S. Korea's rare red fox population grows to 120

Over 100 red foxes, once thought to be extinct in the wild, now thrive in South Korea, primarily around the Sobaeksan region in North Gyeongsang Province, following a decade-long reintroduction effort. According to the Korea National Park Service under the Environment Ministry on Monday, the estimated population of red foxes on the South Korean territory, as of September, was around 120, including 21 foxes born in the wild. This marks an increase from last year when the estimated number of red f

Social AffairsSept. 2, 2024

Police launch preliminary probe into Telegram for allegedly abetting deepfake sex crimes

South Korea’s police officials have launched an initial investigation into Telegram, following allegations of "complicity, aiding and abetting" online sexual crimes involving deepfake technology. Woo Jong-soo, the head of the National Office of Investigation, told reporters Monday that the police have launched an unofficial and preliminary investigation into Telegram on suspicion of "complicity, aiding and abetting crimes involving deepfake pornography.” “Investi

Social AffairsSept. 2, 2024

South Korean school administration goes digital

In a shift towards digitization, the traditional method of submitting a child's absence report by paper, a process familiar to countless South Korean parents, is soon to become a thing of the past. No longer will parents need to fold an absence note, and slip it into their child's backpack. Instead, parents will be able to submit these reports online, according to the Ministry of Education on Monday. Starting Monday, parents of elementary, middle and high school students across South K

Social AffairsSept. 2, 2024

Assembly holds opening ceremony 96 days late

The National Assembly on Monday held its opening ceremony nearly 100 days after the members of the new parliament began working and with the incumbent president skipping the event for the first time since South Korea ended decades of military dictatorship in 1987. President Yoon Suk Yeol’s decision to skip the Assembly’s ceremony, where it had been customary for the president to give a congratulatory speech since 1987, followed hearings held by the parliamentary judiciary committee i

PoliticsSept. 2, 2024

Hole-in-one insurance agent's license revoked for fraud

A South Korean court recently upheld the state financial watchdog's decision to revoke the license of an insurance salesperson, after he submitted a fraudulent receipt in order to receive benefits for his hole-in-one insurance subscription. The Seoul Administrative Court ruled against the insurance agent, who challenged the Financial Services Commission's decision to take away his license for insurance fraud. In November 2014, the plaintiff shot a hole in one at a local golf course th

Social AffairsSept. 2, 2024

Yoon's popularity falls to 2-year low amid medical standoff

President Yoon Suk Yeol's job approval rating has sunk to its lowest depths in about two years, amid a lingering standoff between medical circles and the government that has sapped public trust in his medical reform push. According to South Korean pollster Realmeter on Monday, Yoon's job approval rating dropped to 29.6 percent in the fifth week of August, down 0.4 percentage point from the previous week. It was the lowest since his rating marked 29.3 percent in the first week of August

PoliticsSept. 2, 2024

YouTuber who attacked Ive, BTS members denies defamation accusation

A 35-year-old YouTuber who posted multiple videos about top K-pop stars denied accusations of defamation in a court hearing Monday. The lawyer of the defendant, surnamed Park, told the Incheon District Court that she admits to making the videos but denies the charges of defamation and insult she had been indicted with. Park claimed that the relevant statements in her videos were a mere expression of her personal opinion, and that her actions does not constitute defamation as she truly believed

Social AffairsSept. 2, 2024

Man dies in fire he started in 'gaming center' after apparently losing money

South Korean police said Monday they plan to forward to prosecutors the case of a suspected arson that occurred Sunday at a gaming center, which testimonies suggest was due to the suspect's anger after losing money. Officials will not request criminal charges against the suspect, as he perished in the fire that left four others injured and resulted in 12.4 million won ($9,250) of damage to the facility. The suspect, identified only as a Chinese national in his 60s, is believed to have set

Social AffairsSept. 2, 2024

DDP lights up for annual media art festival

Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Jung-gu, central Seoul, is celebrating the return of fall with an annual media art festival that garnered over a million visitors last year. Seoul Light DDP, a media art festival jointly hosted and organized by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and Seoul Design Foundation, showcases media artworks by projecting them onto the 222-meter-long exterior of the city's landmark with spaceship-like architecture. This year’s festival, which runs through Sunday, celeb

Social AffairsSept. 2, 2024

43% of Koreans aged 20-49 do not plan to have kids: survey

Nearly 43 percent of South Korean nationals between ages 20 and 49 do not plan to have children, though a substantial number of respondents said they would consider changing their minds if government policies and corporate support for it were significantly expanded, a survey showed. The Korean Peninsula Population Institute for Future on Sunday revealed the results of its survey of 2,000 Korean nationals, including singles and couples both with and without children. Some 42.6 percent said they h

Social AffairsSept. 2, 2024

[Bills in Focus] Disclosure of EV battery manufacturer info, national power grid expansion

Proposed Bill: Partial Amendment to the Commercial Act Proposed by Rep. Park Sang-hyuk (Democratic Party of Korea) ● Although corporate directors have a duty of loyalty toward their company, they have no legal obligations toward their shareholders. Therefore, to protect shareholders from the decisions of directors, this bill imposes a duty of fairness on directors. Proposed Bill: Partial Amendment to the Motor Vehicle Management Act Proposed by Rep. Han Jeoung-ae (Democratic Party of Korea) ●

PoliticsSept. 2, 2024

Mongolia hopes for summit with S. Korea: Mongolian presidential chief of staff

Mongolia hopes for a bilateral summit with South Korea with the leaders of the two countries paving the way to improve ties for the future, according to Gombojavyn Zandanshatar, Chief of Staff to the Mongolian President. During a breakfast meeting at the 2nd Korea-Mongolia Vision Strategy Forum, hosted by Herald Corp. — publisher of The Korea Herald and Herald Business — and the Ahnsei Foundation at the Novotel in Ulaanbaatar on Aug. 27, Zandanshatar stated, "We planned two su

Social AffairsSept. 2, 2024

Health minister seeks to soothe concerns over hospital emergency rooms

Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong on Monday tried to soothe concerns about hospital emergency rooms, as some doctors have warned of a potential disruption of emergency care due to a prolonged walkout by trainee doctors. "Although there are some difficulties, we believe that emergency rooms are capable of maintaining operations," Cho told an SBS radio. "The issues extend beyond emergency rooms to follow-up treatments, which were present even before the walkout by the medical community,

PoliticsSept. 2, 2024

[Graphic News] Kyochon tops brand rankings for chicken franchises

Recent data from the Korea Fair Trade Commission showed that franchises had grown to account for over 70 percent of the local fried chicken market. According to a recent big data analysis by Rankify, Kyochon Chicken claimed the leading position in the brand index rankings for South Korean chicken franchises, earning 20,135 points. Goobne Chicken followed in second place with 11,110 points. BHC Chicken secured third place, with 60Gye Chicken in fourth and Norang Tongdak rounding out the top fiv

Social AffairsSept. 2, 2024

S. Korea, Japan in last-minute arrangements for visit by PM Kishida: presidential office

South Korea and Japan have been in last-minute arrangements for the agenda of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's visit, a senior official at the office of President Yoon Suk Yeol said Sunday. "Final arrangements on the itinerary and agenda are being discussed," the senior presidential official told reporters, without providing further details. Japan's Kyodo News earlier reported Kishida was considering holding summit talks with Yoon in South Korea in early September befo

PoliticsSept. 1, 2024

Yoon not to attend opening ceremony of National Assembly session: presidential office

President Yoon Suk Yeol will not attend the opening ceremony of the regular session of the National Assembly early this week, a presidential official said Sunday, citing the opposition party's unilateral actions to pass critical bills. The National Assembly is set to begin its regular session on Monday and it is customary for the president to attend the opening event and deliver a speech. "It is appropriate to first normalize the National Assembly, which has been misusing special couns

PoliticsSept. 1, 2024

1 dead, 4 injured in apparent arson at game hall

YEONGAM, South Korea -- One person died and four others were injured Sunday in an apparent act of arson at a game hall in the southwestern county of Yeongam, police and fire authorities said. The fire was put out 20 minutes after a report was filed at 1:29 p.m. but a Chinese national was found dead, they said. One of the four employees and visitors who suffered injuries was reportedly in a critical condition. A preliminary probe showed that the Chinese national allegedly started the fire and tha

Social AffairsSept. 1, 2024

S. Korea announces 'offensive cyber defense' strategy

The South Korean presidential office on Sunday unveiled a comprehensive cybersecurity plan with 100 actionable tasks, including measures for enhanced "offensive cyber defense" strategies to proactively counter and neutralize those with intentions of spreading fake information such as deepfakes in cyberspace. The presidential Office of National Security announced the "National Cybersecurity Basic Plan," a collaborative effort developed by 14 government ministries and organizat

Foreign AffairsSept. 1, 2024

Man chases down thief who stole woman's bag as she was attempting suicide

While a woman was attempting to take her own life by jumping into the Han River in Seoul, a man stole her bag and fled the scene on a bicycle. Amid the chaotic chase that ensued, another man on a motorcycle chased the suspect down to assist the police in catching him. The Seoul police said recently that Mapo Police Station has awarded a man surnamed Lee a certificate of appreciation for his assistance in stopping the suspect from getting away on Aug. 18, after the suspect stole the bag of a woma

Social AffairsSept. 1, 2024

Most EV chargers underground, lack overcharge prevention

Nearly 60 percent of all slow and rapid electric vehicle charging stations in South Korea are installed underground, with the majority being slow chargers lacking overcharge prevention systems -- a major fire risk. According to a report provided by the Environment Ministry to Rep. Lim Lee-ja of the People Power Party, 373,961 EV charging stations were installed nationwide as of July 2024. This marks the first time the ministry has fully assessed the total number of underground EV chargers. The s

Social AffairsSept. 1, 2024