Among the more tech-savvy and rapidly changing countries in the world, South Korea in recent years has adopted various technologies and amenities in public spaces or for commuters that are hard to find anywhere else. Priority seats for the pregnant A number of mass transit systems across the world have priority seats for people whose mobility is temporarily or permanently impaired, namely the elderly, those with disabilities, the injured or pregnant women. While it is generally accepted that p

Hashtag Korea June 27, 2023

A South Korean court recently found a 30-year-old woman guilty of invading her boyfriend’s privacy, after the accused had browsed his phone without his consent to look for video and contact information of his previous girlfriend. While finding the accused guilty for looking through the phone of the victim -- her boyfriend at the time -- in December of 2020, the Seoul Central District Court, gave her a suspended sentence of a 300,000 won ($230) fine. The Article 316 of the Criminal Act says

Social Affairs June 26, 2023

In 1964, then-18-year-old Choi Mal-ja became a convict for fighting off an attempted rapist by biting off a part of his tongue, with the prosecution and court waving off her claims of self-defense. This case, for which she currently seeks a retrial, stands as a landmark in wrongful convictions and serves as a reminder of the abysmal state of women's rights during that era. Since then, the rights of women or sex crime victims in South Korea have undergone several changes. These include the

Social Affairs June 25, 2023

A 61-year-old man burned his neighbor to death after losing money in a game, the Gwangju District Court heard Thursday in the case's first hearing. The unnamed man is suspected of killing the victim -- also in his 60s -- with criminal intent, the court heard. The accused had a life insurance policy that designated him as the recipient in case the victim died. The suspect collected 8 million won ($6,148) in insurance money after the incident. The two men were neighbors and had been acquainte

Social Affairs June 23, 2023

최말자(77)씨는 정당 방위에 관한 논란이 있을 때마다 언급되는 '강제 키스 혀 절단 사건'의 당사자다. 이는 1964년 5월, 경남 김해의 한 작은 마을에서 당시 18세이던 최씨가 강제로 키스하려는 노모씨 (당시 21세)의 혀를 절단한 사건이다. 법원은 최씨의 정당 방위를 인정하지 않고 중상해죄로 징역 10개월, 집행 유예 2년을 선고했다. 노씨는 사건 이후 최씨의 집에 침입해 협박을 한 죄로 징역 6개월, 집행 유예 2년형이 선고되었다. 그에게 성폭력 관련 혐의는 적용되지 않았다. 억울하게 가해자가 된 지 56만인 2020년, 최씨는 법원에 재심을 청구했다. 하지만 1심과 2심은, "시대가 바뀌고 사회 문화적 환경이 달라졌다고 하여 반 세기 전의 사건을 뒤집을 수 없다"며 그의 재심 청구를 기각했다. 이달 초 부산 여성의전화 사무실에서 만난 최 씨는 "대법원이 양심적이라면 법대로 이 사건에 대한 재심을 열어서 바로 잡고, 정당 방위

한국어판 June 21, 2023

Among the basic practical issues when travelling to another country are luggage and transportation logistics. This edition of Survive & Thrive will take a look at apps that help you rent lockers for your bags or public bikes in Seoul. Luggage storage In nearly every subway station in Seoul, there are self-service lockers that one can use for a fee. T-locker -- also known as Ttota Locker -- is an app that allows you to use them. The “Ttota” icon on the app’s map refers to

Hashtag Korea June 21, 2023

The year 1988 was a memorable year in many ways. The Iron Curtain was slowly collapsing, the first World AIDS Day was held, the concept of the World Wide Web was first discussed in Switzerland, while denim jackets and Nintendo were all the rage. South Korea celebrated its first democratically elected administration in 16 years together with its most high-profile international event as of yet: the Summer Olympics. “XXIVth Olympiad begins: The world comes to Seoul” reads the front page

Hashtag Korea June 15, 2023

Ever since one fateful night in the spring of 1964, Choi Mal-ja has endured the weight of her notorious reputation as a “tongue biter" who supposedly ruined a young man’s life over a kiss. At age 18, Choi bit off part of the man’s tongue as she tried to fight off an attempted rape. From today’s perspective, the nature of her actions is of little debate: It was self-defense. But the world was a different place back then. “The court made me -- the victim -- the

Social Affairs June 13, 2023

As one of the most tech-savvy countries in the world, South Korea has a number of useful mobile apps that can aid everyday tasks, ranging from delivery and transportation to administrative services. For the next few weeks, Survive & Thrive will introduce free apps that provide such services in English, or those that foreign residents and tourists might find useful. Naver Map To navigate the streets of the massive concrete jungle that is Seoul, Google Maps may not be the best idea. A loca

Hashtag Korea June 13, 2023

For those traveling in areas with limited access to public transportation, renting a car may be the best option. Here's a look at the country’s car-sharing and rental system. Rental For most companies, foreigners who have a driver’s license issued by local authorities can rent a car under the same conditions as South Koreans, which is that one must be at least 21 years old and have obtained a driving permit over one year ago to rent a car that has up to nine seats. Other req

Hashtag Korea June 6, 2023

South Korean police are mulling deployment vehicles equipped with decibel meters at protests in order to determine whether or not the rallies exceed the legally permitted noise level, local media reported Friday. According to local newspaper Chosun Ilbo, the National Police Agency's plan is to convert one of its trucks to fit a noise-measuring device to be used at protests this year, and to acquire another one of these vehicles by next year. The NPA is currently requesting an extra budget t

Social Affairs June 2, 2023

Organizers of the Seoul Queer Culture Festival said late Thursday that they are still looking for places in Seoul to hold this year’s event, after the Seoul city government refused its initial request to use its usual venue, Seoul Plaza at City Hall. The organizing committee said that it submitted applications with the Seoul Police Station, Seoul Namdaemun Police Station and Jongno Police Station in Seoul to hold the 17-day annual festival for the LGBT community from July 1 in the nation&r

Social Affairs June 2, 2023

Earlier last month, a drunk woman in her 40s was arrested for assaulting and injuring a police officer who tried to apprehend her. The officer in question was reportedly unable to use physical force when arresting the suspect, out of fear that she might file sexual harassment charges against him. Each year, thousands of police officers are attacked while conducting law enforcement. According to the National Police Agency, 5,825 of the 7,001 cases in 2021 involving the obstruction of performance

Social Affairs June 2, 2023

An overwhelming majority of those who fall victim to "romance scams," in which a scammer manipulates the victim by abusing his or her affection and trust, in South Korea are women or under 40, a recent study by scholars at Seoul-based Korea University showed. An analysis of crime reports filed to the National Police Agency between January and June of last year showed that 71.4 percent of victims in a total 280 crimes categorized as romance scams were female, according to the “Cur

Social Affairs May 29, 2023

Kakao is not just the name of the mobile messenger that almost all South Koreans use. It is a Korean substitute for the US’ Uber or Southeast Asia’s Grab. KakaoT, operated by the messenger app company, is by far the most widely used app to hail a taxi, although there are smaller competitors. One of the advantages of using the apps, especially for tourists, is that they significantly reduce the likelihood of being overcharged or taken advantage of by drivers. These apps track the rout

Hashtag Korea May 28, 2023