A South Korean man who shot and injured a stray dog with an arrow has been sentenced to 10 months in prison, the Jeju District Court said Thursday. The defendant was accused of shooting the dog with an arrow on Aug. 25, 2022, in Seogwipo, Jeju Island, in an apparent act of revenge against the dog, who the man said killed his chickens in the past. The incident made headlines after the dog was found the next day wandering around an area 10 kilometers away with an arrow lodged in his spine. "

Social Affairs March 16, 2024

A recent survey showed that the vast majority of South Korean adults living with their parents in apartments have no plans to move out until they are married. A local elevator display company Focus Media Korea conducted a survey of 196 individuals between 25 and 39 who are still living with their parents. Of the respondents, 68 percent said they will not move out until they are married, 24 percent said they will move out after one year and 4 percent said they would do so within a year. The last

Social Affairs March 16, 2024

South Korean actor Oh Young-soo, star of the 2021 hit drama series "Squid Game," was given an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, for sexually harassing a woman in 2017. The 79-year-old defendant was accused of hugging the victim while on a walking trail and kissing her on the cheek in 2017. The women filed charges against Oh in December of 2021, after the elderly actor rose to stardom for his part in the Netflix series. Prosecutors pressed charges against him in No

Social Affairs March 15, 2024

In what appears to be another verbal attack against national soccer team player Lee Kang-in, Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo on Thursday wrote and then deleted a series of controversial comments seemingly aimed at the Paris-Saint Germain midfielder. Hong, 70, wrote on his Facebook page earlier in the day that he "hates gapjil by gold spoons." "Gapjil" refers to the arrogant attitude or actions of people in positions of power against those below them. The term "gold spoon"

Soccer March 15, 2024

Lee Dong-hwan, the pastor who was recently expelled by the Methodist Church of Korea for blessing same-sex couples, is now turning to the secular court in his continued battle for reinstatement. The 43-year-old is planning to file legal charges against the Methodist Church's decision after its tribunal confirmed his disfellowship last week. "I did not launch the fight for reinstatement so that I can regain my title as a Methodist pastor. I'm (going to the court) because I did not

Social Affairs March 15, 2024

The Busan High Court on Thursday handed down a 30-year prison sentence to the leader of a crime ring that smuggled 165.6 billion won ($125.7 million) worth of methamphetamine into the country. The man's accomplices were also given jail terms. The man in his 60s was also given a fine of 770 million won for smuggling the drugs and 65,000 cartons of cigarettes into Korea, while his accomplice, also in his 60s, was given a 25-year prison sentence and a 778.7 million won fine. Three other acc

Social Affairs March 14, 2024

The official supporters' group for the South Korean national soccer teams on Thursday vowed continued support for the men's team, in light of calls by some fans to boycott the upcoming World Cup qualifiers. Red Devils posted on to the group's Instagram page a message of support for the team, saying it will not boycott the two matches against Thailand slated for later this month. In the aftermath of a feud among national team players during the Asian Cup in Qatar, several fans have

Soccer March 14, 2024

South Korean police on Thursday said they were investigating a woman in her 30s on suspicion of killing her two dogs by throwing them from her ninth-floor apartment. The suspect is believed to have thrown two of her dogs out of her apartment window at around 7 a.m. on Monday at Bupyeong-gu, Incheon, according to Incheon Samsan Police Station. Officers arriving on the scene found the bodies of the two dogs on the site. The suspect has a history of mental illness and has been institutionalized wit

Social Affairs March 14, 2024

Yet another revelation related to South Korea's ill-fated Asian Cup outing hit the local media Thursday, with reports that some members of the men's national soccer team had played cards for money late at night during the training for the tournament. According to reports, a few players and one of the staff of the team enjoyed light gambling in January, during the team's training at Abu Dhabi in United Arab Emirates in preparation for the Asian Cup. The players have not been verifi

Soccer March 14, 2024

Parents of student basketball players at Whimoon High School recently filed complaints against the team's head coach Hyun Joo-yup to Seoul education office, claiming that his TV and YouTube appearances are disrupting his duties as the coach. According to reports by local media, the petitioners -- which also include officials from the school and the team -- accused Hyun of abnormal operations of his team due to his side job. The suspicions reported to the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Educati

Social Affairs March 14, 2024

Local women's rights groups in Tuesday held a joint protest against an adult film convention to be held in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, next week. Suwon Women’s Group Network, an umbrella group of seven women's groups based in Suwon, and other civic groups voiced their opposition to the "K-XF: The Fashion!" festival. According to the festival's organizers, the event scheduled for April 20-21 will feature adult film actors from Japan, along with local online celebritie

Social Affairs March 13, 2024

The father of a firefighter who perished on the job has donated 500 million won ($381,000) to the National Fire Agency, which the NFA on Tuesday vowed to use to provide scholarships for the bereaved family members of those who lost their lives in service. The agency on Tuesday held a ceremony for the launch of the Firefighter Hero Kim Gi-beom Scholarship at Gangbuk Fire Station in Daegu. The scholarship was based on funds donated by Kim Gyeong-su, whose son Kim Gi-beom died at the age of 26 in 1

Social Affairs March 13, 2024

The price of apples in South Korea recently skyrocketed to an all-time high as fruit prices in the country continue to soar amid ongoing inflation, data from a state-run agency promoting and supporting agriculture trade showed Wednesday. The wholesale price of 10 kilograms of apples as of Tuesday was 91,700 won ($70), more than double the 41,060 won for same amount at the same time last year, according to the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation. The price for 10 kilograms of apples

Industry March 13, 2024

A South Korean doctor accused of providing drugs to a bar hostess, believed to have blackmailed late actor Lee Sun-kyun, denied the accusations at a court hearing on Tuesday. The lawyer for the 43-year-old plastic surgeon told Incheon District Court that his client denies all the charges related to the 30-year-old hostess of a high-end bar, who has been charged with receiving the drug from the doctor. Contrary to what the defendant said, the hostess has already pleaded guilty to all the charges

Social Affairs March 12, 2024

A 46-year-old member of the Gwangyang municipal council made headlines by proposing to his girlfriend in the middle of a general assembly meeting on Monday. According to the council in Gwangyang, South Jeolla Province, councilman Park Chul-soo of the main opposition Democratic Party took to the podium to pose questions about the city’s policies to officials. After the questions, he said, "Pardon me for speaking about my personal matters in the assembly." "I thought making it

Social Affairs March 12, 2024