More than half of the drugs prescribed through non-face-to-face treatment were those not covered by national insurance, which has raised concerns among pharmacists about possible blind spots in telemedicine operations, according to the Korea Pharmaceutical Association. When 1,142 pharmacists were asked what drugs were dispensed during a telemedicine pilot program from June to August this year, of the total prescriptions, 34.6 percent were emergency contraceptives, followed by acne treatment drug

Labor Ministry to absorb role of centers, but concerns remain

The Seoul Metropolitan Government’s global startup festival, “Try Everything,” took off on Wednesday at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in eastern Seoul. Scheduled to be held until Sept. 15, up to 1,500 startup companies were in attendance, along with 220 domestic and overseas venture capital firms. Since hosting “Start-Up Seoul: Tech Rise” in 2019, the city government has hosted the startup festival “Try Everything” every September. Under the slogan, “Sta

The South Korean government appears to be reconsidering its earlier plan to introduce a disposable cup return program by 2025, in spite of the country’s proliferation of cafes and their widespread use of single-use cups. Designed by the previous Moon Jae-in administration, the deposit-refund system for plastic cups mandates cafe and restaurant owners to impose a surcharge of 300 won ($0.23) on each takeaway cup, eligible for a refund upon return of the used cup. Ahead of its scheduled nati

A strike by the Korean Railroad Workers' Union is to begin Thursday morning, raising concerns over transportation and logistics turmoil. According to unionized workers at the state-run Korea Railroad Corp., also known as Korail, the union will go on a four-day strike from 9 a.m. Thursday to 9 a.m. Monday. The strike is the union's first since November 2019. Members voted 64.4 percent in favor in a strike ballot at the end of August. The railway union's requests include the expansi

The National Human Rights Commission of Korea has issued a recommendation that detention centers for foreign nationals should improve and increase provisions for detainees, including computer and internet access, the time allowed for exercise outdoors and the ability to bring in food from outside. In a recommendation issued Wednesday to an unspecified detention center for foreign nationals, the commission said there is an urgent need to improve provisions in these areas to guarantee foreign nati

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Wednesday that it would update its subway map design to give riders a more comprehensive overview of the system. The city government claimed that foreigners in Korea often find the current map challenging to use and understand. The new subway map design will use a new layout that the city says will help riders understand multiple routes and transfer stations. The colors and patterns differentiating routes will also be upgraded, allowing travelers to navigat

  South Korea’s rice paddy area decreased 2.6 percent in 2023 from a year earlier amid a reduction in domestic consumption, data showed. The country’s rice cultivation area came to 708,041 hectares, compared with 727,054 hectares tallied a year earlier, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea. South Jeolla Province accounted for the largest area at 149,896 hectares, followed by South Chungcheong Province with 131,643 hectares and North Jeolla Province with 107,383 he

Seoul introduces plan to become a more tourist-friendly city with various attractions and tourist programs

South Korea tops again in rate of tertiary education for four consecutive years

Pedestrians in Eunpyeong-gu, northern Seoul, were sent scrambling for cover Monday morning as concrete bricks and wood, some weighing up to 3 kilograms apiece, were hurled from the rooftop of a nearby seven-story building onto the sidewalk and road below. The chaos unfolded at around 8:30 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 4, as people were busy heading to work. One of the falling objects struck a moving car. Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident. Police responded to the scene and arrested a man in

South Korea apprehended over 10,000 suspected of illegal drug use during the first half of the year as part of the government initiative to stamp out drug-related crimes in what was once considered a drug-free country. The number of suspects caught by law enforcement surged to 10,252, up nearly 20 percent compared with the previous year, according to government data unveiled Tuesday. Throughout 2022, 18,395 were nabbed by law enforcement, hitting an all-time high. The amount of drugs confiscated

  Have you ever had your sunlight blocked or your view blocked by huge skyscrapers in front of your house? Such quality of life interests are also considered a protected right under Korean law. A typical quality of life impairment includes sunlight and view obstructions, both of which the court recognizes as specific rights and therefore prescribes specific remedies. First, let's talk about obstruction of sunlight. In order for an obstruction of sunlight to be considered illegal and liable,

7,545 booked for stalking this year

A sinkhole has opened up in the middle of a road in Gangnam-gu, Seoul on Tuesday, according to authorities. At around 10:45 a.m., a sinkhole was found near Eonju Station. A man called the police to report that one of his wheels was stuck in the ground due to the sinkhole, which is estimated to be 3 meters deep and 1 meter in diameter, according to the Seoul Gangnam Police Station. Although four lanes from Kyobo Tower to the Cha Medical Center Gangnam are currently closed to prevent further accid