Artificial intelligence-based chatbot Lee Luda, which ended this month in ethical and data collection controversy, faces lawsuits on charges of violating personal information. On Friday, around 400 people filed a class action suit against the creator of the chatbot, Seoul-based startup Scatter Lab, claiming their personal information was leaked in the process of developing and providing the service. Launched on Dec. 23, Lee Luda, an AI chatbot service designed to imitate a 20-year-old colleg

Social Affairs Jan. 22, 2021

South Korea lacks a “big picture” for dealing with child abuse, and must break away from the idea that child abuse is a “family problem,” experts say. Although this is slowly changing, child abuse is still perceived as a family issue instead of a crime that society needs to intervene to stop. Even before the horrific death in October of a 16-month-old girl named Jeong-in, child abuse was nothing new. In 2020, a 9-year-old boy who was abused by his stepmother died afte

Social Affairs Jan. 20, 2021

A special investigation unit tasked with reinvestigating the 2014 Sewol ferry disaster announced Tuesday that it had put most of the allegations to rest without additional indictments, ending its 14-month investigation. The team said, “A total of 20 people were indicted after confirming that the Coast Guard command had violated its duty of care and that government officials such as Cheong Wa Dae and the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries interfered with the special investigation

Social Affairs Jan. 19, 2021

An appellate court sentenced Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong to 2 1/2 years in prison Monday for bribery in a high-profile case involving former President Park Geun-hye, reopening a leadership vacuum at South Korea’s biggest tech giant. In the final verdict, announced at around 2:20 p.m., judges at the Seoul High Court said, “Considering all circumstances, it is inevitable that Lee is sentenced to prison and arrested in court.” Choi Ji-sung and Jang Choong-ki, two other Samsung ex

Social Affairs Jan. 18, 2021

Former Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, a member of the main opposition People Power Party, announced on Sunday his candidacy for the Seoul mayoral by-election. With Oh joining the race, the so-called “Big Three” from the opposition bloc -- including Ahn Cheol-soo, head of the minor opposition People’s Party, and Na Kyung-won, former floor leader of the conservative opposition -- are expected to compete for the title of unified candidate, who may be selected next month. The former m

Politics Jan. 17, 2021

The daily number of confirmed coronavirus cases in South Korea stayed in the 500s for a third consecutive day, officials said Thursday, hinting at a possible extension of tough social distancing measures to prevent a resurgence. The government’s central response team said the number of new COVID-19 cases increased by 524 to 77,728 as of midnight. The third wave, which began in mid-November, has seen a gradual decline in the new year. Of the new confirmed cases, 496 were locally transmit

Social Affairs Jan. 14, 2021

Na Kyung-won, former floor leader of the conservative opposition, on Wednesday announced her bid for Seoul mayor, becoming the latest bigwig challenger to enter the April 7 by-elections. With Na announcing her bid, the battle from the opposition bloc is solidifying into a three-way race with head of the minor opposition People’s Party Ahn Cheol-soo and Oh Se-hoon, who was mayor of Seoul from 2006-2011. Ahn joined the race last month and Oh has vowed to run if Ahn does not join the main o

Politics Jan. 13, 2021

The post of Seoul mayor is a steppingstone toward taking power from the ruling bloc, according to Ahn Cheol-soo, the Seoul mayoral front-runner and head of the minor opposition People’s Party, saying the government's failures range from its COVID-19 response to its real estate policies.  Ahn said the government’s loose quarantine measures have prolonged the coronavirus crisis and put self-employed businesspeople and small business owners under even more pressure. 

Politics Jan. 13, 2021

For the first time in history, a Seoul court has ruled that the Japanese government is liable to pay compensation for wartime sex slavery, ordering it to give 100 million won ($91,340) to each victim. The Seoul Central District Court said at 9:55 a.m. on Friday that “State immunity cannot be applied to crimes against humanity” in regards to the suit that 12 victims had filed against the Japanese government. The case began when the 12 so-called comfort women, including the late Ba

Social Affairs Jan. 8, 2021

Heavy snow that fell overnight combined with a cold wave have disrupted travel in South Korea, snarling traffic on icy roads, suspending rail services and canceling flights. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, heavy snow began to fall in Seoul from around 7 p.m. the previous day and recorded 13.7 centimeters of snow as of 1 p.m. on Thursday. Temperatures in the city dropped to minus 16.5 degrees Celsius. As roads became icy and cars slowed down, traffic slowed to an average

Social Affairs Jan. 7, 2021

Four inmates infected with coronavirus at a detention center in Seoul filed a compensation suit against the Ministry of Justice over for a negligence of quarantine. This is the first time that prisoners at a correctional facility have filed a lawsuit against the state in relation to COVID-19. Four inmates at Dongbu Detention Center in eastern Seoul filed a petition with the Seoul Central District Court to claim a total of 40 million won ($36,771) -- 10 million won per person -- at around 11 a.

Social Affairs Jan. 7, 2021

The number of new daily confirmed cases of coronavirus in South Korea stayed below 1,000 for a second consecutive day, officials said Wednesday. Concerns still remain though, as the virus is spreading quickly in jails and hospitals where social distancing is nearly impossible. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said the number of people who tested positive for the novel coronavirus was 840 on Tuesday, up by 125 from the previous day. Of the new confirmed cases, 809 were locally

Social Affairs Jan. 6, 2021

Seoul‘s acting Mayor Seo Jung-hyup on Tuesday vowed to prepare for the future of the city in the post-coronavirus era by investing in Digital New Deal initiatives, responding to climate change and stabilizing the housing market. “We will spend 1.1 trillion won ($1 billion) by 2025 on the Seoul-style Digital New Deal policy, which focuses on fostering big data, networks and artificial intelligence, which will lead the era of the ‘fourth industrial revolution’ and the con

Social Affairs Jan. 5, 2021

The suggestion from ruling Democratic Party of Korea leader Rep. Lee Nak-yon that President Moon Jae-in grant presidential pardons to his two immediate predecessors is blossoming into yet another controversy, with backlash from both the ruling and opposition blocs. On New Year’s Day, Lee raised the question of granting pardons to the two imprisoned ex-presidents -- Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye -- telling reporters that he would propose it to President Moon at an appropriate time. &l

Politics Jan. 4, 2021

  Ruling Democratic Party Rep. Woo Sang-ho, currently the only ruling bloc figure to announce a bid in Seoul’s mayoral race, has big plans for the city -- from transforming it into an international financial hub to building homes along its major thoroughfares. Woo said many financial institutions are considering relocating their Asian headquarters from Hong Kong due to continued protests, and that Singapore and Seoul could be candidates. “There is a good chance for Seoul to

Politics Jan. 3, 2021