A government report showed Sunday that a local group of citizen-journalists has been fined in connection with its decision to publish the names of those who lost their lives in the October 2022 crowd crush in Itaewon without getting consent from the victims' bereaved families. Mindle News, an independent media outlet founded in 2022, was fined 3 million won ($2,200) in late July by the Personal Information Protection Commission for violating the Personal Information Act, according to PIPC

Social Affairs Oct. 13, 2024

A local court said Sunday it ruled against a company that fired an employee for taking without permission five mugs and one calendar intended as promotional gifts for customers. Seoul Administrative Court has ruled against Porsche Korea's official dealer, Autostadt, who challenged the National Labor Relations Commission's ruling on its firing of the employee. The company had dismissed the employee -- who had worked there nine years -- in February last year, arguing that he had taken th

Social Affairs Oct. 13, 2024

Local rescue authorities said passengers of a bus managed to rescue a person from a burning car, with one sustaining an injury in the process. According to the Gyeongbuk Fire Service Headquarters, a sedan caught fire after colliding with a truck while backing up at the Goryeong junction in Goryeong-gun, North Gyeongsang Province, on the Gwangju-Daegu Expressway at around 9:13 a.m. on Oct.10. Passengers on a passing tour bus came over and pulled the driver out of the burning car, and one passenge

Social Affairs Oct. 13, 2024

As South Korea struggles with increasing reports of abuse against teachers, government data showed that a growing number of homeroom teachers are requesting to be replaced. In 2023, 124 homeroom teachers were replaced at their own request, which is more than double compared the 54 who were in 2020, according to Ministry of Education data submitted to Rep. Jeong Sung-kook of the ruling People Power Party. The figure has been rising for three years. It was 90 in 2021 and 118 in 2022, and 55 have

Social Affairs Oct. 12, 2024

Police officers in Busan recently escorted a pregnant woman to a hospital to receive urgent medical care, officials revealed in a video posted Monday. In a video posted on the official YouTube page of the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency, a woman in her 30s parked her car in front of a patrol car and ran toward the officers at around 7:20 p.m. on Sept. 12. Senior Patrolman Gwon Jeong-hwan -- who was at the scene -- said the woman was in her 13th week of pregnancy, and that she told him she was

Social Affairs Oct. 10, 2024

A blaze that occurred late Wednesday in a multiunit residential building in Paju, Gyeonggi Province left a woman in her 30s dead, while her six-year-old son was rescued by their neighbor. According to the Paju Police Station, the fire is believed to have started at around 11:30 p.m. at a unit on the first floor of the building. A neighbor saw smoke and helped bring the boy who was inside to safety, but was unable to rescue his mother. The child is currently being looked after by another family i

Social Affairs Oct. 10, 2024

Over 2,000 websites running illegal lotteries were reported to authorities this year, but only 0.9 percent of them have been blocked by the government, Ministry of Economy and Finance data showed Tuesday. Of the 2,838 websites reported, only 26 had blocked as of July, according to ministry data submitted to Rep. Jung Sung-ho of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea. Most of the reported cases -- 2,666 -- were still under deliberation by the Korea Communications Standards Commission. The

Social Affairs Oct. 8, 2024

Despite a slight increase in the number of female prosecutors over the last four years, only one in 10 chief prosecutor-level officials in South Korea is a woman, data from the Ministry of Justice showed Tuesday. Of the 46 officials at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office level or higher as of September, just five were women, according to the data submitted to Rep. Park Jie-won of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea. SPO-level prosecutors are the second highest rank in Korea's pro

Social Affairs Oct. 8, 2024

South Korean police on Tuesday said they have arrested two YouTubers who revealed the identities of the suspects in a 2004 gang rape case in Miryang, in a show of force against the self-proclaimed vigilantism that was opposed by the victim herself. The two YouTubers, one in his 20s and the other in his 30s, are under investigation for the doxxing that took place on their respective channels between June and August this year, according to the cyber investigation unit of the Gyeongnam Provincial P

Social Affairs Oct. 8, 2024

A fire broke out early Tuesday morning in Gwangju, killing one man, local fire authorities said. According to the Gwangsan Fire Station, flames engulfed a multi-unit residential building around 4:32 a.m. The victim in his 50s was unable to escape and was found dead after the firefighters extinguished the fire at around 5:13 a.m. The victim was a resident of a first-floor unit of the building. A couple in their 60s inhaled smoke during the evacuation, but did not suffer any major injuries. The

Social Affairs Oct. 8, 2024

Nearly 70 percent of government workers dislike a long-standing custom in their workplaces that encourages lower-level officials to occasionally treat their superiors to a meal. Some 75.7 percent of respondents said they were aware of the tradition, according to a survey of 12,526 government officials across the country conducted by Rep. Wi Seong-gon of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea. Nearly half -- 44 percent -- had experienced the custom within the past year. But the survey sh

Social Affairs Oct. 7, 2024

More South Koreans were murdered in the Philippines than in any other Asia-Pacific nation from 2015 to June, according to government data released Monday. A total of 86 South Koreans were murdered in the region -- excluding Korea -- according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs data submitted to Rep. Kim Yeong-bae of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea. Thirty-eight Koreans were killed in the Philippines, far surpassing the second-highest count of 13 that were murdered in Japan. China

Social Affairs Oct. 7, 2024

The primary goals for South Korean divorcees when they remarry include economic stability and a chance to revitalize their lives, a recent survey by a local matchmaker showed. Only-You, a matchmaking firm dealing exclusively with divorcees, conducted a survey of 258 men and 258 women to find out what they are looking for most in starting a life with a new spouse. Of the women, 35.3 percent said they hoped to improve their financial situation, while 25.2 percent said they were looking for stabi

Social Affairs Oct. 7, 2024

North Korea sent yet another fleet of garbage-filled balloons southward early Monday, marking the 25th such provocation this year and potentially adding to the property damage and injuries the balloons have caused already. The Joint Chiefs of Staff said that the balloons, presumed to be filled with trash, are projected to move toward the greater Seoul area, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province. The JCS advised citizens not to approach the balloons and warned of potential danger when they fall to the gr

North Korea Oct. 7, 2024

The daughter of previous President Moon Jae-in has come under investigation by police concerning a drunk driving accident, which has sparked criticism from the conservative bloc against the liberal president that had called driving under the influence of alcohol "an action that amounts to murder." Seoul Yongsan Police Station said that 40-year-old Moon Da-hye drove her car into a taxi at around 2:50 a.m. Saturday in Itaewon-dong, Seoul, while driving drunk. Moon's blood alcohol co

Social Affairs Oct. 7, 2024