Man who killed 2 says he did it because of anger, but can't remember why

A 35-year-old man who fatally stabbed his stepbrother and a store clerk told police that he did so because he was uncontrollably angry, but said he did not remember what upset him. "It appears that the suspect committed the crime due to a burst of emotion. ... He has said that he does not remember the details of the incident," said officials of the Siheung Police Station in Gyeonggi Province. Police said Wednesday they will forward the murder case to the Ansan branch of the Suwon District Prosec

Feb. 19, 2025

Drivers cleared in death of woman who leapt from taxi, fearing kidnapping

Two drivers prosecuted over death of a college student in 2022 tragic expressway accident found innocent On March 4, 2022, a female college student jumped out of a taxi in the middle of an expressway, mistakenly thinking she was being kidnapped. She was fatally hit by another vehicle. Late last month, the Supreme Court ruled that the two drivers charged in her death – the taxi driver and the driver of the car that hit her – were not responsible for it. According to court officials on Tuesday, th

Feb. 19, 2025

Rights watchdog offers continued support for Yoon, despite controversy

NHRC discusses protective measures for four military commanders on trial for insurrection, emphasizes several of Yoon's arguments South Korea’s human rights agency is facing criticism for its defense of the rights of President Yoon Suk Yeol and his military commanders accused of following orders during the short-lived martial law that Yoon declared Dec. 3-4, 2024, which repeated some of the presidents' self-justifications. Despite denunciations even coming from dozens of its own staff, the Natio

Feb. 18, 2025

Govt. never enforced power bank safety measures despite fires: report

Despite the series of fires that have occurred due to portable power banks on airplanes in recent years, the South Korean government has not enforced any binding orders on airlines regarding the safety concerns, government data showed Tuesday. In the cases of 13 airplane fires that were directly attributed to portable power banks carried onboard by passengers, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport issued only a "recommendation of improvement," according to ministry data submitted to

Feb. 18, 2025

Korea's child obesity rate, highest in East Asia, keeps rising

Studies have shown that the obesity rate of children and teenagers in South Korea is consistently on the rise, and a new report indicates it is the highest in East Asia. In 2022, 43 percent of males and 24.6 percent of females aged 5-19 in the country were found to be obese, according to a 2024 report by a joint research team comprising the National Evidence-based Healthcare Collaborating Agency, SoonChunHyang University Bucheon Hospital, Korea University Anam Hospital and Korea University Colle

Feb. 18, 2025

Teenage fan of K-pop bullied and severely injured in Mexico: report

#JusticeForFatima trending as K-pop fans denounce violence against young K-pop fan K-pop fan communities in Mexico are rallying behind a school violence victim, demanding justice for a 13-year-old girl who was allegedly subjected to severe bullying by classmates because of her love of K-pop. According to multiple reports from Mexico, the teen, identified as Fatima Maite, suffered a fractured pelvis from a fall from the third floor of a building on her school campus in Mexico City on Feb. 13. Rep

Feb. 18, 2025

Koreans cut back on coffee in economic slump

South Koreans have been spending less in cafes, as an overall economic downturn takes its toll on discretionary spending. A report by the Korea Rating and Data showed Monday that cafe takings in the fourth quarter of 2024 decreased by 9.5 percent compared to the previous quarter. It marked the sharpest decline across all categories, surpassing the 1.7 percent decrease in sales at bars and a 1.8 percent drop at fast-food restaurants. The cafe industry had been growing for some time, with a May 20

Feb. 17, 2025

Yoon supporters harass Constitutional Court acting chief justice

The conservative ruling People Power Party and supporters of impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol have been harassing Constitutional Court of Korea acting Chief Justice Moon Hyung-bae in various ways, ranging from spreading fake news about him to holding demonstrations in front of his home. Some 20 of Yoon's supporters on Monday held a protest outside of an apartment complex in Jongno-gu, Seoul, where Moon has been reported to live. They shouted slogans such as, "Martial law is the president's righ

Feb. 17, 2025

Domestic abuse victim called police 14 times, found dead after officer let attacker go

Disciplinary action against police officer over lax response confirmed by Supreme Court South Korea’s top court upheld a decision to punish a police officer for a lax response to a domestic violence case, which resulted in the victim being killed by the abusive partner, court officials said Monday. The Supreme Court confirmed the lower court ruling, which said that the National Police Agency was justified in issuing a warning against the officer surnamed Park, who was accused of responding inade

Feb. 17, 2025

7 out of 10 civil servants embarrassed by negative news about their agencies

About 70 percent of government officials said they feel embarrassed when news stories highlight negative aspects of their agencies, a report by a state-run research institute showed Thursday. The Korea Institute of Public Administration surveyed 1,000 government officials and 1,000 employees of private companies to compare employee sentiments in the public and private sectors. Some 68.4 percent of the civil servants said they feel "embarrassed" when articles decrying the organizations they work

Feb. 15, 2025