With PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics kicking off Friday, many volunteer workers have voiced their frustration over crude working conditions, igniting a controversy in the online community. Around 15,000 volunteers have signed up to help out with the Winter Games and an additional 6,600 workers will assist at the Paralympics. But even before the Olympics starts, the Korean organizers have come under fire for its treatment of staff, with some of its volunteers suddenly quitting.While some volunte

Social Affairs Feb. 5, 2018

A 9-year-old elementary school student died Thursday, following a deadly house fire in Bonghwa, North Gyeongsang Province. The victim, surnamed Kim, called 119 to report the fire: “I saw black smoke pouring out of our kitchen, so I escaped to the bathroom.” It is said those were his last words to the fire department’s dispatch center. The fire engulfed the first floor of the house, which is 53 square meters. It took officials an hour and 18 minutes to extinguish the fire.  (Yonhap)Kim was home b

Social Affairs Feb. 2, 2018

Soul food and comfort food come in many different forms, from a multitude of recipes and origins. The word first originated from the US southern cuisine that provided comfort to Africans forced into slavery. During the 17th and 18th centuries, the food African slaves ate was said to take root in both triumph and anguish. After laboring all day, soul food was essentially a reminder of the home and family they had left behind.A modern-day reinterpretation of soul food shows that it is a dish that

Food Feb. 2, 2018

A college student, who lost a considerable amount of money after investing in virtual currency, was found dead in his room Wednesday, after reportedly suffering from depression.The victim’s mother found her son dead in his room Wednesday at 7:50 a.m., according to Busan Jin Police Station Thursday. A client looks at the electronic signboard of a cryptocurrency exchange in Seoul. (AP)The student’s family claimed that the victim had originally earned upwards of 200 million won ($188,000) from his

Social Affairs Feb. 1, 2018

JINCHEON, North Chungcheong Province/SEOUL -- Sounds of hockey sticks, pucks slinging into the net and skates against the ice filled the Jincheon National Training Center in Jincheon, North Chungcheong Province, where Korea’s national men’s ice hockey team assembled early in the morning on Jan. 24. The team was warming up before heading off to the pre-Olympics welcoming ceremony later in the day. The women’s national ice hockey team was also scheduled to join. In contrast to controversy surround

Olympic Games Jan. 31, 2018

Choi Ho-sig, an ex-chairman of Hosigi Doomari Chicken who is on trial for alleged sexual harassment, claimed that “there had been physical contact, but no use of superiority over his employee to engage in such contact” during his trial Tuesday. The victim, who was an employee of the chicken franchise at the time, said she was sexually harassed by 64-year-old Choi at a high-end hotel’s Japanese restaurant in Cheongdam-dong, southern Seoul, on June 3 last year. Choi Ho-sig (Yonhap)Security footage

Social Affairs Jan. 23, 2018

Amid heightened public interest in North Korea‘s two-day visit to Korea to scour for possible arts performance venues during the Olympics, Hyon Song-wol and the North Korean delegation appeared satisfied with their one-night stay at the Golden Tulip Sky Bay Gyeongpo Hotel, according to General Manager Lee Hun-min. Located on the sands of Gyeongpodae in the eastern coastal city of Gangneung, Gangwon Province, Sky Bay surely lived up to its 4-star hotel name value, offering the finest amenities, f

North Korea Jan. 22, 2018

A 24-year-old man in North Gyeongsang Province has admitted to the murder of his younger sister, according to police Friday. Mungyeong Police Station said Friday that it had filed an arrest warrant for the suspect on charges of first-degree murder of a family member.  (Yonhap)The suspect reportedly admitted to stabbing his sister, who was a college student, in the “heat of the moment” at 8 a.m. Wednesday after he felt “ignored for being a college drop-out without a steady job.” The man reportedl

Social Affairs Jan. 19, 2018

Amid the South Korean government drawing up measures to regulate the recent craze for cryptocurrency, an anonymous post online has sparked heated debate. Last month, an online poster shared his sympathies for a fried chicken restaurant owner and said, “I buy fried chicken with the money I earned through bitcoin trading. It is very easy to earn money if you learn the rules of (cryptocurrency) trading. I feel sorry for the restaurant owner, who keeps his business up and running until the lat

Market Jan. 18, 2018

An online commenter’s criticism of the current “cafe culture among teenagers,” characterizing teenagers as “more like beggars” has recently created a frenzy online. The now-infamous post made Monday on a well-known online community site, complained that teenagers crowded cafes to study in groups without buying anything. “I see so many teenagers -- middle and high school students -- coming to the cafe that I frequent,” it said. “It’s quite absurd to see them just sitting there in huge groups not

Social Affairs Jan. 17, 2018

With fine dust reaching unhealthy levels, the Seoul Metropolitan Government set out Monday to provide free-of-charge public transit during commuting hours to lower vehicle emissions. But the program failed to bring about a substantial drop in car use or ultra-fine dust density in the capital city. Seoul’s decision to offer free public transport. (Yonhap)According to Seoul City, the number of commuters taking the Seoul Metro Line No. 1 to 8 experienced only a slight increase of 23,000 people (2.1

Social Affairs Jan. 16, 2018

Busan police arrested the director of an after-school study center for raping and threatening a high school student attending the private institute, local media outlets reported Monday. The suspect, 46, allegedly threatened to release a video of a sexual encounter after the victim left for university. Fearing the shame and pain it would cause, the victim, who was a junior in high school at the time of the encounter, said she was sexually assaulted from November 2014 to September of last year on

Social Affairs Jan. 15, 2018

K-pop sensation BTS held a successful fan event called “Happy Ever After” at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Saturday and Sunday, its agency Big Hit Entertainment said Monday. BTS shared many happy memories with members of Army, which stands for Adorable Representative MC for Youth. Popular comedian-talk show host Kim Saeng-min accompanied the seven members throughout the talk session.  (Big Hit Entertainment)The group wore special uniforms for the event and staged performances that have not been s

Performance Jan. 15, 2018

South Korea’s Woori Bank announced Wednesday a temporary restriction on use of its debit cards and other services for the Lunar New Year from Feb. 15 to Feb. 18, via its official homepage. The local bank apologized for the inconvenience. The restriction on Woori debit cards will begin at 12:01 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 15 and prolong until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 19.  Woori Bank added that customers will still be able to use their credit cards, but not debit cards. Also, long- and short-

Market Jan. 11, 2018

Two married police officers are under police investigation after reportedly being caught in the act by the female officer‘s husband at their own home, local media outlets reported Thursday. According to police, the 44-year-old male inspector and 40-year-old female assistant inspector were found to be engaging in sexual activities during the day in July last year. The two had been working together on cases since February 2016 and said they developed intimate feelings for each other in January las

Social Affairs Jan. 11, 2018