On Wednesday, South Korea's Justice Ministry reported that nearly 11,000 undocumented immigrants were removed from the country through either deportation or voluntary departure between June 12 and July 31, a move that highlights the Yoon Suk Yeol government's focus on stricter immigration enforcement. The 50-day crackdown was conducted jointly by five central government agencies, including the Ministry of Justice, the National Police Agency, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Tra

Social Affairs Aug. 23, 2023

South Korea will conduct its first nationwide civil defense drill in six years on Wednesday, a move that comes amid rising tensions with North Korea. Set for 2 p.m., the 20-minute exercise will require most people to evacuate to designated shelters or underground safe spaces. The country has identified 17,000 such shelters, with their locations available on widely-used apps like Kakao, Naver, and Tmap. During the drill, drivers must pull over to the side of roads and follow radio instructions. S

Social Affairs Aug. 22, 2023

An Indonesian boy born with his heart outside the chest cavity has been successfully treated at a South Korean hospital. Mikhael, a 7-year-old from Indonesia, was born with ectopia cordis, an extremely rare condition where the heart is located outside the chest cavity. Most infants diagnosed with the condition do not survive beyond their first three days of life. Medical professionals in Indonesia initially predicted he would only live for two years. Despite defying initial prognosis, Mikhael fa

Social Affairs Aug. 18, 2023

The city of Seoul unveiled its new city logo with the "Seoul, My Soul" slogan, as part of an initiative officials say aims to bolster the city's global image. The slogan emerged as the top pick from an open call for idea submissions last August, besting the runner-up "Seoul for You." It then underwent a rigorous review process, incorporating various surveys to finalize the design, city officials said. The new branding will replace "I Seoul U," which had been the cit

Social Affairs Aug. 16, 2023

As South Korea marks the 78th Liberation Day from Japan on Aug. 15, a recent poll highlighted a societal divide on how to approach traveling to Japan – a top destination for South Korean tourists – during the holiday. A recent poll by research firm PMI surveyed 3,000 South Koreans aged 15 to 69. Of those polled, 50.6 percent said they believe it is inappropriate to visit Japan on Liberation Day, the most popular view across all age groups. Some 19.9 percent responded they are against

Social Affairs Aug. 14, 2023

The number of South Korean children and teens diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder has risen by 80 percent over the last four years, a government agency report found. According to data released by the National Health Insurance Service on Sunday, ADHD diagnoses for individuals aged between 6 and 18 rose from 44,741 in 2018 to 81,512 in 2022, marking an 82.2 percent increase. Of these, 63,182 were male and 18,330 were female. The global rise in ADHD diagnoses, including in South K

Social Affairs Aug. 14, 2023

Seoul Zoo confirmed on Monday the unexpected death of Suho, one of their resident Siberian tigers. At just 10 years old, Suho's death came a decade earlier than the typical 20-year life expectancy for Siberian tigers, a critically endangered species. Suho was found unresponsive during viewing hours in the zoo's exhibition hall in Seoul Grand Park, Gwacheon on Sunday. Despite immediate efforts to revive him, he was pronounced dead soon thereafter. With the continued heat wave pushing da

Social Affairs Aug. 8, 2023

As South Korea has seen a rise in seemingly random knife attacks this summer, some are saying that law enforcement should be granted the authority to take a tougher stance against violent criminals. Several online comments by presumed police officers, expressing frustration for being personally liable for using excessive physical force while on active duty, were widely shared in social media and online communities following a series of recent violent crimes -- including last week's car-ramm

Social Affairs Aug. 8, 2023

Ulsan Metropolitan Police Agency reported the arrest of 20 people on Wednesday, including the 22-year-old kingpin of a major drug ring, among 34 individuals nabbed in connection with the nationwide drug trafficking operation. Among those busted was a high schooler who had been recruited into the ring as a drug mule, police confirmed. Since June 2020, the ring has dealt with cannabis and LSD smuggled from Vietnam through overseas mail. The ring's dealers, largely former buyers in their 20s a

Social Affairs Aug. 3, 2023

One man was found dead and another critically injured inside a vehicle parked by a highway near Yeosu, South Jeolla Province on July 31, leading to a police investigation last weekend. Both victims were discovered with severe wounds to the thigh, apparently inflicted by an external object. Police autopsy revealed the man died of excessive bleeding and sepsis, resulting from an injury inflicted by rocks. According to authorities, the two men were friends who met through an online game three years

Social Affairs Aug. 2, 2023

A man in his 60s is under police investigation for attempting to defraud the public with a donation box at a tribute site in Sillim-dong, Seoul, the location of a recent stabbing spree that left one dead and three injured. According to authorities, the man set up a box marked "donations for victims' families" at the memorial site without the consent of the victims' relatives. Upon discovering the box, the victims' families and mourning citizens reported the man to the po

Social Affairs July 28, 2023

Senior officers from the South Korean Army’s 9th Infantry Division are facing allegations of workplace abuse against drafted soldiers, according to the Center for Military Human Rights Korea. In press conferences Wednesday and Thursday, the non-governmental military watchdog detailed alleged instances of misconduct by senior officers against their subordinates serving at the infantry division’s dining facility in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. The facility, which provides food service to

Social Affairs July 28, 2023

What began three years ago as one man's solitary life with two dogs in a small apartment in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, devolved into a distressing case of animal neglect that left a neighborhood in turmoil and 50 dogs desperate for rescue. Over the past week, residents began lodging complaints about the incessant barking and foul odor emanating from the unit, which one neighbor likened to the scent of "a rotting corpse." The barking, residents said, was so frequent and lou

Social Affairs July 27, 2023

Japanese authorities are searching for a Korean man who has been missing for 49 days. According to reports, the man -- a 27-year-old social worker named Yoon Se-joon -- arrived in Osaka, Japan on May 9 with plans to stay for one month. Yoon was last spotted at a convenience store in the Wakayama prefecture, near the place he was staying, and his family reported him missing some time after their last contact on June 8. Japanese police have been searching for the man, and made the investigation pu

Social Affairs July 27, 2023

An executive at a modelling agency has been accused of sexual assault by multiple models and social media influencers, prompting an official police investigation. The three initial complainants, who are members of the same agency, filed lawsuits Thursday against the executive, accusing him of multiple counts of rape, groping, sexual harassment and non-consensual filming, police confirmed. The accused executive reportedly denies any wrongdoing. The allegations surfaced publicly Tuesday during a T

Social Affairs July 26, 2023