Chinese villains? Seoul Metro apologizes for 'racist' comments

The state-run operator of Seoul's subway system on Monday issued an apology related to its recent comment on an online petition, in which it used the word "villain" to refer to Chinese people. Seoul Metro recently used what have been widely called racist remarks in the official reply to a complaint posted on the Civil Complaint/Proposal Integrated Services (Eungdapso Seoul) webpage of the Seoul Metropolitan Government. "We apologize for the inappropriate language related to

Nov. 18, 2024

Majority of single-person households turn to side jobs amid high cost of living

More than half of South Koreans living alone have side jobs amid a growing cost-of-living squeeze, a report said Sunday. Among 2,000 economically active men and women aged 25 to 29 living alone in the metropolitan area, 54.8 percent of respondents said they earn extra money through a second job, according to a report by KB Financial Group's think tank. The figure significantly grew from 42 percent in 2022. Among the respondents this year, 38.8 percent said they took on a side gig to save

Nov. 18, 2024

Car owner uses fake license plate, possibly to dodge parking fees

A resident of an apartment complex in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, was caught using a fake license plate made of paper to cover the license plate of his or her second car, a local media outlet reported recently. According to the JTBC report, a BMW sedan with a license plate made of paper was spotted by another resident of the apartment complex. The person who found the paper plate reported the case to police and confirmed that the car belonged to another resident of the building. The BMW owner h

Nov. 18, 2024

Housing scam counseling offered in 7 languages

Counseling services for foreign nationals in Seoul who fell victim to "jeonse" housing rental fraud will be offered in seven languages at the Seoul Foreign Resident Center in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Monday. Starting Monday, the counseling services will be provided in English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Mongolian, Russian, Uzbek and Urdu, every Monday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Counselling is delivered by certified real estate agents in English and

Nov. 18, 2024

Court upholds day care center worker's suspension over child's injury

Seoul Administrative Court said Monday that it recently ruled against a teacher at a local day care center, who challenged a three-year suspension of duties imposed after a 5-year-old under their supervision fell and sustained injury. The court upheld the disciplinary action by the Geumcheon-gu Office in November of 2011, who suspended the teacher for three months after the child was injured in February of 2022 at the day care center in Geumcheon-gu, Seoul. The child fell from a 2-meter-tall pla

Nov. 18, 2024

Rookie cop goes into burning building to rescue 22 people

A first-year policeman is earning praise here after he went into a burning building to evacuate all 22 residents, Seoul police said Monday. Oh Hyeon-jun, a 26-year-old patrol officer of the Seoul Gangseo Police Station, was among the team of officers who arrived at the scene of a fire in Gangseo-gu, Seoul on Nov. 7. A fire broke out at a restaurant of the commercial-residential building at around 7:12 a.m., with residents of the building being yet unaware of the situation. Oh ran up to the resid

Nov. 18, 2024

[Herald Interview] Expo sets global standard for urban innovation: director

Korea Herald correspondent BARCELONA, Spain — Amid the burgeoning number of events focusing on urban development and smart cities worldwide, often seen as imitations of Barcelona's pioneering efforts, the annual Smart City Expo World Congress has distinguished itself by hosting its 14th edition as a record-breaking gathering. The 2024 edition of the Smart City Expo World Congress, hosted by the city of Barcelona and Fira Barcelona, marked a success with record-breaking attendance of 25,7

Nov. 18, 2024

[Graphic News] Sea temperatures around S. Korea rise nearly double global average

The average temperature of South Korea’s surrounding seas has risen at nearly twice the global average rate over the past 56 years, according to a government report. The National Institute of Fisheries Science stated in its report, “2024 Impact of Climate Change in Fisheries Sector,” that sea temperatures around South Korea have increased by 1.44 degree Celsius between 1968 and 2023, compared to the global average rise of 0.7 C. The East Sea experienced the most significant i

Nov. 18, 2024

Railway workers to stage work-to-rule strike this week

South Korean railway workers will kick off a "work-to-rule" protest this week to demand higher pay and a bigger workforce, railway officials said Sunday. The Korean Railway Workers' Union said it will launch the work-to-rule industrial action starting Monday, which could cause delays in some train services. Delays are highly likely on subways in the capital Seoul area while regular and KTX high-speed trains could also be affected by the slowdown, according to Korea Railroad Corp.

Nov. 17, 2024

More young Koreans support having kids without marrying: study

A growing number of young South Koreans are challenging conventional views on marriage and parenthood, with two out of five people in their 20s expressing support for having children without getting married, a recent government study showed Sunday. Statistics Korea's annual study on Korean society revealed that 42.8 percent of Koreans believe it is acceptable to have children without marriage, marking a significant shift from a decade ago when only 30.3 percent held this view. Support for h

Nov. 17, 2024

Only 2.5% of senior citizens want to move in with children when sick: survey

Only 2.5 percent of senior citizens are willing to go live with their children when they are sick, while the majority prefer to remain in their current homes, according to a survey published Sunday. The study, titled “Senior Citizens' Living Environment and Awareness of Senior Life in 2023,” conducted by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, revealed that 87.2 percent of senior citizen respondents expressed a desire to continue living where they live. Meanwhile, 8

Nov. 17, 2024

Biden calls on Xi to use China's clout to prevent NK troop dispatch to Russia, warns of NK provocations

US President Joe Biden called Saturday for China to use its clout to prevent an escalation of Russia's war in Ukraine through the dispatch of more North Korean troops, while raising concerns over the possibility of Pyongyang engaging in provocations, a senior US official said Saturday. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan elaborated on the discussions that Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping had during their talks on the margins of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Lima,

Nov. 17, 2024

Cleaners accused of killing injured cat on street

Cleaning workers contracted by a city government who were asked to help an injured stray cat, killed the animal instead, touching off controversy over alleged animal cruelty, local media outlets reported. The employees of a cleaning company working for the Incheon Seo-gu Office were dispatched to the scene on Nov. 9, following a request to rescue the injured cat, according to the district office on Wednesday. After reaching the street in Seoknam-dong where the cat was found, they used cleaning t

Nov. 16, 2024

S. Korea sees decrease in female executives at state-run firms, organizations

The number of female executives at government-run organizations and companies has decreased by 10.7 percent since 2022, a report by a corporate analysis firm showed Thursday. Leaders Index said it analyzed data from the state-run All Public Information In-One system and found that 741 executives at public companies and organizations were women in 2024. This accounts for 20.6 percent of all executives at the state-run bodies. The female portion among higher-ups at state-run groups dropped from 83

Nov. 16, 2024

After grueling Suneung, most test-takers want part-time jobs

For high school seniors and graduates who took South Korea’s college entrance exam, or Suneung, on Thursday, the most popular post-exam plan was to work a part-time job, according to a survey. More than half, or 51.3 percent, of 931 test-takers said they want to get a part-time job after the national exam, according to Alba Cheonguk, a job search website on Wednesday. The top reason for wanting a part-time job was “to earn money independently" at 59 percent, followed by desire

Nov. 16, 2024

Court halts Yonsei University admissions process over exam leak

The Seoul Western District Court on Friday accepted an injunction filed by students and parents to suspend the validity of Yonsei University’s early admissions entrance exam in October, following allegations that exam questions were leaked prior to the test. The court ruled to “suspend the continuation of subsequent procedures” related to the early admissions exam until a ruling is made in a lawsuit demanding the exam be readministered. The decision effectively halts the announ

Nov. 15, 2024

Suspended prison term puts opposition leader’s Assembly seat, candidacy at risk

Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung was handed a suspended one-year prison sentence Friday for allegedly making false statements during the 2022 presidential campaign -- a ruling that, if upheld, could cost him his parliamentary seat and derail his presidential ambitions. Lee, chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea and a prominent likely contender in South Korea’s 2027 presidential race, announced plans to appeal the ruling, saying the court’s conclusions were “n

Nov. 15, 2024

Seoul to stay committed to Paris climate pact through Trump’s 2nd term

The Yoon Suk Yeol administration will uphold its commitment to the Paris Climate Accord throughout Donald Trump’s second term, despite mounting global concerns that the US president-elect may once again withdraw his country from the agreement, according to the Environment Ministry. Son Ok-ju, deputy minister of the Environment Ministry’s Planning and Coordination Office, stated, “Even with the Trump administration’s stance toward the Paris Agreement, the international ord

Nov. 15, 2024

Man in his 70s airlifted 300 km to Jeju for treatment amid medical strike

A man in his 70s from Busan was airlifted 300 kilometers to Jeju Island for emergency treatment after swallowing a piece of medical equipment during dental implant surgery. According to Jeju National University Hospital on Thursday, the man was receiving an implant procedure in Busan around 4 p.m. last Friday when a dental tool – a screwdriver – entered his airway and became stuck in his bronchial tubes. Paramedics attempted to find a hospital in the Busan area for a bronchoscopy pro

Nov. 15, 2024

Police bust $2.8b gambling ring that used deepfake video to lure gamblers

South Korean police have dismantled a massive online gambling ring worth 4 trillion won ($2.84 billion), apprehending 50 suspects accused of running the online operation since 2019 and employing deepfake technology to lure new users, according to the Ulsan Metropolitan Police Agency on Friday. According to police, out of 50 suspects, 13 have been arrested, including the website operator in his 40s. The remaining 37 have been forwarded to prosecutors. From October 2019 until March 2024, the 50 su

Nov. 15, 2024