-
'Mia-dong supermarket killer' found to be psychopath: police
Kim Seong-jin, the 32-year-old man accused of killing one person and injuring another at a supermarket last month, is believed to be a psychopath based on preliminary testing by the police, officials said Monday. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency conducted the Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised on Kim last month, and officials said in a media briefing that the analysis points towards psychopathy. They also said that Kim's crime can be described as an "abnormal motive crime," defined by Korean
May 19, 2025 -
Where’s Huh Kyung-young? The eccentric, serial presidential candidate who once vowed to levitate lands in jail
Huh Kyung-young, a wacky politician who ran for South Korean presidency three times with outlandish pledges like giving 100 million won ($71,467) to every citizen, is back in the news, not as a candidate running for the June 3 election but as a criminal suspect. The 77-year-old, who holds the official title of honorary leader of the National Revolutionary Party, has been behind bars since Saturday after the Uijeongbu District Court issued a warrant for his detention on charges of fraud, violatio
May 19, 2025 -
Growing acceptance of nonmarital births among young South Koreans
In South Korea, an increasing number of young adults are embracing the idea of childbirth outside of marriage, with attitudes shifting dramatically in recent years. A recent study commissioned by the Presidential Committee on Low Birth Rate and Aging Society and conducted by the Korea Women's Development Institute revealed Monday that the approval rate for nonmarital childbirth among individuals in their 20s and 30s has steadily increased over the past decade. For men in their 20s, support for c
May 19, 2025 -
Kim looks to Lee Jun-seok for merger as Election Day draws near
With Democratic Party of Korea candidate Lee Jae-myung maintaining his strong lead in opinion polls, People Power Party's presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo appears to be courting the endorsement of his minor conservative rival. New Reform Party candidate Lee Jun-seok, meanwhile, has continued to rule out the possibility of a merger. "(Lee and I) share the same thoughts and same policies, but are currently separated because (the People Power Party) has made a wrong move," Kim told reporters fol
May 19, 2025 -
Lee Jae-myung won't 'rush into any deals' on Trump tariffs
Democratic Party of Korea presidential candidate Rep. Lee Jae-myung said he would not rush any deals with US President Donald Trump on his tariff policies. At the first televised debate between presidential candidates Sunday, Lee said he does not think the US will stick to the tariff rates that were initially announced. "There will be room for negotiation. We shouldn't rush into anything," he said. "I wouldn't rush any deals." People Power Party candidate Kim Moon-soo, on the other hand, said he
May 19, 2025 -
Judge denies allegations of being treated at hostess bars
The judge overseeing former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s insurrection trial, Judge Jee Kui-youn of the Seoul Central District Court, dismissed allegations of being treated to multiple visits to an expensive hostess bar. Before the fourth hearing of Yoon’s trial began Monday, Jee addressed the allegations within a minute after he sat down in the courtroom, saying that he believed that “trust in the trial would be difficult to maintain without doing so.” “I know there is much worry and concern regard
May 19, 2025 -
Storm in a coffee cup? PPP blasts Lee Jae-myung over cafe comment
The conservative People Power Party intensified its attacks on liberal presidential candidate Rep. Lee Jae-myung for a second consecutive day on Monday, accusing him of misrepresenting the struggles of small business owners. The party seized on Lee’s recent remarks suggesting that coffee shops are highly profitable due to the low cost of coffee beans, turning coffee into the party's latest political weapon. Rep. Kim Yong-tae, interim chair of the People Power Party, said Monday that Lee's remark
May 19, 2025 -
PPP’s Kim Moon-soo flags potential US troop cut under Trump as key concern
Conservative People Power Party presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo on Monday flagged the potential reduction of US troops in South Korea by US President Donald Trump as a key security concern. “If President Trump calls for an increase in South Korea’s share of the defense burden for the stationing of US Forces Korea, I think a moderate increase is acceptable,” Kim said during a luncheon event hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea. “But what concerns me is the possibility of a redu
May 19, 2025 -
Daejeon poised to become quantum industry hub
Daejeon is quickly becoming the hub of Korea's quantum industry and a globally competitive city for technology, in part thanks to its cooperation with the US. According to the Daejeon Metropolitan Government, the city has strategically expanded “quantum diplomacy” to stimulate the industry ecosystem and solidify its position as the country’s leading city in quantum industries, which it describes as those where quantum mechanics can be applied, including security, telecommunications and health ca
May 19, 2025 -
Loneliness hits 62% of solo households in Seoul, city steps up care programs
More than 6 in 10 people living alone in Seoul say they often feel lonely, and over 1 in 8 report having no one to turn to in times of real need, according to a new study released Monday. A survey of 3,000 single-person households by the Seoul Institute, a think tank funded by the city, found that 62.1 percent of respondents experience persistent loneliness. Another 13.6 percent fall into what researchers classify as social isolation: individuals with no support network when they are emotionally
May 19, 2025 -
Teacher who murdered 7-year-old student fired, but eligible for gov't pension: report
Myeong Jae-wan, the 48-year-old elementary school teacher accused of murdering a 1st-grader at school, has been officially dismissed by the education authorities, a local media outlet reported Monday. According to the Korean-language daily Herald Business, the Daejeon Metropolitan Office of Education confirmed Myeong's dismissal, the highest level of disciplinary action for government employees, at a disciplinary committee meeting on May 8. She purportedly did not challenge the decision. Myeong
May 19, 2025 -
Yoon dodges demands for apology
Former President Yoon Suk Yeol remained silent on calls to apologize for his martial law declaration, as he appeared at a Seoul court on Monday, walking through the press photo line en route to the fourth hearing of his criminal trial. Monday's hearing marked Yoon’s second court appearance at the public entrance, as the Seoul Central District Court decided to disallow use of the underground parking lot on May 12. Asked if he would apologize for declaring martial law on Dec. 3 last year or whethe
May 19, 2025 -
Personal information protection, new authority for real estate dispute
The Korea Herald republishes a weekly legislative report by local law firm DR & AJU LLC to provide the latest information on bills approved, proposed, pending and set to be promulgated. — Ed. Proposed Bill: Partial Amendment to the Personal Information Protection Act Proposed by Rep. Lee Jung-mun (Democratic Party of Korea) ● In the event of a leak of sensitive or personally identifiable information, this amendment requires personal information controllers to monitor for the illegal distribution
May 19, 2025 -
Daejeon, Amazon Web Services seal deal on global quantum technology cooperation
The city of Daejeon announced Monday that it had officially inked a memorandum of understanding with Amazon Web Services to become a leading center for quantum industrial development. The agreement aims to foster cooperation across the entire quantum technology value chain, including quantum technology verification, industrialization support, talent development and additional global collaboration. The city is set to form mid- to long-term plans to establish a solid foundation for the industriali
May 19, 2025 -
Who's ahead: Kim Moon-soo's support rises after confirmed as PPP candidate
Liberal Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung garnered 50.2 percent support in recent poll results — a slight 1.9 percentage point drop from the previous week, when the rival People Power Party wrestled to unify around a single nominee. Realmeter, a polling agency, released the outcomes Monday after conducting a phone survey of 1,509 eligible voters aged 18 and over nationwide from May 14 to May 16. Conservative People Power Party candidate Kim Moon-soo recorded 35.6 percent supp
May 19, 2025