Five invasive species that wrought havoc in S. Korea

Invasive species cost the global economy a whopping $423 billion annually, a major new study from the United Nations found Monday. Introduced to new environments through human activities, these species adversely impact local biodiversity and human lifestyles by destroying crops and wiping out native species. Korea is no exception to this global concern. The country's natural ecosystems have been significantly disrupted by invasive species over the years. Here are some of South Korea’s

Sept. 9, 2023

Civic group's marches against Fukushima water release permitted near presidential office

A Seoul court on Friday ruled in favor of a civic group seeking to reverse a police decision to partially ban its plan to march toward the presidential office in protest against Japan's release of treated radioactive water. A civic group, called Collective Action Against Japan's Release of Contaminated Radioactive Water had filed a notification of its plan to stage protest marches toward the presidential office in Yongsan in central Seoul on Saturday and the two following Saturdays. Th

Sept. 8, 2023

Civic groups file complaint against ban on sex education books for kids from local libraries

Civic groups filed a complaint against a provincial governor and the culture minister Friday, calling for the reversal of a recent decision to remove sex education books for children from public libraries. Some 10 children's books on sex education have been ousted from 36 public libraries in South Chungcheong Province since July 25, after civic and parents groups complained that they justify homosexuality or promote the premature sexualization of children. The South Korean Coalition for Ant

Sept. 8, 2023

Justice Minister orders prosecution to guarantee teachers’ rights in child abuse investigations

Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon on Friday ordered the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office to ensure that teachers’ rights are “truly guaranteed” when the prosecution investigates cases related to teachers' guidance of students. The minister said the prosecution should “reflect the distinct characteristics of a school environment” and the “role of teachers in schools,” adding that the enforcement of criminal laws related to teachers and child abuse should be

Sept. 8, 2023

Concern raised over compressed air dusters misused as drug

Compressed air dusters, readily available in ordinary stores for household tasks such as cleaning electronics, are a recent point of concern for their potential to be misused as a drug alternative, following a "JTBC Newsroom" report Thursday. Air dusters use compressed air to clean surfaces and remove dust and dirt from products such as keyboards. They can be bought without any restrictions at a low price, starting from 2,000 won ($1.50), and can be misused for a hallucinogenic effect.

Sept. 8, 2023

Top 10% of spenders devour half of all fried chicken sales: data

The expansion of the Korean fried chicken market has been driven by young Korean consumers using delivery services, with the biggest spenders accounting for nearly half of the sales, data showed Thursday. According to data released by KB Kookmin Card, a subsidiary of South Korea's KB Financial Group, the top 10 percent of individuals who splurge the most on Korean fried chicken constitute 41.5 percent of total fried chicken sales. On average, these individuals shell out approximately 80,0

Sept. 8, 2023

5% of stalking cases in court lead to prison term

Only 5 percent of alleged stalkers indicted for harrassment in South Korea were handed down a prison term, according to a report that looked at cases from January to May of this year. The report, released on Thursday, called for the national justice system to come up with a harsher sentencing guideline for stalking offenders. According to data by the Sentencing Commission affiliated with the Supreme Court of Korea, 21 out of 385 stalking offenders who got a final court decision from January to M

Sept. 7, 2023

Emergency hospitalizations spike following knife attacks

The southern region of South Korea's most populous province saw a spike in emergency hospitalizations following a string of seemingly unprovoked violent crimes -- dubbed "mudjima" or don't-ask-why crimes -- this summer, a recent report the region's police agency found, suggesting heightened fears over a possible link between mental illness and violence. According to the South Gyeonggi Provincial Police Agency, the South Gyeonggi region saw a 31 percent increase in emerge

Sept. 7, 2023

City councilors caught at Malaysia airport carrying over 40 bottles of soju

Some members of the Yongin City Council were caught by Malaysian customs for carrying nearly 40 bottles of soju each on their recent trip to the country, local media reported Thursday. According to the reports, the incident took place last month when eight councilors all belonging to the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea left for a business trip to the city of Kota Kinabalu, accompanied by 14 employees of the council in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. Some of the council members had 40 bottle

Sept. 7, 2023

Seoul to add 300 won surcharge for single-use cups at cafes in 2025

To reduce waste and increase rates of recycling, the Seoul Metropolitan Government will impose a 300 won surcharge for each single-use cup used at coffeehouses in the city, starting in 2025. Seoul intends to introduce the disposable cup deposit system by drawing insights from programs currently operating in the city of Sejong and on Jeju Island. Both require customers to pay a 300 won deposit when buying a drink in a single-use cup, which the customer can get back by returning the used cup throu

Sept. 7, 2023

Man detained for 'testing' electric shocker on woman at bus stop

A man in his 40s has been detained for using an electric shocker on a woman in her 50s. Yangsan Police Station in South Gyeongsang Province said Thursday they have requested an arrest warrant for the suspect on the charge of special violence. Special violence under local laws is punishable by imprisonment of between one to 10 years, and can be applied in cases such as assault using a potentially lethal weapon, and assault carried out by a group. The man also violated the act on the safety manage

Sept. 7, 2023

Pension system reform proposal sparks controversy

A recent proposal to reform South Korea's pension system has sparked widespread controversy, as the plan includes increasing subscriber contributions while delaying the age at which subscribers can receive pension benefits. While the pension age is already set to increase from the current 62 to 65 by 2033, the reform proposal that the National Pension Financial Calculation Committee is pushing the most is to raise the pension age to 68. Pension premiums will also be increased gradually by 2

Sept. 7, 2023

Summer 2023 was hotter, wetter than usual

This year's summer was unusually hot and humid, with the average summer temperature ranking the fourth-highest in South Korea's modern history, while the average quantity of rainfall ranked fifth, according to the national weather agency Thursday. The average temperature nationwide this summer was 24.7 degrees Celsius, 1 C higher than the average and the fourth-highest average temperature since 1973, when the weather observation network was expanded nationwide and started to compile re

Sept. 7, 2023

12 investigated for illegally smuggling in 106 foreign women

The Ansan Immigration Office said Thursday it has transferred to the prosecution 12 South Korean men for their suspected involvement in the illegal smuggling of 106 foreign women into the country to work as bar hostesses, disguising them as singers and models. The suspects include a 46-year-old broker and the 47-year-old owner of the business establishment that hired the women, along with the 52-year-old head of a local talent agency who sent out invitations to the women, according to the Justic

Sept. 7, 2023

Spray for livestock found in ham for school meal service

Discovery of a veterinary drug in ham that was served as part of a public high school meal has ignited a government probe on Wednesday. According to local news reports, the foreign substance -- later confirmed as Aluspray, a veterinary spray used to stop bleeding in livestock and not meant for human ingestion -- was discovered in ham at a high school in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province. According to the school, the substance was found by the school’s nutritionist. The ham was produced by a well

Sept. 7, 2023

Depression surges among children in Korea

The incidence of depression in South Korean children has doubled in five years, and more than 800 elementary, middle and high school students here took their lives over the same period, data showed Thursday. According to data submitted to Rep. Kim Woni of the Democratic Party of Korea by the Education Ministry and the National Health Insurance Service, the number of children aged between 6 and 11 who were treated for depression surged 91.5 percent, from 1,849 in 2018 to 3,541 in 2022. Some 24,58

Sept. 7, 2023

Man in blond wig caught illegally filming women in bathhouse

A man in his 30s who had disguised himself as a woman was apprehended by the police while using his phone to film video in the women's changing room of a public bathhouse in Daejeon. Daejeon Daedeok Police Station has stated that officers are investigating the man on charges of violating the Special Act on the Punishment of Sexual Violence Crimes. The man is accused of entering the women's changing room of a public bathhouse in Daejeon's Daedeok district on Aug. 26. He was disguis

Sept. 7, 2023

PM to hold talks with Serbian counterpart

South Korea's Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is set to receive his Serbian counterpart Ana Brnabic on Friday, Han's office said Wednesday. Han and Brnabic will hold talks at the Government Complex Seoul, which will be followed by a formal luncheon. The three-term Serbian Prime Minister will be on an official visit to Korea from Thursday to Sunday. The talks will focus on the economic ties, people-to-people exchanges, cultural partnerships and regional security of each country, as well as

Sept. 6, 2023

4 injured after false crime alert on Seoul subway

Four passengers were injured as they rushed to get off the subway upon being told to evacuate from a train in Seoul due to a crime taking place inside, Wednesday morning. Seoul Jungbu Police Station received a report about a “suspicious person” aboard the Line No. 2 subway heading to Euljiro 4-ga Station from Dongdaemun History and Culture Park Station at 8:23 a.m. Seoul Metro also stopped subway operations at Euljiro 4-ga Station and made the evacuation announcement for passengers.

Sept. 6, 2023

How content are expats in Korea? Survey shows 8 in 10 satisfied

Eight in 10 expatriates living in South Korea reported they are content with their lives despite ongoing challenges such as discrimination and cultural integration, according to a 2022 survey conducted by Statistics Korea. The biannual survey sampled a pool of 25,000 expats aged 15 and above residing in Korea for over three months, comprising 20,000 foreign nationals who had visas for stays longer than 91 days and 5,000 naturalized Koreans. Breaking down the respondents, 23.4 percent held an F-4

Sept. 6, 2023