The average budget for firefighters' meals has been found to be as low as 3,100 won ($2.33), sparking concerns over the quality and nutritional adequacy of their food. Data from the National Fire Agency, provided to Rep. Han Byung-do of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea on Friday, showed significant discrepancies in meal budgets across the country’s fire stations. In some areas, fire stations are left without the support of nutritionists, prompting further concerns about w

Nearly two-thirds of South Korea's weather agency's forecasts for Seoul during the rainy season this year were incorrect, data showed Thursday. Rep. Lim Lee-ja of the ruling People Power Party analyzed Korea Meteorological Administration's rain forecast for Seoul from June 29 to July 27, and compared it to the actual weather in the South Korean capital. The KMA predicted rain for 27 of the 29 days. Lim found that of the 27 days it was supposed to rain, forecasts for 16 of these

Nearly two-thirds of Korean women who gave birth last year did so via cesarean section, data shows. According to data from the National Health Insurance Service, obtained and released Thursday by the ruling People Power Party Rep. Kim Mi-ae, the proportion of women undergoing surgical delivery stood at 64.2 percent last year. The data highlights a consistent rise in C-section deliveries over the past five years, from 51.1 percent in 2019 to 61.6 percent in 2022. The upward incline continued in

Local researchers conducted an analysis on a recent international survey about various social challenges, and found that South Koreans are among the people who are the most likely to feel that AI technology could threaten their jobs. Scholars of the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs studied the data provided by the study "Societal Challenges, Public Opinion and Public Policies in 10 Countries," a survey of 10 countries conducted by the Digital Futures at Work Research Cente

The ruling People Power Party on Saturday called for efforts by the opposition-controlled National Assembly to swiftly ratify a new defense cost-sharing deal between South Korea and the United States. Seoul and Washington inked the five-year deal, named the Special Measures Agreement, on Wednesday, about a month before the US presidential election to be held Nov. 5. Under the agreement, South Korea will pay 1.52 trillion won ($1.14 billion) in 2026, up 8.3 percent from the previous year, for the

After helping his LG Twins end a 29-year title drought in South Korean baseball last year, shortstop Oh Ji-hwan wants nothing more than another taste of the championship this year. With the Twins set to face the KT Wiz in the first round of the Korea Baseball Organization postseason Saturday afternoon, Oh said the pressure may be off the shoulders of the Twins players. But that doesn't mean there is any less drive or motivation. "I want to keep winning," Oh said at Jamsil Baseball

With his bullpen considerably weaker than the team's title run from a year ago, LG Twins manager Youm Kyoung-youb said Saturday he will need his starters to munch up innings. In ending a 29-year title drought in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) in 2023, the Twins leaned heavily on their bullpen. But gone is the closer from that season, Go Woo-suk, who signed with the San Diego Padres in January. Setup man Jung Woo-young just had his worst regular season of his career, and not many reli

A South Korean military aircraft evacuating Korean nationals and their families from Lebanon returned home Saturday, as Israel intensifies ground operations against the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah inside Lebanon, the South Korean government said Saturday. A total of 96 South Korean nationals and one foreign family member who had been residing in Lebanon arrived at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, at 12:50 p.m. local time aboard a South Korean Air Force KC-330 Cygnus transp

Netflix, a global streaming service, plans to roll out seven Korean original films next year, responding to rapidly evolving content consumption trends as movie viewing extends beyond traditional theaters. The company prioritized "enhancing quality and expanding diversity" when selecting the films for next year, Kim Tae-won, director of the Content & Business team at Netflix Korea, said at a press conference Friday night on the sidelines of the Busan International Film Festival (BI

South Korea has reported another case of lumpy skin disease in cattle, government officials said Saturday, raising the number of confirmed cases this year to eight. The case broke out Friday at a livestock farm located in Goseong, about 160 kilometers northeast of Seoul, according to the agriculture ministry. The new case was reported just one day after similar cases were confirmed at farms in Yangyang, 154 km northeast of Seoul, and Pyeongtaek, 64 km south of the capital. To prevent further inf

The daily stock trading volume fell to the lowest of the year last month as worsening market conditions spooked investors, data showed Saturday. The average daily trading volume of listed shares came to 16.67 trillion won ($12.36 billion) in September, the lowest since the start of the year, according to the data from the Korea Exchange, operator of South Korea's main bourse. The reading also marks an 8 percent decline from 18.2 trillion won the previous month. The figure has been a steady