Most Popular
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Yoon calls for dialogue, trust from medical community
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NK leader guides firing drills involving super-large multiple rocket launchers
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Dyson founder visits Seoul for global debut of new hair dryer
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Leaders call for action against threats to democracy posed by AI
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Asiana Airlines wins data transfer certification in China
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Dispute heats up over dispatch of scandal-ridden envoy to Australia
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Dodgers beat S. Korea in final exhibition before MLB opener in Seoul
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Disgraced ex-K-pop star released after serving time for sex crimes
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Trump unlikely to unravel IRA: experts
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Yoon says medical licenses should not be used as tool against people
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[Photo news] Seoul's biggest blessing is you
The new quote "Seoul's biggest blessing is you" is seen on the signboard on the front side of the Seoul Metropolitan Library building in central Seoul. Seoul Metropolitan Government put up the quote in celebration of Seollal, Korea’s traditional New Year's day, which falls on Saturday, the city announced Monday. The city government has displayed quotes collected from citizens since 2013 on the signboard hung at the former Seoul City Hall main building.
Feb. 5, 2024
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Court jails man for draft-dodging 'because he played Battlegrounds'
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
Feb. 4, 2024
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Half of female elementary school teachers think of quitting
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
Feb. 4, 2024
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Seoul's "Haechi" gets a makeover
Seoul Metropolitan Government recently unveiled the new design for its mascot Haechi, the character's first design change since its designation as the capital city’s official symbol in 2009. The new design of Haechi, whose design is based on the mythical haetae from Korean folklore, has a pink body with blue-green stripes. Seoul City Hall said it took the colors from Korea’s traditional colorwork for wooden buildings, known as “dancheong,” The colors replace the prev
Feb. 4, 2024
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Korea to push for ‘fundamental shifts’ in health insurance for sustainability
South Korea’s Ministry of Health and Welfare on Sunday rolled out a five-year plan to push for “fundamental shifts” in the national health insurance system to ensure sustainability in the face of a health care supply crisis and rapid population downsizing. The 2024-28 comprehensive plan aims at better compensating essential but undervalued medical services to tackle the shortage of medical professionals in certain sectors, as well as target the issues of overtreatment and overs
Feb. 4, 2024
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4 in 10 fire officials have mental health concerns: report
Four out of 10 fire officials were found to have suffered from mental disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder and sleep disorder, according to survey results released by the National Fire Agency on Sunday. The survey underscores the urgent necessity to address the mental health concerns of fire officials, particularly in light of the recent tragic loss of two firefighters, shedding light on the challenging working environments they face. The two were trapped while responding to a fire a
Feb. 4, 2024
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Bereaved families protest president's veto of Itaewon tragedy probe
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
Feb. 4, 2024
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3 serious accidents in SMEs reported a week after law expansion
Three serious accidents were reported by enterprises with fewer than 50 employees in the first week since the enforcement of workplace safety laws was expanded, South Korea's Ministry of Employment and Labor said Sunday. The ministry reported deaths at work at SMEs in Busan, Gangwon Province and Gyeonggi Province since the laws subjecting employers to penalties for fatal accidents were expanded to smaller businesses on Jan. 27. For instance, a male worker in his 50s died after being crushed
Feb. 4, 2024
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Seoul aims to revamp street vendors, boost aesthetic appeal
Seoul plans to overhaul its street stands, city officials said Sunday, saying the existing ones were aging and poorly managed. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the city will conduct monthly inspections on street sales facilities and shops for enhanced safety and design management. As of 2022, the city hosted 613 street newsstands and 830 shoe repair stands, most of which have been in operation for over a decade. There are a total of 5,443 other street vendor stalls, such as thos
Feb. 4, 2024
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3 in 10 staff at Seoul council have seen sexual harassment
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
Feb. 4, 2024
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Church elder embezzles funds for 16 years, gets jail term
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
Feb. 4, 2024
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2 firefighters laid to rest at national cemetery
A funeral was held Saturday for two firefighters who died during a mission earlier this week to search for victims at a burning meat processing factory in the central city of Mungyeong. The two firefighters -- Kim Soo-kwang, 27, and Park Soo-hoon, 35 -- were laid to rest at Daejeon National Cemetery as their families and around 100 colleagues observed the funeral procession in deep sorrow and tears. Kim and Park were searching for possible victims at the fire scene in Mungyeong, 140 kilometers s
Feb. 4, 2024
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Reality check: How diverse is Korea really? Disability in workplace (6)
Around the world, people with disabilities are less likely to be employed than people without disabilities. In South Korea, the employment rate stands at 36.1 percent for people with disabilities, while the figure for those without a disability is 63 percent. The Korean government and public organizations are required by law to retain 3.4 percent of jobs for individuals with disabilities. In the private sector, companies with more than 50 employees are mandated to fill 3.1 percent of the payro
Feb. 4, 2024
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1-year prison term sought for 'Squid Game' actor O Yeong-su on sexual abuse charges
Prosecutors on Friday sought a one-year prison sentence for O Yeong-su, the winner of a 2022 Golden Globe award for his role in "Squid Game," on charges of sexually harassing a woman in 2017. The 79-year-old O was indicted in November 2022 over allegations that he hugged a woman and kissed her on the cheek against her will between August and September in 2017 during his two-month tour to a regional area for a performance. In a hearing at the Seongnam branch of the Suwon District Court
Feb. 2, 2024
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2 veteran judges nominated as Supreme Court justices
The Supreme Court on Friday nominated two veteran judges as new justices at the top court. Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae recommended Eom Sang-phil, 55, and Shin Sook-hee, 54, for nomination by President Yoon Suk Yeol. Once Yoon approves their nomination, the National Assembly will hold a confirmation hearing. Eom began his judicial career in Seoul in 1997. He has been at the Seoul High Court since 2021. Shin started her career as a judge in 1996, also in Seoul. She has been working at
Feb. 2, 2024
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Women, old men in military? Korea debates solutions for looming conscript shortfall
Reforming military obligations for men in South Korea has always been a flashpoint for heated debate. But recently, fuel has been added to the fire with the emergence of two rather radical ideas. One idea came from professor Choi Young-jin of Chung-Ang University in Seoul, who proposed in an op-ed for a local daily the formation of a "senior army" composed of men aged 55 to 75 to address an anticipated shortfall in military personnel. In South Korea, which faces the nuclear-armed, bell
Feb. 2, 2024
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Court finds teacher guilty of abusing popular cartoonist’s son
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
Feb. 1, 2024
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Seohyeon Station killer sentenced to life in prison
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
Feb. 1, 2024
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Seoul's Han River water-bus service to launch in October
A water-bus service that runs along the Han River will commence in October, announced the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Thursday. During its press briefing, the city government said that the “Hangang River Bus” will operate a water route through seven docks in Magok, Mangwon, Yeouido, Jamwon, Oksu, Ttukseom and Jamsil. The Seoul Metropolitan Government also added that it plans to add a route that connects Gimpo and Seoul next year after consulting with officials from Gimpo to impr
Feb. 1, 2024
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Growing number of young civil servants quit
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
Feb. 1, 2024