Seoul Design 2024, coined as the largest design festival in South Korea, officially commenced on Thursday at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Jung-gu, central Seoul. The event, hosted by Seoul Design Foundation and Seoul Metropolitan Government, celebrates its 11th anniversary this year. Over the last few years, Seoul Design has served as a platform to showcase the latest design trends and to introduce newly launched products and services reflecting the recent design trends. Under the theme “Ima

Social Affairs Oct. 17, 2024

At a cooking studio in Garak Mall in Songpa-gu, southern Seoul, laughter mixed with various languages could be heard as the smell of Korean food lingered in the air. The studio buzzed with dozens of amateur foreign national cooks, all eager to learn the art of Korean cuisine. The event, hosted by the Songpa-gu Office, is part of its annual Korean culture experience series. Organizers noted a surge in interest this year, crediting the global success of Netflix Korea's "Culinary Class Wa

Social Affairs Oct. 17, 2024

A Seoul district court on Thursday ruled that Kim Kwang-ho, the former chief of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, was not guilty of negligence before and during the deadly Halloween crowd crush on Oct. 29, 2022, in Itaewon, central Seoul. According to the Seoul Western District Court, the prosecution had not provided enough evidence that Kim had directly violated his duty of care as the police chief of the Seoul police agency, either on the day of the crowd crush or in the days leading up to

Social Affairs Oct. 17, 2024

Seoul city will invest 172.3 billion won ($126 million) over the next five years to support the design industry in the city with an aim to nurture "Korean versions" of overseas design and home furnishing giants Ikea and Muji. The Seoul Metropolitan Government on Wednesday unveiled a five-year plan prioritizing a stable foundation for Seoul's design industry, strengthening the self-reliance of design companies and fostering connections between companies, as well as promoting Seoul&

Social Affairs Oct. 16, 2024

MANILA, Philippines -- As the Philippines contends with ongoing water shortages and management challenges exacerbated by climate change, South Korea is set to deepen its cooperation with the Southeast Asian country and expand its support to address these critical issues. At the heart of this expanding cooperation is the Korea Water Resources Corporation (K-water), a public enterprise specializing in water development and management. Since 2014, K-water has partnered with the Philippine governmen

Social Affairs Oct. 14, 2024

Two Filipinas from Seoul city's foreign caregivers pilot program who disappeared from their accommodations in Gangnam-gu on Sept. 15 after starting work in Seoul were later found in Busan after being reemployed as cleaners, according to the Philippine government’s Department of Migrant Workers. In an interview on Oct. 9 with the Philippines' 24 Oras, Bernard Olalia, undersecretary for licensing and adjudication of the DMW, said that the two caregivers claimed to have had difficul

Social Affairs Oct. 13, 2024

The Cabinet on Thursday approved the revision of a bill to punish both the possession and viewing of deepfake pornography. The revision of Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes calls for punishing individuals who are caught possessing, purchasing, storing or viewing sexually explicit deepfake content with up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million won ($22,200). The law has recently faced criticism following a recent chain of deepfake pornography crimes f

Politics Oct. 10, 2024

The fatal hotel fire from August was found to be a man-made disaster, caused by the negligent management of firefighting equipment and poor electrical wiring, according to police officials on Tuesday. The Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency stated during its press briefing Tuesday that they have applied for a preliminary arrest warrant for four hotel authorities -- including the hotel owner, his daughter, the hotel operator and the hotel manager -- on charges of failing to fulfill their mana

Social Affairs Oct. 8, 2024

It’s official: South Korea recorded its hottest September on record this year, with the state weather agency recording the highest average temperature, the most heat wave days and most tropical nights last month. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, Korea saw average temperatures reaching up to 24.7 degrees Celsius last month, the highest September average since weather records were first tracked nationwide in 1973. The previous highest September average was just last year

Social Affairs Oct. 8, 2024

More people are leaving the city's welfare rolls while continuing recipients are earning higher incomes under the Seoul city government's Stepping Stone Income welfare initiative, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Monday. The city government hosted an international forum titled “Solutions for Alleviating Poverty and Income Disparity” on Monday at Dongdaemun Design Plaza, bringing together experts in economics, social welfare and sociology to discuss the city

Social Affairs Oct. 7, 2024

Ahead of the Seoul International Fireworks Festival, anticipated to draw around 1 million spectators this Saturday, both the government and the city of Seoul have announced extensive safety measures to ensure crowd control and public safety. The annual Seoul International Fireworks Festival, hosted by Hanwha Group, will take place over the Han River near Yeouido and Ichon Hangang Park. Marking its 20th edition, the event will feature stunning displays by participants from Korea, the US, and Japa

Social Affairs Oct. 4, 2024

Around 1,430 minors, aged 14 to 18, were investigated by police for drug offenses, including possession, consumption, and distribution, between 2018 and 2023, according to data from the Korean National Police Agency. The report, released by Rep. Kang Min-kuk of the ruling People Power Party on Friday, highlighted the growing concern over youth involvement in drug crimes during this period. By year, the numbers rose each year, from 56 in 2018, to 201 in 2022. This steady increase was followed by

Social Affairs Oct. 4, 2024

Skepticism toward unification with North Korea is rising in South Korea, with the proportions of people who view it as "unnecessary" and those who see it as "impossible" reaching record highs since 2007, when the poll started. According to the survey on the public unification perception, released by the Institute for Peace and Unification Studies from Seoul National University on Wednesday, 35 percent of respondents indicated that unification is either "entirely unnecess

Social Affairs Oct. 3, 2024

Following nationwide rain Tuesday, South Korea experienced chilly fall weather Wednesday morning, as temperatures dipped by up to 10 degrees Celsius compared to the previous day accompanied by strong winds, said the Korea Meteorological Administration. According to the KMA, the influx of cold air from the northwest and strong winds resulted in Wednesday morning lows 5 C to 10 C lower than the previous day in the central region, comprising the Greater Seoul area -- Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Pro

Social Affairs Oct. 2, 2024

A Seoul district court on Monday sentenced the former chief of the Yongsan Police Station to three years in prison without labor in a ruling that held, for the first time, the South Korean public office responsible for the deadly Halloween crowd crush on Oct. 29, 2022 in Itaewon, central Seoul. Delivering the ruling, the Seoul Western District Court said Lee Im-jae, the then-head of Yongsan Police Station, had failed to establish and implement a safety management plan to prevent the possibility

Social Affairs Sept. 30, 2024