Two dead in Gyeongju construction site collapse

A major accident occurred at approximately 11:10 a.m. on Monday at a construction site in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province. According to local news reports, a pillar collapsed during the construction of a bridge over a dam reservoir, resulting in eight construction workers falling into the waters below. One worker was injured in the incident, while two others were pronounced dead at the scene. Five workers managed to escape the accident unharmed, authorities confirmed. Following the incident,

Nov. 27, 2023

12 foreigners nabbed on suspicion of drug use

Gwangju Police said Monday it has apprehended 12 foreigners, including illegal immigrants, on suspicion of using narcotic substances at a local foreigner-only karaoke, known locally as "noraebang." The suspects, whose identities were withheld, are suspected of taking ketamine inside a noraebang in Usan-dong, Gwangju, according to the Gwangju Metropolitan Police Agency's drug investigations unit. The majority of the suspects were Vietnamese nationals who had gathered for a birthday

Nov. 27, 2023

Gangnam teen investigated for assaulting deliveryman with golf club

In a shocking incident of violence in the wealthy district of Gangnam, Seoul, a teenager was arrested on Nov. 11 for attacking a deliveryman with a golf club in broad daylight. The assailant, identified only as a high school student, is now facing aggravated assault charges. The incident came to light when the victim's dashboard camera footage was shared on YouTube on Nov. 24. The video shows the teen, dressed in shorts and carrying a backpack, striking a deliveryman on a motorcycle with a

Nov. 27, 2023

1 in 8 commercial flights exposed to pathogens: KDCA

One in 8 commercial flights entering South Korea was found to be contaminated with pathogens that cause intestinal infectious diseases, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said Monday. The pathogens were detected through hygiene inspections on 58 out of 493 direct international flights from July 31 to Nov. 14 this year, according to the agency. Among the pathogens detected was E. coli, which causes diarrhea. Transmitted by food or water contaminated with animal or human feces,

Nov. 27, 2023

American investigated for ‘teeth grinding’ graffiti across Yongsan

An American in his 30s was caught by the police for writing “igari,” which means bruxism -- more commonly known as teeth grinding -- on at least 155 public facilities and properties in Yongsan-gu, central Seoul. The Yongsan police said Monday it was investigating what it called the “igari graffitist,” who wrote "igari" in both Hangeul and English on tunnels, power poles, roads and buses among others, after nabbing him on Oct 25. He is also suspected of writing t

Nov. 27, 2023

Travel ban on G-Dragon lifted; police says 'open to all possibilities'

Police said Monday that they have not ruled out drug use allegations concerning G-Dragon, despite lifting travel restrictions on the K-pop icon after a detailed narcotics analysis of his biological samples came back negative. An official of the National Police Agency said in a regular press briefing that the officials are "open to possibilities until the investigation reaches its conclusion" on the G-Dragon probe. "If the circumstances clearly point to drug use, it wouldn't b

Nov. 27, 2023

'HR weeds out women' online post sparks furor

An anonymous online post about an allegedly misogynistic hiring process at a company is sparking a furor here, where gender-related issues have repeatedly sparked controversy. The anonymous writer, who posted it on Sunday, claimed to be part of the hiring process at their company, and that their policy is to eliminate all applicants who graduated from women's universities. "It's not like we exclude all women but if (the applicant) is from a women's college, we don't even

Nov. 27, 2023

High school seniors spend W4m for essay tutoring: data

South Korean high school senior students spent some 4 million won ($3,060) on average last year to receive tutoring on the college entrance essay test to learn how to write a good composition, government data showed Monday. They also paid more than 1 million won annually for college admissions counseling. According to data released by the Education Ministry and Statistics Korea on students’ private education spending in 2022, the average monthly expenditure for 12th graders who engaged in

Nov. 27, 2023

5 Chinese nationals detained in Jeju for gambling debt-related false imprisonment

Jeju Seobu Police detained five Chinese nationals for the false imprisonment of a fellow Chinese national concerning a gambling debt of 50 million won ($38,000) on Monday, authorities confirmed Thursday. According to police, the victim had initially borrowed the sum for gambling purposes, agreeing to a 10 percent interest rate. However, the suspects allegedly increased the interest to 20 percent three days later, with which the victim refused to comply. When the victim refused to sign a new debt

Nov. 27, 2023

Man falls off Jeju cliff trying to capture 'photo of life'

A man in his 50s fell off a cliff on Jeju Island while trying to photograph himself at a popular tourist spot, local police said Monday, in what seems to be an attempt to grab an "insaeng shot," or photo of life. According to the Seogwipo Coast Guard, the unidentified man was visiting the Oedolgae Sea Stack, a famously photogenic location along the southern coast of the island. During an attempt to shoot a picture of himself at a nearby cliff, he tumbled and sustained a head injury as

Nov. 27, 2023

Soccer star's sex tape controversy highlights spycam issue in Korea

A sex tape scandal involving South Korean striker Hwang Ui-jo has brought to light the issue of "molka," hidden cameras used to take pictures or videos for sexual purposes. A recent report showed that the crime happened at an average rate of 17 times per day over the past five years. A total of 3,111 crimes involving video recording without consent were reported in the first half of the year, according to the quarterly report on crime trends published Sunday by the Korea Institute o

Nov. 27, 2023

Number of Chinese travelers to S. Korea remains far below pre-pandemic levels

The monthly average of Chinese travelers visiting South Korea remained far below pre-pandemic levels, despite China's reopening from COVID-19 restrictions and resumption of group tours, data showed Sunday. Around 144,000 Chinese nationals visited South Korea per month on average this year, according to the data released by the Hyundai Research Institute. The tally was about one-third of the monthly average of 416,000 recorded from 2017 to 2019, when the Chinese government had banned group t

Nov. 26, 2023

Athletes, teachers, doctors chosen as dream jobs for Korean students: survey

Athletes topped the list of most desired jobs for elementary school students, while teaching was picked as the most coveted job among middle and high school students, a survey showed Sunday. Teaching and becoming a doctor were picked by elementary school children as the most desirable job following athletes. The survey results showing a preference toward athletes may stem from the high number of sporting events held this year, including the Asian Games and the World Cup soccer qualifiers, acco

Nov. 26, 2023

Teen rapist's lawyer asks for leniency because he is 'polite'

“He was a polite and delicate student who shed tears even when scolded by the teacher,” a statement by the attorney of a 15-year-old middle school student said, asking for leniency despite admitting that the student had committed a serious crime deserving severe punishment. The prosecution sought imprisonment for a student who kidnapped and sexually assaulted a woman in her 40s during her late-night commute, robbing her of cash before escaping. The Nonsan branch under the Daejeon Dis

Nov. 25, 2023

Man to get commendation for rescuing driver from burning EV

A 34-year-old man will be presented with a letter of appreciation for rescuing a driver in his 70s from a burning electric vehicle in Busan, Busan Yeonje Police Station said Thursday. Yoo Se-rim was passing by in Yeonje-gu when he saw an electric taxi on fire at around 9:40 p.m. on Wednesday. The taxi had burst into flames after it crashed into a shop. Yoo helped extract the driver who was stuck inside the car. The driver sustained severe burns on his face, arms and legs, but is conscious, accor

Nov. 25, 2023

Chanel Korea fined W3.6m for customer privacy infringement

Chanel Korea has been ordered to pay a fine of 3.6 million won ($2,750) for demanding excessive personal data of its customers. The French luxury fashion house was reported to have denied visitors entry to the store unless they provided their phone number, date of birth date and place of residence. The Personal Information Protection Commission deemed the actions to be in violation of the Personal Information Protection Act. The commission added that denying service to those refusing to comply w

Nov. 24, 2023

Man gets 35 years in jail for killing man in fire after losing game

A man in his 60s who was convicted of setting his neighbor on fire, eventually killing him, after losing a game has been handed a 35-year prison term, the district court in Gwangju said Friday. The Gwangju District Court convicted the man on charges of murder and breaching the Special Act on Prevention of Insurance Fraud. The man, whose identity has been withheld, was accused of killing the victim -- also in his 60s -- after the two had been playing the traditional Korean game yutnori for money

Nov. 24, 2023

Cold wave to hit South Korea over weekend

A cold wave is expected to peak over the weekend, dragging the mercury down further, the weather agency said Friday, after morning temperatures in most parts of South Korea fell below freezing. The cold wave advisory, which took effect in Seoul and Gangwon Province as of 9 p.m. Thursday, was lifted as temperatures rose Friday afternoon, but is still in effect in some parts of North and South Gyeongsang Provinces. The Korea Meteorological Administration predicted that Saturday morning's te

Nov. 24, 2023

Convicted killer of university student sentenced to life in prison

A woman convicted of killing another woman in her 20s and dismembering the body was sentenced to life in prison on Friday. The Busan District Court sentenced 23-year-old Jung Yoo-jung to a lifetime in prison, and required her to wear a location tracking device for the next 30 years. Explaining the sentence, the court said it believes the killing had been premeditated. Jung’s lawyer asked the court for a reduction in jail time, citing her family background and mental and physical weakness.

Nov. 24, 2023

Drug users turning to illicitly imported tests to avoid getting caught: ministry

Illicit sales of drug test kits from overseas are on the rise via social media, according to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety on Friday. They are being marketed to potential drug users looking to evade testing by police, the ministry said. The test kits, which are equivalent to the rapid tests used by police here, produce results within a few minutes, allowing drug users to take measures to prevent getting a positive result in later police testing. To alter results of the typically more reli

Nov. 24, 2023