Man sets apartment building on fire, injuring 8

The South Korean police said Tuesday a man in his 50s is under investigation on suspicion of starting a fire at an apartment complex, leading to its evacuation and the injuries of eight residents. According to the Gyeongju Police Station, the suspect was allegedly arguing with his wife at home on the third floor of their 13-story apartment building in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province at 6:45 p.m. on Monday. In the heat of the argument, he set a blanket on fire, which spread to the entire ho

July 16, 2024

Tzuyang's blackmailers apologize amid legal actions, profit ban

The three YouTubers accused of exploiting popular YouTuber Tzuyang issued an apology regarding the incident, as the victim plans to file criminal charges against them and the video-sharing platform disabled monetization for their channels. Gu Je Yeok, Caracula and Jeon Gukjin all issued some forms of apology Monday, while still denying that they had blackmailed Tzuyang. It was revealed last week in a recording of their discussion that the three were potentially involved in a blackmail of Tzuya

July 16, 2024

Unpaid taxes seized from hagwon quadruple last year: tax agency

The state-run tax agency said it seized 28.6 billion won ($20.6 million) in unpaid taxes from local hagwon last year, over four times the amount collected the previous year. The additional taxes were collected after a series of nationwide tax evasion crackdowns on hagwon by the National Tax Service, according to NTS data submitted to Rep. Lim Gwang-hyeon of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea. Last year, the figure hit 6.6 billion won, compared to 5.1 billion won in 2021 and 18.9 bil

July 16, 2024

Hagwon teacher tried for sexual harassment of 5-year-old girl

A Busan court on Tuesday held a hearing for a teacher at a private academy who was accused of sexually harassing a 5-year-old girl in May, with the defendant saying he had been drunk at the time. The defendant, identified only as a US citizen in his 30s, told the Busan District Court that he drank seven bottles of soju before making the unwanted physical contact on the child during a class at a hagwon in Dongnae-gu, Busan, on May 22. His lawyer told the court that his client was admitting the

July 16, 2024

[Graphic News] Elder abuse cases steadily rising: data

South Korea is experiencing a growing number of elder abuse cases as its population rapidly ages, according to a recent report from the Ministry of Health and Welfare. The data, compiled from complaints received by senior abuse hotlines and welfare centers, highlights an alarming trend. In 2023, reported cases of elder abuse increased by 12 percent compared to the previous year, rising from 19,552 to 21,936. The percentage of confirmed cases also saw an uptick, increasing by 3.2 percent to acc

July 16, 2024

Osong victims commemorated on tragedy's 1st anniversary

A series of memorial events were held across the country Monday to mark the first anniversary of the Osong tragedy, where 14 people lost their lives and 16 were injured due to the flooding of an underground roadway in July last year. At a ceremony held at the Gungpyeong 2 underpass in Osong-eup of Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province — the site of the tragedy — Rep. Park Chan-dae, floor leader and acting leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, vowed to remember the v

July 15, 2024

Driver consumes additional alcohol after accident to hide drunk driving

The South Korean prosecutors said Monday it indicted a man in his 50s for causing a fatal traffic accident last month, despite the man consuming more alcohol after the accident to hide his drunk driving. Jeonju District Prosecutors' Office said it indicted the suspect on charges of drunk driving and violation of the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Settlement of Traffic Accidents. The suspect is believed to have driven his Porsche vehicle into a compact car at around 12:45 a.m. on June 2

July 15, 2024

Rather than 'freeloading,' foreigners actually subsidize NHIS: data

Data provided by the National Health Insurance Service showed again Monday that foreign national subscribers pay more in contributions than they get back in benefits, debunking the belief that they are "freeloading" off the state-run health insurance program and demonstrating they actually subsidize the system. In 2023, foreign national subscribers overall paid 2.04 trillion won ($1.47 billion) in insurance fees to the NHIS, substantially more than the 1.27 trillion won they received

July 15, 2024

Whooping cough cases on the rise: data

Cases of whooping cough are on the rise across South Korea, data showed Monday. Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is a highly contagious respiratory tract infection that can easily spread between humans through coughing, sneezing and breathing in close proximity to another person. A total of 6,986 patients have already been confirmed with the disease this year, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, as of July 6. The Korea Children's Hospital Association found

July 15, 2024

Memorials across nation set for deceased school teacher

One year after the mistreatment of teachers and the protection of their rights became a major social issue in the wake of the death of a young teacher in July last year, waves of tributes to the deceased have risen across South Korea this week, with many coming from other education workers. The Korean Federation of Teachers' Associations, one of the country's two major teachers' unions, set Monday to July 23 as a period of remembrance, bringing together online and offline spaces t

July 15, 2024

Junior doctors unresponsive as hospitals process resignations

Some 10,000 junior doctors who left hospitals five months ago in protest of the Yoon Suk Yeol administration's decision to expand the medical school quota, remained unresponsive on Monday even though hospitals they worked for started to process their resignations under the government's instruction. The Ministry of Health and Welfare said last month that it would allow hospitals to process resignations while withdrawing return-to-work orders by setting the deadline for returning to hosp

July 15, 2024

Driver negligence caused deadly car crash: forensics

The National Forensic Service has concluded in its analysis of the tragic wrong-way accident near City Hall Station in Seoul that the cause of the accident was driver error, the head of Seoul police told reporters Monday. The forensics report counters the claim by the 68-year-old driver, identified by his surname Cha, that the accident was caused by sudden unintended acceleration. He told investigators that the brakes were not working at the time of the accident. The car stopped after hitting pe

July 15, 2024

Tunisian wins right to refugee status screening on grounds of domestic violence

A Tunisian national recently won a court order to have the South Korean immigration authorities deliberate on granting her refugee status, the Incheon District Court said Monday. The court recently ruled in favor of the plaintiff in an administrative lawsuit she filed last year against the Korea Immigration Service, saying its decision to deny her from being screened for refugee status in December was unlawful. She had requested refugee status on the grounds that she would be subject to severe a

July 15, 2024

Business closures near 1 million last year, highest since 2006

The number of business owners who filed for business closure approached 1 million last year, the highest number since related data began to be compiled in 2006. Business closures stood at about 986,400 in 2023, a near 14 percent increase from the previous year’s 867,200, shows data from the National Tax Service. The tally hovered around 800,000 between 2020 and 2022, before surging last year. The most common reason cited for closures was poor business performance, accounting for about 48

July 15, 2024

63 winners share jackpot in S. Korean Lotto, most ever

A total of 63 people won the jackpot in last week's South Korean Lotto, the highest-ever number of winners in its history, according to Lotto’s operators Donghaeng Lottery. But the large number of winners means they will each receive the second-lowest jackpot winnings ever. The 63 winners will each take home 419.9 million won ($300,000), which is the second-lowest amount on record behind 400.09 million won in 2013. The previous record number of winners was 50 in the 1,019th Lott

July 15, 2024

Civic group files complaint against Yoon for vetoing special probe bill

A civic group filed a complaint Monday against President Yoon Suk Yeol for vetoing a bill mandating a special counsel investigation into the military's response to a Marine's death. The civic group, known as the "National Action for Judicial Justice," filed the complaint with the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, accusing Yoon of abusing his power to block the appointment of a special counsel to look into allegations the presidential office and the d

July 15, 2024

First lady ordered return of luxury bag on same day she received it, aide claims

A close aide to first lady Kim Keon Hee has claimed that Kim ordered the return of a Dior bag she received as a gift from a pastor on the same day it was given, sources said Monday. Kim's aide, surnamed Yoo, made the statement during questioning at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office in early July as part of the ongoing investigation into the luxury bag scandal, according to the legal sources. The scandal centers on allegations that Kim illegally received a Dior handbag worth abou

July 15, 2024

[Online Predators] Distorted awareness, weak law: How digital sex crimes thrive in S. Korea

South Korea has been taking pride in its high digital literacy, but such technological advancements in recent years have enabled perpetrators to exploit sexually explicit content on the dark web. A report on Korea’s safety published by Statistics Korea showed that 10,605 digital sex crimes were reported in 2022, double the 5,079 reported just a year earlier, thanks to improvements in protections for victims who report them. A total of 243,855 illegally produced and distributed sexual photo

July 14, 2024

Illegal sales of fentanyl surge in South Korea

Illegal sales of fentanyl, a potent and highly addictive opioid, have increased significantly in South Korea, raising concerns among authorities and the public alike. Data obtained by Rep. Kim Yoon of the Democratic Party reveals that there were 202 online cases of illegal fentanyl sales detected by June 27 this year. This figure is 3.2 times higher than the 62 cases reported throughout the entire previous year. Fentanyl, while used medically as a powerful painkiller, is highly addictive even in

July 14, 2024

Seoul to remove outdated subway wheelchair lifts

Wheelchair lifts, also known as platform lifts will be removed in subway stations across Seoul after some 30 years since their implementation over continuously raised safety issues. Seoul Metro, an operator of the city's subway service from Line Nos. 1 to 8, said Sunday it will demolish lifts, once thought as a mobility support for the physically impaired, issuing a tender notice for the removal of 23 wheelchair lifts in 17 subway stations, including Seoul Station, Sinseoldong Station, Yong

July 14, 2024