Gangnam offers online Korean classes for foreign residents

Gangnam-gu in Seoul will pilot a free online Korean-language course for foreign residents, members of multicultural families and other beginner-level learners. The course, titled “My First Korean,” will open May 20 through Gangnam Internet Lecture, or Gangnam Ingang, the district’s public online education platform (https://edu.ingang.go.kr/NGLMS). Based on a curriculum developed by Seoul National University’s Language Education Institute, the program consists of four beginner-level courses, 68 l

2026-05-15 12:01:12:00

BTS concert fire threat lands man suspended sentence

A man in his 50s was given a suspended prison sentence for posting online threats to throw petrol bombs at a BTS comeback performance planned for Gwanghwamun, in a case that prompted police action within hours of the posts. The Seoul Northern District Court sentenced the 54-year-old man, surnamed Kang, to 10 months in prison, suspended for two years, on charges of making public threats, local media outlet News1 reported Friday. The court also ordered him to undergo probation and complete 200 hou

2026-05-15 10:50:35:00

Dating costs more, but young Koreans say it’s worth it

Dating is becoming another cost pressure for young Koreans, but many say the financial burden is not enough to make them give up on romance. About 7 in 10 Koreans in their 20s and 30s said they felt dating involved a heavy financial burden, according to a survey by NRISE, operator of the social discovery app Wippy. The survey was conducted among 1,485 male and female Wippy users in that age group. Nearly half of respondents said the burden had increased sharply, with 47.1 percent of men and 50.5

2026-05-15 10:47:04:00

Overseas Koreans can access public sites without Korean phones

South Koreans living overseas will be able to use local mobile numbers and electronic passports to verify their identities on Korean public websites, easing a long-running inconvenience for millions of nationals abroad. The Overseas Koreans Agency and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said Wednesday they have improved a digital authentication service so overseas Koreans can use a certificate for overseas nationals without needing a Korean mobile phone number. Until now, many Koreans abroad

2026-05-06 14:33:21:00

Gwangju manhunt underway after teen girl killed in knife attack

Police in Gwangju are searching for a man in his 20s suspected of fatally stabbing a high school girl and injuring another student who tried to help her. The attack occurred at around 12:10 a.m. Tuesday on a pedestrian path near Nambu University in Gwangsan-gu, according to the Gwangju Gwangsan Police Station. The girl, 17, was stabbed by an unidentified man near the entrance to a municipal swimming pool on the university campus. She was taken to a hospital but later died. A male high school stu

2026-05-05 13:25:04:00

Uzbek boy recovers from brain infection after help from Korean donors, doctors

A 4-year-old Uzbek boy who came to South Korea for medical treatment after being diagnosed with a serious brain-related illness has recovered enough to continue outpatient care, helped by donations and support from local institutions. The child, identified as Imronbek, arrived in Korea in August last year after being diagnosed with hydrocephalus in Uzbekistan. His parents brought him to Korea after being told he would need surgery involving the opening of his skull, according to Yonhap News. Aft

2026-05-05 11:07:22:00

Labor Day rallies to block Seoul roads

Seoul police will deploy about 200 traffic officers on Labor Day as the country’s two major umbrella unions plan large rallies and marches in the capital, raising the prospect of heavy congestion in central Seoul and Yeouido. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions plans to hold preliminary rallies from 1 p.m. Thursday around Jongno, Euljiro and Yulgok-ro, before staging its main rally at 3 p.m. on Sejong-daero between the Sejong and City Hall intersections. The group is scheduled to begin marc

2026-04-30 17:22:34:00

Note found after deadly Uiwang apartment fire prompts arson probe

Police are investigating whether a deadly apartment fire in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, was deliberately set after a note believed to have been written by one of the deceased residents was found at the scene. The fire broke out at around 10:30 a.m. Thursday inside a unit on the 14th floor of a 20-story apartment building in Naeson-dong, killing a married couple and injuring six other residents, according to Uiwang Police Station and the Gyeonggi Fire and Disaster Headquarters. A man in his 60s wh

2026-04-30 16:10:26:00

Best place to raise a child in Korea? It’s not Gangnam

Gwacheon in Gyeonggi Province offers the best environment in South Korea for children to grow up, according to a new private-sector analysis that shows child development conditions remain heavily concentrated in Seoul and the surrounding metropolitan area. ChildFund Korea said Thursday it released the country’s first comprehensive private-sector index assessing child growth environments across 229 cities, counties and districts. Nine of the top 10 municipalities were in Seoul or Gyeonggi Provinc

2026-04-30 16:01:21:00

Children’s Day gifts now cost parents twice as much

South Korean parents expect to spend an average of 95,000 won ($64) on Children’s Day gifts this year, nearly double the amount from a decade ago, a survey showed Thursday. According to English education company Yoon’s English School, 96 percent of parents said they planned to give their children gifts for Children’s Day, which falls on May 5. The survey was conducted from April 16 to 21 among 622 parents with children in elementary school or younger. The expected spending was up 1.9 times from

2026-04-30 14:31:21:00