An investigation into the death of an elementary school teacher that triggered months of teachers’ protests will end without further proceedings, police said Tuesday. In a briefing Tuesday, Seocho Police Chief Song Won-young told media the investigation into the suicide of a teacher at Seoul’s Seo2 Elementary School had found no evidence of criminal activities. The 24-year-old teacher died on July 18 in a storage area in the school in Seocho-dong, an affluent neighborhood in southern

Social Affairs Nov. 14, 2023

The "bipa," a guitar-shaped Korean traditional instrument widely loved for over a thousand years, has almost been completely lost to history. Kim Ju-yeong, one of fewer than 10 bipa players left in Korea, has worked hard to preserve tradition and connect modern people with the instrument. “I began to play the bipa following my aunt’s recommendation. As a child, I had trouble focusing, but I could concentrate well when I played the bipa,” Kim said. “The sound o

Culture Nov. 11, 2023

The Supreme Court on Thursday confirmed that a man in his 50s surnamed Park is eligible to receive 1.2 billion won ($900,000) in compensation for the death of his wife, surnamed Kim, as well as an additional 240 million won in compensation for the delay in receiving an initial payout, which should have been awarded in 2020. The ruling follows the top court's previous ruling which found Park guilty of causing death by negligence in 2020. The prosecution at the time had sought murder charges

Social Affairs Nov. 3, 2023

“Haegeum is like ink that has permeated into my life,” Kim Sae-jin said. Kim majors in haegeum at the Korea National University of Arts, a special educational institution to foster artists. Haegeum is a traditional Korean string instrument that is played by pulling the bow across its two strings. It is also nicknamed the “ggaeng-ggaeng-i” for its high-pitched sounds. The haegeum's body consists of a soundbox made of bamboo and oak, a bamboo bar and two tuning pegs. T

Culture Oct. 28, 2023

Marking the first anniversary of the deadly Halloween crowd crush in Itaewon, some bereaved families of the victims, alongside local civic groups, held a demonstration on Saturday morning at Gwangju Park in Gwangju. During the event, the demonstrators paid respect to the victims and called for the enactment of a special act enabling a comprehensive investigation into the Itaewon tragedy. On October 29, 2022, the Saturday night ahead of Halloween, 158 died and many others were injured in a narrow

Social Affairs Oct. 28, 2023

G-Dragon, 35, a former leader of the K-pop band Big Bang, was reportedly booked for drug use on Wednesday. G-Dragon, whose real name is Kwon Ji-yong, is under police investigation for breaching the Narcotics Control Act without detention, according to local media citing Incheon Metropolitan Police. Despite reports linking the investigation to the alleged drug use of Lee Sun-kyun, who starred in the Oscar-winning “Parasite,” police denied any connection between the two cases. The ar

K-pop Oct. 25, 2023

“Nongak is close as a friend to me. I experienced happiness, anger, sorrow and joy, developing love with it,” said Jeong Hyun-ji, who plays the sogo -- a small, traditional Korean hand-held drum -- in the Gochang Nongak Cheongchun Gutpae. Gochang Nongak Cheongchun Gutpae is an official youth troupe that performs Gochang Nongak, the traditional music created and developed by farmers in the coastal county of Gochang, North Jeolla Province. “I always swim into the meaning of nonga

Culture Oct. 14, 2023

Two people have died and two have been injured in an accident involving a 15-ton cargo truck, which crashed into a traffic control office Thursday morning in Jeongseon-gun, Gangwon Province. As a result of the impact, much of the temporary building was destroyed and fell into the adjacent Jijangcheon, a stream running through the area. Three people, all employees of the Jeongseon-gun Traffic Management Office, were reported to be inside the temporary structure at the time of the crash. Among th

Social Affairs Oct. 6, 2023

A passerby saved three people trapped in a car in a farm waterway on Tuesday, near Maekdo River in western Busan, getting instruction from firefighters through a video call. Bae Do-yoon, 39, spotted a car suddenly going over the curb as he headed to work on Tuesday morning. Despite the illuminated brake lights at the rear, the car kept moving and flipped into the muddy waterway upside down, according to dashboard camera footage provided by the Busan Metropolitan City Fire Safety Headquarters. Th

Social Affairs Oct. 5, 2023

A 6-year-old Uzbek girl was found dead in the Nakdong River in Daegu on Tuesday. The girl was found in the river about 200 meters from Dalseongbo Weir, six hours after the National Fire Service began a search, according to local media reports quoting police. Her parents had reported her missing at 12:21 p.m that day. Police secured CCTV footage showing the girl heading to a riverside park near the weir, also near her home, riding her scooter alone. A witness reportedly told the police that she p

Social Affairs Oct. 4, 2023

“The geomungo has been called ‘baekakjijang,’ which means the ultimate instrument,” Park Chae-won said, introducing her instrument. Park is a Korean music major specializing in the geomungo at Seoul National University. The geomungo is an ancient Korean instrument with a hollow wooden body and six silk strings. It is played with a pencil-sized bamboo stick called a suldae. Since being invented by Wang San-ak, a prime minister during Korea’s Goguryeo kingdom (37 B.C.

Culture Oct. 2, 2023

People staring at screens to book tickets to home, jammed highways and families enjoying festive foods are typical scenes associated with Chuseok, one of South Korea's biggest traditional holidays. Along with Seollal, Chuseok is one of two holidays that span three consecutive days. The origins of Chuseok are unclear, but similar holidays are celebrated across East Asia on the same date -- Aug. 15 on the lunar calendar -- though some have come to mark Aug. 15 on the solar calendar as well.

Culture Sept. 29, 2023

South Korea's Ministry of Education will offer all Ukrainian college students in South Korea scholarships and living subsidies from October, the National Institute for International Education announced Tuesday. The ministry revised its basic plan to support the Global Korea Scholarship, a scholarship program for government-invited students, to offer a total of 780 million won ($578,000) to cover the tuition and living costs of Ukrainian students enrolled at South Korean colleges for the fal

Social Affairs Sept. 27, 2023

The Gangwon Forestry Exhibition 2023 kicked off on Friday around Gangwon Province's Seoraksan National Park, including the areas of Sokcho, Yangyang, Goseong and Inje. Under the theme of “Seeking the Future of the World and Mankind in the Forest,” the exposition showcases the strong connections between the forest and humanity. The GFE 2023 is the first forestry exposition in Korea. It includes diverse exhibitions, performances and academic conferences related to forestry. The

Social Affairs Sept. 24, 2023

“Gochang nongak first came into my life at a college traditional music band. Since then, I've gone to Gochang every summer and winter to learn the music,” said Kim Mi-jung, a kkwaenggwari player of Gochang nongak, a type of traditional farmers’ music developed in Gochang-gun, North Jeolla Province. The kkwaenggwari is a metal percussion instrument or gong with a radius the length of the span of one's outstretched hand, and a wooden mallet. With its high-pitched tone,

Culture Sept. 9, 2023