The Seoul city government has proposed building a mega Ferris wheel and more green spaces as part of an upgraded urban planning project aimed at making the capital more liveable and attractive to tourists, Mayor Oh Se-hoon said Tuesday. Under the plan, the city aims to build a Ferris wheel larger than the London Eye, with the mayor saying that it will become Seoul's landmark. The London Eye stands at 135 meters tall, and has a maximum capacity of 800 people. Haneul Park in Sangam-dong in

Social Affairs Feb. 8, 2023

The presidential office said Friday it has filed a complaint against a former spokesperson for the Defense Ministry for libel, accusing him of making a false claim that its decision to relocate President Yoon Suk Yeol's residence to Yongsan, central Seoul, was linked to a fortune teller whom the opposition party suspects the president of having ties with. The office also sued for libel two other reporters -- from News Tomato and Hankook Ilbo -- for writing about the ex-spokesman's clai

Politics Feb. 3, 2023

The government has advised municipalities to stop sending emergency text alerts on the number of COVID-19 confirmed cases in the respective cities on growing calls that the system is becoming something of "a nuisance," according to reports quoting the Ministry of Safety on Friday. Several local governments, including Seoul, have stopped sending texts, according to the ministry. The number of COVID-19 cases, instead, can be found on the websites for each municipality. Over the last

Social Affairs Feb. 3, 2023

Dispute grew on Thursday over the Finance Ministry's budget cut of a state-run hospital, a decision that doctors say undermines years of efforts to strengthen state control of infectious diseases. A group of doctors with the National Medical Center Specialist Council staged an online signature campaign on Tuesday to protest the ministry's decision, addressing fears that the state hospital would not be able to counter the growing threats of viruses if not enough investment is made to

Social Affairs Feb. 2, 2023