Seoul to launch Han River water-bus service in 2024

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on Monday the inception of a new Han River water-bus service, slated to commence operations in September 2024. The city government signed a cooperation agreement with E-Land Group to operate the business, called "Hangang River Bus." According to the agreement, the water-bus service will operate a 30-minute water route from the Ara Han River Gabmun dock in Gaehwa-dong in Seoul's Gangseo-gu to Yeouido in Seoul's Yeongdeungpo-gu. The s

Sept. 4, 2023

Rural S. Korea faces stark health care inequality: report

South Koreans living in rural areas have double the risk of delayed access to emergency health care compared to urban residents, highlighting the country's significant urban-rural disparity in crucial healthcare infrastructure, the National Medical Center reported on Sunday. The center’s 2022 public health report used four time frames to measure medical care access: 30, 60, 90 and 180 minutes. The shortest -- 30 minutes -- is associated with the time needed to access urgent care units

Sept. 4, 2023

Two men swept away in swimming accident, 1 dead, 1 missing

The authorities are searching for a man apparently swept away by the current in a fatal swimming accident in which another man drowned in North Chungcheong Province. According to the police and fire authorities, two men of Thai nationality in their 30s seem to have been swept away by the current in Cheongmicheon Stream, Jucheon-ri, Gamgok-myeon, Eumseong-gun, North Chungcheong Province on Sunday at approximately 3:44 p.m. Police and fire authorities were dispatched to the scene after receiving a

Sept. 4, 2023

Classrooms close as teachers rally to demand more protection at work

Unleashing a wave of anger over a series of suicides, teachers took to the streets across the nation Monday in an unprecedented move, demanding immediate legal protections to reinstate their authority when dealing with unruly students and pushy parents. Holding pickets reading “A Day to Pause Public Education,” tens of thousands of teachers participated in rallies held in different locations across the country, leaving their classrooms behind despite governmental warnings of discipli

Sept. 4, 2023

Jeju loses grip on domestic visitors, hopes for Chinese return

Jeju, South Korea's southern resort island, saw a 16 percent drop in domestic tourist arrivals in the peak vacation season of July and August, data showed Monday. According to statistics provided by the Jeju Tourism Association, the volcanic island received some 2.13 million domestic tourists in the two-month period. That is about 397,000 less visits, compared to the previous year's figure of 2.53 million. Total tourist arrivals encompassing both domestic and foreign visitors came in a

Sept. 4, 2023

Man run over, dies after getting out of police vehicle

The death of a man in Osan, Gyeonggi Province, has sparked a row over police response, with the man having been killed after being brought under police custody. According to reports, the deceased, a man in his 20s, was killed after he was run over by a bus while lying on the road in the early hours of Aug. 13. According to Osan Police Station in Gyeonggi Province on Monday, officers were dispatched to a restaurant in response to a report by the restaurant owner at 1:59 a.m. on Aug. 13. When two

Sept. 4, 2023

South Korean YouTubers' revenue surges, top earners dominate share

Revenue from South Korean YouTubers surged to 860 billion won ($650 million) in 2021, a tenfold increase compared to 2019, data from the National Tax Service showed on Sunday. The top 1 percent of YouTubers accounted for 25 percent of this total revenue, earning an average annual income of 713 million won, according to data. In the same year, the top 1 percent of all workers in South Korea had an average income of 417 million won. Apart from YouTube's expanding influence in the country, the

Sept. 4, 2023

Residents protest Seoul’s new waste incinerator site

With the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s final decision on Sangam-dong in western Seoul as the site of a new waste incineration plant, protests have been sparked among nearby residents for the second time since the city government’s initial announcement in August 2022. According to Yonhap News Agency, residents of Sangam-dong have been requesting the city government to release the full minutes of the meeting held regarding the decision to build the plant in the area since April. The

Sept. 3, 2023

What summer of stabbings means for South Korea

"Less-lethal" guns to be distributed to law enforcement. More security cameras to be installed in parks, streets and public spaces. More frequent police patrols. These are just some of the measures South Korea has recently announced, as it scrambles for solutions to respond to a spate of apparently unprovoked attacks on members of the public. “In order to deal with ‘don’t-ask-why crimes’ on the fundamental level, (the government) will restructure police (forces)

Sept. 3, 2023

Teachers to hold nationwide protest despite warning

Teachers across the country are set to hold a de facto protest Monday to commemorate a 23-year-old teacher who took her own life in July, despite the government’s warnings of disciplinary actions. About 70,000 teachers are expected to participate in the “Sept. 4 Rally,” according to an online community of teachers, to demand better rights for teachers in the classroom. In contrast, the government has announced that 30 schools nationwide -- with Seoul having the highest number a

Sept. 3, 2023

KIS taps seasoned educator as new school director

Korea International School in Bundang, Gyeonggi Province, said Sunday that it had tapped Cameron Fox, a seasoned educator with nearly 30 years of experience, as the school’s new director. According to the announcement, Fox will play a big role in pushing for better outstanding academic excellence of students and co-curricular programs that support high levels of student learning. “The KIS community will remain open and nimble to respond and adapt to the needs and growth of our school

Sept. 3, 2023

Yoon invites Korean atomic bomb victims in Hiroshima for Chuseok

President Yoon Suk Yeol has extended an invitation to a group of Korean victims of the 1945 atomic bombing in Hiroshima during the upcoming Chuseok holiday, a presidential official said Saturday. "President Yoon has invited Korean atomic bomb victims to South Korea for the Chuseok holiday," the official told Yonhap News Agency. This year's Chuseok fall harvest holiday will take place from Sep. 28 to Oct. 1. During his visit to Hiroshima for a Group of Seven summit in May, Yoon met

Sept. 2, 2023

UN rapporteur for North Korean human rights to visit Seoul next week

UN special rapporteur for North Korea's human rights will visit South Korea next week to meet Seoul officials as well as defectors from the reclusive regime, the foreign ministry said Friday. Elizabeth Salmon is expected to arrive here Monday for a nine-day stay to meet foreign, unification and justice officials, along with North Korean defectors, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She is also scheduled to hold a press conference in Seoul on Sept. 12. The rapporteur will submit

Sept. 1, 2023

Military court denies arrest warrant for ex-Marine investigator over alleged insubordination

A military court on Friday rejected an arrest warrant request for the Marine Corps' former top investigator over allegations he disobeyed orders from his superiors over an internal probe he led into the death of a young Marine in July. The military prosecution on Wednesday filed for the pretrial warrant to detain Col. Park Jung-hun on charges of insubordination and defamation of his superior after he handed over the probe findings to the civilian police last month despite Defense Minister

Sept. 1, 2023

Mergeplus ordered to compensate victims over Mergepoint app refund chaos

Seoul Central District Court ruled on Friday that Mergeplus, the operator behind the problematic discount app, Mergepoint, must pay roughly 225 million won ($170,000) to 148 victims who had purchased unusable virtual coupons. The decision comes after a collective civil lawsuit identified the app's role in causing widespread refund chaos. The court found Kwon Nam-hee, CEO of Mergeplus Corporation, and its affiliated companies responsible for the incident but absolved six online shopping si

Sept. 1, 2023

Heat-related illnesses tripled this summer in Seoul

Seoul City has seen a threefold increase on-year in the number of serious heat-related illnesses this summer, authorities said Friday. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Fire and Disaster Management Headquarters, a total of 158 cases were reported through 911 emergency calls between May 15 and Aug. 31. This year's figure is approximately three times larger than the 50 cases recorded last year. Of those patients, 104 were diagnosed with heat exhaustion, followed by 24 cases of heat stroke

Sept. 1, 2023

Russia's nuclear waste dump in 1993 had no significant impact on East Sea: presidential office

After Russia dumped radioactive waste in the East Sea in 1993, South Korea continued to measure radioactivity at about 50 different points in its waters, but "no significant changes have been reported as of yet," a senior aide to President Yoon Suk Yeol said earlier this week. Lee Kwan-sup, senior presidential secretary for policy planning, made the statement on Wednesday at the National Assembly, saying that filing a complaint with an international organization against the Japanese go

Sept. 1, 2023

Officer arrested on suspicion of taking bribes from drug offender

A probation officer was arrested on suspicion of ignoring a drug offender's repeated offenses in exchange for bribes, the Ministry of Justice announced Friday. The ministry pledged to intensify the oversight of drug offenders and relevant personnel to prevent such incidents in the future. Seongnam Jungwon Police Station in Gyeonggi Province said Thursday that it had arrested a probation officer in his 50s who is suspected of taking 5 million won ($3,789) in return for overlooking drug use b

Sept. 1, 2023

Surveillance cameras in operating rooms to be mandatory from this month

Hospitals will be required to install cameras in operating rooms and to video-record surgical procedures upon the request of patients or guardians from later this month, despite adamant opposition from doctors. The Ministry of Government Legislation announced Friday that the amended Medical Service Act, which requires the installation of surveillance cameras in hospital operating rooms, will take effect on Sept. 25. The revised regulation mandates hospitals to install the cameras in any room whe

Sept. 1, 2023

Logistics added to industries eligible for E-9 visas

South Korea approved Friday plans to allow logistics companies here to sponsor E-9 visas for foreign workers amid what it called a "chronic labor shortage." Currently, employers in manufacturing, construction and farming can recruit worker from 16 countries in Southeast Asia and Central Asia to work on E-9 visas. But the plan, confirmed Friday at the Foreign Workers Policy Committee at the Government Complex Seoul, will open the doors for logistics companies and airport subcontractors

Sept. 1, 2023