Seoul City has announced that it will host the 2023 Seoul Pet Festival at the Pyeonghwa Plaza in the World Cup Park on Oct. 8. The festival, the first of its kind in Seoul, will feature a variety of programs, including experiences and lectures. One of the notable events at the festival is the Fashion Run, which starts at 10 a.m. after a warm-up exercise at 9:30 a.m. It is a walking competition where participants, accompanied by their pets, wear matching outfits or accessories and complete a cour

Culture Oct. 1, 2023

In celebration of Chuseok, a traditional Korean holiday, major cultural tourist attractions such as palaces, Jongmyo Shrine and Joseon Royal Tombs will be open to the public for free. According to the Cultural Heritage Administration, four major palaces (Gyeongbokgung Palace, Changdeokgung Palace, Deoksugung Palace and Changgyeonggung Palace) of Joseon, Jongmyo Shrine and the royal tombs of Joseon will all be open to the public for free from Sept. 28 to Oct. 3. While Jongmyo Shrine usually ope

Culture Sept. 28, 2023

The number of adolescents receiving growth hormone therapy is increasing rapidly, with the number for the first half of the year already surpassing that of last year. According to data released by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service on Sept. 22, 25,900 adolescents received growth hormone therapy in the first half of this year. This figure was 25,300 last year, which was about double the number recorded in 2020. Growth hormone therapy is prescribed following precise diagnoses throu

Social Affairs Sept. 25, 2023

Enjoy the autumn atmosphere at Cheongsan Arboretum, where pink muhly and pampas grass create a picturesque scene in Taean, South Chungcheong Province. Both the pink muhly and pampas grass gardens run through the end of November. Cheongsan Arboretum attracts nearly 200,000 visitors annually, featuring over 3,500 plant species, a forest maze, a lily garden, a Metasequoia road and more. The combination of pink muhly and pampas grass has made the arboretum a popular spot for capturing the perfect pi

Travel Sept. 23, 2023

An Uzbek man, aged 40, risked his life to rescue a Korean woman, aged 69, from a blaze that broke out in a restaurant in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, Monday. According to the South Gyeongsang Province Fire Department, a fire broke out in a restaurant run by an older couple in Bukbu-dong, Yangsan, around 6:44 p.m. on Monday. Witnessing the sound of an explosion, broken glass, and flames in the restaurant, someone called 119. Meanwhile, however, the woman was alone in the restaurant as the

Social Affairs Sept. 19, 2023

The Korea SMEs and Startups Agency is supporting local firms to enter overseas markets, with 30 medium-sized companies receiving overseas media promotion and marketing services in the most recent campaign carried out in August. The campaign was conducted in partnership with a global communication company with an extensive PR network worldwide. English-language releases on the selected 30 companies were distributed to North American online media outlets, including newspapers, broadcasters, teleco

Industry Sept. 14, 2023

The ruling People Power Party on Wednesday confirmed that it will continue to pursue a ban on the consumption of dog meat through the so-called "Kim Keon Hee Law," named after the president's wife, who is an active animal welfare advocate. In a social media post, Rep. Park Dae-chul of the conservative People Power Party, rejected media reports that claimed the party had decided not to pursue the law. He further expressed his hope for thorough discussions during the parliamentary b

Politics Sept. 13, 2023

A man in his 30s who had disguised himself as a woman was apprehended by the police while using his phone to film video in the women's changing room of a public bathhouse in Daejeon. Daejeon Daedeok Police Station has stated that officers are investigating the man on charges of violating the Special Act on the Punishment of Sexual Violence Crimes. The man is accused of entering the women's changing room of a public bathhouse in Daejeon's Daedeok district on Aug. 26. He was disguis

Social Affairs Sept. 7, 2023

Controversy has erupted over an anonymous local university's welfare program that provides menstrual pads to female students with student association fees. On Monday, a user of the online forum wrote a post complaining, "At the university my friend attends, they provide menstrual pads to all female students once a month using student association fees." The user stated, "It's not limited to those in financial need; it's provided to all female students unconditionally

Social Affairs Sept. 5, 2023

An account named "Unsecured CCTV Cameras" on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, is raising concerns about the security of Internet Protocol cameras -- cameras that send image data via an IP network -- which have been sharing footage from security cameras. The "Unsecured CCTV Camera" account, active since 2021, posts screenshots from security camera footage worldwide, revealing the location of the camera based on its IP address. The spaces captured by the came

Social Affairs Sept. 5, 2023

The number of children enrolled in various levels of formal education -- from kindergarten through high school -- has dropped by nearly 100,000, data showed Wednesday. Though the total number of children in Korea keeps declining, the number of children specifically from multicultural families continues to rise, accounting for 3.5 percent of all elementary, middle and high school students this year. According to the results of the 2023 Basic Education Statistics released by the Ministry of Educat

Social Affairs Aug. 31, 2023

A controversy has opened up over whether a dog was abused at a pet grooming salon in Wonju, Gangwon Province. Animal protection group Korea Animal Rights Advocates said on social media on July 29 that they analyzed CCTV footage from the salon and found evidence of the owner using a leash to inflict pain on the dog, named Gibok. KARA asserted it was an act of animal abuse. The footage shows a man, who appears to be associated with the salon, dragging Gibok using a leash for about 20 minutes. Gibo

Social Affairs Aug. 30, 2023

Emergency services are urging caution against snakebites as September, the peak month for such incidents, approaches. According to the South Gyeongsang Province Fire Department, a total of 2,372 snakes were captured in the province over the last three years, with nearly 500 caught in September alone. The fire department explained that there is an increase in outdoor activities such as hiking in September due to cooler weather. During this time, snakes also display heightened aggression as they a

Social Affairs Aug. 24, 2023

The Gwacheon National Science Museum will host a special super blue moon observation event on Aug. 31. A super blue moon is an astronomical phenomenon that occurs when the "super moon" and "blue moon" phenomena coincide. A super moon is a full moon that appears when the moon is at its closest approach to the Earth. It can be observed 14 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter than an average full moon. A blue Moon is the second full moon to occur within a single month. This ph

Social Affairs Aug. 23, 2023

Controversy has erupted online after a store owner was reported to police for staring at a female customer's sheer clothing. Recent posts on various online communities and social media platforms have shared an article with the headline: "Store owner reported to police for looking at customer's underwear." The owner explained the customer was wearing a white dress shirt that made the clear outline of her underwear visible. He admitted to looking at her for about three seconds

Social Affairs Aug. 14, 2023