Prosecutors demand death penalty for rape-murder suspect

Prosecutors on Monday demanded the death penalty for a 30-year-old suspect behind the attempted rape and killing of a woman on a hiking trail in southern Seoul. Choi Yun-jong was indicted on charges of fatally beating, throttling and attempting to rape the victim he randomly picked on a hillside hiking trail in the Sillim neighborhood on Aug. 17. In the final hearing at Seoul Central District Court, prosecutors demanded the death penalty for Choi, arguing that he poses a high risk to society if

Social AffairsDec. 11, 2023

S. Korea to make efforts to ease foreign investors' concerns about tensions on peninsula: minister

South Korea's unification minister said Monday the government will make efforts to assuage foreign investors' concerns about heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula, saying his country has been beefing up a readiness posture against North Korea's potential provocations. Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho made the remark during his meeting with U.S. investor Jim Rogers, chairman of Rogers Holdings, in Seoul amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula following North Korea�

North KoreaDec. 11, 2023

New chief justice sworn in, vows to tackle trial delays

Cho Hee-dae was sworn in Monday as the new chief justice of the Supreme Court, ending over two months of a leadership vacuum at the country's top court. During his inauguration ceremony held at the Supreme Court in southern Seoul, the newly appointed chief justice vowed to address the pending issues facing the top court, including trial delays. "The court has aggravated public pain by not abiding by the people's right to a speedy trial," Cho said. He vowed to resolve the prob

Social AffairsDec. 11, 2023

Doctors start voting on whether to strike over medical school quota

The Korean Medical Association, South Korea's largest group of medical doctors, began collecting votes on Monday on whether they should launch a general strike against the government’s plan to expand the medical school enrollment quota. The organization will collect votes until Dec. 17, and announced that doctors will stage a mass rally on the same day near Gwanghwamun in central Seoul. The majority of the association's membership consists of doctors running their own clinics. Ahead of suc

Social AffairsDec. 11, 2023

Amid fewer marriages, S. Korean newlyweds have more debt than ever

With fewer couples getting married each year here, the amount of combined debt of recently married couples recorded an all-time high, a report showed Monday. According to a report on those recently married by Statistics Korea, the median amount of combined debt for these households in South Korea in 2022 was 164 million won ($124,000), marking both an all-time high and jump of 7.3 percent from the year before. It also showed that 89 percent of such couples overall are in debt. The report concern

Social AffairsDec. 11, 2023

[From the scene] Convenience store chain riding high on ramen boom

Convenience stores have been emerging as popular lunch spots among office workers in South Korea amid the ever-rising costs of dining out, a trend many in Korea call "lunchflation." Riding high on upbeat sales, convenience store chain CU recently launched a new store specializing in instant ramen products in the bustling Hongdae district in western Seoul. Not only does the store offer a wide variety of ramen products, but it also has an area where customers can prepare and enjoy ramen,

K-WellnessDec. 11, 2023

US F-16 fighter crashes into sea off South Korea during training

A United States Forces Korea F-16 Fighting Falcon on Monday morning crashed near Gunsan, a North Jeolla Province city 178 kilometers south of Seoul, during routine training, according to the air base there. Kunsan Air Base, home to the 8th Fighter Wing, said in a release that the fighter jet crashed into the sea off the west coast of South Korea at around 8:43 a.m. The pilot was rescued by the Republic of Korea Maritime Forces after evacuating the aircraft, the release said. He is in a stable co

PoliticsDec. 11, 2023

[Bills in Focus] Gimpo-Seoul merger proposal, cord blood use for regenerative medicine

Proposed bill: Special Act on the Change of Jurisdiction of Gyeonggi Province and Seoul Metropolitan City Proposed by Rep. Cho Kyoung-tae (People Power Party) ● Due to its geographical location, Gimpo citizens interact more with Seoul than other parts of Gyeonggi Province, with a high percentage of its population commuting from Gimpo to Seoul. Therefore, this bill aims to resolve the disparity between the administrative district and the actual activity space of Gimpo citizens by excluding Gimpo

PoliticsDec. 11, 2023

8 NATO envoys to visit Seoul to discuss Indo-Pacific security

A delegation of representatives from eight NATO member countries is set to visit Seoul later this week, in a rare collective visit reflecting the transatlantic security alliance's heightened interest in the Indo-Pacific region amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. The three-day visit from Wednesday to Friday aims to "engage in discussions on the security situation in the Indo-Pacific region and other pertinent issues," South Korea's Foreign Ministry said Monday. The participating

Foreign AffairsDec. 11, 2023

Could ex-leaders of rival parties form new alliance?

Former leaders of rival parties here have been hinting at the possibility of joining forces to launch a new party ahead of next year’s general election as of Monday, invoking concern and skepticism from other lawmakers. Former Prime Minister and previous main opposition Democratic Party of Korea leader Rep. Lee Nak-yon along with estranged former leader of the ruling People Power Party Lee Jun-seok have been mentioning each other in various interviews as potential partners to set up a new

PoliticsDec. 11, 2023

[Herald Interview] ‘N. Korea needs reassurance, besides deterrence’

TOKYO -- Deterring aggression by reaffirming pledges to counter North Korean nuclear strikes with the same force needs to take place in tandem with reassuring the regime of its safety, a Japanese expert said of curbing North Korea’s provocations. The strategy of using the US nuclear umbrella is what Seoul and Washington have been doubling down on since April when the two allies agreed to bolster deterrence on the North’s weapons tests. President Yoon Suk Yeol, who came to power in Ma

Foreign AffairsDec. 11, 2023

Yoon departs for Amsterdam for regional security, chip cooperation

President Yoon Suk Yeol and first lady Kim Keon Hee flew to the Netherlands on Monday at the invitation of King Willem-Alexander, in a bid to strengthen bilateral semiconductor supply chain cooperation and to enhance the European nation's involvement in Indo-Pacific regional security, in what will be the president's last trip to a foreign country this year. Yoon is the first South Korean president to pay a state visit to the Netherlands since the two countries forged diplomatic relat

PoliticsDec. 11, 2023

City of Seoul's app adds payment, tax refund service

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on Monday the expansion of services on the city’s travel app, TripPass, to allow international tourists to easily access various services, such as personal identification and mobile payments. With TripPass, tourists can issue mobile passports for use in stores that require identity verification or for tax refund services. TripPass was developed by Lordsystem, which introduced the first mobile passport service in South Korea through a competition

Social AffairsDec. 11, 2023

Police to wrap up drug investigation into G-Dragon

The National Police Agency said Monday the drug investigation into G-Dragon was nearing the end, with no clear evidence of wrongdoing by the K-pop star discovered so far. "We've conducted an objective verification process (of G-Dragon's allegations) and summoned six people for testimonies. The investigation is more or less in its final stage," Woo Jong-soo, the head of the National Office of Investigation at the NPA told reporters in the regular press briefing. "We will

Social AffairsDec. 11, 2023

Divorced men fear freeloaders, women scared to meet a 'man-child'

Male divorcees' biggest fear in finding a new spouse is meeting someone who is a freeloader, while female divorcees said they are afraid to meet someone who needs to be taken care of all the time, a survey showed Monday. Only-You, a local matchmaking company exclusively for divorcees, conducted a survey on 516 people wishing to get married on the issue of "what makes you hesitant toward remarriage." For men, the No. 1 reason was that the potential spouse "may have a tendency

Social AffairsDec. 11, 2023

Jongno street vendors close up shop after pricing controversy

A group of street vendors on Jongno 3-ga Pocha Street have decided to temporarily close up shop following controversy over the vendors' supposedly overpriced dishes, according to local media outlets on Monday. According to the Korea Democratic Street Vendors Confederation, an umbrella group of street vendors in South Korea, around 60 street eateries, called "pojangmacha," have conducted an overhaul of their shops late last month. The group said it was in reflection of the rec

Social AffairsDec. 11, 2023

Korea increases monitoring personnel for stalkers

South Korea’s Justice Ministry is set to increase the number of personnel in charge of monitoring stalkers. As the revision of the Act on Punishment of Stalking Crimes takes effect next month, individuals convicted of stalking will be required to wear electronic ankle monitors. To manage and supervise this system, the Justice Ministry and probation offices will add 21 people to their staff. According to the revision, if a stalker approaches the victim within a specified distance, the v

Social AffairsDec. 11, 2023