Beware of snakes in September, emergency services warn

Emergency services are urging caution against snakebites as September, the peak month for such incidents, approaches. According to the South Gyeongsang Province Fire Department, a total of 2,372 snakes were captured in the province over the last three years, with nearly 500 caught in September alone. The fire department explained that there is an increase in outdoor activities such as hiking in September due to cooler weather. During this time, snakes also display heightened aggression as they a

Aug. 24, 2023

PM urges transparent info-sharing as Japan releases radioactive water

The South Korean government assured its people of safety as Japan began sending out treated radioactive water from its crippled Fukushima plant on Thursday, while urging Tokyo to commit to transparent information sharing, as protests from the fisheries industry and public concerns continued. "The IAEA, international academic circles in the field of nuclear energy and nuclear experts here together say that there is no reason for Koreans to worry if Japan releases the water according to the a

Aug. 24, 2023

Over 200 suspects nabbed for writing online murder threats

Over 200 people have been apprehended nationwide for posting murder threats on various online sites over the past month amid increasing violent crimes targeting random people, the Korean National Police Agency said Thursday. The KNPA said it has nabbed 216 suspects on charges of writing such threats as of 9 a.m. Thursday and put 21 of them under arrest. The number of online threats and apprehensions increased by seven and three, respectively, from the previous day, it added. A suspect was arrest

Aug. 24, 2023

[Graphic News] Cigarette sales in S. Korea slightly down in H1

Sales of cigarettes in South Korea moved down 0.6 percent on-year in the January-June period, data showed. South Korean smokers purchased 1.77 billion 20-cigarette packs in the first half, falling from 17.8 billion packs posted a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance. Heat-not-burn tobacco products took up 16.5 percent of the market, advancing from 14.8 percent posted for all of 2022. Meanwhile, the government collected 5.7 trillion won ($4.4 billion) in taxes from cigar

Aug. 24, 2023

PM says int'l lawsuit will be filed if Fukushima water release goes beyond standards

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said Wednesday the government will stay ready to file an international lawsuit if Japan's release of treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant goes beyond the standards. Han made the remarks during a meeting with reporters as Japan is reported to be discussing releasing the treated radioactive water as early as 1 p.m. Thursday. "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will always remain ready to lodge a suit internationally if the rel

Aug. 23, 2023

Sillim rape-murder suspect identity revealed

The police have disclosed the identity and personal information of the suspect who is accused of raping and beating a woman to death in Seoul’s Sillim-dong as 30-year-old Choi Yoon-jong, Wednesday. By South Korean law, the police can disclose the identity of a suspect in a criminal case after the Personal Information Disclosure Committee agrees to reveal a suspect's personal information including their photo, name and age. However, problems have arisen in the past since there are no r

Aug. 23, 2023

Government removes 11,000 undocumented immigrants in June, July

On Wednesday, South Korea's Justice Ministry reported that nearly 11,000 undocumented immigrants were removed from the country through either deportation or voluntary departure between June 12 and July 31, a move that highlights the Yoon Suk Yeol government's focus on stricter immigration enforcement. The 50-day crackdown was conducted jointly by five central government agencies, including the Ministry of Justice, the National Police Agency, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Tra

Aug. 23, 2023

[Housing Talk] Requirements, support measures for jeonse fraud victims

Jeonse refers to a system unique to Korea in which a lessee gives a lessor a large refundable deposit instead of paying monthly rent. Under a typical two-year jeonse contract, a lessor would return the deposit upon expiration of the contract. If the expected interest on the deposit is less than the monthly rent, as is often the case, a jeonse contract can be financially advantageous to the lessee. However, there are many cases of jeonse fraud, where scammers usually buy houses with money from th

Aug. 23, 2023

Schools to run response team to handle parents' complaints

A team that responds and handles parental complaints led by a school principal will be piloted at all schools starting next semester, the Ministry of Education said during a policy briefing Wednesday. Under the new policy, all communication from parents and carers -- including complaints, as well as informing teachers of the students' absence or tardiness -- will have to go through the school's response team from September. Parents could also be reprimanded for complaining to teachers

Aug. 23, 2023

Korea to downgrade COVID-19 to flu level

Korea will reclassify COVID-19 to the same category as the seasonal flu starting Aug. 31, health authorities said Wednesday. COVID-19 will go down from class 2 to class 4, the lowest infectious disease category which comprises diseases such as the seasonal flu, hand-foot-and-mouth disease, gonorrhoea and syphilis, that the government considers manageable with stability. The decision was based on the declining number of infections and stabilization of the quarantine situation. The daily average o

Aug. 23, 2023

Korea plans to revive police conscription to fight crime

South Korea announced Wednesday that it sought to revive the recently abolished conscripted police system to strengthen the state's crime prevention capabilities. According to the announcement, which came amid the recent surge of crimes seemingly targeting random people, the government plans to add up to 8,000 conscripted police within nine months. "In order to enhance (the police's) capability to prevent the occurrence of crimes, the government will proactively move to reintroduc

Aug. 23, 2023

Super blue moon to occur at end of August

The Gwacheon National Science Museum will host a special super blue moon observation event on Aug. 31. A super blue moon is an astronomical phenomenon that occurs when the "super moon" and "blue moon" phenomena coincide. A super moon is a full moon that appears when the moon is at its closest approach to the Earth. It can be observed 14 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter than an average full moon. A blue Moon is the second full moon to occur within a single month. This ph

Aug. 23, 2023

Is plogging a promising solution to the waste problem?

When thinking of Hongdae district, a popular hotspot in Seoul, most people would typically imagine bustling streets teeming with trendy cafes, bars and lively busking performances. However, for An Ga-young, Hongdae is the dirtiest place she has ever encountered -- a realization that struck her during a plogging activity she participated in February. Alongside 20 other ploggers, she picked up 224 pieces of trash -- predominantly cigarette butts -- during the 37-minute session. The term “plo

Aug. 22, 2023

Seoul says no scientific problems with Fukushima release plan

South Korea on Tuesday said Japan's plan to release over 1.4 million metric tons of radioactive water announced earlier in the morning had "no scientific, technical problems." But its view "does not translate into a show of approval or support for Japan's release plan," according to the government, given that Korea would ask Japan to stop release of filtered radioactive water immediately if it does not proceed according to its plan. "We see that no scientific, technical

Aug. 22, 2023

As violent crimes surge, Korea mulls life sentences without parole

As a series of violent crimes targeting random people stokes public fears in South Korea, the government is mulling introducing a new form of life sentence -- one without the possibility of parole. The announcement claimed that the introduction was necessary to have a safe society and quell public fears about the growing threat of apparently motiveless crimes. A stabbing spree by a 33-year-old man in July killed one and injured three in broad daylight in southern Seoul. This was followed by a fr

Aug. 22, 2023

Korea to snuff out lights for Energy Day

The lights of key landmarks in Korea will be turned off for five minutes Tuesday night, including at Gwanghwamun and N Seoul Tower in Seoul, Busan's major bridge Gwangandaegyo and the landmark Cheomseongdae in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province. The event is to mark Energy Day, with an estimated 1.27 million people in South Korea taking part, which is more than twice the number of participants last year. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced that lights-out events will start

Aug. 22, 2023

Man who disguised as police apprehended for mass stabbing threat

An office worker in his 30s was apprehended on Tuesday, a day after writing an anonymous post as a police employee on a popular online platform declaring that he would commit a mass stabbing near Exit No. 1 of Gangnam Station in Seoul. According to the National Police Agency, the suspect was caught near his home at 8:32 a.m. on Tuesday. The suspect is accused of writing a post on Blind, an online community and forum for verified employees. “I'm going on a mass stabbing at Gangnam Stat

Aug. 22, 2023

Seoul Metro to issue unlimited subway passes

Subway passes offering unlimited rides for a set duration will begin to be issued in the second half of the year, Seoul Metro announced Monday, with the intention to offer greater convenience in travel to the increasing number of tourists visiting the capital. The operator will begin issuing one-day and three-day passes, considering that 36.8 percent of foreign tourists visit Seoul for four to seven days on average, Seoul Metro said, citing its own polling. The base fare for a subway ride with a

Aug. 22, 2023

Man arrested after robbing convenience store with toy gun

A man was arrested on Monday for robbing a convenience store with a toy gun in Iksan, North Jeolla Province. He is accused of stealing 500,000 won ($373) from a convenience store while intimidating the clerk with a toy gun at 7 p.m. on Monday. The suspect, an Uruguayan national, is reported to have used a translator to demand money while threatening the clerk with the toy gun, which he kept concealed beneath his clothing. The police issued a code zero, denoting the highest response level, after

Aug. 22, 2023

Another baby for sale case sparks concern

Prosecutors have arrested and indicted a woman on charges of selling a newborn baby, officials said Tuesday, sparking concerns over continued reports of child trafficking cases. A woman in her 20s made a profit by selling the newborn baby of an unmarried woman for 3 million won ($2,239) after buying the baby for 980,000 won in 2019. The suspect read an online post by an expecting mother who was asking for advice on what to do with her unborn child, saying she got pregnant with her boyfriend with

Aug. 22, 2023