Sophisticated rental housing scams in South Korea incurred over 510 billion won ($376.5 million) in damages from January to July this year, with less than 25 percent of the damages retrieved, data showed Monday. According to police data compiled by Rep. Jeon Bong-min, a lawmaker of the ruling People Power Party, the financial loss that 4,481 rental housing fraud victims across the nation suffered amounted to 510.5 billion won during the January-July period. The number of victims rose eightfold,

Social Affairs Oct. 16, 2023

The ruling People Power Party's Chairman Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon is facing setbacks, following a significant by-election defeat in Gangseo-gu, western Seoul, amid internal party turmoil with less than six months to go until the general election. Kim did not express his intention to step down from his position as the party chairman as of Sunday. Instead, Kim presided over an emergency party meeting Sunday, a day after he accepted the resignation of eight officials. The party's announcement ov

Politics Oct. 15, 2023

Imports of processed Japanese seafood and rice from regions near the disposal of the treated wastewater from the damaged Fukushima nuclear plant to Korea are being overlooked, opposition lawmakers said Thursday, as Seoul only bans fresh seafood from the affected regions. Koreans could still unknowingly consume processed seafood from Fukushima and seven other nearby prefectures, as such products do not fall under the ban on fresh seafood from those areas, and are not labeled what prefecture they

Social Affairs Oct. 12, 2023

Minister of Patriots Park Min-shik asked the Gwangju city government Wednesday to suspend its plan to build a park in memory of a Korean Chinese composer who fought against the South during the Korean War. Park said the ministry would issue a correction order to stop Gwangju authorities commemorating Zheng Lucheng if the city government fails to abide by its recommendation. Zheng, more commonly known as Jeong Yul-seong in South Korea, not only composed the anthem of the Chinese People's Lib

Social Affairs Oct. 11, 2023

A series of flare-ups gave rise to a political blame game at the South Korean National Assembly's audit sessions that kicked off Tuesday. The ruling People Power Party and main opposition Democratic Party of Korea bickered over the fallout from President Yoon Suk Yeol's controversial approval of a new defense minister and a leadership void in the judiciary system for the first time in 35 years. Also topping the agenda was Seoul's stance over the release of treated wastewater in ea

Politics Oct. 10, 2023

South Korea's parliament on Friday passed a bill that will allow law enforcement to release the mugshots of suspects arrested for serious crimes without their consent. The National Assembly voted 215-0 in favor of the bill. Eight abstained. The passage of the law will create legal grounds for the disclosure of an alleged offender's photograph as long as the picture is taken within 30 days of the date it is released to the public. The Justice Ministry said in a statement that citizens' right to k

Social Affairs Oct. 6, 2023

South Korea's top judiciary post is vacant for the first time in 35 years as the National Assembly, where the opposition holds the majority, voted down the nomination of Lee Gyun-yong for chief justice on Friday. The assembly voted 175-118 against the nomination of Lee as chief justice of the Supreme Court of Korea. Two lawmakers abstained. Lee's approval would have required 148 votes in favor, as 295 lawmakers were present at the plenary session. All 168 lawmakers of the main opposition Democra

Social Affairs Oct. 6, 2023

Crowd control measures and road closures can be expected in Seoul over the weekend as the capital gets ready for the 2023 Seoul International Fireworks Festival. Ahead of the festival, which is set to take place in Yeouido on Saturday, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo ordered the government to execute detailed crowd control and put emergency medical arrangements in place near the site. Han said Thursday authorities must work to designate entrances and exits at the venue, set up barriers to dema

Social Affairs Oct. 6, 2023

South Korea and Japan restored vice-ministerial diplomatic channels for dialogue in Seoul on Thursday for the first time in nine years, in one of Seoul's latest gestures toward improving ties with Tokyo. South Korea's First Vice Minister of the Foreign Affairs Ministry Chang Ho-jin met with Japan's Vice Foreign Minister Masataka Okano in a closed-door meeting at 10 a.m. to seek ways for strategic cooperation, as the bilateral relationship is thawing, the government said in a state

Foreign Affairs Oct. 5, 2023

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Wednesday ordered South Korea's Cabinet to set up a pan-governmental task force to prevent "fake news" from "manipulating public opinion." The government, based on an estimate by the state-run media watchdog, the Korea Communications Commission, suspects that two foreign internet users left 20 million reactions cheering for the Chinese soccer team within a few hours on an online forum dedicated to the men's soccer match between South K

Politics Oct. 4, 2023

The basic subway fare in the Seoul metropolitan area is poised to rise 12 percent to 1,400 won ($1.03) from the current 1,250 won, according to the capital city's municipal government on Tuesday. Seoul's public transit authorities define the basic subway fare as the charge to adult holders of a transportation card traveling up to 10 kilometers on a single ride. An additional 100 won is charged for each additional 5 kilometers of travel on the transit system, which allows for travel of up to 200

Social Affairs Oct. 3, 2023

Lee Myung-shik, paralyzed from the chest down after an adverse reaction to an injection to treat a skin disease, cannot sit for longer than three hours due to the debilitating pain in his legs. It means the 62-year-old, who wishes to bring forward his death, is unable to take the 11-hour flight to Switzerland where assisted suicide is legal. "My legs are not just paralyzed, but they are also suffering pain beyond imagination ... so it's getting harder to withstand the pain," Lee s

Social Affairs Oct. 2, 2023

A South Korean court on Tuesday found a law banning private entities from sending leaflets or other items by balloon into North Korea unconstitutional. In a 7-2 decision, the Constitutional Court found the Development of Inter-Korean Relations Act, promulgated in 2020 during the liberal Moon Jae-in administration, unconstitutional. Scores of North Korean human rights groups filed the complaint with the Constitutional Court immediately after the law came into effect. After the conservative Presid

North Korea Sept. 26, 2023

Despite the Yoon Suk Yeol government's pledge to crack down on crimes against women, concerns are growing over the women's safety following a spate of gender-based violence cases. The tragic death of 38-year-old Lee Eun-chong, who was murdered by her former coworker and boyfriend after being stalked, stirred criticism over a lack of practical protection for victims of gender-based crimes under South Korean law. In Lee's case, she had been granted a temporary restraining order to

Social Affairs Sept. 26, 2023

Until the 1970s, blatant forms of discrimination against foreign nationals existed in Japan. For example, non-Japanese citizens were banned from entering law school regardless of their qualifications or if they had passed the bar exam, and many ethnic minorities were denied permanent residence, forcing them to reapply for permission to live in Japan every three years. Kim Kyong-duk, a Korean descendant born and raised in Japan, passed the Japanese bar exam in 1976. He was offered the chance to b

Social Affairs Sept. 25, 2023