The victim of a high-profile car crash involving a driver suspected of being under the influence of illicitly prescribed drugs has died, after four months in a coma. The victim, a woman in her 20s identified by the surname of Bae, had been on life support since August, when she was hit by a vehicle driven by the suspect while walking along a sidewalk in Apgujeong, southern Seoul. The suspect, a 28-year old man identified by the surname of Shin, is believed to have been under the influence of nar

Social Affairs Nov. 28, 2023

South Koreans’ English proficiency in 2022 worsened from the previous year, descending 13 spots in an annual report by the Swedish education corporation Education First. South Korea stood in 49th place in the “2023 English Proficiency Index,” based on the test results of 2.2 million adults from 113 countries who took EF’s English certification test “EF Standard English Test” in 2022. The previous year, the country ranked in 36th place among non-English speakin

Social Affairs Nov. 27, 2023

An American in his 30s was caught by the police for writing “igari,” which means bruxism -- more commonly known as teeth grinding -- on at least 155 public facilities and properties in Yongsan-gu, central Seoul. The Yongsan police said Monday it was investigating what it called the “igari graffitist,” who wrote "igari" in both Hangeul and English on tunnels, power poles, roads and buses among others, after nabbing him on Oct 25. He is also suspected of writing t

Social Affairs Nov. 27, 2023

A 34-year-old man will be presented with a letter of appreciation for rescuing a driver in his 70s from a burning electric vehicle in Busan, Busan Yeonje Police Station said Thursday. Yoo Se-rim was passing by in Yeonje-gu when he saw an electric taxi on fire at around 9:40 p.m. on Wednesday. The taxi had burst into flames after it crashed into a shop. Yoo helped extract the driver who was stuck inside the car. The driver sustained severe burns on his face, arms and legs, but is conscious, accor

Social Affairs Nov. 25, 2023

As a staff of Haegeum Laboratory Moogung, Kim Da-rae draws traditional Korean paintings on haegeum, a traditional Korean instrument that consists of a wooden body with two strings and a bow. “I am a haegeum creator who imbues a fresh wave into haegeum,” Kim said. Kim majored in Korean art both in college and graduate school. She says it was lucky that she was able to become a designer after a long journey to find the right career for her. “I had a dream to be an artisan who pro

Culture Nov. 25, 2023

An investigation into the death of an elementary school teacher that triggered months of teachers’ protests will end without further proceedings, police said Tuesday. In a briefing Tuesday, Seocho Police Chief Song Won-young told media the investigation into the suicide of a teacher at Seoul’s Seo2 Elementary School had found no evidence of criminal activities. The 24-year-old teacher died on July 18 in a storage area in the school in Seocho-dong, an affluent neighborhood in southern

Social Affairs Nov. 14, 2023

The "bipa," a guitar-shaped Korean traditional instrument widely loved for over a thousand years, has almost been completely lost to history. Kim Ju-yeong, one of fewer than 10 bipa players left in Korea, has worked hard to preserve tradition and connect modern people with the instrument. “I began to play the bipa following my aunt’s recommendation. As a child, I had trouble focusing, but I could concentrate well when I played the bipa,” Kim said. “The sound o

Culture Nov. 11, 2023

The Supreme Court on Thursday confirmed that a man in his 50s surnamed Park is eligible to receive 1.2 billion won ($900,000) in compensation for the death of his wife, surnamed Kim, as well as an additional 240 million won in compensation for the delay in receiving an initial payout, which should have been awarded in 2020. The ruling follows the top court's previous ruling which found Park guilty of causing death by negligence in 2020. The prosecution at the time had sought murder charges

Social Affairs Nov. 3, 2023

“Haegeum is like ink that has permeated into my life,” Kim Sae-jin said. Kim majors in haegeum at the Korea National University of Arts, a special educational institution to foster artists. Haegeum is a traditional Korean string instrument that is played by pulling the bow across its two strings. It is also nicknamed the “ggaeng-ggaeng-i” for its high-pitched sounds. The haegeum's body consists of a soundbox made of bamboo and oak, a bamboo bar and two tuning pegs. T

Culture Oct. 28, 2023

Marking the first anniversary of the deadly Halloween crowd crush in Itaewon, some bereaved families of the victims, alongside local civic groups, held a demonstration on Saturday morning at Gwangju Park in Gwangju. During the event, the demonstrators paid respect to the victims and called for the enactment of a special act enabling a comprehensive investigation into the Itaewon tragedy. On October 29, 2022, the Saturday night ahead of Halloween, 158 died and many others were injured in a narrow

Social Affairs Oct. 28, 2023

G-Dragon, 35, a former leader of the K-pop band Big Bang, was reportedly booked for drug use on Wednesday. G-Dragon, whose real name is Kwon Ji-yong, is under police investigation for breaching the Narcotics Control Act without detention, according to local media citing Incheon Metropolitan Police. Despite reports linking the investigation to the alleged drug use of Lee Sun-kyun, who starred in the Oscar-winning “Parasite,” police denied any connection between the two cases. The ar

K-pop Oct. 25, 2023

“Nongak is close as a friend to me. I experienced happiness, anger, sorrow and joy, developing love with it,” said Jeong Hyun-ji, who plays the sogo -- a small, traditional Korean hand-held drum -- in the Gochang Nongak Cheongchun Gutpae. Gochang Nongak Cheongchun Gutpae is an official youth troupe that performs Gochang Nongak, the traditional music created and developed by farmers in the coastal county of Gochang, North Jeolla Province. “I always swim into the meaning of nonga

Culture Oct. 14, 2023

Two people have died and two have been injured in an accident involving a 15-ton cargo truck, which crashed into a traffic control office Thursday morning in Jeongseon-gun, Gangwon Province. As a result of the impact, much of the temporary building was destroyed and fell into the adjacent Jijangcheon, a stream running through the area. Three people, all employees of the Jeongseon-gun Traffic Management Office, were reported to be inside the temporary structure at the time of the crash. Among th

Social Affairs Oct. 6, 2023

A passerby saved three people trapped in a car in a farm waterway on Tuesday, near Maekdo River in western Busan, getting instruction from firefighters through a video call. Bae Do-yoon, 39, spotted a car suddenly going over the curb as he headed to work on Tuesday morning. Despite the illuminated brake lights at the rear, the car kept moving and flipped into the muddy waterway upside down, according to dashboard camera footage provided by the Busan Metropolitan City Fire Safety Headquarters. Th

Social Affairs Oct. 5, 2023

A 6-year-old Uzbek girl was found dead in the Nakdong River in Daegu on Tuesday. The girl was found in the river about 200 meters from Dalseongbo Weir, six hours after the National Fire Service began a search, according to local media reports quoting police. Her parents had reported her missing at 12:21 p.m that day. Police secured CCTV footage showing the girl heading to a riverside park near the weir, also near her home, riding her scooter alone. A witness reportedly told the police that she p

Social Affairs Oct. 4, 2023