Producing or distributing deepfake porn may lead to up to 7 years in prison

Experts warn of risks in taking study aids without severe need

The South Korean police said Wednesday it is investigating a man in his 50s on suspicion of murdering his girlfriend over an argument that broke out because he thought she was looking down on him. The suspect is accused of killing the victim, also in her 50s, at a motel in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, on Tuesday, according to the Paju Police Station. He then called the victim's family at around 8:20 p.m. and confessed the murder to them, who immediately called the police. The police found the

A man who lost consciousness while eating at a restaurant was rescued by a fellow diner and police who promptly arrived on the scene, Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency revealed in a recent video. The clip posted on its official YouTube channel showed an incident that occurred at a restaurant in September. The man suddenly lost consciousness while having a meal with his friend, after which the friend immediately called the 119 emergency service for help. A person who was sitting on the table n

A South Korean internet celebrity is being pelted with criticism over causing a drunk driving accident and then joking that she may as well have "killed" the victim. The YouTube streamer in her 20s is being investigated for drunk driving, according to the officials at the Incheon Bupyeong Police Station. She is accused of ramming her car into another at around 12:40 a.m. last Friday in Bupyeong-gu, Incheon, while driving under the influence of alcohol. Her blood alcohol level tested at

Unseasonably warm weather with day highs of around 20 degrees Celsius has delayed the autumn foliage peak, leaving large parts of Korea’s major foliage hotspots green as of Wednesday. Of the 21 hotspots the Korea Meteorological Administration monitored, seven -- including Naejangsan in Jeongeup, North Jeolla Province, famous for its maple leaves -- had not reached their foliage peak Wednesday. The KMA announces the “peak” when 80 percent of the place is covered with autumn foli

Judicial and police officers will keep a close eye on notorious child rapist Cho Doo-soon's new home from literally across the street, as the city government of Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, said Wednesday that it had rented a unit near his residence. Cho, who was released four years ago after serving 12 years in prison for raping an 8-year-old girl, relocated to a multiunit home in Wa-dong, Danwon-gu in the same city last month. This sparked concerns over child safety in the area, despite the

The average cash gift for weddings in South Korea has reached 90,000 won ($65), marking an increase of around 20 percent over the past three years, according to data released by Kakao Pay on Monday. Based on transaction data as of September, Kakao Pay, the online payment service of Korean tech giant Kakao Corp., found that the average wedding gift money has increased 23 percent from 73,000 won in 2021 to 90,000 won in September. The amount has steadily risen in between, from 80,000 won in 2022

The season's first frost was observed in Seoul, Daejeon and other parts of the country on Wednesday, up to 16 days later than previous years, the state weather agency said. The first frost was observed in Seoul and Suwon, south of the capital, nine days later than in the average year but two days earlier than last year, the Korea Meteorological Administration said. The central cities of Daejeon and Cheongju also witnessed the first frost this fall, 16 days later and two days earlier than la

Cancer remained the leading cause of death among South Koreans last year, according to data from Statistics Korea. A total of 352,511 deaths were recorded in 2023, a decrease of 5.5 percent from the previous year, marking a decline after three years of increases. The decline in the total number of deaths is partly attributed to the country’s COVID-19 measures. However, excluding deaths due to COVID-19, the overall number of fatalities actually increased. COVID-19, which was the third lea

The National Human Rights Commission of Korea ruled Tuesday that numerous types of illegal abuse inflicted on a group of seasonal workers from the Philippines last year amount to human trafficking. It was the first time the commission recognized abuse against seasonal workers of foreign nationality as human trafficking. Pointing to loopholes in the system as well as insufficient government management and supervision as causes, the commission identified illegal abuse practices including: wage exp

A man suspected of causing a fatal car accident while driving under the influence was arrested Tuesday morning. Officers from Seongnam Sujeong Police Station took the man into custody for allegedly hitting a man in his 30s who was riding an electric bicycle in Sujeong-gu, Seongnam city in Gyeonggi Province at around 4:10 a.m. The driver reportedly fled the scene without attempting to assist the victim. The victim sustained a critical injury and died despite receiving medical treatment at a nea

An elderly man who tried to steal a small amount of money from an old friend ended up killing the friend's wife, according to the police in South Jeolla Province on Tuesday. Yeosu Police Station is currently investigating the suspect, a man in his 60s, on suspicion of murdering a woman in her 70s at around 11 p.m. on Sunday. The victim was found stabbed in the chest inside her home, and died in the early hours of Monday despite receiving medical treatment at a nearby hospital. The suspect

A 28-week pregnant woman from Daejeon had to travel 200 kilometers to Suncheon, South Jeolla Province, for an emergency delivery after nearby hospitals turned her down citing a lack of available facilities, authorities said Monday. The Daejeon Fire Department said it received a report that a woman's water broke at around 2:52 a.m. on Monday. Emergency paramedics arrived at her home and took her to a local hospital she regularly goes to, only to be told the facility could not handle an emerg

A surge in cases of scrub typhus at the end of October has prompted the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency to advise caution to avoid contact with mites. There were 312 cases of scrub typhus between Oct. 24 and 30, a fivefold increase from 57 two weeks earlier according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. The disease is caused by bacteria carried by the larvae of chiggers, also known as harvest mites, which suck fluids from animals including humans. The bacteria can caus