“Are you cool with Android?” Kwon Jung-hyeon, a soon-to-be middle school student, hesitated and shook his head. At 12, he said he had never considered using a mobile device that wasn’t an iPhone. Chae Yeon-woo, a 14-year-old middle school student, already owns an iPhone and iPad. She said if she could get a smartwatch, she would choose an Apple Watch to add to her collection. For her, the Samsung brand feels "bland,” catering to people of all ages but not appealing

Hashtag Korea Sept. 3, 2024

Over 100 red foxes, once thought to be extinct in the wild, now thrive in South Korea, primarily around the Sobaeksan region in North Gyeongsang Province, following a decade-long reintroduction effort. According to the Korea National Park Service under the Environment Ministry on Monday, the estimated population of red foxes on the South Korean territory, as of September, was around 120, including 21 foxes born in the wild. This marks an increase from last year when the estimated number of red f

Social Affairs Sept. 2, 2024

South Korean sharpshooter Kim Ye-ji, whose effortless cool-heroine vibe catapulted her to internet fame, has seamlessly transitioned from Olympic medalist to high-fashion model. Korean fashion magazine W Korea released a photo shoot online Sunday featuring Kim in Louis Vuitton garments, complemented by props like shooting glasses and air pistols that help maintain her sharpshooter persona in her debut modeling gig. In a set of 10 photos, the 31-year-old embodies the "main character energy

More Sports Sept. 1, 2024

Births to those not married accounted for nearly 5 percent of all births last year, setting a new record high, while the total number of newborns dropped to a new low, data showed Thursday. According to Statistics Korea, of the 230,028 babies born last year, 10,900, or 4.7 percent, were born to women who were not married, marking the highest proportion since records began in 1981. Babies born to people who were not married have steadily increased since 2020, reaching 9,800 in 2022, or 3.9 percen

Social Affairs Aug. 29, 2024

A sinkhole opened up in the middle of a road in western Seoul on Thursday morning swallowing an entire car. Two people were injured, with one in critical condition, according to fire authorities. At 11:26 a.m., the vehicle, carrying the driver and a passenger, rolled over sideways crashing into the sinkhole while driving on Seongsan-ro in Yeonhui-dong, Seodaemun-gu, northwestern Seoul, toward Seongsan Bridge. The two who were injured, a woman in her 70s and a man in his 80s, sustained serious

Social Affairs Aug. 29, 2024

Nearly everyone who died by suicide showed warning signs beforehand, yet few people around them took these signs seriously, a report showed Wednesday. A 2023 report by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korea Foundation for Suicide Prevention reveals that while 96.6 percent of suicide victims exhibited suicide warning signs through unusual behavior, only 23.8 percent of their loved ones recognized these signals. The report analyzed victim records from 1,099 suicide cases and interviews w

Social Affairs Aug. 28, 2024

A food delivery rider, who had risen to internet stardom as the highest-earning delivery driver in the nation, died Sunday night, a month after he was struck by a bus while riding his motorcycle. According to the Incheon Yeonsu Police Station on Tuesday, the fatal accident took place at 2:30 p.m. in Yeonsu-go, Incheon, July 31, when an intra-city bus collided with the delivery worker in his 40s at a crossroad. Investigations revealed that the bus driver had violated a traffic signal, striking th

Social Affairs Aug. 27, 2024

In Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, $1,500 in US dollar banknotes were accidentally dumped in the trash. Thanks to impressive civil services and a stroke of luck, the cash was retrieved and returned to its owner, according to Andong City Government on Monday. It all started with an urgent call to Andong City Hall at around 1 p.m. Friday. The call was from a citizen who reported accidentally discarding the US dollar bills, meant for upcoming overseas travel, with their trash. Upon realizing the

Social Affairs Aug. 26, 2024

A labor union of bus drivers in Gyeonggi Province, responsible for the operation of over 90 percent of all bus routes in the province, plans a general strike early next month, sparking concerns about disruptions in the public transit system. The walkout plan was approved in a vote Thursday, with 98.3 percent of the 12,613 participants voting in favor. The union, under the Korean Automobile and Transport Workers’ Federation, represents 16,592 members across 45 bus companies in 31 cities i

Social Affairs Aug. 23, 2024

The death of a woman found in the back of a police vehicle in Hadong, South Gyeongsang Province, on Saturday was likely due to heatstroke from being in the hot car for up to 36 hours, police said Tuesday. The Hadong Police Station unveiled initial autopsy results from the National Forensic Service that suggested a high likelihood that the woman’s death was related to hyperthermia -- a life-threatening condition caused by an excessively high body temperature. The woman in her 40s was foun

Social Affairs Aug. 20, 2024

A woman reported missing by her family was found dead in the back of a police vehicle in Hadong, South Gyeongsang Province, Saturday. In an unexpected turn of events, local police revealed Sunday that she appeared to have entered the empty, parked car for unknown reasons and was unable to get out for 36 hours amid blistering heat, leading to her death. The backseat doors of police vehicles cannot be opened from the inside, a feature designed to prevent suspects from escaping. The front seats a

Social Affairs Aug. 18, 2024

Iraq was the destination for nearly 70 percent of South Korea's tear gas exports in the first half of this year, making it the largest buyer by volume, police data showed Sunday. Data from the Korean National Police Agency, obtained and provided by the minor Basic Income Party's Rep. Yong Hye-in, shows that Iraq imported 478,000 of the 713,000 tear gas canisters exported by South Korea in the first half of this year, accounting for 67 percent of the total. The data, available from 2019

Social Affairs Aug. 18, 2024

How might AI alter filmmaking? Young South Korean filmmaker Kwon Han-sl has shown the impact could be massive. The 31-year-old spent five days last summer working with over six AI tools to create a three-minute horror film. It was a personal experiment in which he handled every aspect himself, from writing the screenplay to using AI tools and producing the entire film. But the result ended up better than he thought. “One More Pumpkin” garnered international acclaim, winning both th

Hashtag Korea Aug. 17, 2024

A common sight in South Korea on sunny days used to be of older women holding frilly parasols. But in the past few years, the deadly summers associated with climate change have made parasols no longer the choice of just a single demographic. In fact, more Koreans of all ages and genders are spotted using regular umbrellas on sunny days this summer, which experts say makes perfect sense, as the current heat wave has already claimed 24 lives here. Not only do people resort to ordinary umbrella

Hashtag Korea Aug. 15, 2024

A Seoul bus driver is under investigation after a passenger was killed when the vehicle sped off before they had fully disembarked, police said Wednesday. The Seoul Yeongdeungpo Police Station have filed a case against the driver for professional negligence resulting in death for the fatal accident that occurred in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, Monday. The victim, in her 80s, fell to the ground while disembarking when the vehicle began to move. She got caught in the rear wheel and was later pronounc

Social Affairs Aug. 14, 2024