Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon stated that the Seoul Metropolitan Government will consider holding street celebrations to commemorate the LG Twins’ victory during this year’s Korean Series on Monday. “As the mayor of Seoul, I am overjoyed that the LG Twins won the Korean Series, for the first time in 29 years,” said Oh in a post on his Facebook account. “The city government will actively consider organizing public celebrations at Seoul Plaza to congratulate the LG Twins.&rd

Social Affairs Nov. 14, 2023

Seoul Metropolitan Government will install real-time, interactive translation service screens at tourist information centers for non-Korean speakers visiting the capital city. Through this translation service, tourists who visit Seoul will be able to receive assistance while speaking in a language they are comfortable with. It utilizes a translation engine that runs with artificial intelligence and voice-to-text conversion digital technology and displays the translated text on a transparent scre

Social Affairs Nov. 14, 2023

The urban regeneration project for Seongdong-gu in eastern Seoul fosters ways both to attract new visitors and enhance existing residents' lives while advocating for the coexistence of the district’s older and new buildings and communities. “Seongdong-gu will become a sustainable cultural district through the urban regeneration project, which promotes ‘coexistence’ as its core value,” said Seongdong-gu head Chong Won-o during a press tour on Oct. 26. As a cor

Social Affairs Nov. 13, 2023

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon invited health and infectious diseases experts for official talks on methods to counter bedbugs in the capital city, Thursday. To respond to the recent outbreak of bedbugs in Seoul, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced a comprehensive scheme on Nov. 3 to achieve a “zero-bedbug city.” Residents can report bedbugs to their local public health center or by calling 120. The city government also conducted special inspections on 3,175 bedbug-prone public facil

Social Affairs Nov. 10, 2023

Gangnam-gu in southern Seoul was selected as the winner of the safety and resilience award at the Smart City Expo World Congress’ World Smart City Awards in Barcelona, Spain, on Wednesday. The World Smart City Awards are an international competition among cities around the globe that recognize projects, ideas and strategies that make cities more livable, sustainable and economically viable. Gangnam-gu received the safety and resilience award for its smart city policy supporting the welfare

Social Affairs Nov. 9, 2023

The Seoul Metropolitan Government on Wednesday announced a set of measures to prepare for the upcoming winter season. With the winter season coming up, the city government plans to implement its winter safety measures to protect people who are vulnerable in cold weather, such as the elderly and the homeless. The measures will be taken beginning from Nov. 15 to March 15 next year. The city government plans to operate situation rooms consisting of officials from the Seoul Metropolitan Government,

Social Affairs Nov. 8, 2023

The Seoul Metropolitan Government on Tuesday unveiled a set of safety measures designed to prevent substandard construction practices in both the public and private sectors. Aimed at stamping out poor construction practices, the city government's proposal came after an underground parking lot collapsed at an apartment complex construction site in northern Incheon’s Geomdan New Town in April, and after a pedestrian overpass in Yeongdeungpo-gu, western Seoul, collapsed in January. &ldqu

Social Affairs Nov. 7, 2023

A man in his 20s has been arrested by police for assaulting a female convenience store clerk for having short hair, according to police officials in Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province. According to police, the man allegedly told her that, “Since you have short hair, you must be a feminist. I’m a male chauvinist, and I think feminists deserve to be assaulted.” He proceeded to punch and kick the clerk, who was also in her 20s, causing sprains, ligament injuries and injury to her ea

Social Affairs Nov. 6, 2023

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday said spreading false information through fake news may "harm freedom and democracy" in the era of generative artificial intelligence, at the AI Safety Summit with world leaders. Yoon took part in the global AI Safety Summit hosted by Britain through video call to discuss methods of global cooperation on the safe use of AI and the importance of establishing governance, according to the presidential office on Friday. “With the rise of generative

Social Affairs Nov. 3, 2023

Starting Friday, chatbot services in English will be made available on the Ttareungi app -- a mobile application used to rent public bicycles in Seoul -- the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Thursday. Ttareungi is a public bike-sharing system that operates within Seoul, and can be used both by domestic residents and foreign nationals visiting the city after purchasing a voucher through the app. Previously, the chatbot service for assistance in purchasing vouchers, renting bikes and dealin

Social Affairs Nov. 2, 2023

The ruling People Power Party has said it will push to incorporate neighboring cities like Gimpo into Seoul, arguing Seoul needs a size upgrade to "create a megacity." The argument is that Seoul ranks only 38th in population, and with its area of 605 square kilometers, is only the 29th biggest out of 38 cities, according to ruling party Rep. Park Soo-young. The ruling party is working on proposing the "Mega-Seoul Special Law" to speed up the legislation discussion because pro

Politics Nov. 1, 2023

Seoul Metro announced that it would remove seats to relieve congestion during rush hour at a press conference Tuesday. The organization’s new plan will be tested on subways running on Line Nos. 4 and 7 starting from January. Seating areas will be removed in two subway cars in each train closest to the subway stations’ exits, which often experience heavy congestion during rush hour. The removal of seating areas was prioritized on Line Nos. 4 and 7 due to their high congestion levels d

Social Affairs Nov. 1, 2023

A total of 65 calls were made to the police regarding large crowds in South Korea from Friday to Monday, officials said. From 6 p.m. on Friday to 5 a.m. on Monday, a total of 65 calls were made to the police, with 24 being made from Seoul and 41 from other provinces, the National Police Agency said Monday. The highest number of calls came Saturday. From 5 a.m. on Saturday to 5 a.m. on Sunday, a total of 45 calls were made to the police, with 16 from Seoul and 29 from elsewhere. A total of 23 cal

Social Affairs Oct. 31, 2023

Prosecutors conducted a search and seizure of SPC Group Chairman Hur Young-in’s office over allegations that he coerced workers who are part of the group's affiliate company, PB Partners, to withdraw from its labor union, as well as for discriminatory practices, according to officials Monday. On Monday morning, officials from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office searched offices belonging to Hur and three other executives as well as the company’s servers at SPC G

Social Affairs Oct. 30, 2023

On the first anniversary of the Itaewon crowd crush that claimed 159 lives, bereaved families, civic groups and citizens gathered for a memorial service and march, demanding a thorough investigation and a formal apology from the government. The Itaewon Disaster Citizens’ Task Force and the Itaewon Disaster Bereaved Families group hosted the event Sunday, with the march starting from the site of the disaster near Itaewon Station and proceeding to Seoul Plaza. Wearing purple jackets symboliz

Social Affairs Oct. 29, 2023