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S. Korean tourist killed in robbery in Philippines
A South Korean national visiting the Philippines has been fatally shot by a robber in the city of Angeles, according to officials Monday. The South Korean tourist was attacked by an assailant on a motorcycle on Sunday afternoon and was fatally shot while resisting. The person was transferred to a hospital but later pronounced dead. South Korea's foreign ministry has urged local police authorities to conduct a swift investigation into the case. (Yonhap)
April 21, 2025 -
PPP contenders clash over legality of Yoon's martial law
The second group of the conservative People Power Party’s eight candidates vying for the party’s presidential nomination continued a war of words over the legality of former President Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived martial law during a televised debate Sunday. Former party leader Han Dong-hoon argued that Yoon's declaration of martial law was "illegal," despite being a decision by "the president from our party." "I took the lead to block it and I put our people first," Han said. Former Daegu Mayor
April 20, 2025 -
Doctors protest despite hike plan freeze, demanding full withdrawal
Despite the South Korean government's decision last week to freeze the medical school admission quota at its pre-expansion level for 2026, thousands of doctors and medical students rallied in central Seoul on Saturday, calling for a complete rollback of the Yoon Suk Yeol administration’s health care reform agenda. Although the government withdrew its plan to increase medical school seats by 2,000, it simultaneously laid the legal groundwork to convene a medical workforce estimation committee tas
April 20, 2025 -
Subway fare in greater Seoul to rise 150 won in June
The basic fare for subways in the greater Seoul area will increase by 150 won ($0.11) one way in June, from the current 1,400 won to 1,550 won, marking the first fare hike in 18 months. The move follows the recent approval by the Gyeonggi Provincial Council of a proposal to adjust urban rail fares, following a delay due to inflation and political considerations. Due to the political sensitivity of public utility price hikes, the fare increase is likely to take effect after the June 3 presidentia
April 20, 2025 -
Migrant worker detained for overstaying visa while reporting W50m in unpaid wages
A Filipino national who sought to file a complaint with authorities to get tens of millions in unpaid wages for factory work here was arrested by police, after it was found that he had overstayed his work visa. Officials at Suwon Jungbu Police Station said Saturday that they are investigating him for violating the Immigration Act, and that he is currently in custody of the immigration authorities under the Ministry of Justice. The man visited the Gyeonggi Provincial office of the Ministry of Lab
April 20, 2025 -
Law revision allows organ donation for braindead people with no family
The South Korean government said Sunday a recent legal revision will allow organ donation in the case of brain death without the family's consent -- if the person had consented to donation before suffering permanent and complete loss of brain functions. The revised clause of the Organs Transplant Act takes effect on Aug. 21, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare. The current law states that organ donation after brain death requires the consent of at least one family member aged 14 or o
April 20, 2025 -
Policy Watch: Liberal presidential hopeful says lack of consent should constitute rape
Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon recently vowed that he will push to redefine the crime of rape if he wins the upcoming presidential election, changing the law to state that sexual intercourse without consent should constitute rape instead of the current definition of "by means of violence or intimidation." Kim, a candidate in the Democratic Party of Korea's primary for the June 3 presidential election, announced campaign pledges last week related to a "safe and fair society for women."
April 20, 2025 -
Woman who built up body for year to kill abusive ex-husband gets 17-year jail term
A 61-year-old woman who plotted a yearlong revenge plan on her ex-husband had her sentence upheld by an appellate court, officials said Sunday. The Changwon Division of the Busan High Court upheld the 17-year prison term sentenced against the defendant for murder by a lower court, saying the punishment is within the reason. The defendant appealed the ruling by saying that the punishment was too harsh. The initial ruling had considered that the defendant was in poor mental and physical health, wh
April 20, 2025 -
Seoul citizens launch DIY sinkhole risk maps as city withholds full data
With sinkholes increasingly appearing across Seoul and city authorities declining to release detailed risk maps, concerned residents are stepping in—building their own tools to inform and protect the public. Two citizen-led interactive maps have recently gained attention for visualizing sinkhole-prone areas using public data, news reports, and geospatial tools. These efforts emerged in response to the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s refusal to share its sinkhole risk assessments, citing concerns
April 20, 2025 -
Depreciated won draws foreign tourists to South Korea as medical spending jumps 80%
Foreign tourism to South Korea has surged in recent months despite being in the wake of one of the country's most severe political crises in decades, according to recent statistics by the state-run tourism agency. Between December 2024 and February 2025, South Korea welcomed over 3.5 million foreign visitors, a 19.6 percent increase from the same period a year earlier, according to data from the Korea Tourism Organization. That growth has been unexpected given that these months typically mark th
April 20, 2025 -
Prison inmate sneaks in phone, e-cigarette
A Busan prison has launched an investigation into one of its inmates sneaking in banned items into the facility, which sparked security concern at correctional facilities here. Busan Detention Center said Wednesday it has found an e-cigarette, a smartphone without a sim card, and chargers hidden by one of its inmates. The items were found at a resting area that the inmate in question had been entrusted to manage. Officials at the prison found out about the violation when another inmate alerted t
April 19, 2025 -
Education minister to hold meeting with medical students amid prolonged standoff
Education Minister Lee Ju-ho is scheduled to meet with medical students next week in an effort to encourage them to return to school and to explain the government's recent decision to revert the 2026 medical school enrollment quota to its previous level, the education ministry said Friday. The meeting set for Tuesday marks the first direct dialogue between the government and medical students since a standoff began 14 months ago over the government's plan to expand medical school admissions. Sinc
April 18, 2025 -
2 outgoing justices say Constitution must be abided by as prerequisite for democracy
Constitutional Court of Korea Justices Moon Hyung-bae and Lee Mi-son said the South Korea's Constitution and any ruling by the court must be abided by, as the order of the sovereign people, because otherwise social instability will ensue, as Friday marked the end of their six-year terms as justices on the bench, two weeks after the same court removed disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol from office in a unanimous 8-0 ruling. In a farewell speech, Moon, who served as the acting chief justice
April 18, 2025 -
Summer-like temperatures to persist into next week
High temperatures 2 to 6 degrees Celsius warmer than the average in previous years are expected to persist from Friday until April 21 due to warm southwesterly winds blowing into South Korea, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration on Friday. On Friday, average low temperatures nationwide ranged between 10 C and 16 C, while average highs ranged from 17 C to 29 C -- with Daegu in North Gyeongsang Province reaching 29 C. Based on average temperatures between 1991 and 2020, Daegu typic
April 18, 2025 -
In S. Korea's shrinking cities, prisons bring hope
TAEBAEK, Gangwon Province -- Kim Kyung-rae, a 60-year-old taxi driver in Taebaek, rarely picks up young passengers. Most of his customers are elderly. But it wasn’t always like this. In the 1970s and 1980s, young, eager job seekers flocked to Taebaek, then a bustling coal-mining town. People would joke that even dog carried 10,000-won ($7) bills, so prosperous was the town. For many, Taebaek was a second hometown. “Now, the city has lost its life,” Kim said. “We used to have 120,000 people back
April 18, 2025