The South Korean police said Thursday it is investigating a man who called a ruling party lawmaker's office to say President Yoon Suk Yeol will die on Oct. 26. It was revealed that the man had said so based on a prophecy made by a local shaman. The man called the office of Rep. Ihn Yo-han of the ruling People Power Party Wednesday afternoon, saying, "The president will pass away on Oct. 26, so they should reinforce protection for him," according to Seoul Yeongdeungpo Police Stat

Social Affairs Sept. 26, 2024

South Korean internet circles have been buzzing over a heartwarming tale of a bus driver who rushed to help a man in a wheelchair stranded in the middle of a crosswalk on a rainy night. Several citizens during the Chuseok holidays posted online compliments about the driver of Seoul bus No. 470 for his actions in Seocho-gu, southern Seoul, at around 9:40 p.m. on Sept.13. A man on a self-propelled wheelchair was wheeling himself across the crosswalk when the light changed and he was barely halfw

Social Affairs Sept. 26, 2024

After police caught a man who warned of a knife attack at the Kangwon National University festival on Tuesday, it was revealed that members of the school's student council had played a crucial role in apprehending the suspect. The suspect -- who was revealed to be a 21-year-old student of the school -- posted on his Instagram page at 6:50 p.m. Tuesday that he would attack those at the student-run bar at the festival on the university's main campus in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province. He w

Social Affairs Sept. 26, 2024

Despite the South Korean government increasing the quota of non-professional work visas to an all-time high this year, less than 30,000 have actually been recruited so far, data from the Ministry of Employment and Labor showed Wednesday. As of July, 29,316 foreign nationals were issued the E-9 visa for non-professional employment this year, according to the ministry data submitted to Rep. Kim Ui-sang of the ruling People Power Party. A total of 13,102 workplaces have received permits to hire wor

Social Affairs Sept. 25, 2024

Accidents at kids' cafes are rising, with trampolines accounting for the largest proportion, prompting a government agency to issue a warning. According to the Korea Consumer Agency, 1,205 accidents occurred at kids' cafes -- indoor playing facilities for children -- from 2019 to 2023. The number of accidents went from 397 to 150 in 2020 and 97 in 2021, likely due to COVID-19 social distancing -- but the number rebounded to 225 in 2022 and 337 in 2023. The data showed that by equipme

Social Affairs Sept. 25, 2024

North Korea's trash-carrying balloons have disrupted runway operations at South Korea's two biggest airports for an accumulated 413 minutes this year, government data showed Wednesday. Operations at Incheon International Airport and Gimpo International Airport were disrupted 20 times this year as of Monday, according to the Seoul Regional Aviation Administration data submitted to Rep. Yang Bu-nam of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea. This first occurred at Incheon on June

Social Affairs Sept. 25, 2024

A woman in her 30s in cardiac arrest died last week due to delays in finding an emergency room to treat her during the Chuseok holidays, a government report revealed Monday. It was found that emergency medical technicians in Busan called hospitals in the area 92 times to find a ER that could treat her, but failed to locate while the patient was suffering multiple heart attacks, according to the data submitted to Rep. Youn Kun-young of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea. The woman su

Social Affairs Sept. 24, 2024

Next year's budget for a state-run call center for victims of digital crimes has been cut by nearly 20 percent, while the country sees a rise in such crimes, government data showed Tuesday. The Korea Communications Commission's 2025 budget for protection of internet users -- which is used to operate the Online Damage 365 Center for victims of digital crimes -- has been revealed to be 921 million won ($690,000), according to KCC data submitted to Rep. Hwang Jung-a of the main oppositi

Social Affairs Sept. 24, 2024

A woman in her 20s is under investigation over allegations of releasing digitally produced pornographic images of her former boyfriend, in the first reported deepfake case involving a male victim in Korea. According to local media reports on Tuesday, Busan Metropolitan Police is investigating the suspect for allegedly releasing fake pornographic videos and images of the male victim, also in his 20s. She is also accused of other crimes such as sharing the victim's nude photos on social med

Social Affairs Sept. 24, 2024

The civic group behind a civilian patrol unit of dog owners said Tuesday said it was recruiting new members as it plans to expand its operations nationwide. The non-government Clear City (City Without Abandoned Dogs) said it had started receiving applications to join the Dog Patrol Program, which previously had operated only in Seoul, Busan, Incheon and other cities in Gyeonggi Province with the cooperation of the respective regional governments. First launched in 2022 in Seoul, the program invi

Social Affairs Sept. 24, 2024

The Supreme Court said Monday it has confirmed a two-year prison term for a former government worker for abuse of power and using the names of senior citizens and welfare recipients to win the rights to operate stores and vending machines at educational facilities. South Korea's top court confirmed the lower court ruling that found the former employee of the Daejeon Metropolitan Government guilty of obstruction of performance of official duties by fraudulent means, ordering the seizure of 4

Social Affairs Sept. 23, 2024

A civic group said Monday it has filed defamation and insult charges against Park Yong-eon, the vice president of the Korea Medical Association who recently told nurses to "butt out" of doctors' treatment roles after recent passage of the Nurses Act. The People's Welfare Countermeasure Committee said Park's comment would hurt the trust between those in the medical circles by sending a message that the doctors do not respect nurses. The KMA has been at the forefront of

Social Affairs Sept. 23, 2024

The death of Jeon Yeongjin, 25, who took his own life last year after experiencing severe bullying at his workplace, has been ruled an "occupational accident" by the state authority on workers' welfare. Jeon's bereaved family members told local media Sunday that the Seoul committee of the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service recently decided that his death should be considered an occupational accident. Defined in Article 5-1 of the Industrial Accident Compensa

Social Affairs Sept. 23, 2024

South Korea's telecommunications regulator has requested platforms to revise their content to delete information that can potentially induce suicide on 3,243 occasions since 2020, government data showed Monday. From 2020 to August of this year, content with possibly suicide-inducing content have been reviewed by the Korea Communications Standards Commission on 4,100 occasions, according to the KCSS data submitted to Rep. Lee Jeong-heon of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea. The c

Social Affairs Sept. 23, 2024

The commemorative space for victims of the 2014 Sewol ferry disaster in Seoul is facing possible removal by the city council, which is refusing to allow unauthorized use of its premises as the location of the memorial. The Seoul Metropolitan Council is reportedly slated to meet with the representatives of the bereaved families next month to discuss removal of the memorial in the plaza in front of the council's main building in Jung-gu, central Seoul. The bereaved families asked for the me

Social Affairs Sept. 22, 2024