A look into next year's budget for welfare, defense

Defense South Korea's Defense Ministry has proposed to raise expenditures by around 17 percent to advance the development of an indigenous three-axis defense system, aimed at countering North Korean missile and nuclear threats and retaliating in the event of an attack. Total defense spending is estimated at approximately 59.6 trillion won ($45.1 billion), a 4.5 percent increase from last year, according to the ministry. An estimated 41.8 trillion won is earmarked for expenditures related to

Aug. 29, 2023

Divorcees say they could've been more generous or caring in past marriages

Divorced singles looking for new relationships regretted not having been more generous and kind toward their partners during their marriages, a survey showed Monday. According to the survey of 516 divorcees (258 men and 258 women), conducted by South Korean matchmaking agencies Only U and Bien-Aller, the highest percentage of male respondents at 29.1 percent said they should have been "more generous" in their past married life, while 32.2 percent of female respondents regretted not hav

Aug. 29, 2023

Korea to arm police officers with less lethal handguns

Tens of thousands of South Korea's police officers dedicated to crime deterrence and the patrolling of neighborhoods will be armed with new less-lethal handguns, as part of nationwide efforts to curb crimes without obvious motives, President Yoon Suk Yeol said at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday. The government expects the new measures to help law enforcement strengthen policing efforts, while serving as an alternative to conventional weapons to avoid police brutality. "All of the police o

Aug. 29, 2023

Man arrested after killing teen daughter and son in Gimhae

A man was arrested on Tuesday after a failed attempt to take his own life after killing his two children. Gimhae Jungbu Police Station announced Tuesday that a man in his 50s is being investigated on charges of murdering his two children on a hill in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province. According to the police, the man is suspected of murdering his two children -- his 17-year-old daughter and 16-year-old son -- in his vehicle. The daughter's teacher reported the teenager's absence from s

Aug. 29, 2023

Seoul Olympic Stadium to be turned into multifunctional space

The Seoul Olympic Stadium in Jamsil, southern Seoul, built for the 1988 Summer Olympics and a go-to concert venue for big-name singers, will turn into a multifunctional site that could house various sports and cultural events. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said that the sports complex will undergo three years of renovation starting Tuesday, and that the new space will welcome visitors in December 2026. The estimated budget for the renovation project is 360 billion won ($270 million). Under t

Aug. 29, 2023

Public concern grows over self-defense weapons used for crime

Public calls have risen for the need for tougher regulation of weapons intended for self-defense after a rape and murder in Seoul’s Sillim-dong on Aug. 17, in which the attacker punched a woman using brass knuckles he purchased online. The woman was declared dead two days after the incident, enraging the public even further. Brass knuckles are metal bands that are worn over the fingers to concentrate a punch’s force into a smaller area. Although tentative autopsy results revealed t

Aug. 29, 2023

Ministry asks for more surveillance cameras in crime-prone areas

Considering the recent rise in “mudjima” crimes, or “don’t ask why” crimes that have no obvious motive, the Ministry of Interior and Safety called for local governments’ cooperation in preventing such crimes during a joint meeting held on Monday. During the meeting, the ministry requested more surveillance cameras to be installed in crime-prone areas around the country, such as alleyways. The ministry also announced the nationwide need to implement a “Cr

Aug. 28, 2023

Seoul turns to catering services to boost seafood consumption

The South Korean government and politicians are scrambling to assure the public of the safety of consuming seafood amid growing concerns that Japan's 30-year plan to release radioactive water in northeastern Japan could be detrimental to the quality of seafood sourced from waters off the Korean Peninsula. Later this week, the government, the ruling People Power Party, the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives and meal service providers for corporations, including Samsung Wellstory, Ourho

Aug. 28, 2023

Online vendors sued over Kim Jong-un T-shirts

An online vendor has become embroiled in legal action for selling T-shirts featuring a smiling image of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, in a case highlighting the polarized perspectives of South Koreans towards their northern neighbor. Six right-wing activist groups have filed a joint civil lawsuit against two individual sellers, with e-commerce giants Naver and Coupang also named as defendants for displaying the product on their platforms. According to the complaint submitted to the Seoul Metr

Aug. 28, 2023

Coast Guard investigating body of woman found at sea

An unidentified woman’s body was found at sea near Gyodongdo, an island of Incheon bordering North Korea along the coastline. The Korea Coast Guard announced Monday it had received a report at around 10 a.m. on Sunday of a person who had drowned in the sea near the pier. The body was in an advanced state of decomposition and was found wearing both top and bottom garments. The Coast Guard initially identified the woman as a man, but later made a correction. The Coast Guard believes the body

Aug. 28, 2023

Man stabs 4 at bar, killing one

A man, 55, has been apprehended for going on a stabbing rampage at a bar in Geumho-eup, Yeongcheon city, North Gyeongsang Province on Sunday night, killing one person and injuring three others. According to the Gyeongbuk Provincial Police Agency on Monday, the suspect allegedly stabbed another man, 64, in the chest, who died while being transferred to the hospital. Three others sitting with the man also suffered injuries to the shoulder, wrist and left arm. When asked why he committed the crime,

Aug. 28, 2023

Teachers, govt. at odds over rally set for Sept. 4

Teachers and the government are locking horns over a massive rally on Sept. 4 where some 70,000 teachers plan to participate by taking a day off from school despite the government’s threat of disciplinary action. Under the slogan “a day to pause public education,” the teachers will rally on Sept. 4 to demand that parliament pass a bill to grant teachers immunity from child abuse claims. While the second semester has kicked off for many schools, the teachers plan to walk out of

Aug. 28, 2023

Rain expected nationwide as typhoons pass by neighboring countries

Rain is expected nationwide until Wednesday, Korea's weather authorities said Monday, as three typhoons are on course to pass waters near Japan and China. The Korea Meteorological Administration said it expects precipitation across the country and localized heavy rain. Heavy rainstorms, winds and thunderclouds are expected in the Greater Seoul area, starting Tuesday afternoon. About 30-80 millimeters of rain is expected in Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Gangwon Province, with northern Gyeongg

Aug. 28, 2023

Tipping culture sparks controversy among Koreans

A popular Seoul-based bagel shop recently became a lightning rod when a photo from the shop went viral online. Sitting next to the cash register was a tip jar -- a sight that touched the nerves of many Koreans who feel store owners are shifting the burden of rising operating costs to consumers by attempting to introduce gratuities. Tipping is not expected or practiced by customers in South Korea, but over the years, a few local businesses have started asking for tips. The bagel place in question

Aug. 27, 2023

1.26m Korean young people unemployed; over half hold college degrees

Over 1.26 million young South Koreans are unemployed, with more than half possessing an associate's degree or higher, government data showed Sunday. According to supplementary results of the "Economically Active Population Survey for the Young Population in May 2023” by Statistics Korea, there were 8.41 million people here aged 15 to 29 as of May this year. Of them, 4.52 million had either graduated from or are not currently attending elementary school, middle school, high school

Aug. 27, 2023

Bill proposed to revise act on online drug information management

As South Korea grapples with an alarming rise in drug-related crimes and an emerging online narcotics market, a ruling party lawmaker has proposed an amendment to the relevant law. Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun of the ruling People Power Party said Sunday he and 13 other lawmakers have proposed an amendment to the Act on Promotion of Information and Communication Network Utilization and Information Protection. The amendment stipulates that the Korea Communications Commission should prepare measures to pro

Aug. 27, 2023

Weapon-wielding man apprehended after 2 1/2-hour standoff with police

A weapon-wielding man has been apprehended following a 2 1/2-hour standoff with police in Seoul, prompting fears of a stabbing rampage targeting random people, but no one was hurt, officials have said. The man was detained at 10:05 p.m. Saturday in the parking lot of a residential building in the northwestern ward of Eunpyeong after a report was filed with the police at 7:26 p.m. that a man was carrying a weapon. During the standoff, the man brandished the weapons in both hands at the officers a

Aug. 27, 2023

4 men found dead at bed and breakfast facility in Bundang

SEONGNAM -- Four men were found dead Saturday at a bed and breakfast facility in Bundang, south of Seoul, sending police to investigate the cause of the deaths. Police received a report from the operator of the lodging service around noon that "four men were left dead in the same room." The four in their 30s and 40s reportedly arrived at the lodging establishment the previous evening. Police said no signs of foul play have been found in connection with the deaths so far, adding an inve

Aug. 26, 2023

Students released from custody after attempting to enter Japanese Embassy

Police on Saturday released 16 university students who were arrested for attempting to enter the Japanese Embassy in central Seoul in protest of Japan's discharge of radioactive water into the ocean. On Thursday, the students attempted to enter the Japanese Embassy, while chanting slogans against the discharge of the radioactive water. The police detained them at four police stations on charges of trespassing and violating the Assembly and Demonstration Act. Police said they will decide w

Aug. 26, 2023

Worker dies in waste oil company fire

HWASEONG -- One worker died Friday in a fire at waste oil recycling facility in Hwaseong, a satellite city of Seoul. The blaze broke out at the company, named TopEco, in the city, 45 kilometers south of Seoul, at 11:12 a.m. The 55-year-old employee of the company's subcontractor was found dead at the scene at 2:35 p.m. The fire reportedly started with an explosion at a storage tank at the company, which produces renewable fuel oil from waste oil. Eleven people were reportedly working near

Aug. 25, 2023