Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon on Friday ordered the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office to ensure that teachers’ rights are “truly guaranteed” when the prosecution investigates cases related to teachers' guidance of students. The minister said the prosecution should “reflect the distinct characteristics of a school environment” and the “role of teachers in schools,” adding that the enforcement of criminal laws related to teachers and child abuse should be

Compressed air dusters, readily available in ordinary stores for household tasks such as cleaning electronics, are a recent point of concern for their potential to be misused as a drug alternative, following a "JTBC Newsroom" report Thursday. Air dusters use compressed air to clean surfaces and remove dust and dirt from products such as keyboards. They can be bought without any restrictions at a low price, starting from 2,000 won ($1.50), and can be misused for a hallucinogenic effect.

The expansion of the Korean fried chicken market has been driven by young Korean consumers using delivery services, with the biggest spenders accounting for nearly half of the sales, data showed Thursday. According to data released by KB Kookmin Card, a subsidiary of South Korea's KB Financial Group, the top 10 percent of individuals who splurge the most on Korean fried chicken constitute 41.5 percent of total fried chicken sales. On average, these individuals shell out approximately 80,0

Nearly 40% of stalkers get commuted sentence at appellate courts

The southern region of South Korea's most populous province saw a spike in emergency hospitalizations following a string of seemingly unprovoked violent crimes -- dubbed "mudjima" or don't-ask-why crimes -- this summer, a recent report the region's police agency found, suggesting heightened fears over a possible link between mental illness and violence. According to the South Gyeonggi Provincial Police Agency, the South Gyeonggi region saw a 31 percent increase in emerge

Some members of the Yongin City Council were caught by Malaysian customs for carrying nearly 40 bottles of soju each on their recent trip to the country, local media reported Thursday. According to the reports, the incident took place last month when eight councilors all belonging to the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea left for a business trip to the city of Kota Kinabalu, accompanied by 14 employees of the council in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. Some of the council members had 40 bottle

To reduce waste and increase rates of recycling, the Seoul Metropolitan Government will impose a 300 won surcharge for each single-use cup used at coffeehouses in the city, starting in 2025. Seoul intends to introduce the disposable cup deposit system by drawing insights from programs currently operating in the city of Sejong and on Jeju Island. Both require customers to pay a 300 won deposit when buying a drink in a single-use cup, which the customer can get back by returning the used cup throu

A man in his 40s has been detained for using an electric shocker on a woman in her 50s. Yangsan Police Station in South Gyeongsang Province said Thursday they have requested an arrest warrant for the suspect on the charge of special violence. Special violence under local laws is punishable by imprisonment of between one to 10 years, and can be applied in cases such as assault using a potentially lethal weapon, and assault carried out by a group. The man also violated the act on the safety manage

A recent proposal to reform South Korea's pension system has sparked widespread controversy, as the plan includes increasing subscriber contributions while delaying the age at which subscribers can receive pension benefits. While the pension age is already set to increase from the current 62 to 65 by 2033, the reform proposal that the National Pension Financial Calculation Committee is pushing the most is to raise the pension age to 68. Pension premiums will also be increased gradually by 2

Climate change behind unusually hot summer: weather agency

The Ansan Immigration Office said Thursday it has transferred to the prosecution 12 South Korean men for their suspected involvement in the illegal smuggling of 106 foreign women into the country to work as bar hostesses, disguising them as singers and models. The suspects include a 46-year-old broker and the 47-year-old owner of the business establishment that hired the women, along with the 52-year-old head of a local talent agency who sent out invitations to the women, according to the Justic

Discovery of a veterinary drug in ham that was served as part of a public high school meal has ignited a government probe on Wednesday. According to local news reports, the foreign substance -- later confirmed as Aluspray, a veterinary spray used to stop bleeding in livestock and not meant for human ingestion -- was discovered in ham at a high school in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province. According to the school, the substance was found by the school’s nutritionist. The ham was produced by a well

Number of children aged 6 to 11 treated for depression doubled, with 822 child suicides, in 5 years

A man in his 30s who had disguised himself as a woman was apprehended by the police while using his phone to film video in the women's changing room of a public bathhouse in Daejeon. Daejeon Daedeok Police Station has stated that officers are investigating the man on charges of violating the Special Act on the Punishment of Sexual Violence Crimes. The man is accused of entering the women's changing room of a public bathhouse in Daejeon's Daedeok district on Aug. 26. He was disguis

South Korea's Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is set to receive his Serbian counterpart Ana Brnabic on Friday, Han's office said Wednesday. Han and Brnabic will hold talks at the Government Complex Seoul, which will be followed by a formal luncheon. The three-term Serbian Prime Minister will be on an official visit to Korea from Thursday to Sunday. The talks will focus on the economic ties, people-to-people exchanges, cultural partnerships and regional security of each country, as well as