[Out of the Shadows] Tell the truth: Advanced drug education needed to curb teen exposure, experts say

Drug prevention education has long been thought of as a criminal issue in South Korea, but an increase in teenage drug offenders has led to wider calls for enhanced drug education. As concerns grow over adolescents’ shallow awareness of drugs due to a lack of education, politicians on both sides of the aisle are also demanding more thorough drug abuse prevention. In November last year, Rep. Lee Tae-kyu of the ruling People Power Party proposed a bill that would make drug prevention program

Oct. 2, 2023

A man's constitutional battle reignites 'death with dignity' debate

Lee Myung-shik, paralyzed from the chest down after an adverse reaction to an injection to treat a skin disease, cannot sit for longer than three hours due to the debilitating pain in his legs. It means the 62-year-old, who wishes to bring forward his death, is unable to take the 11-hour flight to Switzerland where assisted suicide is legal. "My legs are not just paralyzed, but they are also suffering pain beyond imagination ... so it's getting harder to withstand the pain," Lee s

Oct. 2, 2023

4 injured in rockfall at tourist attraction on eastern island of Ulleung

Four tourists were injured after nearly 400 tons of rock fell in South Korea's eastern island of Ulleung on Monday, officials said. The rockfall occurred at 6:56 a.m. at a popular tourist attraction known for its turtle-shaped rock on the island, causing a head injury to a female in her 20s. She was transported to a hospital at around 9:40 a.m. with symptoms of a cerebral hemorrhage. She is said to have been camping near the site, along with three others who sustained minor injuries. An off

Oct. 2, 2023

National Assembly speeds up efforts to outlaw dog meat consumption in S. Korea

Legislative efforts to end dog meat consumption in South Korea are picking up speed amid rare political unity following the presidential office's outspoken support for ending the centuries-old practice. Calls to end the practice are not new in South Korea, where butchering or eating dog meat is neither explicitly prohibited nor legalized. But the anti-dog meat campaign received fresh attention in late August as first lady Kim Keon Hee made a surprise visit to a civic group's press conference cal

Oct. 2, 2023

Heavy traffic jams on highways expected on 5th day of holiday

Major expressways across South Korea are expected to experience heavy traffic Monday, the fifth day of the extended Chuseok holiday, as many families headed home after visiting their hometowns. As of 1 p.m., the estimated travel time to Seoul from the southeastern port city of Busan was 5 hours and 11 minutes, 4 hours and 51 minutes from the southeastern city of Ulsan, and 3 hours and 50 minutes from the southwestern city of Gwangju, according to Korea Expressway Corp. Traffic into Seoul is expe

Oct. 2, 2023

Expressways remain congested four days into Chuseok holidays

Expressways across the country remain Sunday, as people across the country head back home on the fourth day of the extended Chuseok holidays. The state-run Korea Expressway Corporation projected the congestion to peak around 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., with the traffic expected to ease between 11 p.m. and midnight. As of 4 p.m., the estimated travel time from the southeastern port city of Busan to Seoul ranged between 5 hours and 19 minutes to 6 hours and 24 minutes, when travelling by non-busses. It is e

Oct. 1, 2023

Police launch belated probe into another teacher's suicide after parental harassment

Police have launched a probe into the suicide death of an elementary school teacher in Uijeongbu, just north of Seoul, for possible harassment by parents, nearly two years after his school reported the death merely as a fall, officials said Sunday. The Uijeongbu Police Station has recently opened a probe into the death of Lee Yeong-seung who taught at Howon Elementary School after a regional education office requested an investigation into three parents on suspicions of infringing his education

Oct. 1, 2023

Seoul's financial assistance for egg freezing receives attention from single women

The Seoul city government has initiated a financial assistance program for single women interested in egg freezing, garnering significant attention from unmarried women, officials said Sunday. Starting Sept. 1, the Seoul metropolitan government began offering financial aid of up to 2 million won ($1,500) for fertility preservation, in the latest of a series of measures introduced by Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon in March to address the city's alarmingly low birthrate of 0.59. "The number of e

Oct. 1, 2023

Traffic heavy on expressways following Chuseok

Traffic was backing up heavily on many expressways across the country Saturday as people traveled back home on the third day of the extended six-day Chuseok holiday. This year's Chuseok, the Korean fall harvest celebration, fell on Friday, and the holiday runs from Thursday through Tuesday when the country marks National Foundation Day. According to Korea Expressway Corp., major highways, particularly Seoul-bound ones, were jammed with vehicles. As of 2 p.m., the estimated travel time to Se

Sept. 30, 2023

Expressway traffic congestion persists on 2nd day of extended Chuseok holiday

Major expressways across South Korea remained congested with heavy traffic Friday morning as many drivers hit the road to spend the Chuseok holiday with their families. Chuseok, which falls on Friday this year, is the Korean autumn harvest celebration during which people reunite with family members and relatives and visit ancestors' graves. This year's Chuseok holiday runs from Thursday to Tuesday. According to Korea Expressway Corp., the estimated journey times from Seoul to major cit

Sept. 29, 2023

Memorials commemorating Itaewon crowd crush to be erected at accident site

A set of memorials will be installed in commemoration of last year's deadly crowd crush in Seoul's Itaewon district on the occasion of the tragedy's first anniversary next month, bereaved families said Friday. The crowd crush killed 159 people, many of them women in their 20s, on a narrow, sloped back alley in the nightlife district of Itaewon on Oct. 29 as a massive crowd packed the path amid Halloween festivities. With the accident's first anniversary just a month away, gro

Sept. 29, 2023

Traffic jam expected to ease late Thursday, 1st day of Chuseok holiday

Korea Expressway Corp. said Thursday the traffic jam on major roads and expressways is expected to ease later in the day, the first day of the Chuseok holiday. Chuseok, which falls on Friday this year, is the Korean autumn harvest celebration during which people head to their hometowns to get together with family members and relatives and visit their ancestors' graves. The extended Chuseok break this year gives people six days off until Tuesday, as an extra one-day temporary holiday and Nat

Sept. 28, 2023

[Graphic News] 8 out of 10 expats ‘satisfied’ with life in S. Korea

Eight out of 10 expats in South Korea said they were “satisfied” with their life here, but around 20 percent of foreigners here experienced discrimination, a survey showed. Around 40.8 percent of the respondents said they were “extremely satisfied” with their life in South Korea, while another batch of 39.6 percent replied they were “a little satisfied,” according to the survey carried out by Statistics Korea. The survey was carried out on 25,000 expats last y

Sept. 28, 2023

Traffic jammed on highways ahead of extended Chuseok holiday

Heavy traffic began to build up on major roads and highways across South Korea on Wednesday as people headed to their hometowns to celebrate the extended Chuseok holiday. Chuseok, which falls on Friday this year, is the Korean equivalent of Thanksgiving during which people get together with family members and relatives and visit their ancestors' graves. The extended Chuseok break this year gives people six days off until next Tuesday, as an extra one-day temporary holiday and National Fou

Sept. 27, 2023

Scholarships to begin in October for Ukrainian students in S. Korea

South Korea's Ministry of Education will offer all Ukrainian college students in South Korea scholarships and living subsidies from October, the National Institute for International Education announced Tuesday. The ministry revised its basic plan to support the Global Korea Scholarship, a scholarship program for government-invited students, to offer a total of 780 million won ($578,000) to cover the tuition and living costs of Ukrainian students enrolled at South Korean colleges for the fal

Sept. 27, 2023

‘Do you know Dr. Hong?’ Moms say they wish they didn’t

Breaking the internet in Korea with its catchy, electronic beats and amusing choreography, “Do you know Dr. Hong?” is the latest viral dance challenge to captivate teens and young adults across various social media platforms. At the center of the craze is Jojubong, the digital persona of the Korean comedian Jo Hoon, renowned for running the comedy YouTube channel, "The Myeonsang." Since its initial release in July, the original music video has accumulated five million vie

Sept. 27, 2023

Walking can help ease depression, suicidal impulse: study

Regular walking can reduce and prevent symptoms of depression in middle-aged people, a study showed Wednesday. According to the latest edition of the Frontiers in Psychiatry, which publishes peer-reviewed research on psychiatry, a collaborative research team of Yonsei University’s College of Medicine, the Department of Psychiatry at Ajou University and Soon Chun Hyang University Bucheon Hospital found that middle-aged people who engaged in walking every week felt better emotionally and wer

Sept. 27, 2023

Hospital visits during Chuseok cost up to 50% more

Patients will have to pay up to 50 percent in additional charges when they go to hospitals or pharmacies during the Chuseok holiday, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said Wednesday. The higher rates are applicable beginning on Sept. 28 and run over the Chuseok holiday period and through Oct. 3. Additional charges ranging from 30 percent to 50 percent are applied in accordance with relevant government regulations, which require people to pay more while using medical facilities, including hospit

Sept. 27, 2023

New teachers’ manual bans recording devices in classrooms

Parents have been banned from using recording devices or other means to record lessons without the teacher’s permission, according to a new teachers’ manual distributed by the Ministry of Education on Wednesday. The move aims to prevent parents from installing sound recording apps on their child’s phone to eavesdrop on classrooms, as some parents have reportedly confronted and verbally attacked teachers in the past based on such audio recordings, according to the ministry. Unde

Sept. 27, 2023

More seniors working but still not earning enough: data

More elderly Koreans are working after retirement to avoid poverty, but many find their income insufficient, data showed Wednesday. According to data released by Statistics Korea, 36.2 percent of those aged 65 or older in 2022 said they are still working, up 6.1 percentage points from 2012’s 30.1 percent. The rate was above the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development member nations’ average of 15 percent and the highest among the 36 OECD member countries. Japan reported

Sept. 27, 2023