Articles by Ahn Sung-mi
Ahn Sung-mi
sahn@heraldcorp.com-
'Culinary Class Wars' winner crashes reservation app, warns scalpers
More than 110,000 users attempted to book a table at the restaurant of the winner of Netflix’s hit reality cooking show, "Culinary Class Wars," temporarily crashing a reservation app on Thursday. Reservations for the Italian restaurant Via Toledo Pasta Bar, run by Chef Kwon Seong-jun, also known by his nickname "Napoli Mafia," opened on the restaurant booking app Catch Table at 10 a.m. on Thursday. As fans rushed to secure a table, the app became unresponsive and was do
Food Oct. 11, 2024
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Banks, brokerages, insurers spent W2.4tr in entertainment expenses over last five years
South Korea’s financial sector, including banks, brokerage houses and insurers, spent a staggering 2.4 trillion won ($1.78 billion) on entertaining clients over the past five years, data showed Tuesday. From 2019 through the first half of this year, banks, brokerages and insurance companies spent 957.8 billion won, 1.13 trillion won and 308.5 billion won, respectively, on entertainment expenses, according to Financial Supervisory Service data submitted to Rep. Kim Hyun-jung of the main opp
Economy Oct. 8, 2024
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Conscripting women to lead to 'more babies,' claims military think tank
The chief of a military think tank in South Korea has sparked controversy after suggesting that conscripting women into the military could boost marriage and fertility rates. Kim Hyung-chul, president of the Korea Institute for Military Affairs, a nonprofit public interest foundation under the Ministry of National Defense, talked about whether women should go to the military in an interview on the local YouTube channel, “Pen and Mike” on Sept. 23. “We have reached a point whe
Social Affairs Oct. 8, 2024
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Man killed by fellow hunter who mistook him for wild boar
A hunter in his 40s was shot and killed after being mistaken for a boar by another hunter in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province, police said Monday. According to Yeoncheon Police, at 11:35 p.m. on Sunday, a man, who is also in his 40s, fired a rifle at what he thought was a wild boar. But the bullet struck the head of a fellow hunter, who was assisting as a spotter at the time. The victim was critically injured and was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. The two were part of a three-man huntin
Social Affairs Oct. 7, 2024
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20 minors registered as CEOs making over 100 million won
Over the past five years, 20 minors have earned more than 100 million won ($74,119) a year as CEOs in South Korea, including a child under the age of five, government data showed Monday, highlighting concerns over possible inheritance tax loopholes. According to data from the National Health Insurance Service submitted to Rep. Jin Sun-mee of the main opposition Democratic Party Korea, there are 360 business owners that are under the age of 19 as of August 2024. The data covers only those registe
Social Affairs Oct. 7, 2024
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One dead, three injured in wrong-way, multi-vehicle crash on Gyeongin Expressway
One person was killed and three others were injured in a multi-vehicle collision caused by a driver going the wrong way on the Gyeongin Expressway early Monday morning. According to the Incheon Metropolitan Police and Incheon Fire Department, the crash occurred at 5:20 a.m. at the Bupyeong Interchange in Incheon, when a Chinese woman in her 40s drove her compact car onto the exit ramp in the wrong direction and collided with a van while attempting to merge onto the main highway. The collision ca
Social Affairs Oct. 7, 2024
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Firefighters’ 3,000 won meals spark nutrition concerns
The average budget for firefighters' meals has been found to be as low as 3,100 won ($2.33), sparking concerns over the quality and nutritional adequacy of their food. Data from the National Fire Agency, provided to Rep. Han Byung-do of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea on Friday, showed significant discrepancies in meal budgets across the country’s fire stations. In some areas, fire stations are left without the support of nutritionists, prompting further concerns about w
Social Affairs Oct. 5, 2024
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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
Social Affairs Oct. 4, 2024
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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
Social Affairs Oct. 2, 2024
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Man accused of faking subway theft to evade debt repayment
A man in his 20s was found to have made a false report claiming he was pickpocketed on the subway to delay repaying a debt, police said Sunday. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said they referred the case to the prosecution on Sept. 8, charging the man with obstruction of justice. On June 27, the man called police and falsely reported that his bag had been slashed on the subway and 7 million won ($5,365) in cash had been stolen. However, police later discovered through surveillance footage t
Social Affairs Sept. 30, 2024
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Court upholds license suspension for doctor who reused needles
A doctor of traditional Korean medicine recently failed to overturn the suspension of his medical license for reusing disposable multineedles. The Seoul Administrative Court dismissed the lawsuit filed by the doctor, who sought to reverse the Health Ministry’s decision to suspend his license, according to media reports Monday. The doctor had his license suspended for one month by the ministry after it was discovered that he had reused sterilized disposable multineedles on 11 patients betwe
Social Affairs Sept. 30, 2024
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BTS’ Suga fined W15m for e-scooter DUI
Suga of K-pop boy band BTS was fined 15 million won ($11,468) for driving an electric scooter under the influence of alcohol. Judge Lee Yoo-seop of the Seoul Western District Court has imposed the fine on Friday in a summary judgement –- a legal decision made by a judge without a full trial, usually applied to cases deemed relatively minor allowing for a quicker resolution. The amount is identical to the penalty previously requested by prosecutors. Suga has the right to request a formal tr
K-pop Sept. 30, 2024
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Two kids' smartwatch strap products on AliExpress 121 times over lead limit
Two children’s smartwatch straps sold on Chinese e-commerce platform AliExpress were found to contain lead levels 121 times higher than the national safety limits, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said Thursday. The safety test results were released on 16 products, including smartwatch straps for children, pacifiers and pacifier clips sold on AliExpress and Temu. The city government revealed that two types of smartwatch straps sold on AliExpress exceeded the country’s lead safety le
Social Affairs Sept. 28, 2024
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Suicide attempts spike among youth in Korea
The suicide rate among individuals under 20 has spiked in recent years in South Korea, with mental health disorders and interpersonal conflicts cited as the main cause. The proportion of those under 20 who had to go to the emergency room after attempting suicide jumped from 35 percent out of a total of 21,545 people in 2019, to 43.3 percent out of 30,665 people in 2023, according to Health Ministry data provided to Rep. Park Hee-seung of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea. In partic
Social Affairs Sept. 28, 2024
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Four individuals face charges over illegal surrogacy 13 years ago
A surrogate mother, an infertile couple and a broker, have been sent to prosecution for indictment over an illegal surrogacy arrangement involving a payment of 50 million won ($37,890) from 13 years ago. The Gwangju Bukbu Police said Thursday that the surrogate mother, who is in her 30s, the couple in their 50s, and the surrogacy broker were referred to the prosecution without detention. The four are accused of violating South Korea’s Child Welfare Act. According to police, the surrogate m
Social Affairs Sept. 27, 2024
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