What Seoul wants its smart-city initiative to fix first

Seoul residents put traffic congestion, late-night crime and fine dust at the top of the city problems they want technology to solve. The findings come from a survey of 8,531 people living in Seoul. Conducted online and offline in February 2025, it was released Sunday as the city lays out its plans for tech-forward upgrades through 2030. Transportation was the biggest concern overall, cited by 37.5 percent of respondents, followed by environmental issues at 21.2 percent and safety at 16.2 percen

2026-08-30 16:46:55:00

Sewol activist tapped as gender equality minister

Yong Hye-in’s path into public life began with a silent march she organized as a university student to mourn the victims of the 2014 Sewol ferry disaster. Over a decade later, the two-term lawmaker has been nominated as gender equality and family minister. At 36, the progressive Basic Income Party floor leader is the first Cabinet nominee born in the 1990s. She helped found the party in 2020 around a pledge to provide every citizen with 600,000 won ($435) a month. Yong entered parliament that ye

2026-08-30 14:35:52:00

Prosecution reform architect tapped as justice minister

A former judge who became a leading architect of the ruling party’s prosecution overhaul has been nominated to lead Korea’s Justice Ministry. Kim Seung-won, 57, is a two-term Democratic Party lawmaker and a member of the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee. Born in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, in 1969, Kim studied law at Seoul National University and passed the bar in 1996. He joined the bench in 2002, serving at the Jeonju and Suwon district courts, before leaving in 2009 to pr

2026-08-30 13:56:43:00

One line or two? Koreans can’t agree on escalator etiquette

South Koreans are almost perfectly split over a surprisingly contentious question: How should you ride an escalator? A government survey of 1,000 adults in seven major cities found 50.1 percent preferred standing on one side and leaving the other open for people in a hurry. The other 49.9 percent said passengers should stand still in two lines. The near-even divide has revived a decades-old commuter debate in South Korea — and challenged the assumption that leaving one side open is always faster

2026-08-30 13:27:43:00

Police recover more remains of Chinese student allegedly killed by lecturer

Police in southeastern South Korea have recovered additional remains of a female Chinese graduate student allegedly killed and dismembered by a Chinese university lecturer, authorities said Sunday. Gyeongsan Police Station in North Gyeongsang Province said the remains were found Saturday while officers searched locations identified by the 31-year-old Chinese suspect, surnamed Jeong. Police have been taking Jeong to locations where he said he disposed of the victim's remains. Investigators believ

2026-08-30 10:41:02:00

Choi Si-won steps in to stop a tourist from smoking at Gyeongbokgung

Super Junior member and actor Choi Si-won inadvertently became part of Seoul's fire prevention campaign when he asked a foreign tourist to stop smoking at Gyeongbokgung in Seoul, according to a video uploaded to his YouTube channel on Tuesday. The video, titled "A rainy palace tour, Gyeongbokgung (feat. Yang In-eok)," was posted Tuesday and shows Choi touring the Joseon-era palace with Yang In-eok, a volunteer guide. While the two were talking near one of the palace's stone sculptures, a foreign

2026-08-21 16:19:46:00

Two brothers found dead in Uijeongbu

Police are investigating the deaths of two brothers in their 40s and 50s at an apartment in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province, on Friday. According to police and fire authorities, a report was received around 10 a.m. that a person had fallen from a 15-story apartment building in the city. A man in his 50s who lived on the 15th floor was found after the fall and taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Firefighters forced open the door to his apartment while checking his residence and found

2026-08-21 16:16:00:00

Former airline pilot gets life for murder, plot to kill 5 others

A 49-year-old former airline pilot who plotted to kill six former colleagues and fatally stabbed one of them was sentenced to life in prison Friday. The Busan District Court convicted Kim Dong-hwan of murder, attempted murder, preparing to commit murder, trespassing and violating information network laws. The court also ordered him to wear an electronic tracking device for 30 years. Kim was accused of fatally stabbing a former airline captain at an apartment in Busanjin-gu, Busan, on March 17. A

2026-08-21 11:30:06:00

[Contribution] Building a safer digital order through global cooperation

The digital revolution of the 21st century has brought humanity remarkable advances, fundamentally transforming the way we structure our societies and lead our daily lives. However, technological progress always brings new security challenges. Today, the surge in deepfake-based digital sex crimes and the viral spread of sophisticated disinformation are eroding social trust and making it increasingly difficult to distinguish fact from fabrication. Coupled with advancing phishing scams, cryptocurr

2026-08-20 15:31:53:00

Seoul’s matchmaking hit returns, this time on a Han River bus

Seoul is taking its city-run dating program to the Han River, inviting 100 single residents to meet at a matchmaking event next month. The Sept. 19 event, officially titled “Seolleim in Seoul,” will run from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Ttukseom Hangang Park and bring together 50 men and 50 women aged 25 to 45. The program will include a ride on the city’s Han River bus, dating coaching, games, dinner and group conversations. Applicants must be unmarried Seoul residents and economically active as employe

2026-08-17 16:56:12:00