Most Popular
-
1
[AtoZ into Korean mind] Humor in Korea: Navigating the line between what's funny and not
-
2
[Exclusive] Korean military set to ban iPhones over 'security' concerns
-
3
Yoon seeks rebound, taps 5-term lawmaker as chief of staff
-
4
Korean, Romanian leaders discuss defense tech, nuclear energy
-
5
Medical standoff deepens as doctors reject new med school plan, talks
-
6
[Graphic News] 77% of young Koreans still financially dependent
-
7
[Herald Interview] Why Toss invited hackers to penetrate its system
-
8
S. Korea calls on Japan to confront history amid Yasukuni Shrine visit
-
9
S. Korean envoys convene to navigate strategy amid Middle East tensions
-
10
N. Korea sends economic delegation to Iran amid suspected military cooperation
-
[Graphic News] A record 46% of newlyweds have no children
The number of newly married couples fell more than 6 percent to come to around 1 million in 2022, and the proportion of the couples having no children reached an all-time high, data showed. The number of newly married couples came to 1.03 million last year, down from the previous year’s 1.1 million, according to the data from Statistics Korea. The newlyweds here refer to couples who tied the knot for the first time in the five years up to November 2022. The figure has shown a downtrend fro
Jan. 4, 2024
-
Arrest warrant sought for suspect in stabbing of opposition leader
Police sought an arrest warrant Wednesday for the suspect in the stabbing attack against opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, as Lee has remained hospitalized after surgery. The suspect, identified only by his surname Kim, 67, stabbed Lee, the chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), in the neck while posing as an autograph-seeker Tuesday morning during Lee's visit to the southeastern city of Busan. The attack occurred after Lee toured the construction site of a new airport on B
Jan. 3, 2024
-
Why won't S. Koreans have kids? Costly housing, report says
The biggest factor influencing South Korea's families in deciding whether or not to have children is the cost of housing, a state research institute-issued report published Wednesday shows, in an analysis of various economic and labor factors. Researchers at the Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements analyzed the country's birth rate patterns, using data from Statistics Korea, and concluded that declines have been particularly profound during housing cost spikes. They noted tha
Jan. 3, 2024
-
‘Suspicious’ bloody helmet turns out to be rigged evidence at industrial accident site
South Korean prosecutors said Wednesday they recently discovered that an official of a maintenance company had placed a blood-covered safety helmet at the site of an industrial accident in a bid to hide the fact that an employee of the company had been working without proper safety gear. The suspect, a midlevel manager of the company charged with management of an apartment complex in Gyeonggi Province, had been accused of death by negligence in the incident that took place in July of 2022. The e
Jan. 3, 2024
-
Lee Sun-kyun’s alleged blackmailer accused of child abuse
A local civic group on Wednesday filed a complaint of child abuse against the alleged blackmailer of late actor Lee Sun-kyun, saying that the suspect had mistreated an infant by taking the baby to court. The suspect, recently arrested for extorting 50 million ($38,000) from the world-renowned actor, was seen carrying an unidentified baby when she arrived at Incheon District Court on Dec. 28 for her warrant hearing. "While appearing in court, (the suspect) brought along a child who had no re
Jan. 3, 2024
-
Record-low 1st grade enrollment expected amid waning fertility rates
South Korea is expecting to see record-low numbers of first graders entering elementary school this year due to knock-on effects from the country's falling birth rate. The number of children eligible for enrolling in elementary school nationwide in March was 413,056 as of December, according to the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Public Administration and Security on Wednesday. However, only around 90 percent of eligible children are actually expected to enroll in elementary sch
Jan. 3, 2024
-
Hospital visits for self-harm stay high despite fall in suicides
Despite an overall decline in the number of suicides in South Korea, more than 43,000 people visited emergency rooms nationwide in 2022 for reasons related to suicide attempts and self-harm, a report showed Wednesday. Out of 7.7 million emergency room visits recorded nationwide in 2022, 43,269 were related to self-harm and suicide attempts, according to a report published by the National Medical Center and the National Emergency Medical Center. The figure represented a slight increase from 42,96
Jan. 3, 2024
-
2023 marks ‘hottest year on record’
The year 2023 was Korea's “hottest year on record,” according to the Korea Meteorological Administration on Wednesday. South Korea’s average annual temperature was 13.7 degrees Celsius, the highest average annual temperature since 1973, when weather records were first collected by the administration, the KMA said. The average annual temperature last year was 0.3 degrees higher than the previous record of 13.4 C in 2015. According to the KMA’s data, between January to Nove
Jan. 3, 2024
-
Conspiracy theories about stabbing of opposition leader fan outrage
Conspiracy theories suggesting that Tuesday's stabbing of Korea's main opposition party leader, Lee Jae-myung, was orchestrated by the victim himself have been spreading on the internet here, sparking outrage from the public and those in political circles in both the liberal and conservative camps. The 59-year-old leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea was stabbed in the left side of the neck by a 67-year-old man in Busan during a visit to the southernmost port city, s
Jan. 3, 2024
-
Police arrest man for murder threat on ruling party leader
South Korean police said Wednesday that a man in his 40s has been arrested for threatening to murder Han Dong-hoon, the chairman of the emergency leadership committee of the ruling People Power Party. The suspect wrote the online post at around 9:40 p.m. on Tuesday, vowing to attack the ruling party's interim leader during his visit to Gwangju, according to Gwangju Gwangsan Police Station. Han is slated to visit the southwestern city on Thursday. The suspect was arrested without a warrant a
Jan. 3, 2024
-
S. Korea to release criminal suspects' identities starting Jan. 25
A law on releasing the identities of criminal suspects will take effect on Jan. 25, allowing police to release a recent photo, the name and age of individuals charged with a range of crimes, such as sexual violence against minors, certain drug crimes, arson, armed revolt and being part of an organized crime ring. In October 2023, the National Assembly passed the so-called "mug shot law," which provides legal grounds for authorities to release to the public the identities of criminal su
Jan. 2, 2024
-
Fear of apartment safety resurfaces as another fire kills 1, injures 14
A fire broke out at an apartment building in Gyeonggi Province, leaving one dead and 14 others injured, according to fire services on Tuesday. According to the Gyeonggi-do Fire Service, the fire occurred on the ninth floor of a 15-story apartment building in the city of Gunpo in Gyeonggi Province at around 7:15 a.m. A man in his 50s, who was living on the ninth floor, was pronounced dead at the site. His wife, also in her 50s, was sent to a hospital for severe burns and breathing difficulties du
Jan. 2, 2024
-
Prosecution launches special team to investigate stabbing of Lee
Prosecutor General Lee One-seok on Tuesday ordered the Busan High Prosecutors’ Office to form a special investigative team to look swiftly into the stabbing of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea leader during his visit to Busan at the hands of an unidentified man. He also ordered prosecutors to team up with the police to investigate the case thoroughly, according to the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office. “The prosecutor general has asked that a special probe team be formed
Jan. 2, 2024
-
Per-pupil education grants to rise due to shrinking enrollment
South Korean students will each benefit more from central government education spending in 10 years’ time as shrinking enrollment numbers push per-pupil budgets up, data showed Tuesday. As Korea grapples with a dwindling school-age population, fewer students are likely to be enrolled at schools across the nation in the coming years. As a result, the estimated education subsidy per pupil is expected to rise to some 20 million won ($15,350) in 2028 and to surpass 30 million won in 2032. Th
Jan. 2, 2024
-
Opposition leader stabbed in Busan
Main opposition party leader Lee Jae-myung was attacked by an assailant and stabbed in the neck by a knife during his tour to Busan on Tuesday morning. Lee was stabbed around 10:27 a.m. after talking to reporters during a visit to the site of a new airport off the coast of Busan. The assailant was detained by police at the scene. Lee sustained a cut 1 centimeter wide and was conscious when the paramedics arrived at the scene, emergency authorities said, adding that his injuries were not thought
Jan. 2, 2024
-
New minimum wage set at 9,860 won
Korea's new minimum wage took effect Monday, increasing to 9,860 won ($7.60) per hour, which is equivalent to about 2.1 million won a month, based on a 40-hour workweek. The new minimum wage level increased by 240 won compared to 2023's level of 9,620 won per hour, corresponding to a daily wage of 78,880 won and a monthly wage of nearly 2.07 million won, based on the same measure. The 2023 figure monthly wage was equivalent to about two-thirds of South Korea's average salary of 3.
Jan. 2, 2024
-
85cm tsunami observed at S. Korea's east coast following Japan's earthquake
A tsunami reaching as high as 85 centimeters has been observed off South Korea's east coast in the aftermath of a powerful magnitude-7.6 earthquake in Japan's Noto Peninsula, the weather agency said Tuesday. The quake struck the Noto Peninsula and surrounding areas in Japan's Ishikawa Prefecture on New Year's Day, reportedly killing several people and prompting thousands to evacuate. A major tsunami warning was issued. About four hours after the quake, a tsunami wave, measure
Jan. 2, 2024
-
American man taken into custody for inflicting injury with knife
South Korean police on Tuesday said they have apprehended a US national in his 40s on suspicion of using a knife to injure a local man. The suspect, whose identity was withheld, is believed to have attacked the victim in his 20s in an alley in Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, western Seoul at 7:22 p.m. on Monday. He approached the victim's car and knocked on the window, and attacked the victim when he came out. The victim sustained non-critical injuries, and was treated at a nearby hospital. The polic
Jan. 2, 2024
-
Lee Jae-myung attacked during Busan visit
Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, was attacked by an unidentified person Tuesday during his visit to Busan. He had been visiting the site of a new airport in Gadeok-do, an island off the coast of the port city, when the attack occurred. The attacker was apprehended at the scene. Lee sustained an injury to his neck and has received emergency treatment, but the severity of the injury remains unclear. More to follow.
Jan. 2, 2024
-
Five injured in explosion at LPG station
Five people were injured in an explosion Monday night in Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province, following a reported gas leak at a liquefied petroleum gas station. According to the Gangwon Province Fire Headquarters and other sources, two of the five sustained severe burns but are currently in stable condition. The other three suffered minor injuries. Fourteen buildings and several cars were damaged by the explosion and subsequent fire. Approximately 25 residents from nearby areas have been evacuated. T
Jan. 2, 2024