Can a ban on senior officers from serving in home regions redeem Korea’s scandal-hit police?

South Korea replaced 14 of its 18 regional police chiefs in a sweeping leadership reshuffle Tuesday, installing new commanders in Seoul, Gwangju and Jeju Island as the force grapples with public anger over recent investigative failures. The Korean National Police Agency said it applied a policy barring chiefs from serving in regions where they have personal ties to all 18 posts, in an effort to strengthen fairness and reduce the risk of collusion between senior officers and local communities. Ki

2026-09-02 15:03:22:00

Questions over Jeju woman's death continue as police deny changing position

Police on Tuesday denied allegations that they had changed their position on the death of Jang Mi-ran, the 37-year-old woman who was found dead at a palm tree farm on Jeju Island after being reported missing on May 15. Yoo initially said Jang was suspected to have died by hanging on Aug. 24, the day her body was found. The Jeju Provincial Police Agency also said at the time that it had found no signs of foul play based on the condition and position of her body. But Hong Seok-ki, head of the Nati

2026-09-01 17:25:51:00

Jeju officer cites heavy caseload for falsely closing missing person cases

A police officer on Jeju Island was sent to prosecutors in custody Tuesday over allegations that he falsely claimed to have contacted two missing people and closed their cases. Both were later found dead. The officer, surnamed Bu, told investigators that he falsely closed the cases because he felt overburdened by the work required to keep them open, according to the Jeju Provincial Police Agency. Police also said their first comprehensive review of 298 missing person cases closed by Bu had ident

2026-09-01 15:16:31:00

NPS chief opposes foreigner-only curbs on pension back payments

As South Korea moves to tighten a disputed pension back payment rule, the head of the National Pension Service says any new limits should be based on how long people have paid into the system, not their nationality. “What is important is not nationality, but how much they contribute and how long they contribute,” Kim Sung-joo, chairperson and CEO of the NPS, wrote in a social media post Sunday evening. “Foreign nationals also pay contributions when they work in Korea. When they pay contributions

2026-08-31 15:15:05:00

Jeju police seek to clear up suspicions over missing woman's death

Jeju police are reexamining whether a palm tree branch could have supported the weight of a missing woman whose body was found on a palm farm, as questions persist over the circumstances surrounding her death. As part of the investigation, police conducted a reenactment over the weekend at the farm in Hallim-eup, western Jeju City, where the body of Jang Mi-ran, 37, was found on Aug. 24, 104 days after she was reported missing on May 15, according to the Jeju Provincial Police Agency. A local po

2026-08-30 14:55:55:00

Korea’s medical tourism continues double-digit growth

Foreign card spending on medical services in South Korea jumped 66.5 percent in July from a year earlier, extending a rapid expansion in the country’s medical tourism industry. Foreign nationals spent 213 billion won ($145 million) on medical services and related products during the month, according to credit card-based data from the Korea Tourism Organization. The increase follows annual growth of 65 percent in 2025 and 78.6 percent in 2024, suggesting the field is becoming a larger part of Kor

2026-08-30 14:34:36:00

Birds of prey find wings in Seoul's concrete jungle

Jjorongi, a rescued kestrel who lives at the Hangang Wildlife Conservation Research Center in Hanam, Gyeonggi Province, flew onto a visitor’s hand for a piece of meat during a visit Sunday. Just slightly larger than a good-sized fist, she has round, fluffy features and wide black eyes that make her look more cute than fierce. Her sharp talons and hooked beak tell another story. After all, Jjorongi is a raptor. But being a predator does not make her immune to city life. Injured raptors regularly

2026-08-29 09:00:00:00

South Korea seeks regional power pricing, W2.8tr in industry savings

Industrial users outside southern Seoul and southern Gyeonggi Province could save a combined 2.8 trillion won ($2 billion) a year in electricity costs under a regional pricing system the government aims to introduce by the end of this year. The biggest savings would be available in southern Korea, where industrial electricity rates could be cut by as much as 18 won per kilowatt-hour, or roughly 10 percent of last year’s average industrial electricity rate. For large power users such as semicondu

2026-08-26 17:45:53:00

Jeju officer denies falsely closing missing-person cases before deaths

A police officer accused of falsely closing two missing-person cases on Jeju Island denied the allegations Wednesday, a day after he was detained under an arrest warrant. According to the Jeju Provincial Police Agency, the 35-year-old officer, identified by his surname Bu, maintains that he had contacted the two missing people before closing the cases. Police have so far been unable to find records showing that Bu had contacted either of the two missing people. Bu is being investigated over two

2026-08-26 14:03:20:00

Simple test may help spot older drivers at higher crash risk

A new study suggests that a combination of cognitive performance and educational background may help identify older drivers at a higher risk of serious crashes, according to researchers at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital. In an analysis of police data involving 876 male drivers aged 60 and older, a team led by Kim Ki-woong and Han Ji-won, professors in the hospital’s department of neuropsychiatry, found significant differences in crash risk based on years of education and performance

2026-08-25 07:00:00:00