A group of swindlers, including a Canadian man, pretended to be a Korean-American army officer by using a fake social media account, scamming a victim out of millions, police said. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, the 50-year-old Canadian man has been indicted on the charge of fraud. The suspect is reported to have approached the Korean woman in her 40s via social media, using a fake Facebook account under the name “Bright,” in January. Fake black money a con artist used to sca

Social Affairs July 2, 2018

South Korea is bracing for more torrential rain and strong wind as Typhoon Prapiroon moves southwest across the peninsula. Moving northwest away from Japan’s Okinawa, Typhoon Prapiroon has moved closer to Korea, packing gusts of up to 21 kph as of 9 a.m. Sunday, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration.  Residents holding umbrellas walk past a closed market in North Jeolla Province on Monday. (Yonhap)Cars were seen submerged in flood waters caused by the typhoon in Boseong county, So

Social Affairs July 2, 2018

A large fire set a sweet potato packing facility ablaze in Gimje, North Jeolla Province, early Monday morning, as black fumes came pouring out, local authorities said. According to the Gimje Fire Department, the fire started around 5:15 a.m. Monday and was extinguished an hour later.  (Yonhap) (Yonhap)The fire reportedly caused an estimated 150 million won ($134,000) in damage. No casualties were reported, as the facility was not in operation at the time. Police and fire authorities said they ar

Social Affairs July 2, 2018

Instagram said its popular Stories feature now has 400 million daily users, which is twice as many users compared to Snapchat’s 191 million, citing Instagram and Snapchat’s first-quarter report, respectively.Instagram is proving to be a strong competitor in the social media realm, rapidly winning over users from not only rival social media platforms, such as Twitter, Snapchat and YouTube, but even its parent company Facebook. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has bought companies that posed the bigge

Technology June 29, 2018

A Kia K9 sedan fell off the Gosanja bridge after ramming into a lamppost along Cheonggyecheon on Friday, police said. According to police, the 38-year-old driver surnamed Kim was driving past the Korean Red Cross building in Majang-dong when the accident occurred around 2:27 a.m. Friday. Car falls off Gosanja bridge into Cheonggyecheon on Friday. (Yonhap)Kim was rushed to a hospital immediately upon discovery. Fortunately, the victim is conscious and talking, according to police. No other victim

Social Affairs June 29, 2018

While Mexican soccer fans are celebrating Mexico’s advancement to the World Cup’s knockout stage, thousands of South Korean fans are more concerned about Son Heung-min’s now inevitable enlistment in the nation’s army. South Korea’s victory against Germany on Wednesday eliminated Son’s chance of bypassing the 2-year military duty, which is required for all abled-bodied men before they turn 28. Son Heung-min (Yonhap)Titled “I will serve in the military on behalf of Son Heung-min,” a petition on th

Soccer June 28, 2018

Mexico desperately needed South Korea to beat Germany in order to qualify for the next round in the 2018 World Cup. Surprisingly, Mexico got what it wished for. South Korea’s 2-0 victory over Germany on Wednesday united South Korean and Mexican soccer fans all around the world. Hundreds of Mexican fans flocked to the South Korean embassy in Mexico City to show their gratitude for helping Mexico progress to the knockout stage despite its defeat against Sweden. With some holding the South Korean f

Soccer June 28, 2018

Just as Uruguay and Russia were about to face off for the Group A teams’ third match, the crowd went wild, as it appeared North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had made a sudden appearance at Samara Arena, local media outlets reported. According to 24 Horas, a Kim Jong-un lookalike, wearing thick-rimmed glasses and an all-black suit, turned heads as he walked into the stadium without a security detail. The crowd reportedly was hesitant at first, but soon surrounded him in hopes of getting a picture to

Soccer June 27, 2018

A car rammed into a group of pedestrians in front of a retail store in Taepyeong-dong, Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, around 9 p.m. Tuesday, injuring two people, with the driver still on the run, police said. Shortly after hitting the two victims, the Sorento reportedly started going into reverse. It crashed into two parked cars on the side of the street and then overturned.  (Yonhap)A 70-year-old man and another victim sustained injuries from the collision, according to reports. The driver of the

Social Affairs June 27, 2018

A government survey showed Friday that over 15 percent of South Korean elementary and middle schoolers are addicted to either the internet or smartphones. According to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, the survey polled a total of 1.29 million students -- fourth graders, seventh graders and 10th graders -- in March and April. The results indicated that some 196,337 schoolchildren, or 15.2 percent, refuse to put down their phones or stop going on the internet, an increase from 14.3 perc

Social Affairs June 22, 2018

A 65-year-old man has been sentenced to one year in prison for physically abusing his mother, who was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, court officials said Friday. According to the Daejeon District Court, the man beat his mother in the face, back and arms on two separate occasions in April 2017. The victim was hospitalized for 10 days due to the injuries she sustained, authorities said.  (Yonhap)Police said they received reports of the abuse and indicted him on the charge of battery of a fami

Social Affairs June 22, 2018

Biracial couples who speak in Korean are gaining subscribers and viewers on YouTube, carving a niche for themselves amid the staggering number of videos that appear on the online video platform daily.It is a noteworthy feat considering that 50 million users upload 300 hours of videos on YouTube every minute. In addition, the world’s largest online video platform attracts over 30 million visitors who watch around 5 billion videos every day, according to YouTube. Here are three such couples who ar

Culture June 21, 2018

Police on Wednesday said they have expanded their search for a teenage girl who went missing Saturday afternoon, as no one has reported seeing her alive for the past five days. Search and rescue teams consisting of some 600 police officers have been searching for the girl since 8 a.m. Wednesday, with the help of heat-sensing helicopters and police dogs. According to Jeonnam Provincial Police Agency on Monday, the 16-year-old failed to return home after leaving for her part-time job around 2 p.m.

Social Affairs June 20, 2018

Anyang police on Monday said they have booked a man for allegedly taking naked photos of himself near multiple schools in the area. The 31-year-old man, surnamed Oh, is being charged with open lewdness and disorderly conduct, according to Anyang Manan Police Station. Oh reportedly shared 10 naked photos of himself on social media, posing in front of 10 girls’ schools in the early morning hours since January. Anyang Manan police officers. (Yonhap)Oh is reported to not have entered the school prem

Social Affairs June 19, 2018

Skeletal remains of a man were found Monday inside a multiunit house in Sasang-gu, central Busan, authorities said Tuesday. According to Sasang police, the 55-year-old surnamed Jang is believed to have been dead for two months prior to the discovery. Police said they received a call from the head of the village, who said he had not seen Jang for nearly two months and that there was an “odor coming from inside the house.”  (Yonhap)Accompanied by a social worker and the village chief, police and f

Social Affairs June 19, 2018