Rampant rental deposit fraud and high loan interest rates are driving university students to opt for paying monthly rent instead of lumpsum “jeonse” deposits for leased housing. However, with a surge in the monthly rent due to limited property availability in university areas and more demand, students are facing significant financial pressure. As of July 2024, real estate big data from Dabang shows the average monthly rent in major university areas in Seoul has risen to 608,000 won

South Korea reported its fourth case of lumpy skin disease in cattle this year, the agriculture ministry said Wednesday. The case was confirmed at a livestock farm in Yeoju, 66 kilometers southeast of Seoul, breeding 116 cows, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. It is the fourth LSD case confirmed in South Korea since the first outbreak at a livestock farm in Anseong, some 65 kilometers south of Seoul, on Aug. 12. To prevent further infections, the government has co

North Korea has launched balloons likely carrying trash toward South Korea, the South's military said Wednesday. "North Korea is once again launching balloons likely carrying trash directed towards the South," the Joint Chiefs of Staff said, noting the balloons could travel toward the northern part of Gyeonggi Province, and the Seoul metropolitan area. Citizens are advised not to touch any balloons if found. Instead, the JCS urged people to report sightings to the nearest military

A heat wave warning was issued for all parts of Seoul during the Chuseok holiday Wednesday, marking the latest-ever red alert in September, weather authorities said. Seoul was put under a heat warning, after a heat advisory was upgraded to a heat warning in the southwest 10 a.m., followed by the rest of the capital city at 2 p.m., according to the Korea Meteorological Administration. This was the latest heat warning ever issued in Seoul in September since the introduction of the heat warning sys

Maintaining 28,500 American troops in South Korea is "essential," the nominee for US Forces Korea commander has said, amid concerns that former President Donald Trump could weigh a USFK troop reduction should he return to the White House. Lt. Gen. Xavier Brunson staked out his position in written answers to lawmakers' questions ahead of his Senate confirmation hearing on Tuesday. If confirmed, he would lead the South Korea-US Combined Forces Command, United Nations Command and USF

North Korea appears to be making progress in converting a Russian heavy transport plane into what could be the country's first airborne early warning platform, a report showed Wednesday, citing commercial satellite imagery. Joseph Dempsey, a research associate at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, made the analysis based on recent satellite imagery taken of the Ilyushin Il-76 aircraft at the Pyongyang Sunan International Airport. In the report, Dempsey identified the aircraf

The Seoul High Court said recently it upheld a six-year prison term for a 67-year-old North Korean defector for the attempted murder of another defector over a faulty investment opportunity. A defendant was found guilty of attempted murder, after he stabbed the 70-year-old victim nine times and assaulted him with his fist at 11:40 p.m. on Nov. 14. The court turned down his claim of not intending to murder the victim, pointing out that he called the police after the crime and said he had "ju

A man whose conviction for making deepfake pornography of an acquaintance was overturned is now seeking state compensation for his legal fees, local media outlets reported Wednesday. The former university student surnamed Lee recently requested the Seoul High Court to compensate him for his losses from the conviction. Although he did actually make the images, he was cleared by the Supreme Court in April 2024, partly because the relevant legislation was not in place at the time of his actions. Le

Proposed Bill: Act on Special Cases Concerning the Promotion of Reconstruction and Redevelopment Projects Proposed by Rep. Kim Eun-hye (People Power Party) ● Rising construction costs and complex authorization procedures have caused delays in housing provision. To accelerate the completion of reconstruction and redevelopment projects and accommodate the growing demand for housing in city centers, this bill streamlines approval procedures, offers mediation support for construction cost disputes,

Some unmarried South Koreans do not plan on revealing their entire fortune to their soon-to-be spouses, a recent survey by a matchmaking firm showed Tuesday. According to the survey by Gayeon conducted on 250 unmarried men and 250 unmarried women between 25-39 years of age, 15 percent of respondents said they would not disclose 100 percent of their assets. The most popular reason (49.3 percent) was "even spouses need some secrets," followed by "I might need emergency funds only fo

South Korea’s high-end entertainment industry marked 624 billion won ($469 million) in sales with corporate credit cards last year, with over half spent in hostess clubs. The sales, supposedly generated for entertainment in business dealings, increased by 61 billion won from the previous year’s 563 billion won and accounted for 0.4 percent of total corporate credit card expenditure, according to the South Korean National Tax Service data submitted to Rep. Park Seong-hoon of the rulin

In a bid to combat the persistent problem of drunk driving, South Korea is rolling out a new policy that will require repeat offenders to blow into a breathalyzer every time they start their car, authorities told local media on Tuesday. The policy, set to take effect on Oct. 25, applies to anyone caught driving under the influence more than twice in the past five years. Under the mandate, offenders will be responsible for installing the breathalyzer-like device -- referred to as the ignition int

The number of foreign nationals illegally working as delivery workers in South Korea has surged by 50 percent since the Ministry of Justice initiated a crackdown on illegal employment practices in the industry in 2023. According to the Justice Ministry, 171 cases of foreign nationals being illegally employed in food delivery services and parcel services were detected as of July 2024, up from 117 cases detected in the whole of 2023. If this trend continues, the ministry expects numbers to double

Amid the prolonged summer in South Korea, research revealed Wednesday shows that rising temperatures can cause not just heat-related illnesses but also increase the risk of obtaining mental illnesses such as depression. According to joint research conducted by the Catholic University of Korea, Seoul National University and Pusan National University with 219,187 respondents of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency’s Community Health Survey, for every increase in average annual t

Over the past three years and seven months, more than 4,000 individuals were apprehended for child pornography offenses, including production and distribution, yet only 261 of them were referred to prosecutors while in detention, according to the official data. Data released Wednesday by Rep. Hwang Jung-a of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, based on information from the National Police Agency, highlighted the extent of child exploitation offenses and the relatively low rate of dete