Driver behind deadly car crash in downtown Seoul arrested

The driver in the fatal car crash near Seoul City Hall was arrested Tuesday, about a month after the accident that left nine people dead. The Seoul Central District Court issued an arrest warrant for the driver, known only by his last name, Cha, citing a flight risk. The court held a hearing earlier in the day to determine whether to issue a writ for the 68-year-old. Ahead of the hearing, Cha, who appeared in public for the first time, repeatedly said he was sorry to the victims and their famili

July 30, 2024

Man kills neighbor with sword

The South Korean police said Tuesday that it has arrested a 37-year-old man for murdering another man with a Japanese-style sword at an apartment complex in Seoul. The suspect is believed to have attacked the victim in his 40s at around 11:30 p.m. on Monday near the entrance of the complex's parking lot in Eunpyeong-gu, northwestern Seoul. He and the victim were both residents of the complex and were acquainted, but not particularly close. It was reported that the suspect picked a fight wit

July 30, 2024

Man who tortured duck to death 'didn't know it was a crime'

A man in his 50s is being investigated for allegedly torturing and killing a wild duck in Seoul, local police said Tuesday. Officials of Seoul Dobong Police Station are questioning the suspect, identified only as a Vietnamese national, for his actions on 11:20 a.m. last Friday at a stream in Dobong-gu, northeastern Seoul. He is believed to have thrown stones at a eastern spot-billed duck living in the stream to knock it out, after which he tortured and killed the animal. His reasons for killi

July 30, 2024

Driver behind deadly car crash apologizes at court hearing

The driver behind the fatal car crash that killed nine pedestrians near Seoul City Hall earlier this month repeatedly apologized as he attended an arrest warrant court hearing Tuesday morning. “I’m very, very sorry to the deceased and bereaved families,” the 68-year-old, surnamed Cha, said as he entered Seoul Central District Court at 10:30 a.m., Tuesday morning. Cha showed up to the hearing with his face covered with a cap and a mask while being asked several questions by repo

July 30, 2024

'You're Still Here': Exhibition honors UN forces in Korean War

Seventy-four years ago, troops from 22 nations, led by US Gen. Douglas MacArthur under the United Nations flag, were dispatched to defend South Korea against North Korean aggression. The bloody conflict left millions dead, with over 100,000 UN casualties. July 27, commemorated annually as National Korean War Armistice Day, marks the signing of the 1953 agreement that ended the three-year conflict. This day of national recognition honors all those who served, fought and died during the Korean War

July 30, 2024

66% of Gen Z get beauty treatments to land a job

About two-thirds of young job seekers in South Korea said they had obtained beauty care to land a job, with many of them believing that physical appearance plays a key role in increasing their chances of being employed, a survey showed Monday. Local job platform Catch revealed the results of a survey it conducted with 1,455 young job seekers belonging to Generation Z -- adults born after the mid-1990s. According to the survey, some 66 percent of the respondents said they received care for their

July 30, 2024

Environment ministry unveils sites for 14 new dams

The Ministry of Environment announced Tuesday that it has chosen 14 different sites to build new dams to guarantee South Korea’s safety and readiness for heavy rain, floods and droughts. “Since May 2023, the Ministry of Environment has been trying to promote the construction of dams that can combat extreme weather conditions,” said Environment Minister Kim Wan-sup during a press briefing Tuesday. Kim, an ex-vice finance minister, recently became the new environment minister on

July 30, 2024

Jangma ends, leaving Korea under subtropical heat

Jangma, the rainy season, finishes in South Korea around Saturday and scorching hot days will last for, the Korea Meteorological Administration announced its analysis Tuesday. South Korea came under the influence of a strong subtropical high and the rainy front moved to North Korea, and it can be interpreted as the end of jangma, the forecast agency said. This year’s jangma lasted over a month -- 31.5 days in Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi and Gangwon Province, 31.4 days in southern provinces

July 30, 2024

Number of returning resident doctors 'very low'

With the job opening for junior doctors' September training closing Wednesday, the government once again urged them to return to patient care, as many striking trainees remain lukewarm about resuming their duties. During Tuesday's government response meeting, Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong made the final plea to trainee doctors to apply for the post, asking them to "take courage" for patients waiting for them. "The government took appeasement steps by providing special co

July 30, 2024

NK trash balloons have landed at over 3,000 sites in South: police

Balloons carrying rubbish sent from North Korea since late May have been discovered at more than 3,000 sites throughout South Korea, a police report showed Tuesday. According to a police report obtained by Democratic Party of Korea Rep. Yang Bu-nam, balloons sent by North Korea were found at 3,359 locations across South Korea between May 28 and July 25, during which 10 balloon campaigns were conducted. South and North Korea have used balloons in their propaganda campaigns since the Korean War in

July 30, 2024

[Community Discovery] Mapo-gu completes Seoul experience: district head

Mapo-gu, home to Gyeongui Line Forest Park, World Cup Park, Haneul Park and vibrant university areas, is set to enhance its reputation as a premier cultural and tourist destination, becoming a must-visit hot spot for tourists from overseas, according to the current district office head. “If you haven’t traveled all over Mapo-gu, you haven’t truly experienced Seoul,” said Park Gang-su, 65, in an interview with The Korea Herald. The district’s cultural vibrancy is evi

July 30, 2024

S. Korea's seaport container cargo up 6.4% in Q2

The amount of container cargo processed at South Korean seaports increased 6.4 percent in the second quarter, data showed Tuesday, driven by stronger shipments to the United States and China. The container cargo handled at the country's ports nationwide amounted to 8.1 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in the April-June period, up from 7.61 million TEUs recorded a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. The volume of container cargo handled for exports and

July 30, 2024

[Contribution] Achieving gender equality through sports: Reflections on Paris 2024

By Philippe Bertoux and Jeongshim Lee The 2024 Paris Olympic Games mark a historic milestone in sports, featuring an equal number of male and female athletes competing for the first time. This should go without saying: After all, women constitute half of the world’s population. In historical context, the 50/50 gender allocation at Paris 2024 is truly significant. In 1900, also in Paris, women competed in the Olympic Games for the first time, but constituted only 2.2 percent of all athlet

July 29, 2024

Teens spend most of digital social lives on Instagram: data

Instagram has emerged as the social media app South Korea's teens spend the most time on, outpacing KakaoTalk by more than double, data showed Monday. According to data from mobile marketing and data analysis company IGAWorks, Korea's smartphone users under 20 spent a total of 94.1 million hours scrolling on Instagram in June, making the app the leading social media platform in popularity for the age group. This figure was nearly double the time they spent on the next most popular

July 29, 2024

Heat wave, tropical nights to persist this week

Heat wave warnings and tropical night phenomena are expected to persist throughout this week, with sporadic rain continuing in the Greater Seoul area and some parts of Gangwon Province until the end of the week, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration on Monday. On Tuesday, daytime temperatures are expected to reach as high as 36 degrees Celsius, with precipitation ranging between 5 to 30 millimeters for parts of Gyeonggi Province and Gangwon Province and 5 to 10 mm for much of Grea

July 29, 2024

Amid prolonged doctors' strike, Korea faces critical cardiology shortage

South Korea's health care system is grappling with a severe shortage of cardiology residents as a nationwide doctors' strike enters its seventh month. Recent data from The Korean Society for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery reveals that only 12 of the country's 107 cardiology residents are still on duty. The study, conducted over three days last week, shows 75 residents have resigned and 20 have pending resignation requests. Several major regions, including Gangwon and North Ch

July 29, 2024

Korea to tackle wedding charges, housing regulations to boost birth rate

The government announced new measures to boost marriages for young people and support housing for families with children, as a follow-up measure after a "demographic national emergency" was declared by President Yoon Suk Yeol last month. The Presidential Committee on Aging Society and Population Policy held its second meeting since its launch in June on Monday to review and accelerate the implementation of over 150 challenges and measures designated to address the aging society and low

July 29, 2024

Police chief nominee blasted for alleged special treatment of son in conscription

The National Assembly confirmation hearing for Cho Ji-ho, the nominee for chief of South Korea's National Police Agency, got off to a rough start Monday, with the main opposition party criticizing him over several allegations, including claims that he had assigned his conscripted son to work at his workplace. The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea lawmakers confronted Cho on reports that he had used his position and power to give his eldest son special treatment for military servic

July 29, 2024

6 in 10 workers commute despite dangerous weather: survey

A survey released Monday showed that six out of 10 South Koreans reported braving the weather to arrive at work on time, despite government recommendations to work from home or adjust commuting hours due to safety concerns over natural disasters like typhoons and heat waves. According to the survey conducted by the civic group Workplace Gapjil 119, about 15.9 percent of respondents also expressed concern about facing workplace disadvantages for being late during natural disasters. The survey ask

July 29, 2024

No return of trainee doctors pushes hospital overhauls

As the deadlock within South Korea's medical community extends into its sixth month, with no sign of trainee doctors returning to hospitals, the government is set to finalize a structural transformation plan by next month that will allow advanced general hospitals to operate without junior doctors. The government plans to transform advanced general hospitals, which have traditionally depended heavily on trainee doctors, into physician-centered institutions focused on critical and emergency

July 28, 2024