The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Wednesday it would inject 280 billion won ($212 million) to create new outdoor gardens in the capital city to reduce fine dust levels, lower average daily temperatures and increase citizens' access to nature. Unveiling "Garden City Seoul," Mayor Oh Se-hoon said the city’s new initiative would pave the way for Seoulites to live a greener and healthier life, pointing out that nearly 60 percent of people in the capital reside in apartment

Social Affairs May 24, 2023

South Korean actor Yoo Ah-in attended a hearing at the Seoul Central District Court on Wednesday as the court determines whether to issue him with a formal arrest warrant following allegations of illegal drug use. The hearing comes two days after prosecutors requested an arrest warrant for Yoo, whose real name is Uhm Hong-sick, out of concerns that Yoo might destroy evidence or flee the country. The veteran actor appeared at the hearing at 11 a.m. after the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency filed

Social Affairs May 24, 2023

South Korea’s military and police have launched an investigation into former Air Force soldiers for allegedly sexually harassing and insulting their female superiors. The country’s Air Force said late Monday that six former airmen -- whose identities have been withheld -- who were stationed at the unit’s combat squadron in Wonju, Gangwon Province, are accused of sexually harassing higher-up female officers by posting their names and pictures in documents that were being used fo

Social Affairs May 23, 2023

An incumbent police officer has been arrested for having unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor. The Namyangju branch of the Uijeongbu District Court said Sunday it had issued an arrest warrant for the police officer under the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on charges of rape against a middle school student. The court added that the warrant was issued against the suspect to prevent the officer from fleeing. The police officer was summoned on Thursday on accusations of requesting inappropriat

Social Affairs May 22, 2023

Seoul Metro, the operator of Seoul’s subway service, said Monday that it started offering a same-day luggage delivery service, dubbed “T-Luggage,” between Incheon and Gimpo International Airports and subway stations to enhance travel convenience for passengers. Under the service, travelers can leave their luggage at the subway station in the morning and claim it at the airport after work, which would streamline the overall travel process. Foreign travelers can leave their bagga

Social Affairs May 22, 2023

A white ant species found in downtown Seoul has been identified as an "exotic species" that feeds on dry wood and causes significant damage to wooden structures around the world, South Korea's Ministry of Environment said Friday. The ministry weighed in after an online post on Wednesday claimed that a rare white ant species had been discovered at a residence in Seoul. The National Institute of Biological Resources and the National Institute of Ecology was unable to confirm the ant

Social Affairs May 19, 2023

Lee Ki-young, 32, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering a taxi driver and his ex-girlfriend in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, last year. The Goyang branch of the Uijeongbu District Court, northwest of Seoul, on Friday also ordered Lee to wear a GPS-equipped electronic monitoring anklet for 30 years. The court said in its ruling that Lee had “meticulously planned the murder and subsequent crimes” and “continued with the planned murder without any hesitation and gained

Social Affairs May 19, 2023

The 15th International Congress on Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, the 43rd Korean College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting & 17th International Symposium kicked off Wednesday evening, shedding light on how greater social awareness and new drugs can end the “war” against lupus, a chronic autoimmune disease. This year’s event is held under the theme, “Stairway to the End of the War" to prepare the ground for putting an end to the disease. The first edition

Technology May 18, 2023

New drugs and greater social awareness would help bring about an end to the "war" against lupus, a chronic autoimmune disease, according to lupus specialists speaking at a press conference Wednesday held at Coex, southern Seoul, ahead of Lupus & KCR 2023. The 15th International Congress on Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and The 43rd Korean College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting & 17th International Symposium are being held concurrently at Coex from Wednesday through Sa

Technology May 17, 2023

The bereaved families of the Itaewon disaster in October last year marked the 200th day of the tragedy on Tuesday, holding a rally at the memorial in front of Seoul City Hall. Despite the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s request to the bereaved families to voluntarily remove the memorial altar, they have refused to comply, demanding the truth about the deadly incident. The mother of the late actor Lee Ji-han, who died at the age of 24 on the night of the Halloween festival, said she would f

Social Affairs May 16, 2023

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Tuesday that the city government will expand the pool of beneficiaries for a new program designed to support multi-child families by lowering the bar for “multi-child” family from the current three to two children. Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said the new child benefit scheme would beef up support for families with more than one child, explaining that it would alleviate the economic burden of households and improve child care services. To encourage m

Social Affairs May 16, 2023

The National Human Rights Commission issued a recommendation to a prison warden to come up with new measures to respond to an LGBTQ prisoner’s request to be given an individual cell. Dismissing the request violates human rights of pursuing happiness, the commission said. The commission refused to provide details on the prisoner's gender or the way in which they were LGBTQ, citing confidentiality. According to the human rights watchdog, the inmate asked for an individual cell in 2021,

Social Affairs May 15, 2023

A man in his 30s was sentenced to seven years in prison for beating his mother to death because she refused to allow him to move out, according to legal professionals and media reports Sunday. The man assaulted his mother in January after she refused her son’s request to move out of the house. The mother reportedly suffered severe bodily injuries, sustaining broken ribs and a ruptured left kidney. She was sent to a nearby hospital and treated herself in emergency care, but later died from

Social Affairs May 15, 2023

A majority of Korean teachers said they wouldn’t choose to teach if they had the choice, as job satisfaction for the profession hit an all-time low, a survey showed Sunday. Some 80 percent of 6,751 teachers at kindergarten, elementary, middle and high schools and university said in the poll they wouldn’t be teachers if they were born again, according to the Korean Federation of Teachers’ Associations. When asked if they were satisfied with pursuing a career in teaching, only

Social Affairs May 15, 2023

A coalition of doctors, nursing assistants and other medical professionals is poised to go on a daylong nationwide general strike this week, as the medical sector remains split over the Nursing Act, which was passed in the National Assembly last month, where the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea holds the majority. The coalition of 13 medical associations including the Korea Medical Association (KMA) and the Korean Licensed Practical Nurses Association said they would go on a one-day nat

Social Affairs May 14, 2023