Police are looking into all possibilities and allegations raised surrounding the Itaewon disaster, the National Police Agency chief said Tuesday, while admitting to mishandling police reports filed before the incident. At a press conference held Tuesday, National Police Agency Commissioner General Yoon Hee-keun said that there were several 112 reports before the crowd surge happened. “The action of the police was insufficient. To clarify the circumstance and responsibilities, intense inter

Social Affairs Nov. 1, 2022

Around the moment of the accident, many foreign tourists who witnessed the scene commented the main street should have been closed to help create extra space. “I’ve managed to escape the ally (where the accident took place) just before it happened,” said Nofit, a 29-year-old tourist. “It almost took 15 minutes to walk about three to four meters.” However, Nofit said she saw police or guards guiding the crowd inside the subway station after the disaster, but not that

Social Affairs Oct. 31, 2022

With at least 26 foreigners found to have died in the Halloween disaster in Itaewon, the government has notified each victim's respective country and continues to implement various follow-up measures for the bereaved families, but there are still many people who have not received enough guidance. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said as of 9 p.m. Sunday, the number of foreign deaths caused by the Itaewon disaster was counted as 26 in 14 different countries. There were five from Iran, four fr

Social Affairs Oct. 31, 2022

Fire authorities in Seoul deployed dozens of rescue workers and have set up a temporary emergency medical center on Hangang-ro, the main road near Itaewon Station in central Seoul, to treat those injured following a large crowd crush incident late Saturday evening. At least 21 people experiencing cardiac arrest were reportedly transported to emergency rooms, while more than 100 were said to be injured from the incident, according to reports and authorities. Fire authorities mobilized 142 ambulan

Social Affairs Oct. 30, 2022

At least 153 people died and more than 103 were injured in a crowd crush in Itaewon, Yongsan-gu, central Seoul, according to fire authorities at 5 p.m. on Sunday. The fire department began to receive reports of patients having difficulty breathing at 10:22 p.m. on Saturday. Of the people who died, more than 100 were transferred to the hospital. The remaining bodies were kept on site and later moved to a nearby multi-purpose indoor gymnasium. Identifying the deceased is expected to take some ti

Social Affairs Oct. 30, 2022

The annual Sunung, or College Scholastic Ability Test, that will decide the outcome of 12 years of education for many Korean teens is a month away. The test is a major event that pushes back working hours and the opening of the stock market by one hour, and even halts airplanes for 25 minutes for the English listening test. The Korean passion for academic achievements, coupled with Koreans’ obsession with health supplements, has given rise to a big market for supplements and traditional me

weekender Oct. 29, 2022

The leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, Lee Jae-myung, on Thursday met with the bereaved families of the Sewol Ferry sinking in 2014, and discussed follow-up measures to take. Lee invited three committees, including the committee that represents the Sewol Ferry bereaved families, to the National Assembly early Thursday and held a closed meeting regarding the investigation result of "The Special Investigation Commission on Humidifier Disinfectants and April 16 Sewol Ferr

Social Affairs Oct. 28, 2022

The government announced on Thursday it will pay about 25.2 billion won ($18 million) to 300 victims for the Jeju April 3 incident. This will be the first state-given compensation since the incident occurred 74 years ago. The Ministry of Public Administration and Security's "Jeju April 3 Incident honor recovery committee" held a meeting on Jeju Island and decided to pay compensation to 300 out of 304 applicants -- 220 people who died or went missing, 77 people suffering from after

Social Affairs Oct. 28, 2022

Light could be used to treat viral infections in the respiratory tract, such as the common cold, a clinical trial by a local research team showed. A Jeonbuk National University research team led by Jeong Hwan-jeong, a professor at the Department of Nuclear Medicine, and Otorhinolaryngology professor Hong Yong-tae, conducted a clinical trial on treating the common cold with a laser device from March to September. Under the trial, the team's laser device, named "Bye-Vi," was used on

Social Affairs Oct. 28, 2022

The conflict between the minister of justice and the main opposition party took another turn on Thursday, with the minister openly demanding an apology over allegations raised against him. "As a victim of false news, I demand a sincere apology and responsible actions from the Democratic Party of Korea," Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon said through a statement earlier in the day. Han was referring to claims made by the Democratic Party's Rep. Kim Eui-kyum that he and President Yoon

Politics Oct. 27, 2022

The Ministry of Justice announced comprehensive countermeasure plans to deal with young offenders, including lowering the maximum criminal minor age from 14 to 13, Wednesday. Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon said at a press conference at the Justice Ministry on Wednesday that the aim was not rigid adherence to discipline or lowering the age standard in itself. "It is for the reformation of juvenile offenders and protection for victims," he said. At present, offenders aged over 10 and und

Social Affairs Oct. 26, 2022

Pressure on the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea and the previous administration is growing, with the prosecution honing in on Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung and past developments that could implicate former President Moon Jae-in. The opposition party, for its part, is denouncing the investigations as "political oppression," increasing the possibility of deepening the rift between the ruling and opposition blocs. Death and repatriation The prosecution is investigati

Politics Oct. 23, 2022

The fallout from the probe surrounding the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea’s leader hit the political arena Thursday, with Democratic Party lawmakers demanding certain conditions be met for a parliamentary audit to proceed, reiterating that the party is facing "political oppression." The Democratic Party halted the Legislation and Judiciary Committee's audit of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, demanding an end to what they call "retaliatory investigation&

Politics Oct. 20, 2022

Cho Ju-bin, the ringleader of the “Baksa Room” case that shocked the nation two years ago, is facing new charges of sexually assaulting a minor, which could push his sentence to life imprisonment from the current 42 years. Seoul Central District Prosecutor's Office indicted Cho on Sept. 30 on additional charges of sexually assaulting an adolescent victim and forcing her to film sexual content. This newly revealed crime began in 2018, a year before Cho began the sexual exploitati

Social Affairs Oct. 19, 2022

Only about 20 people a year receive treatment to manage pedophilia, while sex offenders against minors who have been newly ordered to register their personal information surpassed 2,900 on average in last four years. Experts call for more specific standards to judge pedophilic tendency while stressing that the patients’ will is the most important factor in treatment. Pedophilia, classified as a sexual preference disorder, requires medical approach. According to data Rep. Shin Hyeon-young f

Social Affairs Oct. 18, 2022