South Korean police told reporters Monday that information related to the drug investigation into the since-deceased actor Lee Sun-kyun were consistently being leaked, and that officials are looking into how the reports were relayed to outside parties. Officials have confirmed suspicions that a photocopy of the original investigation report had been leaked, according to the National Office of Investigation's chief, Woo Jong-soo. Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency has been probing alleg

Social Affairs Feb. 5, 2024

Over 80 percent of doctors across the country oppose the government plan to increase the medical school enrollment quota, a survey showed Monday, with many of them saying that there are already enough medical staff in the country. The Research Institute for Healthcare Policy, an affiliate of the Korean Medical Association, conducted a survey on 4,010 doctors across the country and found that 81.7 percent of the respondents are against the government drive to increase the number of physicians. Th

Social Affairs Feb. 5, 2024

Ex-President Park Geun-hye held a book event for her autobiography in Daegu on Monday afternoon, fueling speculations that the disgraced former leader of South Korea is seeking to make a comeback as an influential figure in the country's politics. Park addressed the public during the event's Q&A at a hotel in Suyeong-gu in the city of Daegu -- her birthplace, where she still has sizeable support despite having been impeached and convicted on 16 charges of corruption in 2018. She ta

Politics Feb. 5, 2024

Some 20 taxis were called to the official residence of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in the early hours of Monday by an unidentified caller, local police said, as officials are conducting an investigation for possible "obstruction of business." According to Yongsan Police Station, the score of taxis were stopped by police stationed at Yoon’s residence in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, while attempting to enter the premises between 2:30 a.m. and 4:20 a.m. Monday. It was fo

Social Affairs Feb. 5, 2024

The Supreme Court recently confirmed a sentence of one year and six months in prison for a South Korean man who refused his mandatory military service, after the court dismissed his claims of "being against all war and violence," partly based on his avid playing of the battle royale game "PUBG: Battlegrounds." The defendant was indicted in November of 2018 on a charge of violating the Military Service Act, which stipulates that all able-bodied South Korean men are mandated to

Social Affairs Feb. 4, 2024

Some 50.1 percent of the female teachers at elementary schools in 2022 said they intend to quit before reaching retirement age, a report by the Korean Educational Development Institute showed Sunday. The state-run institute surveyed 2,803 elementary school teachers across the country in 2021 and 2022. The research found that 50.1 percent of the female respondents in 2022 said they will not continue to teach until retirement, up from 40.5 percent the year before. The percentage of female teache

Social Affairs Feb. 4, 2024

Bereaved family members of those who lost their lives in the Itaewon Halloween tragedy marched in the streets of Seoul on Saturday in protest of President Yoon Suk Yeol's decision to shoot down a special bill authorizing a new probe into the deadly crowd crush in October 2022. The family group and civic groups from across the country held a joint press conference in front of a memorial for Itaewon victims in Jung-gu, central Seoul, decrying the president for his decision Tuesday to send the

Social Affairs Feb. 4, 2024

Some 28.3 percent of employees at the Seoul Metropolitan Council said they have either witnessed or experienced sexual harassment in some way at the workplace, a report by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family showed Sunday. The council was recently notified the results of the assessment on its overall culture by the ministry, officials said, which showed that its members reported authoritative attitudes, nepotism and negative perceptions toward victims of sexual harassment within the org

Social Affairs Feb. 4, 2024

A church elder accused of embezzling some 420 million won ($310,000) of the congregation's funds was sentenced to two years in prison, the Chuncheon District Court said Sunday. The appellate division of the court upheld an earlier ruling that found the 73-year-old defendant guilty of violating Article 356 of the Criminal Act, which states that occupational embezzlement shall be punished by up to 10 years in prison or a 30 million won fine. The defendant, an elder at a church in Hoengseong-g

Social Affairs Feb. 4, 2024

A South Korean court on Thursday handed down the suspended sentence of a 2 million won ($1,500) fine to a special education teacher for abusing the autistic child of a popular cartoonist and internet celebrity, Joo Ho-min. Suwon District Court found the defendant guilty of child abuse, based on a tape recording of a conversation between the teacher and Joo's son. The defendant was recorded telling the 10-year-old child during class, "bad manners are nasty, that means you. Oh, I hate yo

Social Affairs Feb. 1, 2024

Choi Won-jong, the 23-year-old man whose stabbing rampage near Seohyeon Station in Gyeonggi Province last year killed two and injured a dozen people, was sentenced to life in prison Thursday by the Suwon District Court. The court found Choi guilty on multiple charges of murder, attempted murder, and intent to commit murder, and ordered him to be tracked via an electronic ankle monitor for 30 years if he is released on parole. "(The defendant) sparked fear that anyone could be a victim of

Social Affairs Feb. 1, 2024

South Korea has been seeing a consistent increase in the number of young government workers quitting, indicating a rapid change in the perception of what had once been considered a dream job. In 2021, 3,123 government employees quit in their first year, more than triple the 951 in 2018, according to the recent figures by the Government Employees Pension Service. A total of 12,076 civil servants who worked less than three years before resigning in 2021, which was more than double the 5,166 in 201

Social Affairs Feb. 1, 2024

The 14-year-old middle school student suspected of attacking ruling party lawmaker Bae Hyun-jin has claimed he was the person who threw coffee at actor Yoo Ah-in last year, according to local media reports, Wednesday. According to Yonhap News, the teenage suspect called the media outlet in December and said he was the one filmed throwing coffee and a bottle at Yoo in May 2023, as the 37-year-old actor exited a police station after being questioned over drug use allegations. The assailant, who wa

Social Affairs Feb. 1, 2024

A recent street race between two drivers on the Olympicdaero highway in Seoul resulted in an accident injuring three people, Gangnam police officials said Thursday. According to Gangnam Police Station, a three-way collision involving a BMW, Mercedes sedan and taxi occurred on the Seoul highway near the southern end of Seongsu Bridge in Gangnam-gu, southern Seoul, at around 12:20 a.m. Tuesday. Investigators found that the accident was caused by the drivers of the BMW and Mercedes, driven respecti

Social Affairs Feb. 1, 2024

A drunk driver who hit a 25-year-old South Korean soccer player and inflicted injury that forced his retirement appealed his sentence of four years in prison, Jeju District Court said Wednesday. According to the court, the 36-year-old defendant filed for appeal on Tuesday, despite the sentence being lower than the five-year jail term requested by the prosecution. It is yet unclear what his reasons for the appeal were. The defendant, while driving under the influence, struck another vehicle carry

Social Affairs Jan. 31, 2024