Suspected human case of tularemia found in Suwon, raw beef liver suspected

A suspected human case of tularemia, a rare disease carried by rodents, insects and wild animals, was found in a resident of Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, health authorities said Monday. A man in his 20s experienced abdominal pain and fever after eating raw beef liver at a restaurant on June 24. He was admitted to a local hospital, where he tested positive for the tularemia bacterium. Although he dined with a companion, only he exhibited symptoms. He recovered and was discharged from hospital on

July 8, 2024

Average smoothie contains 13 teaspoons of sugar: study

The average smoothie served in a cafe contains the equivalent of 13 teaspoons of sugar, a recent study showed. The Health and Environment Institute of Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Monday the results of its analysis of 93 smoothie drinks from small and medium-sized cafes, where the nutritional content of drinks is not labeled. The cafes subject to investigation, which ran from April to June, were located near hagwons, or private cram schools, particularly frequented by teenagers. The a

July 8, 2024

Foul play suspected in Incheon cat deaths

Police in Incheon are investigating a possible case of animal abuse after four stray cats were found dead Thursday at an apartment complex in the city. According to Incheon Namdong Police Station, the cats were found dead at around 4 p.m. at an apartment complex in Guweol-dong, in Incheon's Namdong-gu. One of the cats had its legs cut off. Police are checking the surveillance footage of the area around the apartment complex. They also asked the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency to conduct

July 8, 2024

Govt. to halt administrative steps against striking trainee doctors for breakthrough

The government is likely to halt the suspension of licenses and other administrative steps against striking trainee doctors in an effort to seek a breakthrough in monthslong medical service disruptions, officials said Monday. Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong is scheduled to hold a press briefing later in the day after a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, during which he will announce measures that would help facilitate dialogue and resolve the ongoing standoff

July 8, 2024

Heavy rain batters central regions; 1 resident missing after landslide

Heavy rain pounded much of the country Monday, leaving roads flooded and many residents evacuating for safety, as rescue efforts are under way to find a person missing in the central county of Okcheon following a landslide. In Yeongyang county in North Gyeongsang Province, 55.5 mm of rainfall hit the region in an hour from 3 a.m., and 52.5 mm of downpours per hour had been recorded as of 3:30 a.m. in nearby Andong, 192 kilometers southeast of Seoul, according to the Korea Meteorological Administ

July 8, 2024

[Graphic News] Over 3 million S. Koreans use ChatGPT app: data

The number of South Koreans using the ChatGPT mobile app has surpassed 3 million, representing 6 percent of the country's total smartphone users, according to a report by market research firm Wiseapp Retail Goods. In just four months, user numbers nearly doubled, rising from 1.62 million in January to 3.15 million in May, underscoring the increasing popularity of the AI-powered chatbot. Demographically, more than half of ChatGPT users in Korea are in their 20s (28.6 percent) and 30s (23.4

July 8, 2024

Deadly City Hall car crash fuels hatred toward senior drivers

Following the deadly car crash near central Seoul on July 1, debate has rekindled over whether seniors aged 65 and up should be eligible to drive, with some openly expressing hatred toward older drivers online. On July 1, a vehicle crashed into pedestrians waiting at traffic light at an intersection near Exit No. 7 of Seoul’s City Hall Station in Jung-gu, central Seoul, as it drove in the wrong direction and collided with two vehicles before hitting the pedestrians. In the end, this car cr

July 7, 2024

Race for med school under new quota begins with special admissions

The race to enter medical schools here for the 2025 academic year will kick off this week, starting with the admissions process for international students and South Korean nationals residing overseas, officials said Sunday. The announcement comes despite continued protests from the medical circle calling on the government to scrap its planned hike, including medical students' boycott of their medical school classes and junior doctors' walkout since February. Twelve medical schools will

July 7, 2024

Koreans indulge more in canned food, cut down on facial makeup: survey

More South Koreans are consuming canned food and smoking, but are also opting to go makeup-free, according to a state-led survey released Sunday. According to the National Institute of Environmental Research's three-year biomonitoring survey of 6,608 Koreans from 2021-2023, 4.2 percent of adults aged over 19 reported consuming canned products, including food and beverages, more than four times a week. This marks an increase of 0.5 percentage points from 3.7 percent in the previous survey

July 7, 2024

1 in 5 S. Korean women threatened with sexual extortion: study

  An international study claims that one in five women in South Korea has faced threats of intimate images of them being released, the highest share among the 10 countries surveyed. According to recently released research conducted by RMIT University based in Melbourne, Australia in partnership with Google, which surveyed 16,693 adults across 10 countries, including 1,641 from S. Korea, 19.1 percent of South Korean women reported being victims of sexual extortion. The study defined sexual e

July 7, 2024

How Korea's laws block adoptees' descendants from finding their families

Korean-Dutch Marrit Kim van der Staaij teared up as she read a long-awaited email confirming that there were records of her mother’s adoption that she had never seen. South Korean adoption agency Korea Social Service disclosed that they had verified her mother’s birth date and Korean name, and had even uncovered information about her biological grandfather. “All her life, my mother thought that her name and birth date were made up by the adoption agency, and that bothered her

July 7, 2024

Govt. expected to announce measures against defiant trainee doctors this week

The government is expected to announce measures to deal with trainee doctors who refuse to return to hospitals in protest of medical reform as early as this week, officials said Sunday. The government is set to announce its measures on the junior doctors, who have left their worksites since late February, as early as Monday, according to government officials. Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong earlier pledged to introduce such measures in early July, as hospitals need to prepare for the recruitment o

July 7, 2024

U-turning car hits pedestrians near Seoul Station; 2 injured

A car driven by a man in his 80s hit pedestrians while U-turning on a road in central Seoul on Saturday, injuring two people, police said. The accident occurred as the vehicle drove left into a pedestrian crossing in front of a gas station near Seoul Station, the police said. The car was supposed to turn the course in the opposite direction as it was making a U-turn, the police said. The car hit one pedestrian and moved about 20 meters before hitting another person. It stopped after crashing int

July 6, 2024

4% of teenagers asked to send sexual images: survey

Amid growing concerns over digital sex crimes in South Korea, 3.9 percent of middle and high school students nationwide have experienced being asked to send or share sexual images, a state survey showed. The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family announced the results of the 2023 survey on awareness and experience of child and youth concerning sexual exploitation on Thursday. The survey is conducted every three years in accordance with Article 53 of the Youth Sexual Protection Act. Conducted wit

July 6, 2024

South Korea sees hottest June temperatures in 52 years: KMA

South Korea’s average June temperatures were recorded as the highest since weather records were first taken 52 years ago, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration, Thursday. According to an official report issued by the KMA, Korea saw average temperatures reaching up to 22.7 degrees Celsius, making it 1.3 C higher than in previous years. Korea also saw up to 2.8 heat wave days in June, which was 2.1 days more than the number of heat wave days in June recorded on average. Heat w

July 6, 2024

Fire breaks out at Korail headquarter; traffic controlled near Seoul Station

A fire broke out at 9:40 a.m. at the Korail's Seoul headquarter in Yongsan-gu, central Seoul on Saturday, and multiple firefighters have been dispatched to the scene. The fire has been extinguished as of Saturday morning, and no casualties have been reported. Parts of the road from the intersection above the Sookmyung Women's University Station to the intersection at the western part of the Seoul Station were temporarily blocked due to the accident.

July 6, 2024

Sejong University ranks 3rd among Korean college in world ranking

Sejong University ranked third in Korea in the US News 2024-2025 World University Rankings released by US News. Globally, it secured the 241st position. The university's domestic ranking has shown rapid improvement, moving from 15th in 2020 to third this year. Globally, Sejong climbed from 629th in 2021 to 241st in 2024, an impressive jump of 156 places from last year. This growth is largely due to the excellent research capabilities of Sejong University's faculty members, who are reco

July 5, 2024

Just 1 in 4 Korean teens 'content with life'

Among the 15-year-olds in South Korea, 26.1 percent said they were satisfied with their lives, 7.7 percentage points lower than the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, a recent study showed. According to the report released by the National Center for the Rights of the Child (NCRC), 22.3 percent of children reported low life satisfaction, 4.4 percentage points higher than the OECD average of 17.9 percent. The OECD used a 10-point scale for life satisfaction and looked at the pr

July 5, 2024

Yoon to attend NATO summit in Washington, visit Indo-Pacific Command

President Yoon Suk Yeol will attend the North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit in Washington next week and visit the US Indo-Pacific Command in Hawaii, the presidential office announced Friday. Principal deputy national security adviser Kim Tae-hyo informed reporters that President Yoon would arrive in Washington on Wednesday to meet leaders of NATO member countries and the NATO leadership. The discussions will focus on the war in Ukraine and the cooperation between the transatlantic secu

July 5, 2024

Man turns self in over offensive comment about car crash victims

A man who left an insulting message about the victims of Monday night's car crash in central Seoul, which left nine dead or four injured, has turned himself in to the police. Seoul Namdaemun Police Station said Friday it was investigating a man in his 20s, who turned himself in for leaving a memo mocking the victims at the make-shift altar for the victims near the Seoul City Hall in Jung-gu, central Seoul. He told police at around 3:15 p.m. on Thursday that he wished to turn himself in, s

July 5, 2024