The majority of roadkill victims in Seoul City were found to be cats, a local lawmaker said Monday. According to a report by Rep. Lee No-keun of the ruling Saenuri Party, about 9,700 cats were killed on roads in the capital from 2012 to 2014, accounting for 81 percent of all roadkill.Same 12,000 animals were found dead on the roads over the three years, with about 10 animals being killed daily on average, the report said. Dogs were the second-most killed animals followed by wild animals, with 12

Social Affairs May 18, 2015

A Seoul lower court on Thursday sentenced a former comedian to six months in prison, suspended for two years, for assaulting his wife.Seoul Central District Court ruled that comedian-turned-clergyman Seo Se-won was guilty of domestic violence. Seo was suspected of pushing and dragging his former actress wife Seo Jung-hee to the ground and strangling her during a quarrel in the hallway of their apartment in southern Seoul last year. “The wife’s injury was not light at all and the accused has not

Social Affairs May 14, 2015

The financial independence of districts in Seoul City hit a record low amid the escalating cost burden of public welfare measures, officials said Tuesday. According to Seoul Metropolitan Government, the self-reliance rate of 25 districts on average plummeted to 31.5 percent this year, reaching the lowest mark since the city started to draft and execute its own budget under an elected mayor in 1995.The self-reliance rate, which is the ratio of district offices’ own revenue sources such as local t

Social Affairs May 12, 2015

The prosecution has sought an arrest warrant against a Seoul-based immigration official who allegedly took kickbacks from foreign nationals in exchange for visa extensions, officials said Monday, marking the first such case.The Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office said that the 42-year-old official, identified only by his surname Kim is alleged to have issued or extended the visas for about 20 people in return for a total of 11 million won ($10,100) between February 2013 and December last

Social Affairs May 11, 2015

The Korean government said Sunday it would waive visas for foreign travelers planning to visit the southern resort island of Jejudo via Gimpo International Airport in Seoul, as part of its efforts to boost tourism.According to officials at the Justice Ministry, foreigners bound for Jejudo Island will be allowed to stay for five days without a tourist visa starting next month if they make a transfer at Gimpo in western Seoul. It is the seventh Korean airport designated as a visa-waiver airport fo

Social Affairs May 10, 2015

The number of elderly citizens in Seoul has surpassed that of young people for the first time since the city started compiling the data, sparking concerns over the fast-aging society. According to a report released by the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Thursday, the number of those aged 65 or older reached 1.24 million as of last month, about 5,000 more than the number of youth aged under 15. The aging index also hit a record high of 100.4 points, exceeding 100 points for the first time, the c

Social Affairs May 7, 2015

Seoul City will tear down a building built during Japan’s colonial period as part of its project to mark the 70th anniversary of Korea’s liberation in August, officials said Wednesday.Seoul Metropolitan Government said it would demolish the annex of the former National Tax Service building near Deoksugung Palace in central Seoul. The annex, situated between the palace and the Seoul Metropolitan Council building, was built by Japan in 1937 in an alleged attempt to conceal the palace, experts said

Social Affairs May 6, 2015

More than half of Seoul’s private cab drivers choose not to drive taxis at night, Seoul City said Monday, attributing the low rate of night-time driving to drivers’ age.The Seoul Metropolitan Government said that the average age of private taxi drivers was 60.4 as of this year. About 56 percent of the capital’s taxis are private, it said.Of them, about 31 percent of the drivers are over the age of 65, with 12 percent being 70 or older.While 35,000 of the private taxies are obligated to operate d

Social Affairs May 4, 2015

Seoul City will open an overpass near the Seoul Station to the public next month as part of efforts to promote its controversial urban restoration scheme, dubbed Korea’s version of “High Line Park.”Seoul Metropolitan Government said a 1 kilometer-long section of the high-rise road in central Seoul will be opened to pedestrians on May 10 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. It is the second time the road has been opened to the public, with the first public event held in October last year.Inspired by High Line

Social Affairs April 27, 2015

The number of single households in Seoul City is projected to outpace those comprised of unmarried people and their parents by 2030, data showed Sunday. According to a report by Seoul Metropolitan Government, the number of single households in the capital accounted for 27 percent of the total this year, nearly an 11 percent jump since 2000. With the growing trend, the figure is estimated to reach 30.1 percent by 2030, it said. Meanwhile, the number of family groups of one child or unmarried adul

Social Affairs April 26, 2015