'1 percent rise in median home prices results in 0.002 less babies per woman'

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases jumped to a weekly high of more than 80,000 on Tuesday amid concerns over the spread of a new omicron subvariant and a wintertime surge. The country confirmed 81,056 new coronavirus infections, including 63 from overseas, bringing the total to 29,220,591, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said. It is far higher than the previous day's 22,735, as th...

Health authorities consider gift vouchers to incentivize updated boosters

South Korean police unveiled Monday plans to ramp up human rights protections for foreign suspects through a new set of standards and a new policy. The Korean National Police Agency said it would seek to make video recordings of custodial interrogations involving foreign suspects mandatory beginning this year at their request in case they need an interpreter. Foreigners would be among those eli...

In one of the world’s busiest metropolises, Seoul is home to over 9 million people and now, officially, at least 15 otters. Following a series of otter sightings along the Han River which cuts across the megacity, local authorities last week announced that 15 Eurasian otters are confirmed to be inhabiting there. The analysis, conducted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, is based on footage o...

The Ulsan District Court said Monday that it has turned down a Chinese national's request to nullify the immigration office's order to leave the country after the long-term resident was convicted of driving under the influence. The court dismissed the plaintiff’s request that was made on the basis of procedural defect, and said the Chinese national, who was caught drunk driving with a blood alco...

South Korean Catholics on Monday mourned the loss of former Pope Benedict XVI, led by tributes by religious leaders. Benedict, who served as the head of the Catholic Church from 2005 through 2013, died Saturday morning (local time) in the Vatican monastery at the age of 95. He retired for health reasons to become the first Catholic pope to abdicate in 600 years. Myeongdong Cathedral set up a me...

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases fell for the sixth consecutive day Monday amid concerns over a wintertime surge, with the government beginning to require a PCR test for travelers from China as the virus spreads in the neighboring country. The country confirmed 22,735 new coronavirus infections, including 35 from overseas, bringing the total to 29,139,535, the Korea Disease Control and Preventio...

ULSAN-- A court has ruled in favor of the immigration office's decision to deport a foreigner convicted of drunk driving, court officials said Monday. In accordance with the Immigration Control Act, immigration authorities issued the deportation of the Chinese national after he was handed down a suspended prison term for driving while under the influence of alcohol and causing car accidents. Th...

Most regions across the country plan to raise public utility charges in the new year, including public transportation fares, water and sewage rates, and prices of standard garbage bags. According to the public utility charge plan of South Korea's 17 provinces and metropolitan cities, most regions have already decided to or are considering raising fares for public transportation such as taxis, su...

All five victims who died in a fire in a soundproof tunnel on a highway in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday, were identified Saturday. “The identity of the five victims has been confirmed through DNA tests by the National Forensic Service,” the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency said Saturday. The forensic service confirmed that, of the five victims, three were women and two were men....

South Korea has confirmed a new case of avian influenza at a duck farm in a southern region, local officials said Sunday. The highly pathogenic avian influenza strain of H5N1 was found at the farm located in Jeongeup, North Jeolla Province, according to the officials. The new case brought the total bird flu infections confirmed in the province this winter to four. About 15,000 ducks have been ...

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases fell for the fifth straight day on Sunday, but the number of critically ill patients rose to the highest in about eight months as the government is bracing for a wintertime surge and a spike in imported cases from China. The country confirmed 57,527 new coronavirus infections, including 110 from overseas, bringing the total to 29,116,800, the Korea Disease Contro...

Emergency phones, round-the-clock CCTV and high railings not enough to stop rise in suicide attempts

‘Slowly, things are changing for the better’