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Fishing boat capsizes off coast of Jeju Island; casualties yet to be reported
A fishing boat capsized off the coast of the southern island of Jeju on Tuesday, with casualties yet to be reported, according to officials. According to authorities, a distress signal was received at 6:11 p.m. from the 29-ton fishing vessel approximately 563 kilometers southwest of Moseulpo port in the southern part of Jeju Island. The ship had reported 10 people as being aboard according to its departure records, but only eight were on the vessel at the time of the accident as two had gotten o
May 13, 2025 -
Video of middle schooler being slapped by classmate goes viral, police launch probe
An undoctored video of a middle school student slapping her classmate has been circulating online despite police intervention, fueling concern that the victim may be subject to secondary damage due to her face being publicly exposed. Officials at the Incheon Yeonsu Police Station said they have launched an investigation into the reported violence and possible defamation charges against students who filmed and distributed the video online. The Incheon Metropolitan City Office of Education is also
May 13, 2025 -
Man rescued from under bridge after passerby heard cry for help
A man in his 40s who fell under one of the largest bridges in Busan was rescued Tuesday morning by the Coast Guard, after his frantic cry for help was heard by a person who happened to be walking by. Officials said the victim was rescued at approximately 5:11 a.m., about an hour after an initial report of a person in the waters below Namhang Bridge was received around 4:14 a.m. He was treated for hypothermia but had not sustained any other injuries. The victim’s rescue was made possible by a ser
May 13, 2025 -
Presidential candidates clash in right-wing stronghold
DAEGU — The Democratic Party of Korea's presidential candidate Rep. Lee Jae-myung, the People Power Party’s Kim Moon-soo and Lee Jun-seok of the New Reform Party rallied in South Korea’s conservative southeastern region on the second day of official campaigning. Lee, the liberal front-runner, sought to win over undecided voters, while conservative candidate Kim aimed to consolidate his base in the region. Meanwhile, Lee Jun-seok of the minor New Reform Party focused his efforts on connecting wit
May 13, 2025 -
Supreme Court chief skips hearing as debate over judiciary grows
The controversy surrounding the independence and impartiality of South Korea's judiciary intensified on Wednesday. Politicians are locked in debate over the Supreme Court’s unusually fast ruling that reversed a lower court not-guilty verdict, thereby convicting leading presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party of Korea for spreading false information during the 2022 presidential race, which he lost. Amid growing public scrutiny, the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciar
May 13, 2025 -
State not responsible for Pohang earthquake: Daegu court
An appellate court on Tuesday overturned a lower court ruling that two Pohang earthquakes were triggered by an experimental geothermal power plant. The appellate trial at the Daegu High Court dismissed the earlier ruling that ordered the state and South Korean steel giant Posco Group to compensate up to 1.5 trillion won to almost 500,000 Pohang residents affected by the earthquakes in 2017 and 2018. The court agreed with the lower court’s decision, which found two earthquakes — a 5.4 magnitude e
May 13, 2025 -
Summer to be hotter, wetter than last year
Following a spring of extremes — from snow and hail to temperatures about 30 degrees Celsius — summer is expected to be hotter and rainier than usual. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration’s 3-month outlook, average nationwide temperatures will be higher than in previous years from May to July. The forecast predicts a 50 percent chance that May and July temperatures will be higher than in previous years, with a 40 percent prediction for June. The KMA cited “elevated sea surface te
May 13, 2025 -
'Up to Yoon Suk Yeol to leave party,' Kim Moon-soo says
People Power Party's presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo said it was up to Yoon Suk Yeol, the conservative party's ousted former president, to decide whether to leave the party. In response to a question from a reporter on Tuesday, Kim said he has "not thought much about" whether Yoon should leave the People Power Party. "I think it is ultimately up to him," Kim said. "I don't think we are in a place to ask him to leave, or not to leave. It's his call." Kim added that he did "not agree with" Yoo
May 13, 2025 -
Man blames parents for short stature, publicly vows murder
A recent online post has sparked controversy after a user, claiming he faced romantic rejections due to his height, threatened to murder his father. In an anonymous post on Everytime, an online platform for college students, the person who described himself as standing 167 centimeters tall, expressed frustration with his parents over his lack of romantic success. He posted that he has never had a girlfriend and shared that his mother advised him to ask friends to set him up on dates, while his f
May 13, 2025 -
Starbucks bans using presidential candidates' names as customer nicknames
Starbucks Korea has included the names of seven official presidential candidates as unusable for customer nicknames, in a bid to avoid politically-charged controversy. The local branch of the international coffeehouse chain said Tuesday that the politicians' names, along with recently-impeached ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol, have been banned from its Call My Name service, until the conclusion of the upcoming June 3 presidential election. Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party of Korea, Kim Moon-soo
May 13, 2025 -
Video games must clarify AI use, according to new law
A new law on the regulation of artificial intelligence mandates clear disclosure of AI use in a wide variety of products, including video games, a field where AI has played an integral role since its very inception. Rep. Kang Yu-jung of the Democratic Party of Korea said Tuesday that the National Assembly Research Service's reply on her inquisition suggested that video games are subject to the AI Framework Act, which is set to take effect in January next year. As such, video game developers that
May 13, 2025 -
Seoul bus ridership drops 19% in 10 years even as city spends billions in subsidies
Seoul’s public buses are carrying fewer passengers than they used to, and the city is paying billions to cover their losses, data shows. Over the last 10 years, average daily bus ridership in Seoul has fallen by 19 percent, from 4.57 million in 2014 to 3.73 million in 2024, according to official city data released in April. “Maeul” buses, smaller vehicles that operate on shorter, community shuttle routes, saw an even steeper drop, down one-third over the same period, from 1.22 million to 840,000
May 13, 2025 -
Two middle schoolers nabbed for marijuana use at Seoul playground
Two second-year middle school students were caught by police for alleged marijuana use at a playground in Seoul, authorities said Tuesday. Nowon Police Station said it is investigating the two juveniles on suspicion of violating the Narcotics Control Act. According to police, the teens were spotted at 9:10 p.m. on April 25 at a playground near an apartment complex in Seoul. While running and shouting phrases like, “Someone is chasing us” and “A friend smoked marijuana,” they were apprehended by
May 13, 2025 -
Acting president calls on public officials to maintain political neutrality ahead of election
Acting President Lee Ju-ho called on public officials Tuesday to maintain strict political neutrality ahead of the June 3 presidential election. Lee issued the call during a Cabinet meeting, noting that the official campaigning period kicked off Monday for a 22-day run. "I ask all public officials to clearly maintain political neutrality and stand firm without wavering," he said during the meeting at the government complex in Seoul. Lee also stressed the government's duty to thoroughly look afte
May 13, 2025 -
Presidential candidates set to square off to woo voters in conservative strongholds
Three presidential candidates were set to begin their second day of official campaigns Tuesday in the conservative strongholds in the nation's southeastern region, with the election just 21 days away. The June 3 presidential election, triggered by the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk Yeol over his failed martial law bid in December, is seen as a three-way race among Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party, Kim Moon-soo of the People Power Party and Lee Jun-seok of the minor New Reform Part
May 13, 2025