Seoul to encourage seniors to return driver's licenses

The Seoul Metropolitan Government will encourage senior drivers to surrender their driver's licenses, as part of efforts to reduce car accidents. According to the city government, drivers aged 70 and older can surrender their licenses at their local community centers and receive a 200,000 won ($140) prepaid transit pass starting Monday. The city noted that the value of the pass has been doubled from the previous 100,000 won and will be available for up to 31,800 seniors on a first-come, first-se

March 5, 2025

Foreign nationals surpass 5% of population: Justice Ministry

About half of foreign residents live in capital area The number of foreign nationals in South Korea has surpassed 5 percent of the country’s registered population, marking an all-time high, according to data released by the Ministry of Justice on Monday. The number of foreign nationals here both short- and long-term grew to over 2.65 million by the end of 2024, while Korea's total registered population decreased to around 51.2 million in the same time frame. The total population is calculated by

March 3, 2025

New names, new life

In Korea, changing one's legal name can be powerful motivation for new life A fresh start can be embraced in many ways. Some South Koreans make a major change by renaming themselves, replacing their first names given by their parents with one they can create themselves. “Gaemyeong,” which literally means “legal name change” in Korean, is used to signify an actual change to one's legal name. It differentiates itself from some overseas celebrities who take professional or stage names but keep thei

March 1, 2025

KDCA urges flu vaccination for school-age children

Winter is nearing its end, but South Korea’s disease control agency has advised parents to vaccinate their children against influenza, warning that a second wave of flu could emerge among school-age children as the new school term begins next week. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency announced that vaccines for influenza, whooping cough, measles, mumps and other diseases are available for free and urged timely vaccination. According to the KDCA, flu infections tend to increase among

Feb. 27, 2025

Prosecutors demand 2-year prison term for opposition leader

Prosecutors on Wednesday sought a 2-year prison sentence for Rep. Lee Jae-myung, chair of South Korea’s main opposition Democratic Party of Korea and its likely presidential candidate, over charges of election law violations. In the fifth and sixth final hearings for Lee’s appellate trial at the Seoul High Court, prosecutors insisted the court impose a sentence harsher than the lower court’s ruling. In the initial verdict delivered in November last year, he was sentenced to one year in prison, s

Feb. 26, 2025

South Korea detects new hallucinogenic drug

Newly-discovered drug spreads across S. Korea via Telegram, forensic service says The Ministry of Interior and Safety on Tuesday announced that South Korea became the first country to discover a new synthetic drug, named 2-fluoro-2-oxo PCPr. According to the ministry, the National Forensic Service, the ministry's forensics arm, identified the chemical structure of the drug that has never been reported domestically or internationally. The forensics service said 2-fluoro-2-oxo PCPr was an analog t

Feb. 25, 2025

4 dead, 6 injured in Anseong highway construction site collapse

Four people have died and six have been injured after a part of a bridge that was under construction collapsed in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province, Tuesday morning. The fire agency stated that the South Chungcheong Province Fire Headquarters first received a report at the highway construction site in Sanpyeong-ri, Anseong at 9:49 a.m. Authorities arrived at the site 10 minutes later and began rescue operations for those trapped under the debris. Among 10 workers on the bridge Tuesday morning, two were

Feb. 25, 2025

Opposition leader’s trial set for final hearing Wednesday

Rep. Lee Jae-myung, chair of South Korea's main opposition Democratic Party of Korea and the presidential front-runner, will attend the final hearing of an appeal against his conviction for election law violations Wednesday. Lee’s criminal trials have been regarded as one of the biggest hurdles to him running for president, should Yoon’s impeachment be upheld by the Constitutional Court, which holds its last hearing on the case Tuesday. The verdict on Lee’s appeal is expected to be made in late

Feb. 24, 2025

Online arrival cards available for foreign visitors

The South Korean government announced Monday that visitors from overseas entering the country can now submit their arrival cards three days in advance via computer or smartphone. The previous immigration procedure required foreign visitors to manually fill out paper arrival cards at the airport and immigration officers to scan each form individually. As this process was time-consuming, the Ministry of Justice decided to implement electronic arrival cards to speed up processing at immigration des

Feb. 24, 2025

Hwanghak-dong Flea Market: A glimpse into Korea's '80s and '90s

'Dokkaebi' market in central Seoul is vintage treasure trove For those who enjoy the lively atmosphere of crowded Dongmyo Flea Market, make sure not to leave the Dongmyo area without visiting Hwanghakdong Flea Market as well. If Dongmyo Flea Market is the equivalent of Hongdae for Korea's baby boomers, or a vintage fashion paradise, Hwanghak-dong Flea Market is a playground for collectors. Located a three- to five-minute walk away from Dongmyo Flea Market, Hwanghak-dong Flea Market is a hotspot

Feb. 22, 2025