Court acknowledges KakaoTalk profile could be used to convey threats

Images and messages displayed on a KakaoTalk user's profile can be perceived as a threat, a Seoul court said recently, acknowledging the popular messenger app’s potential use in illegal activities such as making threats or stalking. In a case filed with the Seoul Central District Court, three parents accused the chief of a hagwon, or private education academy, of online threats by posting intimidating photos on his KakaoTalk profile that only they could see. Users of the mobile messen

July 31, 2023

Civic groups say foreign nanny plan is ‘exploitation’

The Korean government said Monday that it will have about 100 foreign domestic helpers working in housework and child care at home in Seoul on a trial basis from as early as this year. The plan was immediately met with opposition from civic groups here, who called it “exploitation.” The Labor Ministry said at a public hearing that it would launch a pilot project to test out the foreign domestic helper system in Korean society, in order to respond to the demand for domestic care labor

July 31, 2023

Seoul Metro to drop use of original Chinese pronunciation in station names

Seoul Metro said Monday it will stop pronouncing some subway train station names in original Chinese during its station arrival announcements starting August. At present, Seoul Metro offers prerecorded voice announcements in four languages -- Korean, English, Japanese and Chinese -- inside trains to give the upcoming station name, possible line transfers and the door exiting side. All station names are pronounced as proper Korean nouns in the foreign language announcements. To the confusion of m

July 31, 2023

Interior ministry activates emergency headquarters over heavy rain alerts

The interior and safety ministry began operating its disaster management headquarters as heavy rain alerts were issued for Seoul and other regions Sunday, officials said. At 6 p.m., the ministry started the first-stage operation of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters. The heavy rain alert level was raised to "caution" from the previous "attention." The government runs the headquarters in three stages -- with the third stage being the highest -- to pre

July 30, 2023

11 dead from heat-related illnesses, four drown over weekend

Eleven people died of heat-related illnesses and four people drowned to death over the weekend in South Korea, authorities said Sunday. The death toll from heat-related illnesses included mostly people in their 70s and older found dead inside greenhouses or on farms in regions where temperatures shot up to daily highs of between 33 and 36 degrees Celsius. Seven people died due to the heat on Saturday alone, the Ministry of Interior and Safety said Sunday. Four more deaths were reported Sunday. T

July 30, 2023

Teachers demand protections against unfair child abuse claims

Over 30,000 teachers and supporters rallied in downtown Seoul on Saturday, calling for the revision of South Korea's child abuse law, which they argue allows parents to unjustly accuse teachers of misconduct without a thorough investigation. The protesters say the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Child Abuse Crimes permits parents to accuse teachers of child abuse and report them to law enforcement without thoroughly investigating the situation or providing opportunities fo

July 30, 2023

COVID-19 cases surge for 4 weeks in row amid eased restrictions

As the government gears up to lift the last of its COVID-19 restrictions, the nation is grappling with a surge of cases, recording the highest number of daily infections since half a year ago. According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters on Sunday, the nation saw a 35.8 percent on-week increase in confirmed cases in the third week of July, the fourth such jump in as many weeks. In particular, the number of patients over 60 rose significantly, showing a 44 percent increase. On July 19,

July 30, 2023

Korean doctors rake in sky-high pay amid shortages

Korea has the second-lowest number of physicians among members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, leading to some of the highest doctors' wages among surveyed member nations. Doctors in Korea earn the most among 28 member countries that provided related data. Following Korea, the highest earners are in the Netherlands, Germany, Ireland and the UK. The US was among the countries for which data was not provided. Measured by PPP, which takes into account local living

July 30, 2023

More suspected cases of cats with avian influenza reported in Seoul

Four days after two cats were confirmed to have been infected with avian influenza, commonly called bird flu, at an animal shelter in Seoul, three more suspected bird flu cases in cats were reported in the city on Saturday. The three suspected cases of H5N1 virus infections were found at a cat shelter in Gwanak-gu, Seoul, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said, adding that it will take two or three days to find out if the infections were highly pathogenic, resulting in sev

July 30, 2023

3.5 magnitude quake strikes North Jeolla Province: weather agency

A 3.5 magnitude earthquake struck northern Jangsu, 216 kilometers south of Seoul, on Saturday, South Korea's weather agency reported, with no casualties or damage being immediately reported. The quake occurred in the region in North Jeolla Province at 7:07 p.m. according to the Korea Meteorological Administration. The KMA initially reported the earthquake was a magnitude of 4.1 but shortly revised it down. The depth was estimated at 6 kilometers. It was the third-strongest quake to occur on

July 29, 2023

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