Klinsmann stands by S. Korean intl. Hwang Ui-jo amid police probe on filming accusation

With the South Korean international Hwang Ui-jo under police investigation for alleged illegal filming of a sexual act, national football team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann is standing by the player. Hours before South Korea played China in a World Cup qualifying match in Shenzhen on Tuesday night, Seoul police said they had seized Hwang's mobile phone as part of their probe into accusations that he had filmed his ex-girlfriend during sex without her consent. In a statement released by her at

Nov. 22, 2023

S. Korea, Britain vow closer ties in nuclear energy sector

South Korea and Britain agreed to strengthen their cooperation in the nuclear energy sector, including the construction of new power plants, the industry ministry said Tuesday. The two countries signed nine memoranda of understanding centered on building a cooperative relationship spanning the entire lifecycle of nuclear power plants, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Industry Minister Bang Moon-kyu met his British counterpart, Claire Coutinho, and agreed to hold technical

Nov. 21, 2023

NIS seeking to form Asian cooperative body to counter drug crimes

South Korea's spy agency said Tuesday it is preparing to form a cooperative body with Asian countries next year to help crack down on growing drug-related crimes in the region. The National Intelligence Service (NIS) said discussions are still ongoing with five countries, including Thailand, with the aim of launching the body next February. The names of the countries have not been released yet. "Drug-related crimes in South Korea have been on the rise and international drug rings in th

Nov. 21, 2023

Prosecutors seek 30-yr prison term for cult leader for sex assault

DAEJEON -- Prosecutors on Tuesday demanded a 30-year prison term for the leader of a controversial religious group charged with sexual assault. Jeong Myeong-seok, who leads the Jesus Morning Star (JMS) group, is accused of raping and sexually assaulting two female followers of foreign nationality on multiple occasions from February 2018 to September 2021, as well as sexually molesting a South Korean female follower. In the final hearing at the Daejeon District Court, prosecutors also demanded he

Nov. 21, 2023

G-Dragon tests negative in nail drug testing

G-Dragon of K-pop group Big Bang tested negative in a detailed narcotics analysis on his nail sample conducted by the National Forensic Service, police officers said Tuesday. The National Forensic Service recently notified the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency of the negative drug test result on the singer's fingernails and toenails, according to the police. G-Dragon, whose real name is Kwon Ji-yong, was booked on Oct. 25 over allegations of illegal drug use and later banned from leaving t

Nov. 21, 2023

Man arrested for stabbing restaurant owner in Paju

A man was arrested after stabbing a restaurant owner in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, police said Tuesday. The suspect was arrested by police at around 3:30 p.m. near Gupabal station in Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul, about 30 kilometers south of the restaurant. The suspect, believed to be in his late 30s and a former employee of the restaurant, stabbed the restaurant owner in his 60s at around 2:30 p.m. in Paju. The victim remains unconscious as of 4 p.m. Tuesday. The suspect's motive for the crime ha

Nov. 21, 2023

More Korean youth prone to online gambling addiction

Teenagers in South Korea are increasingly being exposed to online gambling, and the government and police are working to prevent a further rise in teen gambling addictions. However, a shortfall in medical support to prevent or treat teenagers' addiction has come under the limelight as the National Center for Youth Internet Addiction Treatment serves as the only facility that runs rehab programs for online gambling addictions in Korea. When one is admitted to the state-run rehab camp, they m

Nov. 21, 2023

'Dancing woman' on Seoul street arrested for meth use

In yet another stark reminder of South Korea's escalating drug problem, Seoul Bangbae Police arrested a woman in her 40s on Nov. 2 for drug use -- under rather unusual circumstances caught on police camera. The incident began as a minor traffic mishap in Seocho-gu, Seoul. The woman, driving a white vehicle, was involved in what initially appeared to be a routine fender bender. Her behavior at the scene quickly raised suspicions, however. Footage from the patrol car's dashcam shows the

Nov. 21, 2023

All residents with disabilities to get personal doctor

All South Korean residents with disabilities will have their health condition monitored and checked by a personal doctor, according to a plan approved by the Cabinet on Tuesday. Upon approval, the Ministry of Health and Welfare will launch the fourth-stage and last pilot project in February next year, ahead of the planned rollout of the personal health care system nationwide, ministry officials said. Aimed at providing access to personalized medical attention for individuals with disabilitie

Nov. 21, 2023

What phrase do you want to hear most from your partner?

What phrases would you like to hear more frequently from your partner? An online survey of divorced singles reveals that it's words of encouragement or appreciation for their efforts that they longed for most when they were married. According to the survey, conducted by South Korean matchmaking agencies Only U and Bien-Aller on 514 individuals, the top answer from male respondents (31.1 percent) was the empowering phrase, "You're the best." The top choice among female respond

Nov. 21, 2023

Suneung might not see perfect scorer for first time in 13 years

Controversy over the difficulty of the Suneung, South Korea’s college entrance exam, is likely to persist as this year’s exam has so far not seen a perfect score in tentative grading, giving an inkling that the test might not see a single perfect scorer for the first time in 13 years. While test-takers are to receive notice of their scores on Dec. 8, none of the high school senior students who took the test received full marks after tentative grading of their answers, according to th

Nov. 21, 2023

Abandoned dog with note and heart sparks anger

A note left by an owner who abandoned their dog has sparked angry reactions. Nonprofit organization Band for Animals in Asan shared the story of an abandoned dog named Bonbon on social media. According to the organization, Bonbon had been left tied up in a garage at the time of its rescue. The dog's owner left a note saying, "Please take good care of my dear one due to the move," along with a drawing of a heart pierced by an arrow at the end. Public reactions criticized the owner&

Nov. 21, 2023

Seoul Metro labor, management to meet on eve of threatened strike

Labor and management of Seoul Metro, the operator of subway lines 1-8, are set to hold last-minute negotiations over manpower reduction on Tuesday, one day before a general strike threatened by its unionized workers. The final talks are to begin at the company headquarters in eastern Seoul at 4 p.m., according to union and company officials. The biggest of Seoul Metro's three labor unions, which is affiliated with the militant umbrella Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, has threatened to

Nov. 21, 2023

Golf club's 'no Japanese car' policy sparks controversy

A South Korean golf club has caused controversy online for its policy of restricting services for those driving Japanese cars. The club, located in North Jeolla Province, prohibits parking of Japan-made cars at the club's parking lot, according to a notice posted on an online community on Nov. 11. Staff at the club will not load and unload golf clubs for those arriving in Japanese cars, it added. Toyota, Lexus, Infiniti, Subaru and Isuzu cars are among those listed as banned in the notice.

Nov. 20, 2023

Hunter kills man, mistaking victim for boar

A man in his 30s has been shot dead by a hunter who reportedly mistook the victim for a boar, police in Okcheon North Chungcheong Province, confirmed Sunday. The case is the latest gun-related accident to occur in South Korea, despite the country's strict gun control laws. According to Okcheon Police, a 60-year-old suspect is under investigation for fatally shooting a man who was catching crayfish in a nearby stream. The suspect, a registered hunter, claims to have mistaken the victim for a

Nov. 20, 2023

Concerns linger as cause of e-government outage remains unclear

The computer network used by local government offices across South Korea, together with the platform used by residents to interact with the government and issue government documents are back running after a four-day outage, according to the Ministry of Interior and Safety on Monday. However, local tech experts raised concerns over the risk of another error potentially affecting e-government networks and services, pointing out that the cause of the failure over the weekend remains unclear. Kim My

Nov. 20, 2023

Choosing children over career: Fatherhood changing in modern Korea

A 37-year-old executive at a tech startup in Seoul surnamed Choi made what seemed a bold decision after welcoming the birth of his first child two years ago: he took three months of paternity leave. At first, he was worried about the looks he would get at the office, not to mention missing out on a promotion and pay raise, as well as being perceived as being less committed to work than his peers. But Choi’s choice came with multiple benefits. “I had plenty of time to bond with my son

Nov. 20, 2023

From pandemic preparedness to AI, experts to offer glimpse into future of bio industry

The World Bio Summit 2023 will gather experts to address a wide range of topics on the future of the bio industry, from pandemic preparedness to applications of artificial intelligence, organizers said Sunday. “In the presence of global leaders from governments, the scientific community, the private sector, and international organizations related to vaccine and biologics, the two-day Summit will explore what we have achieved for enabling a pandemic preparedness and response ecosystem and s

Nov. 20, 2023

World Bio Summit promotes global business cooperations

The 2023 World Bio Summit will operate a “Global Business Lounge,” in addition to its main sessions, to promote exchanges between international organizations and vaccine, pharmaceutical and bio companies so that they can improve their competitive edge by establishing networks. According to the Korea Health Industry Development Institute, it will operate the “Global Business Lounge” from Nov. 20-21 as part of the 2023 World Bio Summit. In the lounge, all summit attendees,

Nov. 20, 2023

World Bio Summit to explore new ways to fight potential pandemic

The 2023 World Bio Summit, jointly hosted by the South Korean government and the World Health Organization, kicks off Monday for a two-day run in Seoul to explore ways to strengthen capacity to handle another potential pandemic. Taking place at the Conrad Seoul Hotel, over 200 health policymakers, bio and medical experts as well as business representatives from around the world are to participate in the summit in its second year, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Under the theme o

Nov. 20, 2023