[Community Discovery] From fashion mecca to robotics hub: Gangnam-gu's new ambition

Gangnam-gu, a Seoul district famous for its luxury fashion, affluent neighborhoods, and Psy's "Gangnam Style," is now aiming to become a testbed for the robotics industry. The ward office said a robot cluster will be built in Suseo, in the southeastern part of the district, to provide testing grounds and nurture related industries. The robot testing grounds, known as Robot Plus Test Field, will span over 1,350 square meters and is set to open in July, according to the office. &ldq

July 3, 2024

Forum addresses paths to healthy aging

In search of solutions to achieve healthy aging as countries around the globe are set to join the "super-aged" club, the 2024 Health Ageing Forum on Tuesday shed light on the value of disease prevention to increase the number of years lived in good health. The forum, hosted by the British Embassy in Seoul and GSK Korea, was attended by health care experts, scholars and business representatives from Korea and overseas. In his opening remarks, British Ambassador Colin Crooks underscored

July 3, 2024

Senior doctors at Asan Medical Center to reduce procedures, outpatient care from Thursday

Senior doctors at Asan Medical Center, one of the five biggest hospitals in Seoul, said Wednesday they will cut procedures and outpatient care starting Thursday, blaming the government for causing disruptions in public health services in the wake of medical reform. Medical professors at the University of Ulsan, who serve as senior doctors at Asan Medical Center because the hospital is affiliated with the university, said the move is aimed at focusing on treatments for critically ill patients and

July 3, 2024

Son Heung-min's father questioned in child abuse investigation

Son Woong-jung, the father of South Korean football star Son Heung-min and director of his namesake football academy, has been questioned by prosecutors over his child abuse allegations, sources said Wednesday. Per sources, prosecutors in Chuncheon, some 75 kilometers northeast of Seoul, questioned Son and two of his coaches at Son Football Academy on Tuesday over charges that they had physically and verbally abused a young player. The academy is also located in the same Gangwon Province town. O

July 3, 2024

Minimum wage body votes down proposal for different rates by industry

The Minimum Wage Commission on Tuesday voted down a proposal to adopt different rates by industry next year. In a vote that took place during the commission's plenary session at the government complex in the central city of Sejong, 15 were against the different minimum wage rates, while 11 were in favor. There was one invalid vote. Since differentiated minimum wages were adopted for the first time in 1988, the same minimum wage has been set annually across all industrial sectors. The ma

July 2, 2024

Gwangju school under fire for not reporting knife-wielding student

Teachers and parents at a middle school in Gwangju have strongly protested a lack of action by school officials, who failed to report to authorities a recent violent outburst by a student wielding a knife. According to the Gwangju branch of the Korean Teachers and Educational Worker's Union, 25 of the 27 teachers of the school submitted a petition to the Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education on Tuesday calling for its principal and vice principal to be replaced. "The principal did n

July 2, 2024

No kids at the pool? Hotels turn backs on families

Low birth rates are not just statistics; their implications are evident across various aspects of Korean society, including the vacation scene. As childless couples and solo vacationers emerge as key target customers, more South Korean hotels and resorts are adopting adults-only policies to cultivate a serene and sophisticated ambience for adult guests. This trend, coming on top of an increase in “no-kid” venues in the country, raises questions about inclusivity and how to balance

July 2, 2024

Boy stabs female classmate before jumping out window

A high school student boy has stabbed his female classmate and jumped out of a high-rise apartment building while on the run -- the latter suspected to be a suicide attempt. The girl sustained a serious injury and is currently recovering from surgery. Meanwhile, the boy remains in a serious condition as of Tuesday. According to Ansan Danwon Police Station in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, the suspect launched the attack on the victim at around 3:40 p.m. on Monday, in the bathroom at a hagwon they bot

July 2, 2024

Construction begins on K-pop performance venue

Seoul's first K-pop specialized performance venue, Seoul Arena cultural complex, in Chang-dong in Dobong District, northern Seoul, officially commenced construction on Tuesday, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced. The groundbreaking ceremony took place at the construction site in Chang-dong on Tuesday afternoon. Key attendees included Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, Kakao CEO Chung Shin-a, First Vice Minister of Culture Chun Byong-geuk, Dobong-gu District Head Oh Un-Seok, Nowon-gu District

July 2, 2024

[From the Scene] Passersby, families mourn tragic deaths of 9 killed by wrong-way driver

Bouquets of white chrysanthemums were laid next to Exit No. 7 of Seoul's City Hall Station on Tuesday, the rainy morning after a car crash that resulted in nine deaths in the area. Though most of the crime scene had been cleared, remnants of the accident lingered in the morning. A temporary fence enclosed the destroyed guardrails from Monday’s car crash, and police officials remained stationed at the site. Pedestrians passing by paused to look at the flowers, with some laying down t

July 2, 2024

Vehicle malfunction or negligence? Probe of deadly car crash begins

Police on Tuesday opened an investigation into a 68-year-old man for a car accident late Monday that claimed the lives of nine people and left four injured in central Seoul. They said they had mobilized forensic scientists and investigators to determine the cause of the crash, which the driver says was caused by a vehicle fault, a claim experts have cast doubt on. Police are seeking a warrant to arrest the driver on suspicion of negligent driving resulting in death, according to Chung Yong-woo,

July 2, 2024

Deadly car accident reignites debate over senior drivers

The deadly car accident that left nine people dead in Seoul Monday night has rekindled debate over whether the government should revisit a conditional driver's license system for older driver, which it shelved in May amid public backlash over potential infringement of the human right to mobility for older people. As of now, it is unclear how a car driven by a 68-year-old man came to plow into pedestrians near Seoul City Hall. The driver claimed the vehicle suddenly accelerated not due to hi

July 2, 2024

Seoul education chief vows 'inclusive' classrooms

Cho Hee-yeon, superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, pledged to put his utmost efforts into creating inclusive classrooms for minorities and students of multicultural backgrounds, while emphasizing the successful implementation of digital textbooks. Speaking at a press conference at the Education Office on Tuesday to mark the 10th anniversary of his inauguration, Cho highlighted his goal of bringing diversity and inclusiveness to schools across Seoul, addressing the import

July 2, 2024

Police kick off 2-month crackdown on reckless motorists

The South Korean police said Tuesday they had commenced a nationwide clampdown against groups of reckless drivers and motorcyclists across the country, which will continue until Aug. 31. Groups of people riding motorcycles or driving cars aggressively without obeying the traffic law are known locally as pokjujok. Although they are not motorcycle gangs or other organized crime groups, the dangerous driving in itself has sparked concern. In a recent case on June 25 in Cheonan, South Chungcheong

July 2, 2024

Ward office to limit evening access to Bukchon Hanok Village

The Jongno-gu district office said Tuesday it would limit tourist access to Bukchon Hanok Village in the evening starting in October, to relieve stress for local residents and protect the historic infrastructure there. Tourist entry to residential areas in the village will be prohibited from 5 p.m. to 10 a.m., aimed at reducing noise and ensuring residents' privacy during these hours. The restricted area, designated as Red Zones, includes Bukchon-ro 11-gil, where residential hanoks are dens

July 2, 2024

[Graphic News] Monthly births rise for first time in 19 months

The number of babies born in South Korea marked on-year growth for the first time in 19 months in April, data showed, as the country is struggling to boost its ultralow birth rate. A total of 19,049 babies were born in April 2024, up 2.8 percent from a year earlier, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea. It was the first time since September 2022 that the figure logged on-year growth. “The growth came as the number of newly married couples rose over the past couple of years

July 2, 2024

Yoon calls for swift response to central Seoul accident

President Yoon Suk Yeol ordered related government agencies to respond swiftly to the deadly car accident that took place late Monday near Seoul city hall. “President Yoon was briefed about the car accident and ordered the minister of interior and safety, and the chief of the National Fire Agency to ‘focus all resources to rescue and treatment of the victims,” Kim Soo-kyung, the president spokesperson said in a written briefing Monday evening. The incident took place at around

July 1, 2024

At least 9 dead in central Seoul car accident: reports

A major traffic accident occurred near Seoul's City Hall Station in Jung-gu, Seoul, killing at least nine pedestrians and injuring four others, according to fire authorities. According to the National Fire Agency, a vehicle drove onto the sidewalk at an intersection near Exit 12 of City Hall Station at around 9:26 p.m., hitting pedestrians who were waiting to cross the street. Police arrested a man in his 60s at the scene. The driver is reportedly claiming that the accident was caused by a

July 1, 2024

Teen on joyride damages 4 cars

Officers at a police station in Gyeonggi Province said Monday it is investigating a teenager on possible violation of the Road Traffic Act, after unlicensed driving by the adolescent led to a collision with four cars. The teenage suspect, whose identity was withheld, took a Hyundai Sonata around 11:10 p.m. Sunday and drove it around Dongan-gu, Anyang, 18 kilometers south of Seoul. He told police that he had done so because he had an argument with his mother. The boy, who did not have a driver&

July 1, 2024

Alleged coercive investigation by police of falsely accused man sparks furor

A local branch of the South Korean police is facing public scrutiny over its alleged coercive investigation of a man who was wrongfully accused of threatening a woman with sexual molestation. The Hwaseong Dongtan Police Station in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province recently posted a notice on its homepage telling the public that internet users have wrongly identified multiple police officers as responsible for the controversial handling of the recent case. But people responded by chastising the police

July 1, 2024