First-ever dedicated Suneung exam room for juvenile detainees set up

When almost half a million students nationwide take the annual college entrance exam on Thursday, a small group of young offenders housed in a juvenile detention center will also be able to take the exam in a special testing room inside the center. At Mandela Boy's School within Seoul's Nambu Correctional Institution, a dedicated exam room has been set up for the 2024 Suneung, South Korea’s college entrance exam. This special exam room is for juvenile detainees aged 15 to 17 wh

Nov. 15, 2023

Animal shelter busted for killing and burying hundreds of pets

Yeoju Police Station confirmed Tuesday the arrest of 10 individuals linked to the discovery of over 100 animal carcasses on a local property. The investigation, initiated in April after a report from South Korean animal rights group LIFE, uncovered 118 bodies — 86 dogs and 32 cats — in a state of severe malnutrition. The harrowing scene of the exhumation sparked outrage after being featured on an animal TV show in May, prompting 31,400 people to sign an online petition demanding just

Nov. 15, 2023

Why Suneung is always on a Thursday

The Suneung, South Korea’s national college entrance exam, has been administered on a Thursday every year since 2006. The nationwide test, regarded as the most important exam Koreans take in their lifetimes, is held on the same weekday every year to secure the test distribution process, according to officials. Transporting the examination papers to 84 cities, counties, and districts across the country takes three days. This process involves not only the travel time but also a cross-checkin

Nov. 15, 2023

On-year job growth accelerates in Oct.; manufacturing jobs fall for 10th month

South Korea's on-year employment grew at a faster pace for the third consecutive month in October, but jobs in the manufacturing sector fell for the 10th month in a row amid an economic slowdown, data showed Wednesday. The number of employed people came to 28.76 million last month, up 346,000 from a year earlier, or 1.2 percent, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea. Monthly job additions had slowed down for four months in a row to tumble below 300,000 in July but made a reboun

Nov. 15, 2023

[Graphic News] Two-thirds of Gyeonggi residents opposed to megacity proposal

Two-thirds of residents in Gyeonggi Province are opposed to the proposal to incorporate satellite cities near Seoul into the capital, a poll showed, amid the ruling party’s push for a megacity project. The survey, conducted by Realmeter from Nov. 2-5 on 3,004 Gyeonggi residents, showed that 66.3 percent oppose the idea, while 29.5 percent are in support of it. By region, opposition was highest among residents in Uiwang, south of Seoul, with 73.5 percent, followed by Paju, Yangju and Hwaseo

Nov. 15, 2023

Seoul subway to hold second strike Nov. 22

Unionized workers of Seoul Metro, the operator of Seoul subway lines No. 1-8, will stage a second strike on Nov. 22 in protest of the company's workforce downsizing plans. The Seoul Metro labor union on Tuesday announced it will hold a press conference the following morning in front of the Seoul City Hall in Jung-gu, central Seoul, and disclose the plans to its forthcoming walkout. The announcement follows the union's temporary strike held Thursday-Friday, as the workers' body fai

Nov. 14, 2023

Facing bedbug crisis, Koreans create online dashboards to track them

Weeks have passed since South Korea began grappling with a widespread bedbug outbreak. In response, its central and regional governments have scrambled to launch a four-week campaign beginning Monday, to inspect and disinfect vulnerable facilities and high-risk public spaces. Despite these measures, fear continues to ride high. People are now jumping into action, with some taking measures to map infestations so that the public can be aware of them. In a tech-savvy approach reminiscent of crowdso

Nov. 14, 2023

Probe of school teacher’s death finds no evidence of crime

An investigation into the death of an elementary school teacher that triggered months of teachers’ protests will end without further proceedings, police said Tuesday. In a briefing Tuesday, Seocho Police Chief Song Won-young told media the investigation into the suicide of a teacher at Seoul’s Seo2 Elementary School had found no evidence of criminal activities. The 24-year-old teacher died on July 18 in a storage area in the school in Seocho-dong, an affluent neighborhood in southern

Nov. 14, 2023

Seoul mayor to consider street festivities for LG Twins' victory

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon stated that the Seoul Metropolitan Government will consider holding street celebrations to commemorate the LG Twins’ victory during this year’s Korean Series on Monday. “As the mayor of Seoul, I am overjoyed that the LG Twins won the Korean Series, for the first time in 29 years,” said Oh in a post on his Facebook account. “The city government will actively consider organizing public celebrations at Seoul Plaza to congratulate the LG Twins.&rd

Nov. 14, 2023

Man cuts gas line, causing major gas leak, because he 'doesn't cook'

A 27-year-old man has been arrested after he cut off the gas supply hose in his office-tel residence, causing a gas leak that affected 28 units in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province. According to the police, the man severed the gas hose supplying gas to his kitchen at around 2 a.m. on Friday, causing a leak that affected numerous units in the building. The police responded to the scene following reports of the smell of gas from other residents in the building, and evacuated about 20 residents. During ques

Nov. 14, 2023

Seoul offers interactive real-time translation machines in 11 languages

Seoul Metropolitan Government will install real-time, interactive translation service screens at tourist information centers for non-Korean speakers visiting the capital city. Through this translation service, tourists who visit Seoul will be able to receive assistance while speaking in a language they are comfortable with. It utilizes a translation engine that runs with artificial intelligence and voice-to-text conversion digital technology and displays the translated text on a transparent scre

Nov. 14, 2023

Patients in Korea have lowest chance of asking doctors questions

Park, 61, had a long list of questions he wanted to ask about his health and what he should do to recover after being diagnosed with heart failure, a chronic condition in which the heart muscle doesn’t pump blood as well as it should. His doctor, however, was busy staring at the computer screen to prescribe him medication and set up his next appointment. “I was barely even allowed to speak or ask questions (about my condition or the causes of it) during the consultation, before the d

Nov. 14, 2023

Helicopter parent's questions spark debate online

"When my son was in middle and high school, I used to communicate with his teachers via KakaoTalk messages. Is it any different with professors? Did I make a mistake in how I tried to help my son?" These questions form the gist of a story posted by a mother in an online forum, who tried to find her son's professor's contact information after he missed his midterm exam. The post, containing simple questions from a mother who appears to be genuinely unaware of any problems on h

Nov. 14, 2023

Kakao's investment chief indicted over stock manipulation in K-pop agency takeover

Prosecutors indicted the chief investment officer of South Korean platform giant Kakao Corp. on Monday over alleged stock manipulation in a high-profile battle to take over K-pop powerhouse SM Entertainment Co. Bae Jae-hyun will stand trial on charges of inflating the price of SM Entertainment shares in violation of the Capital Market Act, with the intent to undermine a tender offer from rival bidder Hybe during the heated takeover battle in February, the Seoul Southern Prosecutors Office said.

Nov. 13, 2023

[Community Discovery] Blending old and new for sustainable Seongdong-gu

The urban regeneration project for Seongdong-gu in eastern Seoul fosters ways both to attract new visitors and enhance existing residents' lives while advocating for the coexistence of the district’s older and new buildings and communities. “Seongdong-gu will become a sustainable cultural district through the urban regeneration project, which promotes ‘coexistence’ as its core value,” said Seongdong-gu head Chong Won-o during a press tour on Oct. 26. As a cor

Nov. 13, 2023

Man sentenced to 9 years for chaining, beating wife to death

A man has been sentenced to nine years in prison for beating his wife to death, local media reported Monday. According to reports, a 36-year-old man was found guilty of illegal confinement, death resulting from bodily injury and coercion. He was also ordered to 40 hours in a child abuse treatment program and a two-year employment restriction for child-related institutions on charges of emotional abuse by confining his wife with a leash in front of his 4-year-old son. The husband was on trial for

Nov. 13, 2023

Winter camping alert: 5 dead over weekend apparently of carbon monoxide poisoning

A total of five campers were found dead in South Korea over the weekend, apparently due to carbon monoxide poisoning, as they fell victim to an invisible killer lurking when camping in winter, officials said Monday. The dead bodies of two separate families were discovered at different campsites with signs of having used charcoal grills or heaters inside zipped-up tents, according to the emergency authorities. The first group of victims consisted of a 63-year-old man, his 58-year-old wife and t

Nov. 13, 2023

‘Feminist’ and ‘mama’s boy’ make the least desirable dates in Korea, survey finds

Among divorced singles seeking new relationships, Korean men preferred the least women they perceived to be “feminist” as a potential date. Meanwhile, Korean women showed the most aversion to “mama's boy” types as possible dating partners, a survey showed Monday. According to the survey of 538 divorcees (269 men and 269 women), conducted by South Korean matchmaking agencies Only U and Bien-Aller, the highest percentage of male respondents at 35.7 percent were disin

Nov. 13, 2023

Stalking crimes could lead to up to 5 years in prison custody

Amid growing calls for stronger punishment for stalking, the Supreme Court’s Sentencing Committee on Monday said it had decided to recommend a maximum prison term of five years, depending on the gravity of the offense. The decision comes after the commission, affiliated with the Supreme Court of Korea and consisting of 13 commissioners, held its 128th meeting on Friday to review sentencing guidelines for stalking. For what it calls a general stalking crime with mitigating factors, the Sent

Nov. 13, 2023

Drug scandals intoxicating the entertainment scene

Last week, former YG Entertainment chief Yang Hyun-suk was hit with a suspended jail term for his alleged attempt to cover up a 2016 drug scandal involving one of his artists. It came as the latest in a series of drug-related issues that have recently plagued South Korea's entertainment scene. Police are currently conducting drug crime investigations into two top stars, “Parasite” actor Lee Sun-kyun and K-pop superstar G-Dragon, the latter of which previously had a brush with

Nov. 13, 2023