Hidden-camera detectors to be installed in public restrooms

South Korea will add hidden-camera detection systems to the safety equipment installed in public restrooms under a legal revision passed by the National Assembly on Thursday. The amendment to the Public Toilets Act requires local governments to install safety equipment including emergency bells and systems designed to detect illegal recording devices. Municipal authorities will also be required to inspect how the equipment is operated. The current law requires mayors, county chiefs and district

2026-07-24 11:03:35:00

US service member fined for 260-km drunken drive in Korea

A US service member stationed in South Korea has been fined 15 million won ($10,200) for driving about 260 kilometers from Gwangju to Busan while heavily intoxicated, a court said Friday. The Busan District Court convicted the technical sergeant of drunken driving and operating a vehicle without mandatory insurance. The defendant drove a Lincoln sedan from Gwangsan-gu in Gwangju to Busanjin-gu in Busan at about 9 p.m. on Dec. 17 last year, according to the court. A breath test showed a blood alc

2026-07-24 10:37:46:00

YouTuber acquitted of murder over death of baby delivered at 36 weeks

A South Korean appeals court on Thursday acquitted a woman who had been convicted of murder after undergoing a late-term abortion, ruling that prosecutors failed to prove she knew the baby would be born alive and then killed by medical staff. The Seoul High Court overturned a lower court ruling that had sentenced the woman to three years in prison, suspended for five years, over the 2024 procedure performed when she was about 36 weeks pregnant. The court upheld the murder convictions of the hosp

2026-07-23 18:16:53:00

Evacuations ordered as Coupang warehouse blaze fuels collapse fears

Authorities issued evacuation orders around Coupang’s Incheon logistics center late Sunday as a major warehouse fire burned out of control, dashing an earlier target to contain the blaze by 11 p.m. and stoking concerns the eight‑story building could collapse. Incheon’s Seohae-gu sent an emergency text alert around 11 p.m. that read: “Due to the risk of partial building collapse from the Coupang fire, residents within a 116-meter radius, including nearby shops and offices, are asked to evacuate i

2026-07-19 23:28:33:00

Seoul posts first net gain of elementary students in a decade

Seoul recorded a net inflow of elementary school students in 2025 for the first time in a decade, driven largely by families moving into a handful of districts known for new housing developments or sought-after schools. The number of elementary students transferring into schools in the capital exceeded those leaving by 834 last year, according to a report released Sunday by Jongro Academy, a private education company. The report covers transfer data disclosed in May by 6,280 elementary schools a

2026-07-19 11:45:35:00

Migrant worker’s passport photo spread online after workplace departure

Police have begun investigating allegations that the passport photo and other personal information of a foreign seasonal worker were circulated online after the worker left their workplace in Boryeong, South Chungcheong Province. The worker filed a complaint with Boryeong Police Station on Wednesday, claiming that personal information, including a passport photo, had been shared online without consent, according to the Joint Committee with Migrants in Korea. The complaint alleges that two interp

2026-07-17 15:23:20:00

Fur is in at K-Pet Fair Seoul

Dogs dressed in bows, bonnets and colorful outfits drew cameras and smiles Friday as K-Pet Fair Seoul opened at Coex in southern Seoul. The exhibition hall was packed with pet owners browsing food, treats, grooming products, travel gear and other supplies, many accompanied by dogs riding in strollers or carriers. The three-day event also features pet technology and healthcare products, furniture and lifestyle goods, and services ranging from hotels and studios to mobile applications. It runs thr

2026-07-17 14:32:28:00

1 in 3 Korean teens are inconsistent with birth control use

Nearly one-third of sexually active female adolescents in South Korea did not use contraceptives consistently over the past year, with many saying birth control was unavailable or that their partners influenced the decision, a study showed Friday. In a 2025 survey, 67.3 percent of adolescent respondents said they had always used contraception during sex in the previous 12 months, according to a report by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs. The rate improved from 54.6 percent in 20

2026-07-17 11:33:07:00

Man gets 15 years for killing father with dementia

South Korea's Supreme Court has upheld a 15-year prison sentence for a man convicted of beating his 87-year-old father to death after becoming angry over what he described as years of harmful treatment. The court recently dismissed the defendant’s appeal and affirmed the lower court ruling, legal sources said Friday. The man was indicted on charges of killing a relative after attacking his father’s head and face at their home in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, in August last year. Investigators fou

2026-07-17 10:57:30:00

Man admits sexual motive in killing of Gwangju teen

A man charged with killing a teenage girl he did not know admitted Monday that the attack was intended as a sexual assault, abandoning his earlier claim that the killing was impulsive. Jang Yoon-gi, 23, pleaded guilty to all charges at his second hearing before the Gwangju District Court, including murder in connection with rape and the attempted murder of a teenage boy who tried to help the victim. Jang’s court-appointed lawyer told the court that Jang accepted the prosecution’s account of the

2026-07-13 10:59:23:00