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Residents, commuters stressed by rallies near Yoon's residence
Seoul city to request stricter police measures for protests occupying roads Protesters have been rallying in front of the presidential residence to support or block authorities from carrying out the warrant to arrest suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol in recent days. But the protests have started to bother residents of Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, where the presidential residence is located, as well as workers used to commuting through the area. The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Tuesday tha
Jan. 7, 2025 -
70% of Koreans 'stressed out' by prolonged conflict between doctors, government
About 70 percent of surveyed Koreans feel fatigue and stressed out by the prolonged medical strike in the country, while more than half felt the country does not have enough doctors, a survey showed Tuesday. Seoul National University's Graduate School of Public Health recently conducted a survey of 1,000 adults across the country for their perception on the government’s medical reform plans, which centers on a contentious plan to expand medical staffing by increasing the enrollment quota at medi
Jan. 7, 2025 -
People with criminal records to be barred from working in delivery service
Individuals with serious criminal records will face employment restrictions in online delivery services, such as Baemin and Coupang Eats, as well as in taxi services for disabled people, the transport ministry said Tuesday. Under the revised enforcement ordinances of transportation and services acts approved by the Cabinet, those with criminal records, including sex and drug offenders, will be denied a job in the sectors for up to 20 years following their release from prison or termination of pe
Jan. 7, 2025 -
Jeju Air to cut 188 intl. flights from Busan, finalize Q1 operational reduction plan this week
Jeju Air Co., the embattled low-cost carrier facing intense scrutiny over a recent aircraft crash that claimed 179 lives, said Tuesday it plans to cut 188 international flights departing from Busan in the first quarter, with a total operational reduction plan to be finalized this week. Following the tragic Dec. 29 crash, Jeju Air announced plans to cut flight operations by 10-15 percent by March to enhance operational safety. According to the company, flights from Busan, South Korea's southeaste
Jan. 7, 2025 -
Top military officer discusses cooperation with NATO counterpart
South Korea's top military officer held phone talks with his counterpart at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on Monday and discussed ways to expand military cooperation, the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said. In their phone conversation, JCS Chairman Adm. Kim Myung-soo and Adm. Rob Bauer, chair of the NATO Military Committee, reaffirmed their principle of opposing attempts to change the status quo by force and concurred on the need to expand cooperation to sustain a rules-bas
Jan. 6, 2025 -
Nuclear envoys of South Korea, US, Japan discuss NK missile launch over phone
The nuclear envoys of South Korea, the United States and Japan condemned North Korea's latest missile launch in their phone talks Monday, vowing close coordination against any future provocations by the recalcitrant regime. Lee Jun-il, director general for Korean Peninsula policy, discussed the North's launch of an intermediate-range ballistic missile with his U.S. and Japanese counterparts, Seth Bailey and Akihiro Okochi, respectively, Seoul's foreign ministry said. The South's military said th
Jan. 6, 2025 -
South Korea becomes 1st Asian country to join Horizon Europe
South Korea has become the first Asian country to join Horizon Europe, the world's largest multilateral research and innovation (R&I) funding program, Seoul's science ministry said Monday. The nation officially began participating in Horizon Europe as an associated member on Jan. 1, becoming the first Asian and the third country from outside of Europe to join the program, according to the Ministry of Science and ICT. Previously, New Zealand and Canada joined the program with a budget of 95.5 bil
Jan. 6, 2025 -
What stopped a Korean mall fire from turning into a deadly catastrophe
When the fire broke out and rapidly spread, there were hundreds inside the building, including elementary students taking swimming lessons When a fire erupted Friday in a bustling commercial building near Yatap Station in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, it had all the makings of a deadly tragedy. The flames, which started in the kitchen of a restaurant on the first floor, quickly spread up the building’s exterior, spewing thick black smoke. Yet, more than 300 people escaped safely or were rescued b
Jan. 6, 2025 -
Woman exonerated after wrongful conviction for murdering father in 2000
A 47-year-old woman was cleared of a patricide charge in a retrial Monday, after spending nearly 25 years behind bars for the murder of her father that she was found not to have committed. The Haenam branch of the Gwangju District Court found Kim Shin-hye not guilty of murdering her father and disposing of his body in 2000, citing a lack of evidence and unclear motive for the defendant to commit the crime. It pointed out that Kim's confession in the investigation, which had been the focal point
Jan. 6, 2025 -
Watchdog agency urges right of anti-comfort woman groups to rally
Wednesday rallies in honor of victims of Japan's sex slavery during World War II likely to lose police protection The decadeslong weekly demonstrations demanding that Japan apologize for its wartime sexual enslavement of Korean women could now lose their regular spot in front of the Japanese Embassy, as the state-run human rights watchdog on Monday reversed its previous stance, which had effectively reserved the spot for the protesters. The regular Wednesday rallies in honor of the victims -- kn
Jan. 6, 2025 -
Yangju city's protest ban sparks controversy
The Gyeonggi Province city of Yangju recently imposed a policy of political impartiality on its public workers, which is sparking controversy, as it includes a ban on participating in protests for or against the confirmation of suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment. The city's audit department last month issued a notice about its Dec. 17-Jan. 24 special audit on all officials working in the city government and related organizations. The audit involves an inspection of the code of condu
Jan. 6, 2025 -
Jeju Air had more maintenance-induced delays than any other domestic airline in first half of 2024
Jeju Air, under nationwide scrutiny over last month’s tragic crash that claimed 179 lives, had more delays due to aircraft maintenance in the first half of last year than any other airline based in South Korea, government data showed Monday. Nearly 1.01 percent of all Jeju Air flights during the first six months of 2024 were delayed due to maintenance, a significantly higher rate than the 0.64 percent average for all domestic airlines in the same period, according to Rep. Lee Yeon-hee of the mai
Jan. 6, 2025 -
More than half of foreign students wish to live, work in regions
A recent survey showed the potential of international students to fill labor gaps in regional areas, where an aging society and the migration of young talent to Seoul have left local communities struggling to sustain their workforces. The Ministry of Education's recent survey revealed that approximately 55 percent of international students studying at regional universities in the country hope to secure employment in their current area of residence. About 65 percent of local companies expressed a
Jan. 6, 2025 -
Court ramps up preparation for Yoon’s first formal hearing on Jan. 14
The Constitutional Court of Korea is ramping up preparations for the impeachment trial of President Yoon Suk Yeol, holding the first meeting of eight justices on Monday, about a week ahead of a formal hearing scheduled for Jan. 14. The meeting was held after the court transitioned to an eight-member bench with new Justices Cho Han-chang and Jung Gye-seon beginning their six-year terms last week. The court's press officer Cheon Jae-hyun told reporters that justices' decision to hold five hearings
Jan. 6, 2025 -
Civil service forms translated into 10 languages
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety said that it has translated 235 commonly used civil service forms into 10 languages to make public services more accessible for foreign residents in South Korea. The forms are available in Russian, Mongolian, Vietnamese, English, Uzbek, Japanese, Chinese, Tagalog, Thai and Khmer. These translated forms will be distributed to local governments, central administrative agencies, public institutions and multicultural centers that frequently handle foreign resi
Jan. 6, 2025