Number of heatstroke patients surges amid searing heat

The number of heatstroke patients in South Korea has surged in the past two days, following a heat wave that hit the country after the end of the rainy season. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) on Saturday, 46 people were diagnosed with heatstroke across the country Wednesday and 62 on Thursday, when a heat wave warning was in place for most parts of the country. The daily tallies represent a sharp increase from the four cases reported Sunday, the agency said. H

July 29, 2023

Fire breaks out at Lotte Department Store, no casualties reported

A fire broke out on the first floor of the Lotte Department Store in Jamsil, Songpa-gu, southern Seoul, on Friday evening. Some 1,000 people were evacuated from the store. The fire was extinguished at 8:17 p.m., 20 minutes after it was reported, according to the fire authorities. There were no reported casualties. More than 100 firefighters and 31 fire trucks and ambulances were deployed to the scene. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

July 28, 2023

Man attempts to cash in on Sillim stabbing

A man in his 60s is under police investigation for attempting to defraud the public with a donation box at a tribute site in Sillim-dong, Seoul, the location of a recent stabbing spree that left one dead and three injured. According to authorities, the man set up a box marked "donations for victims' families" at the memorial site without the consent of the victims' relatives. Upon discovering the box, the victims' families and mourning citizens reported the man to the po

July 28, 2023

VAT exemption for veterinary services to be expanded

The value-added tax will be exempted for veterinary expenses related to a number of common diseases in pets starting from October. The Ministry of Economy and Finance announced on Thursday that they will expand the conditions for VAT exemption on veterinary services for pets to alleviate the financial burden of medical expenses. The scope of exempted services will be expanded to include disease prevention and treatments. The Finance Ministry listed about 100 treatments and diseases, such as neut

July 28, 2023

Army officers accused of workplace abuse

Senior officers from the South Korean Army’s 9th Infantry Division are facing allegations of workplace abuse against drafted soldiers, according to the Center for Military Human Rights Korea. In press conferences Wednesday and Thursday, the non-governmental military watchdog detailed alleged instances of misconduct by senior officers against their subordinates serving at the infantry division’s dining facility in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. The facility, which provides food service to

July 28, 2023

Yoon nominates new KCC head despite school bullying controversy

President Yoon Suk Yeol nominated Lee Dong-kwan, his special adviser for external relations, as the next head of the Korea Communications Commission on Friday. “Lee is well-qualified for the position as he has served as spokesperson and senior secretary for public relations to the presidential office,” said Kim Dae-ki, presidential chief of staff, during a briefing at the presidential office. “Based on his experience in the media and in various areas of human relations, as well

July 28, 2023

Why Korea's parenting icon faces blame for recent surge in teacher assaults

Dr. Oh Eun-young has risen to prominence as a South Korean TV personality in recent years thanks to her medical assessments and advice on parenting and mental health, captivating audiences still concerned about seeking psychiatric help due to the social stigma surrounding such treatments. The star psychiatrist, however, has recently found herself at the center of controversy, with some internet users and teachers blaming her that teachers are becoming more powerless because of Oh's parentin

July 28, 2023

Police investigate child's death at day care

Daegu police are investigating the death of a 3-year-old girl at a day care center. On June 21, the child was discovered unconscious and not breathing with traces of vomit around her mouth during nap time. The family of the child claims the responsibility lies with the day care staff, while the child's teacher claims she was occupied with other tasks at the time. Despite the teacher performing cardiopulmonary resuscitations and rushing the child to hospital, the child died. No apparent exte

July 28, 2023

Culprit behind gator scare in Yeongju may have been giant lizard

Sightings of an alligator, which had startled a rural village in Yeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, may have been sightings of a giant lizard, local authorities said Friday. At around 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, fire officials captured a 70-centimeter-long creature, identified as a savannah monitor lizard, on the premise of a factory in Hyucheon-dong in Yeongju. The species is native to Africa and can reach a maximum length of 1.3 meters, weighing up to 70 kilograms. The creature was captured more t

July 28, 2023

Police conclude no hazardous substance in suspicious int'l parcels

Police have concluded that no hazardous substances were found in thousands of suspicious international parcels that had sparked fears of terrorism, officials said Friday. Police had been looking into whether terrorism was involved after thousands of international parcels received nationwide were reported to authorities for suspicions of containing suspicious substances. The incident first came to light when three people working at a welfare center for the disabled in the southeastern city of Uls

July 28, 2023

Stabbing rampage suspect says, 'I am sorry'

The suspect in last week's fatal stabbing rampage in Seoul said, "I am sorry," as he was transferred to the prosecution Friday for further investigation and indictment. Cho Seon, 33, made the remark amid a barrage of questions from reporters as he was escorted out of the Seoul Gwanak Police Station on his way to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office. The police referred him to the prosecution on four charges, including murder and attempted murder. "I am sorry," C

July 28, 2023

S. Korea to take on China, Thailand in World Cup qualifiers

South Korea will take on China and Thailand in the second round of the Asian qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup beginning in November. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) held the draw for the regional qualifiers for the big tournament Thursday. South Korea, ranked 28th, ended up with 80th-ranked China and 113th-ranked Thailand in Group C. The fourth team in the group will be the winner of the first round matchup between Singapore and Guam. The first Group C matches will be played on

July 27, 2023

Pope Francis sends peace message on 70th Korean War armistice anniversary

Pope Francis wished for peace on the Korean Peninsula in a message sent to a special mass commemorating the 70th armistice anniversary of the 1950-53 Korean War on Thursday. Cardinal Lazzaro You Heung-sik read the message from the pope during a special mass commemorating the anniversary held at Myeongdong Cathedral in downtown Seoul. "The various wars and armed conflicts that in these days are afflicting the human family, especially the most vulnerable of our brothers and sisters, are a t

July 27, 2023

'Stench of death' leads to discovery of 50 neglected dogs

What began three years ago as one man's solitary life with two dogs in a small apartment in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, devolved into a distressing case of animal neglect that left a neighborhood in turmoil and 50 dogs desperate for rescue. Over the past week, residents began lodging complaints about the incessant barking and foul odor emanating from the unit, which one neighbor likened to the scent of "a rotting corpse." The barking, residents said, was so frequent and lou

July 27, 2023

[Reporter's Notebook] Bereaved families do not deserve abuse

Fuming with rage and shedding tears were bereaved family members of victims in the deadly Halloween crowd crush in Itaewon last year, following the Constitutional Court's verdict Tuesday that cleared Interior and Safety Minister Lee Sang-min of legal accountability for the incident. An unidentified man's yelling sparked an outcry from the bereaved family members, who flocked to the crowded street in front of the court as they were attempting to speak to the press. Tuesday marked 270 da

July 27, 2023

'Mom cafes' target Jang Won-young of Ive

Jang Won-young of K-pop group Ive has come under fire in some "mom cafes" -- online boards frequented by mothers -- over a clip of the singer avoiding the touch of a young child. The video shows the 18-year-old K-pop star flinching away from a young boy who approaches her and attempts to touch her arm. One of her bandmates, Gaeul, is also shown glancing at the boy. A staff member who was walking behind the singers quickly stepped to stop the boy from making further contact. Some mom ca

July 27, 2023

S. Korea to expand support for multiple births

Parents with twins and other multiple-birth babies could be given more subsidies, longer maternity leave and postpartum care support, the Korean government said Thursday in a new proposal. Under the Ministry of Health and Welfare‘s plan, the amount of vouchers given to mothers of multiple-birth babies that can be used to pay medical bills for pregnancy or maternity services would be increased to 1 million won ($790) per child, from the current total of 1.4 million won. This means if a moth

July 27, 2023

Gongju’s lost mascot, Goma Bear, found 11 days after swept away in flood

Still smiling and waving a friendly hand, Gongju City's beloved mascot, Goma Bear, was found safe and sound Wednesday, 11 days after it was swept away by severe flooding, the Gongju city government said Thursday. The bear sculpture, originally stationed on the South Chungcheong Province city's Mireu Island in the Geum River, had gone missing on July 15, when the region experienced massive river flooding due to heavy downpours. Gongju received a total of 509.5 millimeters of rain betwee

July 27, 2023

[Contribution] Two new indices shed fresh light on gender inequality worldwide

By Lee Jeong-shim How we measure national “progress” and “development” matters, including on gender equality. Without appropriate, realistic assessment of our achievements and remaining challenges, we cannot correctly identify necessary actions and priorities. This is why in a new global report launched this week at the Women Deliver Conference in Rwanda, UN Women and the United Nations Development Programme jointly proposed and utilized two new indices for measuring gend

July 27, 2023

Malicious comment of Suzy upheld as insult after 8 years in court

The Supreme Court concluded that a man who wrote online comments about actor Bae Suzy using the expression "national hotel girl" is guilty of insulting her, confirming the lower court's sentence of a fine of 500,000 won ($390), Thursday, nearly eight years after the offense occurred. On Oct. 29, 2015, a man in his 40s wrote in an online comment about Suzy: "A bubble created by media manipulation, just a national hotel girl." The first trial had concluded that the express

July 27, 2023