A total of 65 calls were made to the police regarding large crowds in South Korea from Friday to Monday, officials said. From 6 p.m. on Friday to 5 a.m. on Monday, a total of 65 calls were made to the police, with 24 being made from Seoul and 41 from other provinces, the National Police Agency said Monday. The highest number of calls came Saturday. From 5 a.m. on Saturday to 5 a.m. on Sunday, a total of 45 calls were made to the police, with 16 from Seoul and 29 from elsewhere. A total of 23 cal

Social Affairs Oct. 31, 2023

Prosecutors conducted a search and seizure of SPC Group Chairman Hur Young-in’s office over allegations that he coerced workers who are part of the group's affiliate company, PB Partners, to withdraw from its labor union, as well as for discriminatory practices, according to officials Monday. On Monday morning, officials from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office searched offices belonging to Hur and three other executives as well as the company’s servers at SPC G

Social Affairs Oct. 30, 2023

On the first anniversary of the Itaewon crowd crush that claimed 159 lives, bereaved families, civic groups and citizens gathered for a memorial service and march, demanding a thorough investigation and a formal apology from the government. The Itaewon Disaster Citizens’ Task Force and the Itaewon Disaster Bereaved Families group hosted the event Sunday, with the march starting from the site of the disaster near Itaewon Station and proceeding to Seoul Plaza. Wearing purple jackets symboliz

Social Affairs Oct. 29, 2023

The Seoul Digital Foundation announced three different projects to utilize artificial intelligence in public facilities and services during a press conference Thursday. The three projects were announced under three categories: safety, popularization and morality. Under safety, the Seoul Digital Foundation announced that they would work with Seoul Metro to build an artificial intelligence-based system to monitor and track unusual behavior among subway passengers by 2025. This follows the series o

Social Affairs Oct. 29, 2023

A soldier in his 20s was arrested by police on Friday morning after threatening pedestrians with the knife he had in Paju, Gyeonggi Province. According to police officials, the soldier got out of an armored vehicle at around 8:50 a.m. on Thursday and threatened passersby and other vehicles nearby. Eyewitnesses who were at the site stated that he was carrying a military knife and threatened a driver on the other side of the road to surrender their car keys, according to Yonhap News Agency. The so

Social Affairs Oct. 27, 2023

Indonesian Ambassador to South Korea Gandi Sulistiyanto received a certificate of honorary citizenship of Seoul on Thursday, in recognition of his contributions to strengthening ties between Seoul and Indonesia before his resignation. Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon presented Sulistiyanto with the certificate at an award ceremony at Seoul City Hall. “I am happy to present this certificate as a token of appreciation to Ambassador Gandi Sulistiyanto and for his efforts to develop bilateral relations

Diplomatic Circuit Oct. 26, 2023

A sinkhole opened up in Seoul's financial district of Yeouido on Wednesday morning, resulting in minor injuries to a nearby pedestrian, South Korean authorities said Wednesday. A 4-meter-deep, 5-meter-wide sinkhole was found on a traffic island between IFC Mall and Parc 1 Tower in Yeouido, western Seoul at around 11 a.m., according to firefighters and ward officials. While there were no casualties reported, one male pedestrian in his 30s was taken to the hospital with abrasions on his left

Social Affairs Oct. 25, 2023

Bereaved families and surviving victims of last year’s deadly crowd crush in the Itaewon neighborhood of Seoul say they have been left to deal with their pain on their own, as governmental resources were either unavailable or insufficient. Among the 159 people who died after overcrowding reached catastrophic levels in Itaewon on Oct. 29, 2022, was Choi Joung-joo’s daughter Yu-jin. “My wife wanted to get therapy after our daughter passed, so she made a call to our district offic

Social Affairs Oct. 24, 2023

On a Saturday night in October, dozens of people were lined up outside the Waikiki Beach Pub in the narrow alley behind the Hamilton Hotel, in Itaewon, Seoul. “We should have arrived before 8:30 p.m.," one said. "There are always lines around 8:30 p.m. these days during the weekend. I heard that we need to wait more than 30 minutes to enter." It was not the only packed bar on Itaewon World Food Street, the center of Itaewon nightlife. Most bars along the street were full of

Social Affairs Oct. 24, 2023

Police searched former Taekwang Group Chairman Lee Ho-jin’s home and the company’s affiliated companies over allegations against Lee of embezzlement and breach of trust on Tuesday. Investigators from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency searched Lee’s home, as well as Taekwang Group's office in the Heungkuk Life Insurance Building in Gwanghwamun, central Seoul, and Taekwang Country Club in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, to secure evidence regarding Lee’s suspected crime.

Social Affairs Oct. 24, 2023

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations-Korea Centre will release a video centered on career mentoring for ASEAN students residing in South Korea on Thursday. As part of their “Hey ASEAN” series, the video aims to help students from ASEAN member countries in Korea explore career opportunities and prepare for employment. Both students and mentors will be featured in the video to answer questions regarding the recruitment process and work life in Korea. The video will be released on

Social Affairs Oct. 24, 2023

Concerns are growing about the growing presence of fall webworms, which are not harmful to humans but can damage trees, spotted more frequently across the country this month. Several social media users have also expressed their complaints about the fall webworms especially at Han River parks. One user on X -- formerly known as Twitter -- wrote, “If you’re visiting Han River, make sure to bring a tent or bug spray. These caterpillars have taken over the park.” Seoul Facilities C

Social Affairs Oct. 22, 2023

The government will focus its efforts on crowd control during the upcoming Halloween weekend, working together with local governments, police and fire departments and dispatching situation managers to densely populated areas, the Ministry of Interior and Safety said Thursday. The Ministry of Interior and Safety held a joint meeting the same day with officials from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the National Police Agency, the National Fire Agency and 17 district governments including Yongsa

Social Affairs Oct. 19, 2023

Step into the crisp autumn air, as a multitude of community festivities in Seoul are poised to breathe life into the foliage season this month. Taking place from Oct. 13-22, visitors can enjoy the fall scenery and weather through a walk in the park and a gala concert. Alternatively, immerse yourself and learn more about Korean culture by taking part in evening events or visiting the Bukchon Hanok Village. Here is a list of some of the fall festivities set to take place in Seoul. Gyeongchun Lin

weekender Oct. 14, 2023

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Thursday that it will implement a system that alerts authorities of overcrowded areas. The city government’s new safety plan comes nearly a year after the deadly Halloween crowd crush that killed 159 people in the neighborhood of Itaewon in 2022, and is intended to prevent similar accidents from occurring in the future. The city government stated that it will implement a system that automatically counts the number of people shown on surveillance

Social Affairs Oct. 13, 2023