People aged 65 and older took up 18.4 percent of South Korea’s population this year, reflecting the rapidly aging demographic of Asia’s No. 4 economy, data showed. The number of older adults stood at 9.5 million out of the country’s 51.5 million population this year, according to the data from Statistics Korea. South Korea is set to become a “superaged society” in 2025, in which the age group takes up 20 percent of the population. The number is expected to continue

A sinkhole opened up in Seoul's financial district of Yeouido on Wednesday morning, resulting in minor injuries to a nearby pedestrian, South Korean authorities said Wednesday. A 4-meter-deep, 5-meter-wide sinkhole was found on a traffic island between IFC Mall and Parc 1 Tower in Yeouido, western Seoul at around 11 a.m., according to firefighters and ward officials. While there were no casualties reported, one male pedestrian in his 30s was taken to the hospital with abrasions on his left

South Korea's central and local governments, along with livestock farmers nationwide, are making concerted efforts to curb the spread of lumpy skin disease, a highly contagious viral infection impacting cattle. South Korea's agriculture ministry has confirmed a total of 29 cases of the disease as of 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday since the first case was reported last Friday. In an attempt to contain the outbreak, around 1,000 cattle from farms where lumpy skin disease-infected cattle were bred have bee

Earlier in March, citizens in Seoul witnessed the surreal sight of a distraught zebra wandering around the streets of the capital. A heartbreaking story later came to light that the two-year-old zebra, named Sero, had been suffering immensely after losing both his parents within two years. In another blow for Sero, the Seoul Children's Grand Park Zoo announced on Tuesday the death of Coco, Sero's only partner since June 2022, due to complications related to her pregnancy. She was 17 mo

A series of rumors and accusations surrounding retired fencer Nam Hyun-hee's impending marriage has surfaced recently, with the former Olympic medalist and her groom-to-be vowing legal action against what they say are groundless accusations. Nam said Monday that she will marry a man named Jeon Cheong-jo, who was initially reported to be a businessman from a wealthy family. But in the two days since her announcement, the 42-year-old former athlete has been plagued by an array of allegations

Students at several colleges in and around Seoul found themselves embroiled in intrigue when they stumbled upon mysterious business cards scattered across campuses last week, sparking a flurry of concern across the country. These cards, written in English and predominantly found near the schools' art departments, curiously touted "totally legal" liquid cannabis, promising "inspiration … more than fifty times high." Each card's backside featured a QR code shap

Of 40 Itaewon-related bills proposed, only 1 passed

The effects or safety of the substances sold in South Korea as “growth medicine” have not been verified through proper clinical testing, a report by a main opposition lawmaker claimed Wednesday. There are 24 different drugs that are being marketed as helping boost growth in Korea, according to Rep. Kim Young-joo of the Democratic Party. An analysis of the data from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, the National Health Insurance Service, and the Health Insurance Review & Asses

Korean women live longer than men on average, but women suffer from more diseases in their lifetimes than men, data showed Wednesday. According to data released by the Korea National Institute of Health, Korean women had a life expectancy of 86.6 years, while men had a life expectancy of 80.6 years, as of last year. As long as records have been kept practically anywhere, women have lived longer than men. Also, for almost every major cause of death, men are more likely to die sooner than women, t

Halloween marketing has all but disappeared in South Korea after last year’s crowd crush disaster that occurred in a small alley in Itaewon, central Seoul. Most large retailers have canceled or minimized their Halloween events, and those that are continuing to sell Halloween goods face a mixed reaction. According to retail industry insiders, the industry is minimizing sales of Halloween-themed products this year, with the event still seen as associated with last year's tragedy that le

Seoul adopts CCTV cameras that analyze population density, police to implement safety measures in 16 locations

The national mental health center for disaster victims provided over 7,000 counseling sessions over last year's tragic Itaewon disaster, data showed Tuesday. The National Center for Disaster and Trauma conducted 7,141 counseling sessions over the past year after the Itaewon crowd crush that took 159 lives on Oct. 29, 2022, according to data sourced from the Ministry of Health and Welfare and disclosed by Rep. In Jae-keun of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea. In the period from

The city of Seoul has established 22 busking zones at parks along the Han River, where street singers can perform year-round free of charge, city officials said Wednesday. The project aims to centralize busking performances at Han River parks, transforming them into popular busking destinations. Under the project, each of Seoul's 11 Han River parks has at least one busking stage established, while busier parks, such as Yeouido and Ttukseom Han River parks, have two or more stages. Among the

South Korea's agricultural ministry said Wednesday it plans to complete the vaccination of cattle against lumpy skin disease (LSD) by early next month, as it strives to contain the nationwide spread of the disease. The announcement came as confirmed LSD cases in cattle rose to 29 as of Wednesday morning, with health authorities expecting additional confirmed cases in the coming weeks. "Considering the three weeks needed to develop protective antibodies against the disease, if the natio

A total of 500 aircraft incidents involving bird collisions have been reported in airports across South Korea over the past five years, according to data Wednesday. According to the data unveiled by Rep. Heo Jong-sik of the main opposition Democratic Party, the total number of aircraft bird strike cases during takeoff and landing totaled 500 since 2019. The lawmaker cited the data submitted by airport authorities. Gimpo International Airport in western Seoul and Gimhae International Airport in B