals. Medical professors took a day off on April 30 and May 3, but no major disruptio

May 10, 2024

[Graphic News] Beer the most favored alcoholic drink by Koreans

The most preferred alcoholic drink among South Koreans was beer, receiving more than double the support of the runner-up, soju, according to a recent survey by the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation. The 2022 General Information Report of the Korean Alcohol and Liquor Industry indicated that 43.7 percent of respondents chose beer as their most preferred alcoholic beverage, while diluted soju came in second place with 20.2 percent. Third place went to traditional alcohol, with 18.6 p

May 10, 2024