The majority of car owners in South Korea are willing to buy more eco-friendly models for their next vehicle, a survey indicated Tuesday. A local pollster Open Survey recently surveyed 1,500 car owners on what type of car they wish to buy next. Of the 675 who said they plan to buy another car, 39.7 percent said a hybrid vehicle -- powered by both an internal combustion engine and an electric motor -- would be their first choice. Another 26.7 percent who plan to buy another car said they would

Social Affairs June 25, 2024

July 26 will mark the opening of the Paris 2024 Olympics, but the French-bound South Korean delegation for the international sporting event is expected to be the smallest in recent years. A lackluster performance by the men's soccer team in April, and bitter losses by both men's and women's volleyball teams last year, meant that the country would not be participating in these events for the first time in several decades. The women's basketball team also lost its bid for qua

More Sports June 25, 2024

A fire that broke out at a lithium battery factory in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, has left at least 22 workers dead, eight injured and one missing as of 6:30 p.m., according to local authorities Monday. Most of the deceased were among the 21 workers who were trapped inside and unaccounted for during the initial fire rescue efforts. The Gyeonggi Fire and Disaster Headquarters confirmed the deaths of 22 people, including 19 foreign workers, following a fire that occurred at 10:31 a.m. at Aricell&

Social Affairs June 24, 2024

The South Korean police said Monday they are investigating a case in which a man and his son were found dead after the two men were heard arguing inside their home. According to the Daejeon Yuseong Police Station, the two were found stabbed and fatally injured at around 3:24 a.m. on Sunday, with the father found inside the master bedroom and the son inside the bathroom. The older victim's daughter reported the case to the police, saying her father appeared to have been murdered. The two m

Social Affairs June 24, 2024

Even foreign students are stuck in Seoul-centric mode. A recent report showed that over half of them were studying in the Greater Seoul area as of last year. A total of 181,842 international students were in South Korea as of 2023, according to a report issued Monday by the government-affiliated Korean Council for University Education, more than double the 85,923 in 2023. Of those, 119,237 were studying for a university degree while 52,602 were in a non-degree programs such as language study cou

Social Affairs June 24, 2024

At least 16 people have been confirmed dead in Monday's battery factory fire in Hwaseong as of 5 p.m., with the final death toll expected to rise above 20. Of the 23 people who had earlier been reported missing in the fire, 20 were confirmed to be foreign nationals. The rescue authorities commenced a search of the lithium primary battery plant, run by Aricell, after firefighters got the blaze under control at 3:10 p.m. It was over three hours after the fire first broke out on the secon

Social Affairs June 24, 2024

Most victims of workplace bullying in South Korea refrain from filing formal complaints about it to the authorities or their employers, a survey showed Monday. Gabjil 119, a civic group that assists victims of workplace abuse, conducted a survey of 1,000 employees and found that only 10.3 percent of respondents said they have filed a report against such cases. The survey allowed respondents to pick multiple responses. Of those who sought outside help, only 8.1 percent reported such cases to th

Social Affairs June 24, 2024

  A messy canine custody battle broke out recently after a woman sued her son's former girlfriend, claiming ownership of a golden retriever who had lived with her for years but is legally owned by the ex-girlfriend. Seoul High Court recently ruled in favor of the ex-girlfriend, overturning an earlier ruling that granted the mother ownership of the animal. "There is no evidence to believe that (the ex-girlfriend) explicitly expressed her will to give the dog to the plaintiff," the

Social Affairs June 22, 2024

Seoul Seobu Police Station said Friday it has sought charges against a man for placing a plastic bag over a statue symbolizing comfort women, the euphemism for the tens of thousands of women coerced into sexual slavery by imperial Japan during World War II. The man surnamed Kim, who is a leader of a controversial civic group calling for the abolishment of the act on supporting former comfort women, has been accused of violating Article 3 of the Punishment of Minor Offenses Act for placing the

Social Affairs June 21, 2024

A total of 10.15 million took international flights between South Korea and Japan from January to May of this year to mark an all-time high, government data showed Friday. According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the number of passengers who flew between South Korea and Japan in that period increased by 46.2 percent compared to the same period the year before, which was 6.94 million. The previous high in this category was marked in the Jan.-May of 2019, which was 9.38 m

Social Affairs June 21, 2024

Passengers recently aided an Incheon bus driver who fell ill while driving, helping him to safety and making sure he received medical care, the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency said Thursday. In a video posted on the National Police Agency’s official YouTube page, the driver of an Incheon bus was seen swaying in his seat while driving in Michuhol-gu, Incheon. After he stopped the bus, concerned passengers came up to him and asked how he was, He replied, "I'm fine. I just need t

Social Affairs June 21, 2024

A golden retriever that was recently found severely injured after being abandoned is recovering well, a local animal protection center said Thursday. The Gangreung-based shelter Miso-Sarang posted a picture update of the dog now named Daru, saying the shelter is wrapping up the fundraiser it held to cover the dog's medical costs. According to the group, Daru was found abandoned near a freeway rest area in Gangreung, Gangwon Province, last week. The dog was lying on its back and its body w

Social Affairs June 21, 2024

A woman in her 30s has been taken into custody after she attacked a hospital nurse with a knife for being "too nice to her husband," police said Wednesday. The suspect is accused of attacking the victim at 12:57 p.m. Tuesday at a hospital on Jeju Island, according to the Jeju Dongbu Police Station. The victim, who was attending to the suspect's husband, sustained a 1.5-centimeter-long cut to her neck and received emergency medical treatment. The suspect told police that the nurse

Social Affairs June 19, 2024

World Golf Hall of Famer Pak Se-ri's father is known for having played a significant role in the golfer's career, but recent revelations involving alleged illegal activities on his part have illuminated a more complicated relationship. Pak addressed the public in Tuesday’s press conference matters related to the Seri Pak Hope Foundation filing a complaint against her father, Pak Joon-chul, who was recently accused of forging a stamp bearing the foundation's name in order to

People June 19, 2024

The South Korean police said Wednesday it is investigating a Busan man for assaulting the head of the residents' association at his apartment complex, over the association's decision to install an air conditioner in the complex's security guard's office. According to Busan Saha Police Station, the suspect in his 60s punched the victim after a residents' association meeting at around 7:30 p.m. on June 11. The group had just decided to repaint the walls of the apartment

Social Affairs June 19, 2024