The number of South Korean children and teens diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder has risen by 80 percent over the last four years, a government agency report found. According to data released by the National Health Insurance Service on Sunday, ADHD diagnoses for individuals aged between 6 and 18 rose from 44,741 in 2018 to 81,512 in 2022, marking an 82.2 percent increase. Of these, 63,182 were male and 18,330 were female. The global rise in ADHD diagnoses, including in South K

Social Affairs Aug. 14, 2023

Seoul Zoo confirmed on Monday the unexpected death of Suho, one of their resident Siberian tigers. At just 10 years old, Suho's death came a decade earlier than the typical 20-year life expectancy for Siberian tigers, a critically endangered species. Suho was found unresponsive during viewing hours in the zoo's exhibition hall in Seoul Grand Park, Gwacheon on Sunday. Despite immediate efforts to revive him, he was pronounced dead soon thereafter. With the continued heat wave pushing da

Social Affairs Aug. 8, 2023

As South Korea has seen a rise in seemingly random knife attacks this summer, some are saying that law enforcement should be granted the authority to take a tougher stance against violent criminals. Several online comments by presumed police officers, expressing frustration for being personally liable for using excessive physical force while on active duty, were widely shared in social media and online communities following a series of recent violent crimes -- including last week's car-ramm

Social Affairs Aug. 8, 2023

Ulsan Metropolitan Police Agency reported the arrest of 20 people on Wednesday, including the 22-year-old kingpin of a major drug ring, among 34 individuals nabbed in connection with the nationwide drug trafficking operation. Among those busted was a high schooler who had been recruited into the ring as a drug mule, police confirmed. Since June 2020, the ring has dealt with cannabis and LSD smuggled from Vietnam through overseas mail. The ring's dealers, largely former buyers in their 20s a

Social Affairs Aug. 3, 2023

One man was found dead and another critically injured inside a vehicle parked by a highway near Yeosu, South Jeolla Province on July 31, leading to a police investigation last weekend. Both victims were discovered with severe wounds to the thigh, apparently inflicted by an external object. Police autopsy revealed the man died of excessive bleeding and sepsis, resulting from an injury inflicted by rocks. According to authorities, the two men were friends who met through an online game three years

Social Affairs Aug. 2, 2023

A man in his 60s is under police investigation for attempting to defraud the public with a donation box at a tribute site in Sillim-dong, Seoul, the location of a recent stabbing spree that left one dead and three injured. According to authorities, the man set up a box marked "donations for victims' families" at the memorial site without the consent of the victims' relatives. Upon discovering the box, the victims' families and mourning citizens reported the man to the po

Social Affairs July 28, 2023

Senior officers from the South Korean Army’s 9th Infantry Division are facing allegations of workplace abuse against drafted soldiers, according to the Center for Military Human Rights Korea. In press conferences Wednesday and Thursday, the non-governmental military watchdog detailed alleged instances of misconduct by senior officers against their subordinates serving at the infantry division’s dining facility in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. The facility, which provides food service to

Social Affairs July 28, 2023

What began three years ago as one man's solitary life with two dogs in a small apartment in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, devolved into a distressing case of animal neglect that left a neighborhood in turmoil and 50 dogs desperate for rescue. Over the past week, residents began lodging complaints about the incessant barking and foul odor emanating from the unit, which one neighbor likened to the scent of "a rotting corpse." The barking, residents said, was so frequent and lou

Social Affairs July 27, 2023

Japanese authorities are searching for a Korean man who has been missing for 49 days. According to reports, the man -- a 27-year-old social worker named Yoon Se-joon -- arrived in Osaka, Japan on May 9 with plans to stay for one month. Yoon was last spotted at a convenience store in the Wakayama prefecture, near the place he was staying, and his family reported him missing some time after their last contact on June 8. Japanese police have been searching for the man, and made the investigation pu

Social Affairs July 27, 2023

An executive at a modelling agency has been accused of sexual assault by multiple models and social media influencers, prompting an official police investigation. The three initial complainants, who are members of the same agency, filed lawsuits Thursday against the executive, accusing him of multiple counts of rape, groping, sexual harassment and non-consensual filming, police confirmed. The accused executive reportedly denies any wrongdoing. The allegations surfaced publicly Tuesday during a T

Social Affairs July 26, 2023

Nearly a third of Korean legislators, or 94 out of 283 sitting lawmakers, have a criminal record, according to a report by a nongovernmental organization. The Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice presented its findings in a press conference Tuesday, detailing the 94 lawmakers' 150 recorded offenses. The report distinguishes between political and non-political crimes, with the former mainly associated with activism during military dictatorship. Excluding political offenses, the numb

Politics July 25, 2023

The police on Tuesday took a man into custody for threatening to kill Korean women at the site of a recent stabbing spree in Sillim-dong, Seoul. The suspect, known to be male and in his 20s, is facing charges for making threats via a post on the online forum, DCinside, Monday. In the post, the suspect stated his plan to "kill 20 Korean women" at Sillim Station, the site of a fatal stabbing spree that left one dead and three injured on July 21, referring to "Korean women" us

Social Affairs July 25, 2023

Following the stabbing spree in Sillim-dong, Seoul, a significant increase in searches for self-defense tools and weapons has been noted across Korean online shopping sites. This trend appears to be largely driven by males aged 20-40, according to data provided by the online commerce platform, Naver Shopping. Throughout the weekend following the incident, self-defense items topped the search rankings on Naver Shopping among men aged 20-40, according to website data. As of Monday, such products m

Social Affairs July 24, 2023

In South Korea, 69 percent of adult smartphone users use a Samsung device, while only 23 percent use iPhones, a Gallup survey of 1,001 adults found. But the survey reveals a starkly different trend in one demographic: younger millennials and Gen Z. Among the younger generation, aged 18 to 29, iPhone’s share rises to 65 percent, double the Samsung's 32 percent, the survey found. This represents a 13 percent increase in iPhone use from last year and stands in sharp contrast to older coh

Technology July 20, 2023

The South Korean government announced a comprehensive five-year plan to address the gender gap in the public sector by increasing the proportion of leadership positions held by women. In South Korea, women occupy only 8.5 percent of senior government positions, significantly below the 37.1 percent average for countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The plan proposes to equal the OECD average within the next five years. The plan, announced Tuesday by a joint task f

Social Affairs July 18, 2023