Scores of vehicles were driving through an underpass at around 8:40 a.m. on Saturday morning in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, as flooding hit. The tunnel was only some 600 meters away from the Miho River, a tributary of the Geum River, South Korea's third-largest waterway. Drivers were apparently unaware that a flood warning for the area had been issued about four hours earlier, due to heavy rain across the country. No signs or officials were in place to stop traffic entering the un

Social Affairs July 16, 2023

Two people died and two were injured after a landslide triggered by heavy rainfall overtook a charnel house on Friday in Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province, authorities said. A pile of mud from a nearby mountain came crashing down on the city-run Yangji Memorial House at 4:02 p.m, according to South Chungcheong Fire Department. A man in his 80s, identified by his surname Yoon, was visiting at the time with his wife in her 70s, their 21-year-old grandson and a 59-year-old cousin. All four people

Social Affairs July 14, 2023

A 29-year-old councilor of the southern island province of Jeju has been expelled from the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, amid allegations that he bought sex. Kang Gyeong-hm, who began his four-year term as councilor last year, is being investigated by the police for allegedly buying sex services at a Jeju bar. The police, while probing the bar’s sex trafficking of four foreign women, have unearthed records of money transactions between the councilor and the establishment. A Je

Politics July 13, 2023

The ill-fated replica of Korea's 16th century turtle-shaped warship, which cost 1.6 billion won ($1.2 million) to build, is being disposed of after several failed attempts to find a buyer. The process of dismantling the warship replica kicked off Tuesday and is scheduled to be completed on July 23, according to reports Wednesday. The wooden parts are to be burned, while the steel frame will be sold to a local junk shop. Some 60 percent of the 120-ton vessel was dismantled as of Tuesday. The

Social Affairs July 12, 2023

Shark sightings in South Korea have long been limited to the realm of movies like Steven Spielberg's iconic 1975 film, "Jaws." Being a relatively shark-free zone, encountering dangerous sharks was considered more fiction than reality. But recently, a growing number of sightings of shark that are known to attack humans in the East Sea indicate that Koreans are no longer safe from the predatory creatures. Shark scare On the night of July 8, a fishing boat floating off the coas

Social Affairs July 12, 2023

The United Nations holds a special position in South Korea’s modern history. From the nation-building process following the liberation from the 1910-45 Japanese occupation to the 1950-53 Korean War and postwar recovery and reconstruction efforts, the global governance body played a crucial role by providing South Korea with military and humanitarian assistance. Yet, it wasn't until 1991 when South Korea officially became a member. Joining alongside North Korea, it was the 161st to join the

Hashtag Korea July 12, 2023

Photos of a Seoul mountaintop covered in lovebugs, a species of March fly that are usually found in pairs, went viral after it was shared on social media last week. The photos were taken June 30 on Bukhansan, a mountain located on the northern periphery of Seoul, according to a social media user who uploaded the photos. The mountain, which is at the center of a national park of the same name, is a popular hiking destination for both locals and tourists. The park authorities have decided not to i

Social Affairs July 3, 2023

South Korea’s second-largest city, Busan, entices tourists with its delectable cuisine, vibrant beaches and dazzling cityscape. However, few visitors know that the city’s main attraction used to be its hot springs. Oncheonjang Station, a stop on Busan metro's Line No.1, is wher e the origin of the city’s history as a hot spring destination lies. With the bathhouses and hotels that once adorned the area mostly gone, a replica of the streetcar that once transported visitors

Culture July 1, 2023

One of Kim Sun-min's new joys in life is to visit the local diving pool in Ilsan, a northwestern satellite city of Seoul. It is where the 42-year-old content marketer can become the mythical creature of her dreams -- a mermaid -- for at least a few hours a week. "Mermaiding might seem like wearing a costume and posing for a photo underwater to outsiders," Kim told The Korea Herald at the Mer Freediving Center in Ilsan. "But it's actually a combination of art and sports -

Hashtag Korea July 1, 2023

A high school specializing in educating students in K-pop and related performances will open in Busan, South Korea’s second-largest city, by 2028, the city’s education authorities announced Friday. The school will provide quality vocal, dance, composing and songwriting lessons taught by experienced K-pop faculty. International students will be eligible to apply, Ha Yoon-su, the superintendent of education in Busan, said in an official briefing. An official at the Busan Metropolitan

K-pop June 30, 2023

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday named Jang Mi-ran, a physical education professor and former Olympic weightlifting champion, as the vice minister of culture and sports. Jang, 39, will become The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's second vice minister, whose main responsibility is handling sports-related affairs, according to officials. With the ministry having two vice ministers, Jang will cooperate with the current first vice minister Chun Byong-geuk in overseeing the ministry&#

Culture June 29, 2023

Find the answer at the bottom of the page. South Koreans are famous for consuming the largest amount of alcohol in the world. Koreans consume 8.7 liters of pure alcohol per capita, according to latest data by Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Its unparalleled love for liquor has morphed the nation's own unique drinking culture. One of the most common customs when drinking is that the youngest of the group has to pour the drink into the glasses of their older count

Hashtag Korea June 29, 2023

Every household in a small rural village in Suncheon, South Jeolla Province, received cash gifts up to as much as 90.2 million won ($69,000) per household in the past month. The generous donor was Lee Joong-keun, the 82-year-old founder of property developer Booyoung Group, who grew up there in poverty and wanted to express his “thanks to the support of villagers.” According to the conglomerate, all 280 households in its chairman's hometown of Unpyeong-ri were wired cash, rangin

Industry June 28, 2023

The suspect in the murder of a university student in Busan is believed to have stabbed the victim over 110 times, prosecutors investing the case revealed Tuesday. Suspect Jung Yoo-jung, 23, is accused of attacking the victim with a weapon she prepared, dismembering the body and disposing of it in the Nakdong River near Yangsan, according to Busan District Prosecutor's Office. Jung was arrested last month. She confessed to the killing and said she did so "out of curiosity about murder.&

Social Affairs June 27, 2023

"Revenant," a new mystery thriller from the star writer behind “Kingdom,” is off to a strong start, with two episodes aired so far. With the second episode aired Saturday, the SBS TV drama, starring Kim Tae-ri, the heroine of “Mr. Sunshine,” as the protagonist who is possessed by a devil spirit, recorded a viewership rating of 10.8 percent among the Seoul metropolitan area's TV-watching households, while nabbing 10 percent of viewers nationwide, according t

Television June 25, 2023