AI robots to aid English education in Seoul schools

Robots powered by artificial intelligence will aid English education in five elementary and middle schools in Seoul starting in March 2024, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education said Wednesday. The English tutoring robots will aid students in brushing up their English language knowledge, conversation skills and pronunciation. For students struggling academically, the robots will provide a customized education service, enabling them to learn the language at their own pace. The education offi

Social AffairsNov. 29, 2023

Seoul reviews scenarios for restoring guard posts in DMZ

South Korea has initiated a comprehensive examination of scenarios aimed at restoring guard posts in the Demilitarized Zone that were deactivated and dismantled in alignment with a 2018 inter-Korean military agreement, military sources said Wednesday. One potential first step involves the restoration of a disarmed guard post, the structure of which has been exclusively preserved for historical purposes through mutual consent with North Korea. South Korea has deemed it essential to implement coun

DefenseNov. 29, 2023

Overprescription of diet pills lead to drug charges

South Korean police said Wednesday that it is investigating two doctors on suspicion of overprescribing anorexiant, abuse of which can be prosecuted as a drug crime. According to the Chungnam Provincial Police Agency, overseeing the police activities in South Chungcheong Province, a 50-year-old private practitioner and his 59-year-old partner is being questioned by police on possible violation of the Narcotics Control Act and the Medical Service Act. The suspects allegedly prescribed 10 female p

Social AffairsNov. 29, 2023

Ham, sausage consumption may increase risk of diabetes: study

Individuals who consume large amounts of ultra-processed foods such as ham and sausages may be at a higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, a study showed Wednesday. Korea University’s Division of Health Policy and Management discovered a link between ultra-processed foods and Type 2 diabetes after studying 7,438 test subjects between ages 40 to 69 living in Ansan and Anseong of Gyeonggi Province over a time span of around 15 years. Research was conducted from 2001 to 2019. Of all ultra

Social AffairsNov. 29, 2023

Drug addiction treatment to be covered by national insurance

Starting in the first half of 2024, people who have an addiction to illegal drugs in South Korea will be able to have their rehabilitation expenses covered by the National Health Insurance plan, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said Wednesday. Previously, only those with a court order were given such health insurance coverage. However, from next year, every person “subject to treatment protection” will have health insurance coverage. People “subject to treatment protection&

Social AffairsNov. 29, 2023

Yoon apologizes for Busan's Expo bid failure; Mayor open to 2035 rebid

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday extended an apology for the South Korean port city Busan's failure to host the World Expo 2030. "I feel that we greatly missed our prediction target, which was based on what we've felt from meetings (to ask for support for Busan's bid)," Yoon said in a 10-minute speech to South Korean citizens at his office. "The blame is all on me." Yoon expressed his appreciation for the all-out efforts of those involved in Busan's bi

PoliticsNov. 29, 2023

Why pediatricians are opening dermatology clinics in Korea

After 20 years of service, Dr. Kim, a pediatrician in Gwangju, closed her pediatric clinic in July due to financial challenges and Korea's dwindling population of children. Instead, she opened a new clinic that primarily treats skin problems, chronic pain and mental health issues. Kim is not alone. One in 10 pediatric clinics in Seoul has closed in the past five years, according to a recent report released by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. Doctors in essential fields su

Social AffairsNov. 29, 2023

Jeju Island leads ‘workation’ trend, attracting nearly 10,000 visitors

About 10,000 people have visited Jeju Island for a “workation,” data showed Wednesday, highlighting a growing trend among workers in South Korea. A workation blends the concepts of work and vacation, often involving remote work from holiday destinations. The island's provincial government said that 9,760 visitors rented private facilities for workation purposes this year. When accounting for companies operating work stations on Jeju Island for similar purposes, the total number

Social AffairsNov. 29, 2023

Hotel chief fined for safety violation in Itaewon tragedy trial

Seoul Western District Court on Wednesday handed down a fine of 8 million won ($6,200) to the chief of the Hamilton Hotel, holding him responsible for an illegal structure next to the hotel is thought to have exacerbated last year's deadly crowd crush in Itaewon, Seoul. The owner, identified by his surname Lee, has been charged with violating South Korea's Building Act by adding a structure to the hotel building without a proper permit. The structure resulted in the alley adjacent to

Social AffairsNov. 29, 2023

Cargo ship submerged off S. Korea's southwestern coast; no crewmen found

A cargo ship believed to be Chinese submerged in waters off South Korea's southwestern coast Wednesday, the Coast Guard said. The Mokpo Coast Guard said it received a report at around 7:28 a.m. that the 200-ton ship was sinking in waters off Gageo Island, 422 km southwest of Seoul. However, it later said the ship submerged at a 45-degree starboard angle. The Coast Guard is investigating whether there were any attempts at illegal entry into South Korea, citing no crewmen were found on the sh

Social AffairsNov. 29, 2023

Criminal procedures for foreigners in Korea

As of the end of September, the number of short-term and long-term foreign residents in Korea was 2.5 million, accounting for 4.89% of the total population of 51.37 million. It is anticipated that as of 2023, South Korea will be one of the first multicultural countries in Asia as the proportion of foreign citizens is soon expected to exceed 5% of the total population, according to Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development standards. At this juncture, a better understanding on crimina

Social AffairsNov. 29, 2023

US downplays NK claim on satellite imagery of US facilities

The US Department of Defense said Tuesday that there are "plenty" of images of the White House and the Pentagon already available online, after North Korea claimed its military spy satellite took photos of key US government and military facilities. In a press briefing, Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder, the department's press secretary, also reiterated the United States' "ironclad" defense commitment to South Korea, as Pyongyang started reinstalling guard posts and heavy weapons along

Foreign AffairsNov. 29, 2023

Busan loses World Expo 2030 bid

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia has won the right to host the World Expo in 2030, beating South Korea's port city of Busan, results of the final vote showed on Tuesday. Members of the Bureau International des Expositions, the World Expo organizing authority, held a vote by secret ballot during a general assembly on Tuesday in Paris, following the final presentations of the bidders' proposals. Riyadh garnered 119 votes out of the 165 as Busan won 29 votes in the first round of voting by members of

Foreign AffairsNov. 29, 2023

S. Korea's heavyweights like ex-U.N. chief Ban to make final presentation to clinch 2030 World Expo

South Korea is set to make its final presentation for the 2030 World Expo host city bid in Paris on Tuesday, bringing in high-profile figures such as former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and K-pop stars. The host city for the globally prestigious event, overseen by the Paris-based Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), will be elected by member states in rounds of voting during the general assembly later in the day. Each candidate will make a final presentation prior to the voting. Sou

Foreign AffairsNov. 28, 2023

Apgujeong Rolls Royce hit-and-run victim dies after 4 months in coma

The victim of a high-profile car crash involving a driver suspected of being under the influence of illicitly prescribed drugs has died, after four months in a coma. The victim, a woman in her 20s identified by the surname of Bae, had been on life support since August, when she was hit by a vehicle driven by the suspect while walking along a sidewalk in Apgujeong, southern Seoul. The suspect, a 28-year old man identified by the surname of Shin, is believed to have been under the influence of nar

Social AffairsNov. 28, 2023

South Korea warns tit-for-tat action over North Korea’s border buildup

Adding to renewed tensions between the two Koreas, North Korean soldiers guarding the truce village appeared armed Tuesday, as Seoul expressed its willingness to reciprocate Pyongyang’s redeployment of surveillance posts and heavy weapons along the shared border. Reports said Tuesday that North Korean soldiers stationed in the Joint Security Area were armed with pistols, in the latest in a string of moves by Pyongyang to resume military activities paused by the 2018 inter-Korean agreement

PoliticsNov. 28, 2023

Court clears cabbie in death of passenger who jumped out of moving taxi

A 66-year-old taxi driver whose passenger jumped out of his moving taxi and was then killed after being hit by another car has been cleared of traffic accident charges, according to media reports on Tuesday. The Daegu District Court also cleared the 43-year-old driver of an SUV that hit the woman and killed her, saying it was impossible for the driver to evade the victim. The incident occurred in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, on March 4, 2022, when the 20-year-old victim got on the taxi in

Social AffairsNov. 28, 2023

Transgender blind spot in hospitalization: NHRCK

The Ministry of Health and Welfare rejected a request to devise guidelines of hospitalization for transgender people, said the state human rights watchdog. The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) announced on Tuesday that the Health Ministry failed to give clear answers on how the country will accommodate trans patients. Under current medical law, patient rooms are operated separately for men and women. The human rights group pointed out that this puts trans and nonbinary people in

Social AffairsNov. 28, 2023

Trilateral cooperation unaffected by US election outcomes: Goldberg

The existing trilateral cooperation among South Korea, the United States and Japan will remain enduring, regardless of the outcome of the 2024 US presidential election, US Ambassador to South Korea Philip Goldberg said Tuesday. Goldberg highlighted that the foundation of the three-way cooperation among like-minded countries -- grounded in shared values such as democracy, free markets and the rule of law -- inherently signifies sustainability. "We share so many of these values and interests

Foreign AffairsNov. 28, 2023

YouTuber suspected of livestreaming after taking drugs

Seoul police said Tuesday that it is investigating a YouTuber suspected of livestreaming after taking sleep-inducing medication zolpidem, unprescribed use of which can be punished by South Korean law. The woman in her 20s, whose identity was withheld by authorities, is believed to have taken the unprescribed drugs on Monday while broadcasting from a motel in Sinchon, western Seoul, according to Seoul Seodaemun Station. Police raided the scene after one of her viewers reported that she seemed to

Social AffairsNov. 28, 2023