Gang wars and bloody power struggles over territory and clout may be a thing of the past, as a new young generation of gangsters utilizes social media for communication and hold meetups, prosecutors have revealed recently. According to local media reports, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office recently discovered that young gangsters of the same age belonging to different factions and families hold regular social meetings among themselves. The prosecutors came to learn of such meetups

Social Affairs July 6, 2023

In 1986, a tiny rural town near the city of Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, was rocked by a series of rapes and murders targeting its female residents. A total of 10 women were killed over the course of five years, while the authorities failed to identify the perpetrator, limited by the technology of the time and a series of mistakes that occurred during the investigation. For over three decades, the Hwaseong serial murders remained one of the most famous unsolved cases in South Korea, capturing pu

Hashtag Korea July 5, 2023

A Vietnamese worker in his 30s was killed when a boxed polyurethane foam product exploded at a shipping terminal in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, local police said Wednesday. The incident occurred Monday, when the unnamed man whose main task is sorting packages was handling a box containing 15 cans of spray polyurethane foam. One of the cans exploded, striking the victim in his chest and causing the injury that eventually killed him. Officials said while polyurethane foam can spontaneously ignite

Social Affairs July 5, 2023

A 19-year-old under investigation for attempting to open an emergency door during flight has admitted that he had taken methamphetamine days before the incident, police said Friday. The unnamed teenager, who tried to open the airplane door in a flight from the Philippines to Incheon, said he took drugs with six Filipinos at a hotel in Cebu two days before the flight. He has since been questioned by the Incheon Airport Police. The suspect was on the Jeju Air flight that departed from Mactan-Cebu

Social Affairs June 30, 2023

“Happiness Does Not Come in Grades.” This is the title of a Korean teen movie released in the summer of 1989. The film went on to become the third highest-grossing film of that year. Just like any typical teen movie, the film weaves together a budding romance, friendships and the trials of school life. Set in Korea in the 1980s, the film ends in tragedy -- the lead character, played by then-17-year-old Lee Mi-yeon, kills herself under immense pressure for academic excellence. The f

Hashtag Korea June 28, 2023

Among the more tech-savvy and rapidly changing countries in the world, South Korea in recent years has adopted various technologies and amenities in public spaces or for commuters that are hard to find anywhere else. Priority seats for the pregnant A number of mass transit systems across the world have priority seats for people whose mobility is temporarily or permanently impaired, namely the elderly, those with disabilities, the injured or pregnant women. While it is generally accepted that p

Hashtag Korea June 27, 2023

A South Korean court recently found a 30-year-old woman guilty of invading her boyfriend’s privacy, after the accused had browsed his phone without his consent to look for video and contact information of his previous girlfriend. While finding the accused guilty for looking through the phone of the victim -- her boyfriend at the time -- in December of 2020, the Seoul Central District Court, gave her a suspended sentence of a 300,000 won ($230) fine. The Article 316 of the Criminal Act says

Social Affairs June 26, 2023

In 1964, then-18-year-old Choi Mal-ja became a convict for fighting off an attempted rapist by biting off a part of his tongue, with the prosecution and court waving off her claims of self-defense. This case, for which she currently seeks a retrial, stands as a landmark in wrongful convictions and serves as a reminder of the abysmal state of women's rights during that era. Since then, the rights of women or sex crime victims in South Korea have undergone several changes. These include the

Social Affairs June 25, 2023

A 61-year-old man burned his neighbor to death after losing money in a game, the Gwangju District Court heard Thursday in the case's first hearing. The unnamed man is suspected of killing the victim -- also in his 60s -- with criminal intent, the court heard. The accused had a life insurance policy that designated him as the recipient in case the victim died. The suspect collected 8 million won ($6,148) in insurance money after the incident. The two men were neighbors and had been acquainte

Social Affairs June 23, 2023

최말자(77)씨는 정당 방위에 관한 논란이 있을 때마다 언급되는 '강제 키스 혀 절단 사건'의 당사자다. 이는 1964년 5월, 경남 김해의 한 작은 마을에서 당시 18세이던 최씨가 강제로 키스하려는 노모씨 (당시 21세)의 혀를 절단한 사건이다. 법원은 최씨의 정당 방위를 인정하지 않고 중상해죄로 징역 10개월, 집행 유예 2년을 선고했다. 노씨는 사건 이후 최씨의 집에 침입해 협박을 한 죄로 징역 6개월, 집행 유예 2년형이 선고되었다. 그에게 성폭력 관련 혐의는 적용되지 않았다. 억울하게 가해자가 된 지 56만인 2020년, 최씨는 법원에 재심을 청구했다. 하지만 1심과 2심은, "시대가 바뀌고 사회 문화적 환경이 달라졌다고 하여 반 세기 전의 사건을 뒤집을 수 없다"며 그의 재심 청구를 기각했다. 이달 초 부산 여성의전화 사무실에서 만난 최 씨는 "대법원이 양심적이라면 법대로 이 사건에 대한 재심을 열어서 바로 잡고, 정당 방위

한국어판 June 21, 2023

Among the basic practical issues when travelling to another country are luggage and transportation logistics. This edition of Survive & Thrive will take a look at apps that help you rent lockers for your bags or public bikes in Seoul. Luggage storage In nearly every subway station in Seoul, there are self-service lockers that one can use for a fee. T-locker -- also known as Ttota Locker -- is an app that allows you to use them. The “Ttota” icon on the app’s map refers to

Hashtag Korea June 21, 2023

The year 1988 was a memorable year in many ways. The Iron Curtain was slowly collapsing, the first World AIDS Day was held, the concept of the World Wide Web was first discussed in Switzerland, while denim jackets and Nintendo were all the rage. South Korea celebrated its first democratically elected administration in 16 years together with its most high-profile international event as of yet: the Summer Olympics. “XXIVth Olympiad begins: The world comes to Seoul” reads the front page

Hashtag Korea June 15, 2023

Ever since one fateful night in the spring of 1964, Choi Mal-ja has endured the weight of her notorious reputation as a “tongue biter" who supposedly ruined a young man’s life over a kiss. At age 18, Choi bit off part of the man’s tongue as she tried to fight off an attempted rape. From today’s perspective, the nature of her actions is of little debate: It was self-defense. But the world was a different place back then. “The court made me -- the victim -- the

Social Affairs June 13, 2023

As one of the most tech-savvy countries in the world, South Korea has a number of useful mobile apps that can aid everyday tasks, ranging from delivery and transportation to administrative services. For the next few weeks, Survive & Thrive will introduce free apps that provide such services in English, or those that foreign residents and tourists might find useful. Naver Map To navigate the streets of the massive concrete jungle that is Seoul, Google Maps may not be the best idea. A loca

Hashtag Korea June 13, 2023

For those traveling in areas with limited access to public transportation, renting a car may be the best option. Here's a look at the country’s car-sharing and rental system. Rental For most companies, foreigners who have a driver’s license issued by local authorities can rent a car under the same conditions as South Koreans, which is that one must be at least 21 years old and have obtained a driving permit over one year ago to rent a car that has up to nine seats. Other req

Hashtag Korea June 6, 2023