The number of babies born in South Korea fell for the second straight month in October despite the government‘s efforts to boost the nation’s chronic low birthrate, a report showed Monday.According to the report by Statistics Korea, 38,600 babies were born in October, down 5,000 or 11.5 percent from a year earlier.That followed a 7.1 percent on-year drop in September.From a month earlier, baby births also shrank for the second consecutive month.“The decline is attributable to relatively high bab

Four out of 10 adult Seoul residents were unmarried last year, and the trend of marrying later in life has led to more single-member households.According to statistics compiled by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the number of singles aged 25 to 49 in the capital has surged seven-fold from 215,184 in 1970 to 1,586,569 in 2010. The proportion of singles in the age group increased from 11.9 percent to 37.9 percent over the cited period.As more adults get married later in life, the average age fo

The government on Monday eased regulations on the use of firearms by the Coast Guard against fishermen engaged in illegal fishing in Korean waters.The measures were included in the 932.4 billion won ($803 million) plan for boosting the country’s ability to deal with Chinese vessels illegally fishing in Korean waters. The new measures allow Coast Guard officers dispatched to crack down on illegal fishing vessels to use firearms in circumstances deemed to be life-threatening or when other means ar

All foreigners entering the country will undergo biometric scanning starting in the new year to combat terrorism and prevent threats to national security, said immigration officials.According to the Korea Immigration Service on Monday, foreigners aged 17 or older will undergo fingerprint and facial scanning upon entering the county starting Jan. 1.The program started scanning those from countries deemed high-risk by the KIS in September 2010, and has since expanded to include all foreigners choo

The Foreign Ministry and the capital will join hands to stem the increasing number of unpaid traffic tickets for diplomatic vehicles, city officials said Monday.According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the capital will work with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade to develop a system that tracks diplomatic vehicles and helps collect any traffic fines they might have.City officials claim that one diplomatic official has some 4,300 tickets, with only 280 paid.One diplomatic official l

A South Korean far-left group said Monday they would set up memorial altars in Seoul for the late North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, sparking strong criticism from conservatives. A group made up of ex-convicts of the National Security Law, which bans anti-state activities such as praising the communist country, said that they would set up a makeshift memorial at a Seoul street later in the afternoon to allow South Korean people to pay their respects to the North Korean leader who passed away earli

Ministry measures call for dispatch of counselors, strengthening monitorsThe recent suicides of school bullying victims in Daegu have shocked the nation, especially since their parents and teachers didn’t even notice what they had been going through. Criticism has mounted over schools’ negligence and prevention of school violence has been called for by parents and education experts. A 14-year-old, who leapt to his death last week, left a suicide note detailing the abuse he suffered. The boy, sur

ULSAN, Dec. 26 (Yonhap) -- A trawler carrying 14 crew members sank off South Korea's southeastern coast early Monday, leaving one dead and 10 others missing, the Coast Guard said. The 139-ton vessel went down at 2:02 a.m. in waters about 15 nautical miles off the coastal city of Ulsan, some 410 kilo

More than 1,600 doctors and nearly 400 pharmacists were found to have received rebates from pharmaceutical firms, a government investigation team said Sunday.The team, led by the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, also indicted 25 medical professionals and pharmaceutical industry officials.The 25 people, of which 11 were indicted without detention and 14 were subjected to summary indictment, include six working at medical institutions five of which are doctors, 10 pharmaceutical industr

Nuclear power experts and industry officials from around the world will gather in South Korea early next year to discuss nuclear security and safe use of nuclear energy ahead of a global nuclear summit, the foreign ministry said Saturday.They will attend the Nuclear Power Industry Summit which will be held on March 23 in Seoul, with around 100 people along with major global organizations participating, according to the ministry.The gathering will precede the 50-country Nuclear Security Summit, w

The police are seeking the extradition of a man from Germany who confessed to murdering his wife in Seoul. The 48-year-old German is currently in police custody in Berlin after he confessed to murdering his Korean-German wife at about 4 a.m. on Dec. 22.The man left Korea soon after the murder and confessed to the German police upon arrival in Berlin.The German police have refused to hand over the suspect, citing principles of personal jurisdiction, but the Seoul agency plans to pursue the matter

The court acquitted two deceased fishermen of their false charges of spying for North Korea and made official apologies for its faulty judgment 38 years ago.“There is insufficient evidence to prove that the defendants spied on state secrets under North Korean directions,” said the Gwangju High Court in its ruling.“It may be presumed that they made false confession under duress.”The two, surnamed Kim and Park, were kidnapped by North Korean ships while fishing in the West Sea near Yeonpyeong Isla

South Korean full-time workers last year earned only 75 percent of what their counterparts in advanced economies raked in, a report showed Sunday.The average wage of South Korean full-time workers reached $33,221 in 2010 in terms of purchasing power, compared with $43,933 for full-time workers in Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries, according to the “Employment Outlook 2011” report by the 34-member organization.South Korea ranked 19th out of a total of 28 count