[Korea Unmasked] Decoding Korea's 'virtuous' drinking culture

The pressure to attend corporate evening gatherings has diminished in recent years, especially while social-distancing measures to contain COVID-19 were in place, but drinking remains a source of stress for many Korean workers. As the year-end holiday season approaches, Lee Ha-seong, a 31-year-old Seoul-based economic news reporter, has a worry on his mind, saying that he doesn't drink well. For Lee, the most challenging part of life as a journalist in Korea is not the reporting but the dri

Nov. 1, 2023

Memorial park for independence fighter to open in Kazakhstan

A memorial park commemorating Hong Beom-do, a revered Korean independence fighter against Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule, will open at his former burial site in Kazakhstan later this week, Seoul's veterans ministry said Wednesday. South Korea had pledged to build the memorial at the site in Kyzylorda in southern Kazakhstan after repatriating his remains to Seoul for burial at Daejeon National Cemetery in Daejeon, 139 kilometers south of Seoul, in August 2021. A ceremony marking the park

Nov. 1, 2023

Subway car seats to be removed in two subway cars for more space: Seoul Metro

Seoul Metro announced that it would remove seats to relieve congestion during rush hour at a press conference Tuesday. The organization’s new plan will be tested on subways running on Line Nos. 4 and 7 starting from January. Seating areas will be removed in two subway cars in each train closest to the subway stations’ exits, which often experience heavy congestion during rush hour. The removal of seating areas was prioritized on Line Nos. 4 and 7 due to their high congestion levels d

Nov. 1, 2023

Man wields knife near presidential office, injuring 2 police officers

A man in his 70s was arrested on Tuesday for wielding a knife in front of the main gate of the Defense Ministry in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, where the presidential office is located. Two police officers were injured in the process of subduing the man. The Yongsan Police Station arrested the 77-year-old man, who is only identified by his surname of Park, who took out a knife in front of the main gate of the presidential office at 1:20 p.m. When Park, who was passing in front of the main gate of the Defe

Oct. 31, 2023

Rental fraudster’s ‘luxury life’ sparks anger

Victims of a local housing rental scam who claim the fraudster is living off their money have gotten increasingly frustrated with the slow pace of the police investigation, calling for immediate action, according to a report Tuesday. The suspect, who fled the country in May with rental deposits ahead of a police investigation the following month, is currently in the US, the victims said, adding that he, his wife and son recently moved away from Atlanta, Georgia, after learning that they had been

Oct. 31, 2023

Halloween weekend sees 65 police calls

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

Oct. 31, 2023

On verge of closing, rural school tries to lure students with financial benefits

A rural district in South Jeolla Province has pledged a benefits package for families of students who joins a school in Hongdo, a small island off South Korea’s southwestern coast suffering from population drop. Sinan-gun, the jurisdiction in which Hongdo lies, said Tuesday that it has received inquiries from over 80 households related to its planned cash incentives for new enrollees at Heuksan Elementary School’s Hongdo branch, which will graduate all three of its students in Februa

Oct. 31, 2023

S. Korea to reduce antibiotic usage, combat antimicrobial resistance

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency announced on Tuesday that South Korea would participate in the World Health Organization-organized program to monitor antimicrobial use from this year. The WHO's Global Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System and the Global Antimicrobial Use Surveillance System aims to protect the public from bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics. Antibiotic overuse can lead to resistance in bacteria, causing the drugs to become less effective, as we

Oct. 31, 2023

Teen apprehended over stabbing death of teenage girl

Officials in Bundang Police Station confirmed on Tuesday that they apprehended a teenage boy in connection with a fatal stabbing incident involving another teenager, a girl he reportedly met through an online chatting app. The incident occurred in the early hours of Oct. 27, at an apartment located in the suburban neighborhood of Bundang in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. The two teenagers reportedly had an altercation while drinking together at the victim’s residence, ultimately leading to t

Oct. 31, 2023

Vaccination of cattle gains pace to contain lumpy skin disease

Health authorities have ramped up the vaccination of cattle to contain lumpy skin disease, with the spread of the disease showing little signs of easing, officials said Tuesday. One confirmed case was reported at a farm in South Gyeongsang Province on Monday for the first time, the agriculture ministry said, in the latest evidence that the disease may further spread for the time being. So far, South Korea has confirmed 67 cases of the disease since the first-ever outbreak of the viral infection

Oct. 31, 2023

Signal failure delays Seoul's subway Line 3 during morning rush hour

A signal failure disrupted operations on Seoul subway Line No. 3 for about 30 minutes during morning rush hour Tuesday. The signal failure happened at 6:55 a.m. at Yaksu Station, causing delays to northbound trains and leaving stations crowded with passengers looking for an alternative means of transport. Southbound trains were not affected by the disruptions. Seoul Metro said they are examining the exact cause of the signal failure. (Yonhap)

Oct. 31, 2023

[Graphic News] S. Korea’s malaria cases reach highest level in 12 years

The number of malaria cases has been rising sharply in South Korea this year, reaching the highest level in 12 years, health authorities said. A total of 719 cases of the mosquito-borne disease were confirmed from January to the second week of October, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. It is the first time that the annual malaria cases have topped the 700 level in a single year since 2011, when the country reported 826 patients. Out of the total cases for this year, 6

Oct. 31, 2023

Major retailer recalls over 50,000 pairs of shower shoes due to chemical hazard

Daiso, a discount store in Korea known for its wide selection of homeware goods, is recalling 53,000 pairs of plastic shower shoes that contain potentially dangerous levels of toxic chemicals, the Korea Agency for Technology and Standards, a government-affiliated body under the Trade Ministry, announced Sunday. Available in retail stores since October 2022, the sandals were found to contain excessive levels of lead, cadmium and phthalate, a substance used to increase plastic durability. All thre

Oct. 30, 2023

SPC Chairman's office searched over alleged unjust labor practices

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

Oct. 30, 2023

[Busan Is Ready] S. Korea to expand ODA initiatives to promote Busan Expo

The Korean government is stepping up its official development assistance support projects in developing countries as part of its bidding efforts to host the World Expo 2030 in Busan. Official development assistance is a form of government aid designed to promote economic development and welfare in developing countries. Developing countries account for about two-thirds of the 182 member countries of the Bureau International des Expositions, which are the countries that have the right to vote for

Oct. 30, 2023

[KH Explains] Can humans catch lumpy skin disease?

Despite efforts being made by South Korean cattle farmers and the government to contain the outbreak of lumpy skin disease, concerns are growing over the contagious viral infection. Authorities and officials stressed that the disease does not affect the human body, assuring consumers that all food products related to cattle are safe. As of Monday morning, a total of 61 cases of lumpy skin disease were reported since the first case was confirmed on Oct. 20 in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province. A

Oct. 30, 2023

Nearly 1 in 3 senior pensioners look to employment to make ends meet

Almost 1 in 3 senior pension recipients expressed a desire or need to work to cover their living expenses, data showed Monday. According to data released by Statistics Korea, within a demographic of 7.78 million people aged between 55 and 79 eligible for pensions as of May this year, 61.6 percent expressed a preference for employment, with the largest portion of them at 31.9 percent seeking additional income to sustain their living. Approximately 24 percent of those who expressed a desire to wor

Oct. 30, 2023

Most elite earners live in or near Seoul

Nearly 80 percent of the top earners in South Korea reside in the Seoul metropolitan area, data showed Monday, highlighting the concentration of good job opportunities in this region. According to tax agency data released by Rep. Kim Hoi-jae of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, the number of the top 1 percent of earners in the country was 199,591. Their average annual income was 317 million won ($234,500) in 2021. Among those, 77.1 percent of them, said they work in Greater Seoul, w

Oct. 30, 2023

Some 8,000 homes to relocate as Seoul's Hannam neighborhood undergoes redevelopment

Over 8,000 households in Seoul's Hannam neighborhood will begin vacating their homes Monday as part of a redevelopment project that will turn the sprawling residential area into high-rise apartments, ward officials said. The approximately 386,000-square-meter area, spanning parts of Hannam-dong and Bogwang-dong in Yongsan Ward, was initially designated for redevelopment in 2003 as part of a bigger urban renewal project in the ward. And the final development implementation plan was approved

Oct. 30, 2023

Man booked for possession of machete ahead of Halloween

Police have booked a man for the possession of a machete in what he claimed was part of a Halloween costume over the weekend, officials said Monday. The 38-year-old man dropped the knife while drinking at a bar near Seohyeon Station in Bundang, south of Seoul, before picking it up and leaving the bar at 8:22 p.m. Sunday. The bar's owner noticed the weapon and alerted police. Police searched the area and apprehended him about 30 minutes later. During questioning, the man claimed he was carry

Oct. 30, 2023