South Korea has been added to the European Commission’s list of countries outside the European Union whose pharmaceutical ingredients and products meet the manufacturing and regulatory standards of the trading bloc, according to the Food and Drug Safety Ministry. The listing certifies that Korea’s good manufacturing practices comply with the EU’s GMP regulations. Countries on the list are exemp...

Four teenagers accused of causing the death of a classmate during a bullying incident were sentenced to prison terms Tuesday. In the final trial, Incheon District Court sentenced the defendants to terms ranging from a minimum of 18 months to four years. Two of the defendants, who admitted to the charge of causing bodily injury resulting in death were each sentenced to 18 months to three years, ...

Authorities are investigating a chemical explosion at a mobile phone parts manufacturer that left one dead and three injured Monday in central South Korea. Police said Tuesday they were launching a joint probe with National Forensic Service, Korea National Fire Agency and Korea Energy Agency to identify the cause of the explosion and details surrounding the accident, such as whether safety regul...

Police have booked two high school students speeding on expressway without license. Highway patrol said Tuesday that the two 17-year-olds face charges of speeding at 180 kilometers per hour on a 30-kilometer stretch on a Busan-bound expressway. The speed limit for the road is 100 kph. The two rented a Hyundai SUV through a car sharing service under one of their fathers’ names, the police said. ...

Police raided a plastic surgery clinic under suspicion of having illicitly supplied Hotel Shilla CEO Lee Boo-jin with propofol on Monday, the third raid since the allegations came to light in March. Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said Monday seven officers off its search unit had been dispatched to the clinic in Gangnam district, Seoul, at 10 a.m. for search and seizure. Police are looking in...

A group chat where journalists anonymously shared secretly filmed videos of women being sexually assaulted will now be the subject of a formal investigation, according to the police. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s cybercrime unit said Sunday that DSO -- a civic organization dedicated to the elimination of online sex crimes -- filed a police complaint accusing the chat room participants o...

Foreign nationals without employer insurance who are staying six months or longer in South Korea are required to enroll in the country’s National Health Insurance Service starting in July, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Until now, enrollment in the program was optional for those without employer insurance. Visitors were eligible to enroll if they stayed longer than three months...

A police lieutenant was arrested Thursday on charges of accepting bribes in exchange for settling a case involving illegal admission of minors at a club in Gangnam, Seoul. He is the first incumbent police officer to be arrested on suspicion of collusive ties between the police and Gangnam clubs. The officer, who is a member of Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s investigation unit, faces charges...

A 24-year-old with schizophrenia wounded two police officers and an ambulance driver in the process of refusing to be taken to the hospital at around 5:22 a.m. on Thursday in Chungju, North Chungcheong Province. Chungju Police Station said Thursday the man is being investigated on suspicion of obstruction of official business. The police said the incident occurred at a hallway of a studio apart...

The husband of the recent expressway accident victim denied knowing why his wife exited the vehicle, which led to two consecutive human-vehicle collisions and resulted in her death, Gimpo Police Station said Thursday. The victim, identified by local media Wednesday as actress Han Ji-sung, died after being struck by a taxi and an SUV at around 4 a.m. Monday on the Incheon Airport Expressway in Gi...

A man was arrested for stabbing his girlfriend several times in his car and then trying to take his own life with a detonator, a device for igniting explosives, according to the police in Jeonju. The Jeonju Wansan Police Station said Wednesday that the man, 50, was arrested on a charge of attempted murder. The man allegedly called his ex-girlfriend at around 8:40 a.m. last Saturday, got her to ...

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety found instances of overprescribing or giving patients illicit access to drugs at 27 clinics and hospitals, the ministry’s report said Wednesday. Out of the 36,000 medical institutions that handle medical-use drugs, the ministry singled out 52 medical institutions for suspicion of misuse of drugs, using data from a drug management system. Of the 52 singled out...

One in 5 children and teens not enrolled in school face health risks, according to a report by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. Medical examinations of 5,033 children and teens aged 9 to 18 conducted in 2018 found that 21.1 percent (1,061) had potential health issues. Health issues most frequently identified include kidney diseases, high blood pressure, liver diseases, lipemia and an...

The Daegu Police Agency booked 93 alleged sex workers, brokers and buyers during a three-month intensive crackdown in the metropolitan city in southeastern South Korea. In the process, some 39 million won ($33,358) was confiscated, the police said Wednesday. According to the police, the suspects did business in 34 residential studios and massage parlors. One of the businesses, in Nam-gu, central...

Seoul City said Thursday a budget of 51.5 billion won ($44 million) has been allotted to repairing and renovating old school bathrooms. Of the total budget, the Seoul Metropolitan Government will provide 14.4 billion won and the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education 37.1 billion won. School buildings over 15 years old are subjected to the renovation project. At each of the eligible schools, a ...