South Korean police said Thursday they apprehended two Thai nationals who are believed to have fled here after their human trafficking operation in Thailand resulted in the deaths of multiple victims, in an undercover investigation where officers disguised themselves as farmers near the suspects' hiding place. The international criminal investigation unit of the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police said two suspects, aged 44 and 31, have been extradited to their home country. The older suspect

A South Korean model who confessed to using drugs in the Philippines is under criminal investigation, according to police on Friday, after a rapid drug test came back positive. Kim Na-jung, 32, is currently under investigation for illegal drug use by the Gyeonggi Bukbu Provincial Police Agency. She is to face questioning as to how she obtained the drugs and from whom, including possible accomplices, without physically detention. She tested positive in a drug test she took at Incheon Airport sh

Government data showed Friday that 33 Seoul subway conductors were caught operating the train while under the influence of alcohol, but only three of them were subject to disciplinary actions. The conductors operated the subway with blood alcohol content ranging from 0.02 percent to 0.29 percent, and 0.08 percent on average, according to Seoul Metro data submitted to the ruling People Power Party's Yoon Young-hee on the Seoul Metropolitan Council. Of the three who faced punitive actions, tw

Delivery platforms and their partnered restaurants reached an agreement Thursday on reducing controversial commission fees to 2 to 7.8 percent from the current 9.8 percent starting next year, officials said. The decision came in the 12th round of a meeting held by a government consultative body overseeing the discussions, attended by representatives from Baedal Minjok, or Baemin, as well as smaller competitors Coupang Eats and Yogiyo, along with small business owners registered with these platfo

A pastor who embezzled 367 million won ($261,063) in church funds, including offerings made by church members, was sentenced to 18 months in prison, according to a court ruling on Thursday. The Seoul Northern District Court said it handed down the prison term last Thursday on charges of embezzlement and breach of trust. The defendant, who served as head pastor at a church in Seoul, is accused of misappropriating church funds for personal expenses between 2010 and 2020. With the pocketed funds, t

Strong relationship between countries necessary for better security: ambassadors

South Korea needs a strategy to maintain the growth of the Korean language, according to Ross King, a professor of Korean language and literature at the University of British Columbia. The Korean language has gained popularity in North America in recent years, but a lack of strategy could jeopardize its future, King said. The number of students studying the Korean language has grown by about 75 percent in the US over the past 10 years, while student enrollment in other language courses has dropp

South Korea’s annual College Scholastic Ability Test, or Suneung, took place on Thursday, witnessing a record number of retakers, drawn by the prospect of increased medical school enrollment quotas next year. With the highest number of retakers in 21 years, a total of 522,670 students, including high school seniors and graduates, were registered to take the state-administered Suneung, up 18,082 from last year. While the proportion of graduates was 0.7 percentage points lower than the previ

The growing popularity of the Korean language could help address Korea's demographic crisis, Sejong City Mayor Choi Min-ho said Wednesday. Speaking at the Global Business Forum, held at Simone in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, Choi said Koreans should be more open to building a multicultural society, and that Hangeul could play a key role. “It is good that Hangeul is called the pride of Korea. But it could also be something more that helps with Korea’s low birth rate,” he said

Lawmakers from rival parties emphasized the need for bipartisan cooperation focused on national interests and strategic planning, as they anticipate the incoming administration of US President-elect Donald Trump to have significant impacts on the Korea-US alliance, foreign policy strategy and the broader economic and industrial landscape. "As the saying goes, political strife stops at the border. In matters of diplomacy and security, bipartisan cooperation that prioritizes the national inte

The city of Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province, launched a drone delivery service across its 570 islands on Wednesday, expanding a growing trend of drone-based services in Korea to enhance the quality of life for residents in isolated areas. Island residents have long faced challenges due to geographical isolation, often needing to travel to the mainland for essential items or meals. The new drone delivery service allows them to receive various goods, including food, beverages, daily essential

A man who was convicted of rape in his 20s an once more in his 30s, has been sentenced to prison for rape yet again at the age of 45. The Seoul High Court on Wednesday upheld an earlier court ruling that gave a 15-year prison term to the defendant, surnamed Kim. It also ordered him to wear an electronic monitoring anklet for 20 years after he is released. "The initial ruling does not appear to be too heavy or too light in proportion to the crime," the court said in its verdict. Kim was

With some experts suspecting that the worn-down hull had caused last week's sinking of a 34-year-old boat, government data showed Thursday that nearly 40 percent of the fishing boats in South Korea are at least 21 years old. According to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, 24,504 of the fishing boats in the country were aged 21 years or above as of 2023, accounting for 38.1 percent of all registered fishing boats. A total of 12,205 of them were built at least 26 years ago. Korea does no

The South Korean police on Thursday revealed the name, age and mugshot of a man accused of murdering his former girlfriend and injuring her mother. Seo Dong-ha, 34, is suspected of killing a woman in her 30s at an apartment complex in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, on Nov. 8. Seo also attacked the victim's mother, inflicting non-critical damage with his knife. He reported himself to the police and was arrested shortly after. Seo and the victim had dated for four months earlier in the ye

The annual college entrance exam kicked off nationwide Thursday with a record number of retakers driven in part by an increase in medical school admissions. A total of 522,670 students, including high school seniors and graduates, were registered to take the state-administered College Scholastic Ability Test, up 18,082 from last year. High school seniors numbered 340,777, accounting for 65.2 percent of the total, while graduates numbered 161,784, the largest figure since 2003. Many of the gradua