Doctors reject participation in gov't-led consultative body amid standoff over medical school quota hike plan

Doctors and medical professors announced a decision Friday not to join a consultative body proposed by the government and the ruling party to resolve the monthslong medical standoff, saying that it is "premature" to do so unless the government changes its course. Earlier this month, the government and the ruling People Power Party proposed the establishment of a joint consultative body involving rival parties and the medical community to discuss the government's medical reform pla

Sept. 13, 2024

Highway trash spikes during Chuseok

Ahead of the massive exodus expected ahead of Chuseok, one of the biggest traditional holidays in South Korea, the amount of trash dumped on highways per day during the autumn holiday is found to be more than twice the average per day during the rest of the year, new research showed. According to data released by Democratic Party Rep. Min Hong-chul on Friday obtained from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport, a total of 47,737 metric tons of garbage was collected from private and

Sept. 13, 2024

W4.24m Chuseok bonuses for lawmakers, but 40% of workers get none

Lawmakers in South Korea have each received a bonus of around 4.24 million won ($3,181) for the upcoming Chuseok holiday, while more than 40 percent of ordinary workers reported receiving no such bonus, igniting a debate about whether legislators deserve such privileges and benefits. On Thursday, members of the National Assembly received their Chuseok bonus -- one of the two holiday bonuses -- with each amount calculated as 60 percent of their monthly salary, according to the regulations on civi

Sept. 13, 2024

Busan is most popular destination among foreign tourists

The number of foreign tourists visiting South Korea is nearing 90 percent of pre-pandemic levels, with around 9.1 million visitors from January to July this year, according to the Korea Tourism Organization. As travel recovers, more tourists are opting to explore the country by train or rental car. The number of foreign tourists using trains surged by 50.2 percent year-over-year, with 2.32 million travelers opting for the rail network. Popular destinations include Busan, Daegu and Gyeongju, wi

Sept. 13, 2024

Court suspends prison sentence of man for attempted rape of daughter-in-law

A man in his 80s charged with attempted rape of his Vietnamese daughter-in-law was released Wednesday, after a court suspended the 2-year jail term he was issued by a lower court. Gwangju High Court’s 1st Jeju Criminal Division ruled on Wednesday that the two year prison sentence should be suspended for four years in an appellate trial. He had been in prison following the lower court’s ruling. The man was also ordered to attend 40 hours of sexual violence treatment and banned from

Sept. 13, 2024

1 in 4 Korean workers extend Chuseok holiday with paid leave: survey

Chuseok is one of South Korea’s two biggest traditional holidays, bringing families together under the full moon to wish for a bountiful harvest and honor ancestors. But for hardworking ordinary people in Korea, the holiday's true significance perhaps lies in the rare opportunity it offers for people to escape the daily grind of their jobs. A recent survey conducted by a recruitment platform found that approximately one in four employees -- 25.7 percent -- plan on strategically sandwi

Sept. 12, 2024

Seoul mulls removing W110b Sewoon walkway

The Seoul Metropolitan Government is mulling removing an elevated walkway at Sewoon Shopping Center in central Seoul, which cost the city government 110 billion won ($82 million) for its construction. The walkway which opened only two years ago has sparked "public discontent," said the city government, citing issues like inadequate sunlight underneath the walkways and problems such as water leaks. By removing the walkway, the city plans to enhance the ground-level pedestrian pathways.

Sept. 12, 2024

PM vows stern action over 'blacklist' of nonstriking doctors

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Thursday vowed to take stern action against those behind a "blacklist" of nonstriking doctors and medical students, amid intensifying tensions between the government and the medical community. During a central disaster response meeting, Han discussed allegations of a blacklist created by striking doctors to mock colleagues who have refused to participate in the strike, which has been ongoing since February. Calling it a "cowardly act," Han descr

Sept. 12, 2024

Life sentence finalized for killer in Sillim rampage

The Supreme Court on Thursday finalized life imprisonment for 34-year-old Cho Seon who carried out a stabbing rampage near Seoul's Sillim Station in 2023, leaving one person dead and three others injured. The top court upheld lower courts' decision to sentence Cho to life in prison, finding him guilty on multiple charges including murder, attempted murder and contempt. The court also ordered him to be tracked via an electronic ankle monitor for 30 years, with or without parole. "

Sept. 12, 2024

Bail granted to SPC chairman under trial for anti-labor charges

A court on Thursday approved a bail request by Hur Young-in, the chair of bakery giant SPC Group, who is currently standing trial on charges of coercing bakers to quit their labor union. The 74-year-old bakery mogul was arrested in April and has since been standing trial in detention on charges of pressuring some 570 union members at an SPC subsidiary to quit their union between early 2021 and mid-2022 over their labor activities critical of the company. The Seoul Central District Court approved

Sept. 12, 2024

Police investigating 513 deepfake sex crime cases; up 73% in 40 days

Police are investigating 513 cases of deepfake sex crimes, a more than 70 percent jump in about 40 days, the National Police Agency said Wednesday. The number, tallied as of Tuesday, compares with only 297 cases at the end of July. Should the current trend hold, the annual number of deepfake crime cases reported to police is expected to reach a record high. The number of such cases has been on a steady rise from 156 cases in 2021, to 160 cases in 2022 and 180 cases in 2023. From January to Septe

Sept. 11, 2024

Number of deaths at emergency rooms falls despite doctors' walkout: gov't

The number of deaths at hospital emergency rooms declined during the first seven months of this year as fewer patients with mild cases visited ERs for treatment amid the prolonged walkout by trainee doctors, the health ministry said Wednesday. A total of 27,176 people died while receiving treatments at emergency care centers during the January-July period, down 3.4 percent from the previous year's 28,123, ministry official Jung Yoon-soon said in a press briefing. The decline was due to the

Sept. 11, 2024

Paramedic scolded a patient for delaying ambulance with a shower. Here's what happened next.

A court on Wednesday overturned a reprimand issued to an Incheon firefighter paramedic for being “impolite” to a patient who kept an ambulance waiting to take a shower. The Incheon District Court ruled in favor of the firefighter, citing procedural irregularities in the disciplinary process. The court found that the employer had not given adequate notice or allowed the firefighter a proper opportunity to present his case. "Given the procedural irregularities, we are overturning

Sept. 11, 2024

For Chuseok gifts, cash is king: survey

In preparation for the upcoming Chuseok holiday period, the autumnal break when South Koreans visit their parents, grandparents and hometowns bearing gifts, many are choosing the practical and direct option of giving money, according to a recent survey on Wednesday. A survey conducted by research firm PMI, which polled 3,000 Korean nationals aged 20 to 69 earlier this month, reveals that 53.9 percent of respondents prefer giving monetary gifts, either as cash or gift vouchers, to their family

Sept. 11, 2024

Ministry vows more green energy plans

Environment Minister Kim Wan-sup said Wednesday that the government would find more ways to switch to renewable energy sources instead of being content with a recent feat of reducing 4.4 percent of emissions last year. Kim’s recent remarks come after the Greenhouse Inventory and Research Center affiliated with the Environment Ministry announced Tuesday that Korea’s greenhouse gas emissions, calculated in CO2 equivalents, were estimated at 624.2 million tons in 2023, marking a second

Sept. 11, 2024

Professors uneasy about plan to share med school cadavers

The Korean government's plan to allow the transfer of donated cadavers between medical schools to cope with shortages and enhance the quality of education as it prepares for the first hike in medical school admissions in 27 years is facing ethical concerns. The Education Ministry on Tuesday said the government would push to make amendments to the law that would allow medical schools that are short of donated cadavers to receive them from other medical institutions if the donor or the bere

Sept. 11, 2024

1,200 hospitals, 1,300 pharmacies to operate in Seoul during Chuseok

Amid concerns over medical staff shortages, the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Wednesday released a comprehensive plan to ensure emergency medical services remain fully operational during Chuseok holiday next week. During the holiday period from Sept. 14-18, an average of 1,184 clinics and 1,306 pharmacies will be operational each day in Seoul. The locations and medical services of these clinics have been carefully planned to ensure that they do not overlap across different areas of the city,

Sept. 11, 2024

Two Korean hikers die climbing Mont Blanc

The bodies of two South Korean hikers who had set out to climb the Alps' highest peak have been recovered, three days after they lost contact with the rest of their group, according to the Korean Embassy in France. French authorities found the bodies approximately 100 meters from the summit of Mont Blanc, the highest peak in Western Europe at 4,897 meters, around 1:15 p.m. on Tuesday, local time. The bodies of two Italian hikers who had also gone missing were found alongside the deceased Ko

Sept. 11, 2024

Unseasonably hot weather continues; Seoul hit by latest tropical night on record

Summertime temperatures have persisted and likely will for some time, with the state-run weather agency projecting the current late heat wave to continue. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration's forecast, temperatures in Seoul may rise above 30 degrees Celsius into late September. The nation's capital also saw its first-ever heat wave advisory in September on Tuesday. Korea defines "heat wave days" as when the daily high is 33 degrees Celsius or higher. Seoul s

Sept. 11, 2024

Prosecutors to finalize decision on first lady's luxury bag case after chief retires

Prosecutors are expected to finalize their decision on the luxury bag scandal involving first lady Kim Keon Hee after an independent investigation review panel examines the Korean American pastor who gifted the bag to her, sources said Wednesday. Legal sources said that the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office has decided to finalize the results of its investigation into allegations that Kim illegally received a Dior handbag and other expensive gifts from the pastor in 2022 after the review

Sept. 11, 2024