Korea reports 8.5% rise in suicide rate

South Korea, already plagued with the world's highest suicide rate, saw an on-year uptick in suicide cases last year, reversing a short-lived downward trend, data shows Friday. According to the state-run Statistics Korea, 13,978 people took their own lives last year, which translates to 27.3 deaths per 100,000 people. This marks an 8.5 percent increase from the 2022 figure of 25.2 deaths. This increase follows a one-year decline between 2021 and 2022, when the rate dropped from 26 to 25.2

Oct. 4, 2024

Demand for mobile numbers to peak in 2032, no shortage expected

Demand for cellphone numbers in South Korea is expected to peak in 2032, but it will not lead to a shortage due to the projected population decline in the country, a government reported projected Friday. The need for mobile numbers beginning with the "010" is expected to reach 64.57 million by then, according to the Korea Information Society Development Institute's projections submitted to Rep. Choi Soo-jin of the ruling People Power Party. This would be 80.7 percent of the possib

Oct. 4, 2024

Concerns raised over chronic labor shortage at state-run center for digital sex crime victims

An official at the state-funded Advocacy Center for Online Sexual Abuse Victims said Friday that the center, tasked with removing illegal pornography online, will soon officially hire two more employees, but highlighted the need to increase its workforce at a faster pace to tackle surging digital sex crimes. The hiring decision comes as the center affiliated with the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family struggles with a chronic staffing shortage and follows the National Assembly's passage

Oct. 4, 2024

1,430 minors investigated for drug offenses from 2018 to 2023: police

Around 1,430 minors, aged 14 to 18, were investigated by police for drug offenses, including possession, consumption, and distribution, between 2018 and 2023, according to data from the Korean National Police Agency. The report, released by Rep. Kang Min-kuk of the ruling People Power Party on Friday, highlighted the growing concern over youth involvement in drug crimes during this period. By year, the numbers rose each year, from 56 in 2018, to 201 in 2022. This steady increase was followed by

Oct. 4, 2024

Man gets suspended jail term for cutting gas line, threatening family

A 61-year-old man, who cut the hose of an apartment gas line and threatened to start a fire with his family there, was sentenced to 1 year in prison, suspended for two years by a local court. The Uijeongbu District Court said Friday it had handed the guilty verdict to the defendant indicted for threatening and exposing others to explosive substances. Using gas or other explosive substances to cause danger to another person is punishable by at least one year in prison, according to the Article 17

Oct. 4, 2024

Man sentenced to 3 1/2 years in prison for assaulting parents over allowance

A man in his 20s was sentenced to three years and six months in prison for assaulting his parents after he was refused an allowance, according to a court ruling Friday. The 25-year-old man was found guilty of robbery with violence and other charges by the Cheonan branch of the Daejeon District Court. The defendant was arrested and indicted for attacking his parents at their home in Asan, South Chungcheong Province, last December. The man reportedly demanded 100,000 won ($75) from his parents and

Oct. 4, 2024

Workplace accidents in Korea for 2023 hit 10-year high

A total of 136,796 workers in South Korea suffered work-related accidents last year, government data showed Friday, marking the highest figure in the past 10 years. The number of occupational accidents in the country increased by 11.4 percent from 128,379 in 2022, according to Ministry of Employment and Labor data submitted to Rep. Kim So-hee of the ruling People Power Party. Occupational accidents in the country have increased every year since surpassing 100,000 in 2018. Defined in Article 5-1

Oct. 4, 2024

Did SNL parody of first lady touch a nerve? Rumors brew over crew's departure

A recent YouTube video has sparked a conspiracy theory related to January departure of Joo Hyun-young as a crew of SNL Korea, with some alleging that she had been forced to quit over her parody of first Kim Keon Hee. The 28-year-old Joo gained popularity with her appearances in the Korean version of "Saturday Night Live" since 2021. Little known at the beginning of her "SNL" stint, she rose to stardom for her witty depiction of various characters, including the character of

Oct. 4, 2024

Controversial cult leader’s sentence reduced to 17 years

Jeong Myeong-suk, the cult leader who gained global notoriety for sexual offenses documented in the Netflix series “In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal,” had his prison sentence reduced to 17 years by an appellate court on Wednesday. Known to his followers as the "Jesus Morning Star," Jeong is the leader of the Christian Gospel Mission. He was initially sentenced last December to 23 years in prison for the rape and sexual assault of three female believers. Upholding Jeong&#

Oct. 3, 2024

Pay debate plagues foreign nanny pilot

As Seoul's six-month foreign caregiver pilot program marks its first month on Thursday, significant unresolved issues -- particularly over pay. The initiative, led by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Ministry of Employment and Labor, aims to offer affordable child care and light and incidental help with housework. The six-month pilot, limited to Seoul households, primarily dual-income with multiple children, and employing only Filipino national women aged 24-38, began on Sept. 3 wi

Oct. 3, 2024

35% of S. Koreans view unification 'unnecessary'

Skepticism toward unification with North Korea is rising in South Korea, with the proportions of people who view it as "unnecessary" and those who see it as "impossible" reaching record highs since 2007, when the poll started. According to the survey on the public unification perception, released by the Institute for Peace and Unification Studies from Seoul National University on Wednesday, 35 percent of respondents indicated that unification is either "entirely unnecess

Oct. 3, 2024

Medical standoff heats up as SNU approves leaves for striking students

The monthslong medical standoff entered a new phase this week after Seoul National University became the first institution to approve leave of absence requests from striking students who have been boycotting classes to protest the government's plan to increase the medical school admissions quota. Despite government warnings of severe repercussions, SNU's decision on Monday prompted a swift response from the Ministry of Education, further escalating tensions between the medical communit

Oct. 3, 2024

Man escapes DUI charges by downing bottle of soju while pulled over

A Daegu court said Thursday it has cleared a 60-year-old man of drunk driving charges, ruling that his consumption of alcohol after stopping his car made it impossible to determine if he had been intoxicated while driving. The man was initially suspected of driving 2.4 kilometers in Daegu with a blood alcohol content of 0.128 percent. He was stopped by police in the city’s Jung-gu district on Sept. 16 at 11:38 p.m. and his breath was tested by police 40 minutes later. The driver was charge

Oct. 3, 2024

German envoy calls for innovation, collaboration in world in flux

German Ambassador to Seoul Georg Schmidt highlighted the growing complexities and opportunities in a world in flux during a session of the Global Business Forum on Wednesday. Addressing the weekly forum of local CEOs and leaders from various fields, the diplomat touched upon a wide array of pressing issues — from Germany’s energy revolution and the rise of artificial intelligence to demographic shifts and global security, as he emphasized the need for innovation and international col

Oct. 3, 2024

Court confirms sentence for rapper who attempted to evade national service

A South Korean rapper who pretended that his mental illness had worsened in order to shorten his mandatory national service will be subject to a suspended prison term, the country's top court confirmed Wednesday. Announcing the ruling, which it said was made last month, the Supreme Court upheld a 14-month sentence, suspended for two years, for the rapper Nafla, who was convicted last year of violating the Military Service Act and the Criminal Act, specifically for obstructing the performanc

Oct. 2, 2024

Scalpers using macros to resell Byeon Woo-seok, Lim Young-woong tickets busted

South Korean police have caught scalpers in their 20s and 30s for using macro tools to illegally buy performance tickets for popular stars like Lim Young-woong and Byeon Woo-seok, then reselling them at premium prices. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said on Tuesday that they had apprehended seven individuals, identified as college students, job seekers and soldiers, who used automated macro programs from 2021 until August of this year to snatch highly sought-after tickets and resell them o

Oct. 2, 2024

Temperatures drop by more than 10 C as fall officially begins

Following nationwide rain Tuesday, South Korea experienced chilly fall weather Wednesday morning, as temperatures dipped by up to 10 degrees Celsius compared to the previous day accompanied by strong winds, said the Korea Meteorological Administration. According to the KMA, the influx of cold air from the northwest and strong winds resulted in Wednesday morning lows 5 C to 10 C lower than the previous day in the central region, comprising the Greater Seoul area -- Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Pro

Oct. 2, 2024

AI textbook bubble could burst, expert warns

In a move toward digital education, South Korea is set to introduce artificial intelligence-powered textbooks into its schools starting in March next year. This initiative, which will begin with third and fourth graders in elementary schools and first-year students in middle and high schools, has sparked mixed reactions. Some view it as a true "education transformation," or even a "revolution," others simply as a new tool. Neil Selwyn, a professor at Monash University in Melb

Oct. 2, 2024

Diablo 4 sells for under 1,600 won, possibly due to error

A handful of South Korean gamers were treated to an unintended limited-time offer for the popular computer game Diablo 4 on Wednesday, when its publisher inexplicably put it on sale for 1,575 won ($1.20) for less than an hour in the wee hours of the morning. The short-term price for the standard edition of the action role-playing game developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment was posted at the company's Battle.net website some time before 3 a.m. It reverted to its initial price of 6

Oct. 2, 2024

[Graphic News] Mobile phone spam hits record high

Mobile phone spam in South Korea reached a record high through August, despite ongoing government efforts to curb unwanted messages and advertisements, parliamentary data showed. From January to August, 280.4 million spam messages and calls were reported or detected by the Korea Internet & Security Agency, up 68 percent from the same period last year, according to the data submitted to the National Assembly by KISA. This year’s figure through August already represent 95 percent of

Oct. 2, 2024