Pink pregnancy badges are on sale, raising concerns over misuse of maternity benefits

South Korea’s pink pregnancy badges are changing hands online, raising concerns that a public symbol of consideration for expectant mothers is being misused as a ticket to pregnancy-only benefits, news reports said Monday. A recent post on Karrot, the country's largest neighborhood-based secondhand marketplace, titled "Unopened, brand-new pregnancy badge," offered the item for 1,000 won ($0.68), describing it as useful for accessing priority seats on public transit reserved for pregnant passenge

2026-07-20 13:20:42:00

Experts are warning about these baby products. Do you have one?

Two twin sisters, not yet 50 days old, lie in separate bassinets, quietly sucking on bottles they are too young to hold, their tiny arms and legs fluttering at their sides. It is a typical morning routine for the sisters, and a precious few minutes for their mother, Shin, to wash her face, make coffee and put in a load of laundry. Those uninterrupted minutes are made possible by self-feeding pillows, bib-like cushions with built-in pockets that hold baby bottles in place, allowing infants to fee

2026-07-18 16:00:00:00

Stephen Chow's 'Kung Fu Soccer' sparks backlash over portrayal of Korean women

"Kung Fu Soccer," Hong Kong film star and director Stephen Chow's long-awaited sequel to 2001 global hit "Shaolin Soccer," has come under fire over scenes that appear to mock the South Korea women's national soccer team, according to news reports Friday. Released in China on July 11, the film centers on a struggling women’s soccer team that uses martial arts techniques in an unlikely bid for success. It surpassed 600 million yuan ($83.6 million) at the box office within three days of its release

2026-07-17 20:39:02:00

Family of four found dead at apartment in Uijeongbu

A family of four was found dead at an apartment in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province, Friday, according to police. At around 1 p.m., a couple in their 40s fell from an apartment building in the city's Yonghyeon-dong, They were taken to a hospital but were later pronounced dead. While checking the family's apartment, police and firefighters found the couple's two children, aged 12 and 8, dead inside the home. Police are investigating the exact circumstances surrounding the deaths. - - - If you’re thin

2026-07-17 20:18:18:00

Cash for quiet? Apartment residents in Korea turn to paid noise settlements

Cash is becoming the latest solution to apartment noise disputes in South Korea, with a growing number of residents paying neighbors to keep the peace, according to online communities Friday. In a recent post on Bobaedream, a popular online community for car enthusiasts, one user said he had been suffering from severe noise caused by toddlers in the apartment above. After he complained, the neighbors upstairs agreed to pay him 2 million won ($1,350) a month in compensation until the children wer

2026-07-17 20:04:07:00

Two young N. Koreans punished for watching 'Bon Appetit, Your Majesty'

Two young North Koreans were reportedly punished after being caught secretly watching South Korean shows, local media reported Friday. According to Daily NK, a news outlet specializing in North Korean affairs, the two residents of Pyongsong in South Pyongan province were arrested after police discovered they had been watching South Korean TV series through overseas online channels over several years. Among the content was the tvN series "Bon Appetit, Your Majesty," starring actors Lim Yoon-a and

2026-07-17 16:35:12:00

'Four years isn't enough': Korean students shaken by new US stay limits

A new US policy capping international students' stay at four years has sent shockwaves through Korean international student communities across the country. The US Department of Homeland Security announced Thursday that it had finalized a rule setting a four-year limit on the stay of international students on F visas and exchange visitors on J visas. Set to take effect in September, the measure is part of the Trump administration's broader immigration crackdown and an end to the long-standing sys

2026-07-17 13:39:23:00

Coffee with Jennie? Korean YouTuber apologizes for surprise visit to her agency

A Korean female YouTuber who sparked controversy after turning up at K-pop star Jennie's agency without an appointment has apologized after facing criticism for behaving like "sasaeng" fans, news reports said Thursday. Sasaeng is a Korean term for obsessive fans who engage in behavior that invades celebrities' privacy, including stalking. In a video uploaded Tuesday, the YouTuber known as Potato Turtle, whose real name is Song Ji-yoon, turned up unannounced at the headquarters of Jennie's agency

2026-07-16 17:33:58:00

Radio on Seoul buses: Does it bother you?

On a typical Seoul city bus, passengers travel in silence, engrossed in their own worlds behind phone screens and earbuds, while the only sound filling the cabin is often the radio or music playing from the driver's seat. To some commuters, however, even that is a source of complaint. According to media reports Wednesday, a petition has been submitted to the Seoul Metropolitan Council calling for a ban on city bus drivers playing the radio while on duty, contending the broadcasts may cause disco

2026-07-15 12:34:27:00

From Bulgaria to Korea, one family's journey through art

Amid the bustle of arriving passengers pushing trolleys loaded with suitcases and duty-free shopping bags at the arrival hall of Incheon International Airport on June 27, one sight drew curious glances: Tape-wrapped boxes and cardboard tubes stacked on a cart. The paintings arrived in Korea after an 8,000-kilometer journey from Bulgaria with a family visiting the country for the first time. They were neither for sale nor souvenirs for friends, but part of a collection of 30 paintings, mostly acr

2026-07-14 17:13:23:00