Only 1 out of 10 Koreans wash hands in 'proper way'

Just 11.4 percent of South Koreans are washing their hands after using the bathroom in a way that is recommended by health authorities, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said Thursday. The KDCA released its report on the hand-washing habits of Koreans, which showed the average time spent washing hands was 13.9 seconds after using the bathroom. Some 86 percent washed their hands. Of the total, 46.7 percent used soap and 39.3 percent used only water. The remaining 14 percent did not

2026-10-15 16:57:42:00

Data manipulation found at 30 election commissions

Falsified voter turnout entries occurred at 30 election commissions nationwide during the June 3 local elections, special counsel Lee Tae-hwan's team said Thursday. The special counsel team found data manipulation in 25 districts, cities and counties in its review of turnout records and interviews with some 70 election officials. A joint team of prosecutors and police found such false alterations at five regional election commissions. The election commissions in question were found to have alter

2026-10-15 14:33:53:00

Incheon knife attacker had history of attempted murder

The 59-year-old man under investigation for Tuesday’s stabbing attack in Incheon was found to have committed a series of serious crimes but never served a prison sentence exceeding four years, an analysis of the court rulings for his past crimes showed Thursday. The suspect, whose identity is currently withheld, injured eight people in the attack at a commercial complex in Guwol-dong, Incheon, around 1:40 p.m. on Tuesday. A 19-year-old victim suffered a cardiac arrest and remains unconscious and

2026-10-15 11:28:56:00

'I did it to get attention': Incheon knife attacker

The 59-year-old man suspected of carrying out Tuesday’s stabbing attack in Incheon told police he targeted people he considered physically weaker and that he wanted to draw public attention, police said Wednesday. The suspect told investigators he held a grudge against a hospital where he had received treatment for athlete’s foot because his symptoms had not improved, according to Namdong Police Station. He had staged solo protests outside the hospital since August, at times carrying a weapon. P

2026-10-14 17:46:11:00

Shoppers, staff describe fight to stop Incheon knife attack

Accounts have emerged of members of the public who helped subdue an armed man during Tuesday’s knife attack at a commercial complex in Incheon, where eight people were injured. Many have praised them as heroes. The attack began in the complex’s second-floor food court in Guwol-dong at around 1:40 p.m. The 59-year-old assailant had been subdued by the time police arrived. Na Hyun-jun, a 31-year-old shopper, and two other men used chairs to stop the suspect and eventually pin him down. Na, who sus

2026-10-14 14:18:05:00

Russian asylum seeker allowed to stay in Korea during refugee review: report

A South Korean court has overturned an immigration office’s decision not to extend the temporary stay of a Russian national seeking asylum, saying the plaintiff may face “adverse attention” from the Russian government for repeatedly protesting the war in Ukraine and President Vladimir Putin. The Incheon District Court revoked the Incheon Immigration Office’s January decision, Herald Business reported Wednesday. The ruling became final after immigration authorities decided not to appeal, allowing

2026-10-14 11:34:56:00

When freelance teachers count as workers

Working in a foreign country can mean navigating unfamiliar laws and workplace rules. For foreign workers in Korea, one key question is whether they qualify as workers under Korean law — even if their contracts describe them as freelancers. This article looks at labor disputes in fields that employ many foreign workers and at court cases involving workers in Korea. The previous edition of this series covered the rules and procedures for foreign nationals working here. The Labor Standards Act’s p

2026-10-13 11:57:00:00

How lies turned Korean adoptees into 'relative strangers'

Lisa Jackson was bullied for her mixed-race background. Her mother gave her up for adoption, then spent years waiting for her daughter to return. Jackson’s story is one of six in "Relative Strangers," a documentary by Deann Borshay Liem. The film follows people of mixed heritage who were adopted overseas as children as they search for their original families and encounter fabricated records, racial discrimination and evidence of a system that kept international adoptions going at almost any cost

2026-10-11 13:43:22:00

Most uncensored smoking scenes on YouTube accessible to underage viewers

While South Korea limits smoking depicted on small and big screens, government data showed Friday that such scenes are mostly available for users of all ages on YouTube. Of the 300 YouTube shorts from last year surveyed, 271 (90.3 percent) had no age restrictions, according to Korea Health Promotion Institute data revealed by Rep. Han Zee-a of the main opposition People Power Party. Around 90 percent of shorts have not been age-restricted in recent years: 2,654 of 3,054 in 2023 (86.8 percent), a

2026-10-09 11:28:55:00

Over 200 food safety violations occurred at state-certified eateries: report

Government data showed Friday that 223 establishments that received the government's seal of approval for sanitation last year violated the Food Sanitation Act. Violations have been on an upward trend, rising from 133 and 166 in 2021 and 2022, respectively, according to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety data released by Rep. Nam I-soon of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea. The annual figure dipped to 58 in 2023, but rose again to 138 in 2024. The government awards the Food Hygiene Safety C

2026-10-09 10:53:20:00