New probe sought into death of type O patient given type A blood

South Korean prosecutors have asked police to reinvestigate the death of a woman who received an incompatible blood transfusion at a Seoul hospital in 2024, after police closed the case without charges last month. The Seoul Northern District Prosecutors’ Office asked the Seongbuk Police Station to conduct further inquiries, saying additional facts needed to be established before the case could be concluded. Police plan to reopen the investigation. The woman, in her 50s, was taken to the emergenc

2026-09-16 13:42:53:00

Korea to phase in abortion pills for pregnancies up to 9 weeks

South Korea aims to introduce medication abortion for pregnancies of up to nine weeks by the end of March 2027, beginning with a two-year period in which doctors would prescribe and dispense the drugs at major hospitals, the government said Wednesday. If the necessary safeguards are subsequently established, the system would switch to doctors issuing prescriptions and independent pharmacies dispensing the medication. Prime Minister Han Seong-sook announced the phased plan at a government policy

2026-09-16 13:20:13:00

Seoul bus strike called off after last-minute deal

Seoul city buses will operate normally on Wednesday after labor and management reached a last-minute agreement on a 3.2 percent wage increase, averting a strike that had been scheduled to begin at 4 a.m. The Seoul Metropolitan Government also lifted emergency transportation measures prepared in anticipation of the walkout. Representatives of Seoul’s bus companies and unionized drivers reached the agreement at 1:50 a.m. Wednesday after nearly 12 hours of negotiations at the Seoul Regional Labor R

2026-09-16 06:05:14:00

Police twice close child death inquiry despite abuse signs

Police twice closed preliminary inquiries into the 2019 death of a 3-year-old girl without opening a criminal investigation. Her body was covered in bruises, capsaicin was found in her blood, and a forensic report said abuse could not be ruled out. Details of the police response were contained in a 2019 Seoul Seongbuk Police Station report cited by Yonhap News Agency on Tuesday. The 44-month-old girl died on June 28, 2019. The National Forensic Service found that a head injury played a major rol

2026-09-15 15:18:49:00

Korea doubles pace of space hazard planning amid rising collision risks

South Korea will update its national plan for responding to space hazards every five years, halving the previous interval as growing satellite traffic and changes in solar activity create rapidly evolving risks. The revised Space Development Promotion Act was promulgated and took effect Tuesday, according to the Korea AeroSpace Administration. The law previously required the government to draw up its Basic Plan for Preparation Against Space Hazards every 10 years. The revised five-year cycle wil

2026-09-15 15:00:30:00

Suicide-related public services struggle to keep pace with demand

Claims to have suicides recognized as work-related deaths rose by a third over six years, government data showed Tuesday. But the share of claims accepted fell sharply. Bereaved families filed 80 such claims in 2025, up by a third from 60 in 2019, according to Korea Workers’ Compensation & Welfare Service data obtained by Rep. Park Hae-cheol of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea. The number of cases recognized as work-related deaths fell from 35 to 28 over the same period. The share of claims

2026-09-15 15:00:17:00

‘Pro-Japan acts were for survival’ lecture sparks controversy

A government-funded history foundation is facing criticism over lectures that included remarks seen as defending colonial-era collaborators and endorsing the view that South Korea was founded in 1948. The controversy centers on lectures held as part of the Northeast Asian History Foundation's "Wednesday Forum," according to a Seoul Shinmun report Monday, citing materials obtained by Rep. Kim Jun-hyeok of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea. In a lecture given April 3, 2024, Lee Chang-wee, a law

2026-09-14 16:52:04:00

Man's death goes unnoticed for days in family with severe intellectual disabilities

A man in his 20s was found dead at his home in Seoul several days after his death, after family members living with him failed to recognize that he had died, police said Monday. The Jungnang Police Station said the man was found at a home in Jungnang-gu on Aug. 6 after his younger brother reported that he was not moving. The man had lived with his mother and younger brother. All three family members had severe intellectual disabilities, and police believe the mother and brother were unable to re

2026-09-14 14:54:42:00

Illegal weapons detections nearly doubled last year: data

South Korean police recorded a sharp rise in illegal weapons possession last year, with detections nearly doubling from a year earlier, according to National Police Agency data released Sunday. Police identified 269 cases of illegal weapons possession in 2025, the highest figure since 2021 and up 97.8 percent from 2024, according to data provided to Rep. Kim Yea-ji of the main opposition People Power Party. The total included 111 cases involving swords, more than three times the previous year's

2026-09-14 13:53:03:00

Seoul man in his 80s arrested over stabbing of man in his 70s

A man in his 80s has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after allegedly stabbing a man in his 70s on a street in eastern Seoul, police said Monday. The Dongdaemun Police Station said the suspect attacked the victim around 8:20 p.m. in Jeonnong-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, before fleeing the scene. Police apprehended him near the scene about 10 minutes later. The victim suffered stab wounds to his abdomen and other parts of his body. He was taken to a hospital for treatment. The two men had r

2026-09-14 13:52:13:00