Ex-head of Incheon disability facility gets 15 years for sexually assaulting residents

A former head of a residential facility for people with severe disabilities was sentenced to 15 years in prison Wednesday for sexually assaulting three residents over more than a decade and physically abusing residents. The Seoul Central District Court found the man, surnamed Kim, guilty of nearly all charges stemming from offenses committed at Saekdongwon in Ganghwa, Incheon, between 2012 and 2025. The court also barred Kim from working at facilities serving people with disabilities, children o

2026-09-02 16:58:18:00

KAIST, Caltech to jointly select, mentor postdoctoral researchers

The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology and the California Institute of Technology will jointly select and mentor postdoctoral researchers under a new fellowship program, KAIST said Wednesday. Under the KAIST-Caltech Global Research Fellow program, faculty members from the two institutions will identify joint research topics and select postdoctoral researchers suited to the projects. Participants will conduct research at both institutions, gaining experience in different research

2026-09-02 14:44:04:00

Education Ministry to correct Korean flag error in school textbook following backlash

South Korea’s Education Ministry has ordered the correction of a middle school textbook that depicts the Taegeukgi’s central symbol curving in the wrong direction. The ministry said late Tuesday that the publisher had prepared an erratum featuring the correct image and would post it on its website. Correction notices are expected to reach schools within a week. “The Education Ministry confirmed that the textbook contains an error in an image of the Korean flag, and we regret that the national fl

2026-09-02 11:11:25:00

Three regional universities picked to receive up to W100b to close gap with Seoul National University

Three flagship regional national universities — Chonnam National University, Chungnam National University and Pusan National University — were selected by the Education Ministry on Tuesday for concentrated government funding of up to 100 billion won ($72 million) each. The funding will be provided over the next five years under a scaled-back version of President Lee Jae Myung's signature "10 Seoul National Universities" initiative. The three universities will receive comprehensive financial supp

2026-09-01 18:51:13:00

Korea sets 15-day stay rule for foreign nationals’ pension back payments

Foreign nationals seeking to fill gaps in their National Pension Service contribution records must now prove they were physically present in South Korea during the months they want to cover, under tighter rules that took effect Monday. The previous guidelines treated periods of valid foreigner registration and immigration status as residence in Korea, even when applicants were abroad, the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the National Pension Service said Tuesday. Under the revised guidelines,

2026-09-01 14:45:30:00

Three years in prison, without being a prisoner: Korea's alternative service faces renewed scrutiny

When Lee underwent his military physical examination, he was classified Grade 4 because of recurrent rheumatism, a condition he said causes inflammation throughout his body when aggravated by physical labor or stress. All able-bodied South Korean men are subject to compulsory military service, while many men classified Grade 4 fulfill their obligation through supplementary service, including as social service personnel who commute to their workplaces. But after being recognized as a conscientiou

2026-09-01 12:59:17:00

Prosecutors seek death penalty for Jang Yoon-gi in Gwangju murder case

Prosecutors on Monday sought the death penalty for Jang Yoon-gi, who is on trial for killing a 17-year-old student in Gwangju. According to the indictment, Jang, 23, tried to abduct Lee Chae-won for sexual assault before fatally stabbing her as she walked home on May 5. He also stabbed and seriously wounded a male high school student who tried to help her. Jang has admitted the charges. “The defendant sought to satisfy a distorted sexual desire and, in the process, murdered a female high school

2026-08-31 18:39:13:00

Police under fire after backtracking on hanging evidence in Jeju missing woman's death

Police investigating the death of Jang Mi-ran came under fire Monday after saying they could not determine how the 37-year-old died, despite having repeatedly suggested that forensic evidence indicated hanging. Jang’s body was discovered Aug. 24 at a palm tree farm in Hallim-eup, Jeju City, 104 days after she disappeared. Local police said at the time they believed she had hung herself based on the position of the body and had later claimed an autopsy supported that conclusion. But the National

2026-08-31 17:12:41:00

Probe details Shincheonji, Unification Church efforts to influence politics

A joint police-prosecution team ended a 237-day investigation into alleged ties between religious groups and politicians Monday after indicting 32 people and seizing 26 billion won ($19 million) from safes belonging to Unification Church leader Han Hak-ja. The investigation focused on allegations that Shincheonji Church of Jesus directed tens of thousands of followers to join the conservative People Power Party, while the Unification Church used church funds to make illicit donations to politici

2026-08-31 16:32:28:00

Supreme Court rules 'room cafes' off-limits to minors

The Supreme Court has ruled that entertainment venues known in Korea as “room cafes,” where customers rent private booths equipped with televisions, mats and pillows, qualify as businesses off-limits to minors. The Supreme Court overturned a lower court ruling that acquitted a room cafe operator charged with violating the Youth Protection Act and sent the case back to the Suwon District Court for a new trial. The top court ruled that businesses prohibited to minors could not be limited to those

2026-08-31 14:33:01:00