South Korea will be playing the country's 10th consecutive FIFA World Cup in Qatar. 　Its pursuit of only a third trip to the knockout phase begins Thursday against Uruguay, the first Group H match for both countries. 　South Korea will then play Ghana on Nov. 28 and Portugal on Dec. 2. 　Portugal, at No. 9, is the highest-ranked team in Group H, followed by Uruguay at No. 14, South Korea at No. 28 and Ghana at No. 61. 　South Korea should have a fighting chance to make it out of Group H, but

Soccer Nov. 24, 2022

　South Korea’s rice output fell 3 percent this year from a year earlier due to a sharp drop in precipitation and lack of sunny days, data showed. 　The country’s rice production came to 3.76 million tons this year, falling from 3.88 million tons tallied in 2021, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea. 　It marked the sixth straight year that the country’s yearly rice production stayed below 4 million tons. 　The agency attributed the decline in rice output to a dro

National Nov. 23, 2022

　Three out of every 10 students from elementary to high school were overweight or obese last year, as the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic kept them from outdoor activities, an Education Ministry report showed. 　The rate of overweight or obese students reached 30.8 percent as of 2021, according to the report based on health checkup results from 1,023 elementary, middle and high schools nationwide. 　Of the total students included in the report, 19 percent were obese, up 3.9 percentage points, while

Social Affairs Nov. 22, 2022

　Smash-hit Netflix series “Squid Game” actor Lee Jung-jae will star in “The Acolyte,” an upcoming Star Wars series to be streamed on Disney +, according to production company Lucasfilm. 　“The Acolyte” is a mystery thriller written and directed by Leslye Headland for Disney+ and has begun production in Britain, Lucasfilm said in a release posted on its website. 　Among other main cast members are Amandla Stenberg of “The Hate U Give,” Manny Jacint

Film Nov. 18, 2022

　The number of marriages between South Korean nationals and foreign spouses set a new record low last year amid the COVID-19 pandemic, data showed. 　A total of 13,926 transnational couples tied the knot here in 2021, down 13.9 percent, or 2,251, from a year earlier, according to the data from Statistics Korea. They accounted for 7.2 percent of all marriages. 　It marked the lowest reading since 2008, when the statistics agency started to compile related data. 　The decrease came as the pandemi

Social Affairs Nov. 17, 2022

　The base taxi fare in Seoul will increase by 1,000 won ($0.75) to 4,800 won in February 2023 - the first hike in four years - the city government has announced. 　The Seoul Metropolitan Government passed the plan to raise the base rate for mid-sized sedan cabs operating in the capital city from the current 3,800 won. 　It will be first hike of the base taxi fare since February 2019. 　The city government’s decision came as the central government and the ruling People Power Party have ann

National Nov. 15, 2022

　Qatar Airways was named the world’s best airline at the Skytrax World Airline Awards 2022, while Singapore Airlines and Emirates landed in the second and third spots respectively. 　In a strong showing for Asia-Pacific carriers, Japan’s All Nippon Airways and Australia’s Qantas Airways rounded out the top five. Korean Air, South Korea’s largest air carrier, was named the world’s ninth best air carrier. 　The World Airline Awards were determined by an online custom

World Business Nov. 11, 2022

　More than 29,000 migrants have died trying to reach Europe since 2014, with 5,000 deaths in the last two years, the International Organization for Migration said in a report. 　The UN agency's Missing Migrants Project spoke of "increasing numbers of deaths seen on routes across the Mediterranean, on land borders to Europe and within the continent.'' 　According to the report, the deadliest migration route continues to be the Central Mediterranean, where 2,836 people have died since Januar

World News Nov. 10, 2022

　President Yoon Suk-yeol saw his approval rating dip slightly at the end of last week, a survey showed, in the aftermath of the Halloween crowd crush. 　In a poll of 2,521 Korean adults conducted by Realmeter from Monday to Friday last week, 34.2 percent positively assessed Yoon's job performance, down 1.5 percentage points from the previous week. 　Yoon’s disapproval rating was 62.4 percent, up 0.7 percentage point. 　In terms of daily rating, support for Yoon dropped from 35.7 percent T

Politics Nov. 9, 2022

　The number of households in the capital city of Seoul is expected to gradually decrease starting in 2030, data showed, as more people move to other areas in search of affordable housing. 　According to the estimate by Statistics Korea, the number of households in Seoul, which came to 3.95 million in 2020, is expected to grow through 2029 and reach a peak of 4.12 million. 　Starting in 2030, however, the number is expected to lose ground, eventually reaching 3.79 million in 2050, it added. 　Th

National Nov. 8, 2022

　Stalking and dating violence have steadily increased over the past few years, yet the number of police officers in charge of such crimes has remained unchanged, police data showed. 　According to the National Police Agency data submitted to Rep. Yong Hye-in of the Basic Income Party, 3,621 cases of stalking crimes were reported in 2021, sharply up from 897 in 2018, 1,938 in 2019 and 1,444 in 2020. 　Noticeably, 4,992 stalking crimes were reported until August of this year alone, the data showe

National Nov. 7, 2022

　The recent deadly crowd crush in Seoul sparked widespread interest among South Koreans in cardiopulmonary resuscitation that can help save lives during cardiac emergencies. 　Videos from Saturday's accident during Halloween festivities in Itaewon, which left 156 dead, showed not only rescue workers but also ordinary civilians desperately giving CPR to victims on the streets. 　Posts by people who performed CPR went viral on the internet, bringing home to people the importance of the emergency

Technology Nov. 4, 2022

　The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the agency responsible for the public health of the American people, has detailed guidelines for travelers' behavior in places where mass gatherings are held. 　Here are the steps to follow if you are stuck in a crowd crush:

World Nov. 3, 2022

　South Korea saw its foreign population shrink by 1 percent last year from the previous year, marking a decline for the second year in a row, the Interior Ministry said. 　According to a report by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the number of foreign residents stood at 2.13 million as of Nov. 1, 2021, compared to 2.14 million the same day a year earlier. The number includes foreign nationals residing in the country for more than 90 days, and naturalized Koreans and their children. 　It

National Nov. 2, 2022

　At least 153 people have been killed and 133 others injured following a crowd crush during Halloween event in Seoul's Itaewon district on Saturday. The tragedy marks one of the deadliest incidents in South Korea in years.  　The following is a chronology of major crowd surges in South Korea.

National Nov. 1, 2022