Seoul to provide housing subsidy to married couples with newborns

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Sunday that it will provide housing subsidies to couples who don’t own houses and who have newborns from 2025, to mitigate the trend of couples forgoing parenthood due to the city's high housing costs and enable more married couples with newborns to continue living in Seoul. Under the program, the city government revealed its plan to provide financial support of 300,000 won ($218) per newborn per month for a maximum duration of two years. Th

April 28, 2024

2.2 magnitude quake hits near southern county of Hapcheon

A 2.2 magnitude earthquake struck near South Korea's southern county of Hapcheon on Sunday, the weather agency said. The quake struck 11 kilometers northeast of the county 242 km southeast of Seoul at 10:33 a.m. at a latitude of 35.61 degrees north and a longitude of 128.28 degrees east at a depth of 14 km, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration. The agency advised people to watch out for their safety as shaking may be felt in areas near the epicenter of the quake. About 50 pe

April 28, 2024

Doctor group's incoming head renews call for govt. to scrap medical school quota hike for dialogue

The incoming head of South Korea's leading doctors' lobby group reiterated on Sunday the call for the government to scrap the planned medical school quota hike in order to initiate dialogue with the medical community. About 12,000 trainee doctors have left their worksites since Feb. 20 in protest of the plan to boost the number of medical students by 2,000, causing delays in medical treatments, with some emergency rooms partially limiting their treatment of critically ill patients. Lim

April 28, 2024

New head of doctors' association vows war in case of disadvantage to medical professors

The new head of the doctors' association vowed Saturday to wage an all-out war against the government in case of any disadvantage to medical professors considering taking weekly breaks in support of the ongoing walkout by junior doctors. Lim Hyun-taek, the president-elect of the Korean Medical Association, is known for his hawkish stance in the ongoing stalemate with the government regarding an increase in the medical school enrollment quota. "The Ministry of Health and Welfare's treatment

April 28, 2024

[Weekender] How DDP emerged as an icon of Seoul

When the Dongdaemun Design Plaza first opened its doors in March 2014, the structure, designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, was met with mixed reviews. Replacing a baseball stadium built in 1959 and another sports stadium dating to 1925 nestled in the fashion retail district of Dongdaemun, the DDP faced criticism for its perceived lack of harmony with its surroundings, with some likening it to "a spaceship that crash-landed in Seoul." Now, a decade after it opened, the DDP has finally s

April 27, 2024

More med professors to take day off each week while govt. urges them to stay

With concerns only deepening over the disruption of the health care system in South Korea, amid the standoff between doctors and the government continuing for 10 weeks over the government's plan to hike the medical school enrollment quota, medical professors at the country's "big five" hospitals decided on Friday to suspend treatment for one day a week. Professors at St. Mary's Hospital said they will join the suspension of treatment following professors at Seoul Nationa

April 26, 2024

Second Gimpo civil servant found dead, after apologizing for not finishing work

A second public official from Gimpo City Hall was found to have died by suicide, police said Thursday. Police received an emergency call Thursday morning from a civil servant at Gimpo City Hall in Gyeonggi Province, who was unable to reach his colleague, a man in his 40s. He said he had received a text message from his colleague the previous evening saying, “I am sorry I couldn't finish my work first before going.” Within 30 minutes of the call, police found the man dead in hi

April 26, 2024

Overdue wages for migrant workers average 6.63 mln won: survey

Overdue wages for migrant workers averaged 6.63 million won ($4,825), a survey conducted by the state human rights watchdog showed Thursday. The survey, which was conducted on 379 migrant workers who are currently working in the country or have worked here for over a year, also showed the average number of times wages were overdue was 1.09, according to the National Human Rights Commission of Korea. By amount, 34.4 percent of the respondents said they were due between 1 million won and 3 million

April 25, 2024

Seoul to promote luxurious side of the city

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Thursday that the city is now setting its sights on the global luxury tourism market and is preparing strategies to become one of the world's best luxury holiday destinations. Luxury, or high-end, tourism refers to a style of travel associated with top-quality service throughout the trip. It is about more than just luxury hotels and first-class air travel. It now means visiting extraordinary destinations and enjoying authentic and unique experienc

April 25, 2024

Doctor gets suspended term for administering propofol to Yoo Ah-in

A doctor accused of illegally administering propofol for disgraced actor Yoo Ah-in and himself was sentenced to a prison term of one year and two months, suspended for two years, by a local court on Thursday. The Seoul Central District Court found the defendant surnamed Shin guilty of violating the Narcotics Control Act. It also ordered that he forfeit 270,000 won ($200) and undergo a 40-hour drug treatment program. The defendant is accused of administering propofol for Yoo on 17 occasions from

April 25, 2024

Girl picks up pile of cash, helps return it to owner

The National Police Agency on Wednesday shared on its official YouTube page a video of a teenage girl who came across a pile of cash and helped return it to the owner. In the surveillance camera footage, a man was shown dropping 1.22 million won ($890) in cash while riding a bicycle in Hadong-gun, South Gyeongsang Province, on Feb. 27. A few moments later, a young girl came by and stopped in her tracks. She took out a phone to take a photo of the money, after which she picked up the bills. The

April 25, 2024

Over 1,000 teens arrested for online gambling

More than 1,000 teenagers, including two elementary school children, were arrested during a six-month crackdown on online gambling among young people, officials said Thursday. The National Office of Investigation announced that it had apprehended 2,925 individuals, including 1,035 teenagers, in a bust initiated in September last year. Among them, 75 adults were formally arrested while 566 teens have been sent to counseling centers. During the crackdown, 61.9 billion won ($45 million) was confisc

April 25, 2024

Medical reform committee kicks off despite boycott from doctors

A pan-national consultative group was launched Thursday to open a dialogue for South Korea’s medical reform but without doctors attending as they protest the government’s plan to expand the medical student quota by 2,000. The chair of the special presidential committee Noh Yun-hong who heads the Korea Pharmaceutical and Bio-Pharma Manufacturers Association, said the newly launched group will focus on long-term tasks such as improving working conditions for junior doctors and physicia

April 25, 2024

Drone light shows over Han River in Seoul to begin Saturday

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Thursday that the Hangang Drone Light Show 2024 along the Han River would begin on Saturday. Five such shows have been planned for the first half of this year, following those held last year. In the second half of this year, five drone shows will be held from September to October, according to the city government. The drone light show will take place at the waterfront stage in Jamsil Hangang Park for 15 minutes at 8 p.m., starting April 27 and during Seoul

April 25, 2024

Over 9,000 hotline calls made by stalking victims in 2023

The number of calls made by stalking victims to the state-run women's counseling hotline jumped more than three-fold over the past three years, government data showed. A total of 9,017 cases of over-the-phone counseling were provided by the 1366 emergency counseling service, according to a joint report by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and the ministry-affiliated Women's Human Rights Institute of Korea. The figure has increased exponentially, having recorded 2,710 in 2021. The emerge

April 25, 2024

Man who stabbed fiance 191 times to death gets 23 years in jail

A 23-year prison term has been confirmed for a South Korean man who killed his fiance by stabbing her 191 times, after the defendant did not appeal until the deadline Wednesday. The sentence was issued by the Chuncheon branch of the Seoul High Court last week. The 28-year-old defendant, surnamed Ryu, had until Wednesday to file an appeal. The prosecution, which initially requested a 25-year prison term for Ryu, did not appeal either, resulting in the sentence being confirmed. Ryu was convicted o

April 25, 2024

H.eco Forum 2024

Herald Corp., proudly presents the anticipated H.eco Forum 2024, slated to take place on May 22 at Seoul’s Some Sevit. The forum convenes under the theme “The Transition: Blue, Clean, and Green,” aiming to foster discussions on energy transition for sustainable growth. Maria Castillo Fernandez, ambassador of the EU to the Republic of Korea, will focus on the EU’s clean energy transition toward climate neutrality and global partnership. Nobuo Tanaka, executive director eme

April 25, 2024

[Herald Interview] 'Amid aging population, Korea to invite more young professionals from overseas'

As South Korea grapples with a shrinking population, it is increasingly turning to foreign workers to fill crucial roles. Today, labor from overeseas is concentrated in low-paying unskilled jobs, but in the future, many will be hired to perform highly skilled work, according to Kim Young-Jung, president of the Korea Employment Information Service. Highly skilled jobs may include engineers, scientists, teachers, managers and IT professionals, he said. “Korea is getting more and more in need

April 24, 2024

Ministry denies blame for Jamboree debacle

South Korean government denied claims raised by the World Organization of Scout Movement, which said its status as "de-facto organizer" was partly to blame for the Korea Scout Association's disastrous hosting of the 25th World Scout Jamboree in North Jeolla Province in August last year. Appointed by the World Scout Committee after the event, an independent six-member review panel said that the hosts, the Korea Scout Association, was sidelined by the Korean government because of th

April 24, 2024

Seoul to build floating facilities on Han River by 2030

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced a set of plans on Wednesday to build a floating office and hotel buildings and create water sports facilities on the Han River by 2030. The recent announcement is part of the city's Great Han River Project, which was first unveiled in March 2023. This initiative seeks to enhance the river's use, improve the quality of life for its visitors, and develop infrastructure to broaden the range of activities available along the river. As part of the

April 24, 2024