The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Monday that it has commenced preparations for installing the "Moon of Seoul" tethered helium balloon ride at Yeouido Hangang Park, with operation set to start in June. Basic landscaping will precede the installation of the moon-shaped balloon, which is currently under construction in France. The balloon will then be brought to Seoul to undergo safety inspections following the Aviation Safety Act. "Safety is our priority in installing (Moon of

Travel April 29, 2024

A 23-year-old woman received a six-month prison term, suspended for two years, for injuring her boyfriend who assaulted her, a court said Sunday. The Chuncheon District Court found the defendant guilty of inflicting special bodily injury on another but took into consideration the fact that the woman had no previous criminal record and that the victim asked for her not to be punished. The defendant is accused of injuring the victim during a fight in February. The defendant's boyfriend had ac

Social Affairs April 28, 2024

A South Korean rapper recently received a one-year prison sentence following a public fight with another rapper, as well as for posting a video of a forced apology and drug use. The Seoul Western District Court found the 26-year-old defendant guilty of coercion by collective force, defamation and marijuana use. It also ordered him to participate in an 80-hour drug treatment program. The defendant got into an argument on Instagram with a 21-year-old rapper last year, which led to them schedulin

Social Affairs April 28, 2024

Hwang Sun-hong, the head coach of the South Korean Olympic men's soccer team, said he shoulders the biggest share of the blame for the team's bitter defeat Friday at the hands of underdog Indonesia. The 55-year-old also urged for an overhaul of the U-23 national team system, speaking at a press conference after returning home at Incheon Airport on Saturday. Hwang stressed the need for a four-year plan for the youth squad without the pressure of midterm reviews after South Korea was kno

Soccer April 28, 2024

The prices of dishes at local eateries have been on the rise in South Korea, following the rising prices of agricultural, fishery and livestock products reported last week. According to the Korea Consumer Agency, an affiliate of the Korea Fair Trade Commission, the average prices for eight major dining options have all gone up in Seoul in March, compared to March of last year. In a bid to provide a general understanding of the dining costs in South Korea, the agency discloses the monthly average

Consumer April 28, 2024

Roughly 1 out of 5 businesses in the food service industry here went out of business in 2023 -- a higher rate than during the years of economic slump sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic -- according to figures disclosed by a local data analysis firm. According to Finda, 176,258 restaurants, takeout joints and food delivery locations across the country shut down for good last year, accounting for 21.5 percent of the 818,867 eateries in total. It implied that the food service industry had a worse yea

Industry April 28, 2024

A doctor accused of illegally administering propofol for disgraced actor Yoo Ah-in and himself was sentenced to a prison term of one year and two months, suspended for two years, by a local court on Thursday. The Seoul Central District Court found the defendant surnamed Shin guilty of violating the Narcotics Control Act. It also ordered that he forfeit 270,000 won ($200) and undergo a 40-hour drug treatment program. The defendant is accused of administering propofol for Yoo on 17 occasions from

Social Affairs April 25, 2024

The National Police Agency on Wednesday shared on its official YouTube page a video of a teenage girl who came across a pile of cash and helped return it to the owner. In the surveillance camera footage, a man was shown dropping 1.22 million won ($890) in cash while riding a bicycle in Hadong-gun, South Gyeongsang Province, on Feb. 27. A few moments later, a young girl came by and stopped in her tracks. She took out a phone to take a photo of the money, after which she picked up the bills. The

Social Affairs April 25, 2024

The bereaved family of a 37-year-old man who died recently had decided to donate his organs for those in need, the state-run organ agency said Thursday. According to the Korea Organ Donation Agency, Choi Seong-cheol's family decided to donate both his kidneys, liver, lungs, and both his eyes to respect his wishes to help others. Throughout most of his life, he suffered from an intellectual disability that he got as a result of severe school violence from when he was in high school. Choi had

People April 25, 2024

The number of calls made by stalking victims to the state-run women's counseling hotline jumped more than three-fold over the past three years, government data showed. A total of 9,017 cases of over-the-phone counseling were provided by the 1366 emergency counseling service, according to a joint report by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and the ministry-affiliated Women's Human Rights Institute of Korea. The figure has increased exponentially, having recorded 2,710 in 2021. The emerge

Social Affairs April 25, 2024

A 23-year prison term has been confirmed for a South Korean man who killed his fiance by stabbing her 191 times, after the defendant did not appeal until the deadline Wednesday. The sentence was issued by the Chuncheon branch of the Seoul High Court last week. The 28-year-old defendant, surnamed Ryu, had until Wednesday to file an appeal. The prosecution, which initially requested a 25-year prison term for Ryu, did not appeal either, resulting in the sentence being confirmed. Ryu was convicted o

Social Affairs April 25, 2024

Nearly 90 percent of those who filed for bankruptcy in Seoul last year were aged at least 50, with a substantial portion of the number being male or living alone, Seoul government data showed Wednesday. The data released by Seoul Financial Welfare Counseling Center, an affiliate of the city-run Seoul Welfare Foundation, showed that 86 percent of valid bankruptcy applicants last year were 50 or older, and 64.4 percent were male. Of those who declared themselves bankrupt, 83.5 percent had been ben

Social Affairs April 24, 2024

Among newly hired employees in Korea in 2023, 50.5 percent were college graduates. Of the 28.41 million people newly hired across the country, 14.36 million had a higher education degree, according to the Korean Statistical Information Service run by Statistics Korea. The figure includes graduates from two-year college courses and those with postgraduate degrees. The number of new employees with tertiary education degrees rose by 1.2 percent compared to the year before. The figure rose from 30.2

Economy April 24, 2024

The personal information of a 26-year-old South Korean man accused of stabbing his girlfriend to death and injuring the victim's mother was released online Monday. Kim Re-a's full name, age and mugshot were posted by the Suwon District Public Prosecutors' Office on its homepage, after its deliberation committee on revealing information of suspects reached a decision earlier this month. The suspect has been indicted on charges of murdering his 21-year-old girlfriend on March 25, an

Social Affairs April 22, 2024

A man who falsely claimed to be engaged to Rep. Bae Hyun-jin of the People Power Party has been indicted for stalking, according to the ruling party lawmaker's office on Monday. The suspect in his 50s, surnamed Choi, faces charges of stalking and spreading falsehoods against Bae, who recently was elected for her third term as a National Assembly member. The Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office on Friday arrested and indicted the suspect, against whom Bae had filed a complaint las

Social Affairs April 22, 2024