Mistaken transfers to seized accounts may not be refundable: financial watchdog

Funds mistakenly transferred to a bank accounts seized by banking institutions or authorities may not be returned, the state-run Financial Supervisory Service said Tuesday. The FSS issued a public advisory based on its analysis of public complaints received in the fourth quarter of 2024. In one case, a person transferred 600,000 won ($411) to the wrong bank account and requested the bank return the money. However, the bank refused, stating that the funds had already been used to repay a loan tak

March 11, 2025

Solo living: a new norm in Seoul

Nearly half of all households in South Korean capital now consist of one person, and there's a reason for that "You become an adult only after you've put your hair in a topknot," a traditional Korean saying goes, referring to the premodern custom of a man putting his hair in a topknot for a wedding ceremony. Conventional wisdom that had dominated Korean society of yesteryear was that one truly comes of age only after committing oneself to marriage. That notion is quickly changing, however, with

March 10, 2025

Marriage is optional, over 60 percent of South Korean workers say

More than half of South Korean workers said in a recent survey that getting married is not crucial in life, according to a job-search platform on Monday. Local job portal Incruit surveyed 653 workers across the country on what their views were on marriage, and 60.2 percent said marrying was not something one necessarily has to do. The survey revealed a substantial difference between how women and men view the need to marry, as 75.3 percent of the female respondents felt tying the knot is a matte

March 10, 2025

Military doctor saves heart patient during half marathon

An Air Force doctor participating in a Half marathon revived a fellow participant who collapsed due to cardiac arrest during the competition, local rescue authorities said Monday. Capt. Jang Yun-su of the 5th Air Mobility Wing was taking part in the run in Jeongeup in North Jeolla Province on Sunday when a 56-year-old runner fell unconscious and collapsed at the 10-kilometer point. The 34-year-old airman found that he was not breathing and did not have pulse, and resuscitated him with a defibril

March 10, 2025

9-year-old boy performs CPR to save his mother

A local fire station awarded a certificate of appreciation Sunday to a third-grader who helped resuscitated his mother in January. The mother of 9-year-old Jeong Tae-un collapsed due to heart problems at their home in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, at around 10:20 p.m. on Jan. 8, according to Bucheon Fire Station. The boy immediately made the call to the 119 emergency operators and performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on his mother. The woman's condition had been nearly critical, showing signs o

March 10, 2025

South Korea sees job seekers up in 60+ group only: report

South Korea in 2024 saw a decrease in new job seekers using a government website in all age groups except for the 60 and above group, government data showed Sunday. There were a total of 4.52 million job seekers on the state-run online job portal, Worknet, last year, according to the Korea Employment Information Service. This marked a 5.3 percent decrease from the 4.77 million the previous year. By age group, those in their 20s amounted to 1.07 million job seekers, followed by the 60 and older g

March 9, 2025

Protests erupt after Yoon Suk Yeol's release

Rallies by both people supporting Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment and against it are to be held on Sunday, after Friday's court ruling decided that the president should be released from physical detention during his ongoing trial for insurrection and power abuse. Followers of far-right Protestant pastor Jeon Kwang-hoon and Sarang Jeil Church ― major supporters of Yoon ― were to hold an outdoor service near Hanjangjin Station in Yongsan-gu, Seoul at 11 a.m., near the presidential residence where Yoon

March 9, 2025

Women's group claims self-defense for woman killing abusive boyfriend

A coalition of 34 women's rights groups across South Korea is pushing for a self-defense ruling for a woman, who received a 12-year prison term last year for killing her abusive boyfriend. The groups held a press conference and a protest in front of Jeonju District Court last Thursday, claiming that the woman acted in self-defense by setting a building on fire and killing the victim. The 43-year-old woman was found guilty of arson resulting in death, stipulated by Article 164-2 of the Criminal A

March 9, 2025

Growing number of teachers quit between 2019 and 2024

The number of elementary, middle and high school teachers who voluntarily resigned from their posts rose every year from 2019 to 2024, according to recent government data revealed Tuesday. A total of 7,467 teachers resigned last year, according to the office of Rep. Jung Sung-kook of the ruling People Power Party, which compiled data provided by education offices across the country. It marked a consistent increase from 5,937 in 2019, 6,331 in 2020, 6,453 in 2021, 6,579 in 2022, and 7,467 in 2023

March 4, 2025

Man kills stranger, says he is 'infuriated by world'

A man in his 30s, who is accused of stabbing to death a complete stranger Monday, said he did it because of the stress from being victimized by scammers. Seocheon Police Station in South Chungcheong Province said Monday it has arrested the suspect, accused of murdering the victim, who was in her 40s, in Seocheon-gun in the early hours of the morning. The victim was found dead at around 3:45 a.m. Monday, after her family filed a missing person's report to the police just before midnight. Investig

March 4, 2025