Ri Sol-ju, the wife of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, upheld an overwhelming presence on the carpet leading to the Peace House in the South’s side of the truce village of Panmunjeom on Friday.Friday’s historic summit between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean counterpart Kim marked not only the first time the two leaders met, but also the first meeting for the two first ladies.Ri arrived at the Peace House in Panmunjeom on Friday for the banquet in an apricot two-piece dress w

North Korea April 29, 2018

A woman believed to be in her 30s jumped in front of an incoming train at Oryu-dong Station at approximately 12:41 p.m. Thursday, in an apparent suicide. An engineer on the Seoul Metro Line No. 1 train involved in the accident reported to have hit the emergency brakes after seeing “someone jump into the subway tracks,” but could not avoid the fatal accident due to the short distance. Oryu-dong Station (Yonhap)Korail authorities said the accident caused approximately 20-minute delays to subway se

Social Affairs April 26, 2018

A man in his 50s was arrested Wednesday after allegedly causing serious injury to a woman he had tried to sexually assault, Jeonju Police said.The 59-year-old man, surnamed Park, is accused of stabbing the dental hygienist in the chest at a dental clinic in Hyoja-dong in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, at 4:03 p.m. Saturday.  (Yonhap)The woman said she was attacked while trying to fight off Park during an attempted rape and he fled the scene immediately after the knife attack. The victim reported

Social Affairs April 26, 2018

A man in his 30s was found dead after being sucked into an automated vacuum collection system while during a routine check, Namyangju Fire Department said Tuesday. The 38-year-old man, surnamed Cho, fell into the pipe that leads to the underground AVAC system in a residential area of Byulnae, Gyeonggi Province, at 3:25 p.m. Tuesday. Despite a neighbor’s immediate call for help, dispatched fire authorities reportedly found Cho’s body 100 meters from the entrance of the pipe after a two-hour searc

Social Affairs April 25, 2018

Rapper Jeong Sang-su, a former participant of Mnet’s music survival program “Show Me the Money,” is being investigated by police on suspicion of sexually assaulting a woman, Ilsan Seobu Police Station said Wednesday. The 34-year-old rapper is accused of allegedly raping a woman, who was “too drunk to consent” at the victim’s house at dawn Sunday. The victim claimed to be too heavily intoxicated at the time to realize she had been sexually assaulted. Ilsan Seobu Police Station sent the case over

Social Affairs April 25, 2018

Embattled Korean Air Lines Chairman Cho Yang-ho is now under fire for ordering what some have viewed as “excessive” disciplinary action against cabin crew over a customer’s complaint. The complaint involving a chicken curry dish served during a flight follows Chairman Cho’s public apology for the latest “water rage” scandal involving one of his daughters Sunday, as he fired his two daughters Cho Hyun-ah and Cho Hyun-min from their senior executive posts for causing public uproar. Cho Hyun-ah was

Industry April 24, 2018

A lawmaker’s aide is being probed on suspicion of drinking and driving a van with the unidentified legislator in the back seat, Bangbae police said Tuesday. According to the police, the 39-year-old aide, surnamed Shin, was pulled over by cops conducting a roadside sobriety test near Bangbae Elementary School in Seocho-gu, southern Seoul at 10:30 a.m. Sunday. Police said that Shin was heavily intoxicated and had a blood alcohol content of 0.116 percent, which is subject to license cancellation. 

Social Affairs April 24, 2018

The Seoul Administrative Court on Monday ruled in favor of a Pakistani father in a case concerning the right to an extended visa for foreign national parents with Korean-born children, even if the child lives in a foreign country. The Central Administrative Appeals Committee said Monday that it withdrew Seoul Immigration Office’s decision not to extend the man’s visa. It is said the man first arrived in Korea in 1996 and got married to a Korean woman as an undocumented foreign worker. In 2006, h

Social Affairs April 23, 2018

Following the vandalism of a “Black Panther” sculpture at Gwangbok-ro in March, another statue of the Black Panther superhero in Busan near Gwangalli Beach was found toppled over with its head damaged. The Walt Disney Co. had initially sent a pair of Black Panther sculptures to be displayed in Busan, one in Gwangbok-ro and one along Gwangalli Beach, to commemorate the first time for Marvel Studios to shoot at the southern coastal city of Korea. A “Black Panther” statue is seen vandalized at Gwan

Film April 23, 2018

A man in his 20s was booked without detention on charges of child neglect and physical abuse, Incheon Seobu Police said Monday. The 26-year-old father is accused of leaving his 1-year-old son out on a balcony barefoot and hitting him on the head multiple times at approximately 9 p.m. on April 8. The child was allegedly left out on the balcony in only undergarments and without shoes for approximately two minutes. The man’s wife reportedly reached out for help to her sister-in-law, who then called

Social Affairs April 23, 2018

South Korea’s Ministry of Health and Welfare said on Thursday that smoking will be banned at all coffee shops, including those with smoking rooms, starting in July. Health authorities plan to make the advance notice of legislation amendment to the National Health Promotion Act, specifically designating “smoking cafes” as non-smoking areas, on May 30. South Korea had banned smoking in all bars and restaurants since January 2015. Since April 2016, smoking was banned in areas within 10 meters of su

Technology April 19, 2018

Police said Wednesday they have launched a probe into a patient’s death at a hospital in Daegu, after he had reportedly been tied down to a bed. The hospital treats patients suffering from alcoholism and mental illnesses. According to police on Wednesday, the deceased was found unconscious in the isolation ward with both arms tied to bed posts at approximately 7 a.m. Tuesday.  (Yonhap)The nurse reportedly attempted CPR upon arrival on scene. Despite her efforts, the nurse said the patient died a

Social Affairs April 19, 2018

A recent incident in which a pet owner left his dog inside a Lotte Mart pet locker in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province has sparked a row between animal welfare groups and the authorities, with many people calling for an end to animal abuse in Korea. Animal activists have criticized the pet owner for reportedly abandoning the poodle inside the small, cramped locker for nine hours, marking it as “pure abuse.” Other people, however, have spoken on behalf of the pet owner, claiming that the lockers at

Social Affairs April 18, 2018

The Daegu High Court on Wednesday upheld the district court’s ruling on a man in his 50s charged with serial theft, citing his prior theft convictions and considerable damage to numerous victims. The court upheld the conviction on the 55-year-old man and reaffirmed his sentence of 3 1/2 years in prison. (The Korea Herald)The defendant is accused of stealing 1 million won ($940) by breaking and entering a pharmacy in Daegu on Oct. 14, 2017. Local police said the man reportedly committed the same

Social Affairs April 18, 2018

Following the controversy surrounding Korean Air Senior Vice President Cho Hyun-min and her alleged verbal abuse on an advertising agency manager last month, the public interest in intermittent explosive disorder has substantially heightened. The 35-year-old senior executive is accused of yelling and throwing a cup of water towards the manager during a meeting last month. Cho claimed on Monday to have only given a “shove” after the employee did not give proper answers to her questions. She has d

Social Affairs April 17, 2018