Most Popular
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$200m a year, 700,000 tons of rice, space tech: The deal for North Korea in joining Russia’s war
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Korean battery makers brace for impact of US election
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Who is writer of Hybe's controversial internal report?
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[AtoZ of Korean mind] Ever noticed some Koreans talk to themselves?
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[Photo news] Rally against first couple
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Scandal-hit ex-lawmaker denies corruption claims as pressure on Yoon mounts
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Will South Korea go back to banning phones in classrooms?
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[From the Scene] Gumi, home to Nongshim’s largest factory, rebrands itself as ‘city of ramyeon'
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Gangnam Station ramming suspect to face detention
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Stray Kids' US album sales surpass 1M
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Man dies after being turned down by 10 hospitals; govt. to investigate
The government said Thursday that a man in his 50s recently died due to delays in providing him with emergency medical care, in yet another case of an urgent care patient being turned down by multiple hospitals due to staff shortages from ongoing medical strikes. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, emergency services in South Gyeongsang Province received a report at around 3:28 a.m. on Sept. 6 that a man living in Yeoncho-myeon in Geoje city was suffering from abdominal pain and v
Oct. 17, 2024
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Ex-Seoul police chief acquitted of negligence in Itaewon crowd crush
A Seoul district court on Thursday ruled that Kim Kwang-ho, the former chief of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, was not guilty of negligence before and during the deadly Halloween crowd crush on Oct. 29, 2022, in Itaewon, central Seoul. According to the Seoul Western District Court, the prosecution had not provided enough evidence that Kim had directly violated his duty of care as the police chief of the Seoul police agency, either on the day of the crowd crush or in the days leading up to
Oct. 17, 2024
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Seoul's new education chief likely to inherit progressive policies
Jung Geun-sik, the newly elected liberal superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, officially took office on Thursday. With his inauguration, the city’s progressive approach to education, which has been in place for the past decade under his predecessor, Cho Hee-yeon, is expected to continue. Jung secured 50.17 percent of the vote in Wednesday's by-election, defeating his conservative rival, Cho Jun-hyuk, by a margin of 4.15 percentage points. His win surpassed the
Oct. 17, 2024
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Men in 50s, 60s account for 54% of 'lonely deaths': report
South Korea saw a continuing rise in "godoksa," or lonely deaths, in 2022 and 2023, respectively, with men in their 60s and 50s accounting for over half of them, according to a government report on Thursday. The Health Ministry defines "lonely death" as those living alone, disconnected from their family, relatives, friends and neighbors, who died alone from suicide, illness or other causes. There were 3,559 and 3,661 lonely death cases in 2022 and 2023, respectively, the mini
Oct. 17, 2024
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2-meter-long snake captured outside of Gyeonggi Provincial Office
A snake nearly 2 meters long was captured outside the Gyeonggi Provincial Government’s northern office in Uijeongbu on Wednesday. At around 11:55 a.m., the fire department received a call reporting a large snake on the road in front of the provincial office. Firefighters arrived at the scene, captured the snake and released it into a nearby forest. The authorities believe the snake came down from a nearby mountain. According to the Gyeonggi Northern Fire and Disaster Headquarters, 6,675
Oct. 17, 2024
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Most 'avoidable' deaths in Army were suicides: report
An overwhelming majority of what are deemed "avoidable deaths" in the South Korean Army last year were soldier suicides, Ministry of National Defense data showed Thursday. A total of 44 avoidable deaths -- designated Type 1 deaths -- occurred in 2023, according to the data submitted to Rep. Hwang Hee of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea. Suicides accounted for 41 of them, or 93.2 percent, which was the highest percentage of suicides among Type 1 deaths since the 70.7 percen
Oct. 17, 2024
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Drunk driver rams truck into car accident scene, kills 2
Two women at the scene of a minor car accident were killed after being run over by a truck driven by a drunk driver in South Jeolla Province, officials said Thursday, shortly before another similar tragedy by a truck driver occurred in the same region. According to the Jeonnam Fire service, the victims had exited their vehicles on a road in the Yeongam-gun region of the province on Wednesday after their cars collided with each other. The two were discussing matters related to the accident when a
Oct. 17, 2024
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Cabbage prices raise alarm bells ahead of kimchi-making season
Cabbage prices alert When the weather starts to cool, one particular product becomes critically significant to South Korea’s price monitoring authorities: cabbages. As the main ingredient in the most widely consumed type of kimchi, napa cabbage prices directly influence the cost of living here, with ripple effects felt in far-reaching areas, from school cafeterias to military barracks. Signs of strain are already visible this week with more than a month to go until the nationwide kimch
Oct. 16, 2024
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Wegovy launched in Korea, govt. announces crackdown on illegal sales
In the wake of the launch of weight loss drug Wegovy in South Korea, the government said it will crack down on illegal activities surrounding the much sought-after medicine. Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said it plans to monitor closely the safety of GLP-1 type drugs like Wegovy, particularly focusing on its side effects and misuse, on Tuesday. The authorities also warned it will crack down on illegal online sales and advertisements. Wegovy, produced by Danish drugmaker Novo Nor
Oct. 16, 2024
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Reports of illegal online gambling triple in four years
Reports of illegal online gambling in South Korea have nearly tripled over the past four years, according to government data on Wednesday. The figure comes amid growing public concern, especially following comedian Lee Jin-ho’s recent admission to illegal online gambling. According to data by the National Gambling Control Commission submitted to Rep. Min Hyung-bae of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, reported cases of illegal online gambling surged by threefold from 13,064 in
Oct. 16, 2024
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Big data shows Korean workers clock out 19 minutes earlier than 5 years ago
In a potential sign of improving work-life balance in Korea, big data reveals that commuters in five office districts in and around Seoul are leaving the workplace 19 minutes earlier than they did five years ago. KB Kookmin Card, the nation’s second-largest card issuer, released the analysis on Wednesday of card usage data collected from January to August each year between 2019 and 2024. The study tracked subway users in Gangnam, Gwanghwamun, Yeouido and Guro in Seoul, and Pangyo in Gyeo
Oct. 16, 2024
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National-level AI, digital education to be launched for adults over 30
To enhance the nation's digital skills and competitiveness, South Korea is rolling out a new initiative aimed at improving digital capabilities among adults aged 30 and older. The government will invest over 110 billion won ($80 million) to build a comprehensive digital lifelong learning ecosystem, the Ministry of Education announced on Wednesday. The initiative, dubbed the "AI-Digital (AID) 30+ Project," seeks to provide extensive retraining opportunities and digital education to
Oct. 16, 2024
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Runner struck by car at national sports festival
A car struck a professional runner in his 20s during a national sports competition in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province, police said Wednesday. The runner reportedly suffered a broken left shin and is receiving treatment. According to Gimhae Jungbu Police, the incident occurred at 11:34 a.m. Tuesday on a section of the road closed for a half-marathon event at the 2024 Korean National Sports Festival, the largest annual sports competition in the country. The athlete was running in an inner lane o
Oct. 16, 2024
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Soaring no. of patients dying on organ transplant waitlist
The number of patients dying while waiting for an organ transplant has soared, and average wait times are also rising, data showed Tuesday. According to data from the National Institute of Organ, Tissue and Blood Management provided to Rep. Park Hee-seung of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, the number of patients who died while on transplant waitlists increased by 1.4-fold, from 2,145 in 2019 to 2,907 last year. In the first half of this year, waitlist deaths had already reached 1,
Oct. 16, 2024
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Seoul envisions design giants like Ikea
Seoul city will invest 172.3 billion won ($126 million) over the next five years to support the design industry in the city with an aim to nurture "Korean versions" of overseas design and home furnishing giants Ikea and Muji. The Seoul Metropolitan Government on Wednesday unveiled a five-year plan prioritizing a stable foundation for Seoul's design industry, strengthening the self-reliance of design companies and fostering connections between companies, as well as promoting Seoul&
Oct. 16, 2024
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1 in 4 seniors prefer using assets over leaving them to children
One in four South Korean senior citizens wish to use their assets for themselves and their spouses rather than passing them on to their children, according to government data on Wednesday. The 2023 survey of 10,078 senior citizens by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, Gallup Korea and the Health Ministry between Sept. 4 and Nov. 12 last year showed that 24.2 percent of the respondents chose to prioritize using their assets for their own and their spouse during their lifetime inst
Oct. 16, 2024
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Korea's well-to-do live longer, healthier lives: report
People with higher incomes are likely to live longer and healthier lives than those with lower incomes, government data showed Tuesday. The "healthy life expectancy" -- defined as the period of years one is expected to live with no major health issues -- was 73.4 years in 2021 for South Koreans in the top 20 percent of incomes, according to Ministry of Health and Welfare data submitted to Rep. Kim Nam-hee of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea. But for those in the bottom 20
Oct. 16, 2024
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Court recognizes misogyny as motive for hate crime for 1st time
An appellate court ruled Tuesday that the assault on a female convenience store clerk by a man in Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province, allegedly motivated by her short haircut, constituted a misogynistic hate crime. The landmark ruling is the first time a Korean court has explicitly recognized misogyny as a condemnable motive in a criminal case. The Changwon District Court upheld the lower court's decision to put the attacker behind bars for three years for aggravated assault, destruction of p
Oct. 16, 2024
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'Rapping granny' of Chilgok passes away at age 87
Octogenarian rapper Seo Mu-seok, who inspired many by pursuing her musical dreams into her late 80s, passed away Tuesday at the age of 87. Seo died Tuesday morning at a hospital in Daegu, according to North Gyeongseong Province's Chilgok-gun officials. She had been diagnosed with stage three lymphoma in January, and doctors had told her that she had three months to live. Seo made her musical debut last year as a member of the seven-member musical act, Suni and the Seven Princesses, made up
Oct. 16, 2024
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Top 0.1% of Koreans make 1.8b won a year; 126 pay no tax
Government data showed Wednesday that the top 0.1 percent of earners in South Korea made an average of 1.8 billion won in 2022, and that 126 of them paid no tax due to various deductions and exemptions. The combined income of a total of 26.2 million South Koreans came to 1.59 quadrillion won ($1.17 trillion) in 2022, while the combined income of the top 0.1 percent -- a group consisting of 26,231 individuals -- amounted to 47.1 trillion won, according to National Tax Service data submitted to Re
Oct. 16, 2024