Tens of thousands of South Korea's police officers dedicated to crime deterrence and the patrolling of neighborhoods will be armed with new less-lethal handguns, as part of nationwide efforts to curb crimes without obvious motives, President Yoon Suk Yeol said at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday. The government expects the new measures to help law enforcement strengthen policing efforts, while serving as an alternative to conventional weapons to avoid police brutality. "All of the police o

A man was arrested on Tuesday after a failed attempt to take his own life after killing his two children. Gimhae Jungbu Police Station announced Tuesday that a man in his 50s is being investigated on charges of murdering his two children on a hill in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province. According to the police, the man is suspected of murdering his two children -- his 17-year-old daughter and 16-year-old son -- in his vehicle. The daughter's teacher reported the teenager's absence from s

The Seoul Olympic Stadium in Jamsil, southern Seoul, built for the 1988 Summer Olympics and a go-to concert venue for big-name singers, will turn into a multifunctional site that could house various sports and cultural events. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said that the sports complex will undergo three years of renovation starting Tuesday, and that the new space will welcome visitors in December 2026. The estimated budget for the renovation project is 360 billion won ($270 million). Under t

No age, ID required in Korea to buy potential lethal weapons like brass knuckles at low prices online

Considering the recent rise in “mudjima” crimes, or “don’t ask why” crimes that have no obvious motive, the Ministry of Interior and Safety called for local governments’ cooperation in preventing such crimes during a joint meeting held on Monday. During the meeting, the ministry requested more surveillance cameras to be installed in crime-prone areas around the country, such as alleyways. The ministry also announced the nationwide need to implement a “Cr

Starting with presidential office cafeteria, more seafood to be served at companies

An online vendor has become embroiled in legal action for selling T-shirts featuring a smiling image of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, in a case highlighting the polarized perspectives of South Koreans towards their northern neighbor. Six right-wing activist groups have filed a joint civil lawsuit against two individual sellers, with e-commerce giants Naver and Coupang also named as defendants for displaying the product on their platforms. According to the complaint submitted to the Seoul Metr

An unidentified woman’s body was found at sea near Gyodongdo, an island of Incheon bordering North Korea along the coastline. The Korea Coast Guard announced Monday it had received a report at around 10 a.m. on Sunday of a person who had drowned in the sea near the pier. The body was in an advanced state of decomposition and was found wearing both top and bottom garments. The Coast Guard initially identified the woman as a man, but later made a correction. The Coast Guard believes the body

A man, 55, has been apprehended for going on a stabbing rampage at a bar in Geumho-eup, Yeongcheon city, North Gyeongsang Province on Sunday night, killing one person and injuring three others. According to the Gyeongbuk Provincial Police Agency on Monday, the suspect allegedly stabbed another man, 64, in the chest, who died while being transferred to the hospital. Three others sitting with the man also suffered injuries to the shoulder, wrist and left arm. When asked why he committed the crime,

Teachers’ union to file complaint against education minister for warning of disciplinary action

Rain is expected nationwide until Wednesday, Korea's weather authorities said Monday, as three typhoons are on course to pass waters near Japan and China. The Korea Meteorological Administration said it expects precipitation across the country and localized heavy rain. Heavy rainstorms, winds and thunderclouds are expected in the Greater Seoul area, starting Tuesday afternoon. About 30-80 millimeters of rain is expected in Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Gangwon Province, with northern Gyeongg

Some local businesses’ requests for tips spark complaints from the public who are not familiar with tipping

Over 1.26 million young South Koreans are unemployed, with more than half possessing an associate's degree or higher, government data showed Sunday. According to supplementary results of the "Economically Active Population Survey for the Young Population in May 2023” by Statistics Korea, there were 8.41 million people here aged 15 to 29 as of May this year. Of them, 4.52 million had either graduated from or are not currently attending elementary school, middle school, high school

As South Korea grapples with an alarming rise in drug-related crimes and an emerging online narcotics market, a ruling party lawmaker has proposed an amendment to the relevant law. Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun of the ruling People Power Party said Sunday he and 13 other lawmakers have proposed an amendment to the Act on Promotion of Information and Communication Network Utilization and Information Protection. The amendment stipulates that the Korea Communications Commission should prepare measures to pro

A weapon-wielding man has been apprehended following a 2 1/2-hour standoff with police in Seoul, prompting fears of a stabbing rampage targeting random people, but no one was hurt, officials have said. The man was detained at 10:05 p.m. Saturday in the parking lot of a residential building in the northwestern ward of Eunpyeong after a report was filed with the police at 7:26 p.m. that a man was carrying a weapon. During the standoff, the man brandished the weapons in both hands at the officers a