A woman accused of causing her newborn's death and then hiding the baby's body was sentenced to a four-year prison term by a local court, officials said Thursday. Daejeon District Court on Oct. 26 found the defendant guilty of violating Article 4 of the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Child Abuse Crimes, death resulting from child abuse. The defendant in her 30s was held responsible for the death of her child, who died a week after being born in September 2019. The de

Social Affairs Nov. 8, 2024

A fishing boat carrying 27 people sank off the coast of Jeju Island on Friday, leaving two dead and 12 missing as authorities set up an emergency task force for rescue operations. As of Friday morning, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province is commanding rescue operations at the emergency headquarters in Jeju City. Dozens of vessels and multiple aircraft from the Coast Guard, Navy, Air Force and the civilian sector are conducting search and rescue operations in the waters off Biyangdo Island. Pr

Social Affairs Nov. 8, 2024

Well over 1,000 applicants have applied for the city of Seoul's matchmaking program, which will bring together 100 unmarried men and women to find their match near the Han River on Nov. 23. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, 1,673 people had applied for the program as of Wednesday. Applications for the program opened Oct. 21. Those wishing to participate can throw their hats into the ring until Friday. The gender ratio of the applicants so far is about 55 percent men and 45 per

Culture Nov. 7, 2024

As Donald Trump gets ready to kick off a second nonconsecutive term as the president of the United States, a survey shows that the majority of South Koreans do not prefer him as the leader of the country's most important ally. Local pollster Gongjung conducted a Nov. 4-5 survey of 1,000 adults, commissioned by media outlet Dailian, which showed that 76.8 percent of respondents here thought that a Kamala Harris win in the US presidential election would have been most beneficial for South Kor

Social Affairs Nov. 7, 2024

A man in his 30s was arrested for murder of his father, who is thought to have inflicted repeated physical abuse on the son and his wife for years. Seoul Seobu Police Station said Thursday that it has forwarded the case to the prosecutors. The suspect is accused of beating his father, who was in his 70s, to death with a blunt object at their home in Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul, on Oct.27. The suspect had gotten infuriated by his father, who cursed at his mother and demanded money to buy alcohol. The sus

Social Affairs Nov. 7, 2024

The South Korean police said Wednesday it is investigating a man in his 50s on suspicion of murdering his girlfriend over an argument that broke out because he thought she was looking down on him. The suspect is accused of killing the victim, also in her 50s, at a motel in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, on Tuesday, according to the Paju Police Station. He then called the victim's family at around 8:20 p.m. and confessed the murder to them, who immediately called the police. The police found the

Social Affairs Nov. 6, 2024

A man who lost consciousness while eating at a restaurant was rescued by a fellow diner and police who promptly arrived on the scene, Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency revealed in a recent video. The clip posted on its official YouTube channel showed an incident that occurred at a restaurant in September. The man suddenly lost consciousness while having a meal with his friend, after which the friend immediately called the 119 emergency service for help. A person who was sitting on the table n

Social Affairs Nov. 6, 2024

A South Korean internet celebrity is being pelted with criticism over causing a drunk driving accident and then joking that she may as well have "killed" the victim. The YouTube streamer in her 20s is being investigated for drunk driving, according to the officials at the Incheon Bupyeong Police Station. She is accused of ramming her car into another at around 12:40 a.m. last Friday in Bupyeong-gu, Incheon, while driving under the influence of alcohol. Her blood alcohol level tested at

Social Affairs Nov. 6, 2024

Judicial and police officers will keep a close eye on notorious child rapist Cho Doo-soon's new home from literally across the street, as the city government of Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, said Wednesday that it had rented a unit near his residence. Cho, who was released four years ago after serving 12 years in prison for raping an 8-year-old girl, relocated to a multiunit home in Wa-dong, Danwon-gu in the same city last month. This sparked concerns over child safety in the area, despite the

Social Affairs Nov. 6, 2024

A man suspected of causing a fatal car accident while driving under the influence was arrested Tuesday morning. Officers from Seongnam Sujeong Police Station took the man into custody for allegedly hitting a man in his 30s who was riding an electric bicycle in Sujeong-gu, Seongnam city in Gyeonggi Province at around 4:10 a.m. The driver reportedly fled the scene without attempting to assist the victim. The victim sustained a critical injury and died despite receiving medical treatment at a nea

Social Affairs Nov. 5, 2024

An elderly man who tried to steal a small amount of money from an old friend ended up killing the friend's wife, according to the police in South Jeolla Province on Tuesday. Yeosu Police Station is currently investigating the suspect, a man in his 60s, on suspicion of murdering a woman in her 70s at around 11 p.m. on Sunday. The victim was found stabbed in the chest inside her home, and died in the early hours of Monday despite receiving medical treatment at a nearby hospital. The suspect

Social Affairs Nov. 5, 2024

A driver of a Seoul bus who resuscitated an unconscious female passenger is being praised for his quick thinking and appropriate measures, a local media outlet reported Tuesday. According to Newsis, the incident occurred at around 6:53 p.m. on Oct. 22 as a No. 3217 was waiting for the light to change. The passenger, who had been standing near the door, suddenly fainted and fell to the floor. A surveillance footage of the bus, revealed by the Seoul Bus Transport Association, showed the driver O

Social Affairs Nov. 5, 2024

Nearly a third of young people in South Korea do not think financial or residential independence from their parents is necessary after they reach adulthood, a recent survey showed. The state-run Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs on Monday revealed the results of its survey on Koreans aged 19-34, on young Koreans' perceptions of adulthood, independence and the meaning of family. Some 30.2 percent of respondents said moving out of one's parents' home is not necessary,

Social Affairs Nov. 5, 2024

Seven couples were matched in the latest edition of a popular Templestay matchmaking program conducted by South Korea's largest Buddhist sect, that wrapped up on Sunday. The two-day Templestay program "Naneun Jeollo" (I Go to the Temple), for young men and women across the country, was held from Saturday to Sunday at Baekyangsa Temple in South Jeolla Province. Organized by the Jogye Order's social outreach arm, the Korean Buddhist Foundation for Social Welfare, twelve men and

Culture Nov. 4, 2024

A retired government official was found dead inside his car in the parking lot of a Gwangju court on Saturday, after he had left a note expressing his frustration with the court's order to give half of his pension to his ex-wife. The two had recently divorced. The body was found at around 8 p.m. in the car parked outside the Gwangju Family Court in Seo-gu, Gwangju, which had handled the divorce lawsuit for the man. It had ruled that the man should give half of the payout from his Government

Social Affairs Nov. 4, 2024