South Koreans with a valid driver's license can soon be eligible to drive in Vietnam with an international driving permit under a bilateral pact that goes into effect on July 23, police said Sunday. The Korean National Police Agency expected some 4.3 million Korean travelers to take advantage of the international driving permit to drive in the Southeast Asian country. Vietnamese tourists are already able to drive in Korea with an international driving permit. Any Korean with a driver's

Social Affairs July 16, 2023

Monsoon rain left at least 26 people dead and 10 others missing, with more than 5,500 people forced to abandon their homes as nearly 300 millimeters of rain swept South Korea on Saturday. As of 10 p.m., 17 deaths were confirmed in North Gyeongsang Province, four each in North and South Chungcheong Province and one in the administrative capital of Sejong City, according to figures from the Central Disaster and Countermeasures Headquarters at 11 p.m. The death toll rose by four in the past five ho

Social Affairs July 16, 2023

Disgraced Korean American singer Steve Yoo clinched a victory in a ruling that approved his visa application to reside in Korea as an overseas Korean on Thursday, potentially reopening a path for Yoo back to Korea for the first time since his banishment in 2002. The Seoul High Court ruled in favor of Yoo in his case against the South Korean Consulate General in Los Angeles, which turned down his request for an F-4 visa issuance. It was the first ruling that opened the way for Yoo, also known by

Social Affairs July 13, 2023

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Wednesday it confirmed a plan to carry out a public transit fee hike that would set the basic subway fare at 1,400 won ($1.09) and city bus fares at 1,500 won for transportation card holders taking a single ride, within this year. The projected hikes on the transit system -- which moves over 10 million people on weekdays -- mark the first in eight years since June 2015, when Seoul increased fares for subways by 200 won and buses by 150 won. A municipal gove

Social Affairs July 12, 2023

A South Korean man who stabbed his ex-coworker to death at her workplace after she refused to drop harassment charges against him was handed a life sentence in an appellate court ruling Tuesday. Jeon Joo-hwan, 31, was accused of stalking his ex-colleague at subway operator Seoul Metro by sending over 300 text messages, blackmailing her after secretly recording a video of her and committing a revenge killing at Sindang Station, among others. He was also ordered to take a 40-hour sexual harassment

Social Affairs July 11, 2023

The influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Tuesday referred to Seoul as the "Republic of Korea," South Korea's official name, in two statements, signaling a change in its decadeslong strategy to unify the Korean Peninsula under North Korea's lead, according to observers. The name change in Kim Yo-jong's statements -- which were issued in both Korean and English -- may indicate that Pyongyang has started to recognize Seoul as a separate state in a hostil

North Korea July 11, 2023

Lawmakers from South Korea's opposition flew to Japan on Monday to join forces with their Japanese counterparts in a show of protest against Tokyo's plan to dispose of some 1.33 million metric tons of radioactive wastewater accumulated and stored in the destroyed Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. On Tuesday, 11 lawmakers of the liberal opposition bloc -- nine from the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea and two independent lawmakers -- will issue a joint statement with a bip

Politics July 10, 2023

South Korea's Constitutional Court ruled Thursday that a permanent ban on a person convicted of possessing a child pornography from being employed as a public servant was unconstitutional. A 6-2 decision Thursday found that the permanent ban from employment violates the anti-overrestriction principle and therefore breaches a person's right to hold public office, the Constitutional Court said in a statement. But it added that a ban from becoming a public official in general service could be impos

Social Affairs June 29, 2023

Support for same-sex marriage is gaining ground in South Korea, but the pace has been slow compared to neighboring countries, with increasingly polarized views on the issue. Korea has yet to legalize same-sex marriage, unlike 34 other countries where marriage equality either became law or was recognized in court rulings, according to the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. Taiwan has not only legalized same-sex marriage, but also granted adoption rights to same-sex couples. Meanwhile, Japan's ban

Social Affairs June 29, 2023

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Thursday plans to spend 4.32 trillion won ($3.28 billion) by 2040 to improve tap water quality. Under the plans, dubbed Arisu 2.0, South Korea's capital city will employ a cutting-edge tap water purifying system, renew water pipes and increase water treatment capacity and storage, among other measures. Seoul will invest 745.2 billion won to modernize water treatment facilities. Changes will be in place in two stages. Ozone will be employed instead

Social Affairs June 29, 2023

The Seoul High Court on Friday has commuted the death sentence of a 54-year-old man who robbed and murdered a woman, as well as killed an accomplice. The man, Kwon Jae-chan, has been sentenced to life imprisonment after being given a death sentence in June 2022. The appellate said in a ruling that evidence to prove that his murder was premeditated was insufficient, while acknowledging that he had intended to rob the woman. In December 2021, Kwon brutally choked the woman, whom the murderer was a

Social Affairs June 23, 2023

The Justice Ministry announced Friday plans to allow foreign students to work as interns within their field of study during their vacation. The Justice Ministry said the move, to take effect from July 3, is designed to help foreign students pursue careers in Korea. Additionally, foreign students' maximum weekly working hours during term time will increase to 25 hours, from 20 hours. Currently, students are only allowed to get part-time jobs for up to 20-35 hours, depending on which type o

Social Affairs June 23, 2023

HANOI, Vietnam -- President Yoon Suk Yeol begun his three-day state visit in Vietnam on Thursday, seeking to further upgrade the bilateral relations through a summit with his Vietnamese counterpart, Vo Van Thuong, and a series of events aimed at bolstering economic and cultural partnerships. Upon his arrival, he met with overseas Koreans living in Vietnam, expressing his optimism for the future of their relationship. In a meeting with approximately 300 Koreans at a hotel in Hanoi, Yoon expressed

Politics June 22, 2023

Offenders accused of stalking or harassment will now face punishment, even without the need for victims' to consent to it, in a bill unanimously passed by the National Assembly on Wednesday. The bill, approved by the parliament, eliminates any possibility for stalking and harassment offenders to negotiate an out-of-court settlement with the victim, a practice that has often left victims vulnerable to coercion or retaliation. All 246 lawmakers present in the plenary session voted for the bill. Th

Social Affairs June 21, 2023

The Seoul Metropolitan Government on Wednesday unveiled a 1.67 trillion-won ($1.29 billion) spending package to grow South Korean startups and nurture futuristic technology over the next eight years. Through the spending package, Seoul aims to foster at least 50 unicorns -- privately owned companies valued at over $1 billion -- with its focus on robots, financial technology, biotechnology and artificial intelligence. Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon told reporters that startups in Korea are increasingly c

Social Affairs June 21, 2023