SEONGNAM -- Four men were found dead Saturday at a bed and breakfast facility in Bundang, south of Seoul, sending police to investigate the cause of the deaths. Police received a report from the operator of the lodging service around noon that "four men were left dead in the same room." The four in their 30s and 40s reportedly arrived at the lodging establishment the previous evening. Police said no signs of foul play have been found in connection with the deaths so far, adding an inve

Police on Saturday released 16 university students who were arrested for attempting to enter the Japanese Embassy in central Seoul in protest of Japan's discharge of radioactive water into the ocean. On Thursday, the students attempted to enter the Japanese Embassy, while chanting slogans against the discharge of the radioactive water. The police detained them at four police stations on charges of trespassing and violating the Assembly and Demonstration Act. Police said they will decide w

HWASEONG -- One worker died Friday in a fire at waste oil recycling facility in Hwaseong, a satellite city of Seoul. The blaze broke out at the company, named TopEco, in the city, 45 kilometers south of Seoul, at 11:12 a.m. The 55-year-old employee of the company's subcontractor was found dead at the scene at 2:35 p.m. The fire reportedly started with an explosion at a storage tank at the company, which produces renewable fuel oil from waste oil. Eleven people were reportedly working near

The award ceremony for the 52nd Korea Herald English Speech Contest was held on Thursday at the Australian Embassy in Gwanghwamun, central Seoul. The Australian Ambassador to the Republic of Korea Catherine Raper, Deputy Head of Mission at the Australian Embassy to the Republic of Korea Alexandra Siddall, The Korea Herald CEO Choi Jin-young, Vice President Shin Yong-bae and Managing Editor Lee Joo-hee were in attendance. “Some of the issues we face are daunting. But when I hear you speak w

The Coast Guard nabbed 55 individuals in connection with an illegal whaling operation, officials confirmed on Thursday. Of them, 13 are being held by the Coast Guard, facing charges of unlawfully hunting 17 minke whales from January to June using harpoons and spears. According to officials at the Coast Guard Station at Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, the group had used various tactics to evade capture, including stashing whale meat in underwater buoys and smuggling it to local eateries at nig

The government is considering designating Oct. 2 as a special one-off holiday, a presidential office official said on Friday. The consideration comes to bridge this year’s Chuseok holiday, which will run from Sept. 28 to Oct. 1 and National Foundation Day, which is on Oct. 3. If Oct. 2 is designated as a special holiday, an extended holiday of six days will be created. "We received a proposal from the ruling People Power Party to designate a special holiday," the official told Yo

Deceased sailor’s mother claims son’s money 50 years after abandoning him, as legislation to prevent absentee parents inheritance claims is pending in National Assembly

The 30-year-old suspect behind last week's rape and murder of a female teacher in southern Seoul claimed Friday he had no intention of killing the victim, as he was referred to the prosecution for further investigation. The suspect, Choi Yun-jong, is accused of fatally beating and raping the victim he randomly picked on a hillside hiking trail in Seoul's southern district of Sillim last week. The victim, known only as an elementary school teacher in her 30s, was seriously injured and d

The Ministry of Justice said on Thursday that the government would seek damages from suspects behind the online murder threats amid a surge in such cases. The government sees the instances as obstruction of official duty that "wastes police resources" and "taxpayers' money," it said in a statement. The Justice Ministry has yet to initiate civil court proceedings in a bid to seek "a considerable amount of compensation" from the individuals, alongside criminal procedu

The concrete roof of a supermarket parking lot partially collapsed in Songdo, Incheon, though no casualties were reported, officials said Thursday. The roof of the underground parking lot at Homeplus’ Songdo branch collapsed at around 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Incheon city government officials and the local discount retail chain said. There were no casualties reported as of Thursday, but some have claimed property damage involving their vehicles parked near the damaged site at the time of th

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Thursday that it will provide up to 2 million won ($1,511) to 300 women who wish to freeze their eggs via cryopreservation from Sept. 1, as a part of the city government‘s measure to tackle the falling birth rate. All women of Korean nationality residing in Seoul who are of childbearing age -- between ages 20 and 49 -- are eligible to apply if they have resided in Seoul for more than six months and are looking to have children now or sometime in the f

Everland, the largest theme park and zoo in South Korea, located in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, is running a naming contest for its newly born twin pandas, which will be selected through a poll and unveiled in autumn when the twins turn 100 days old. Submissions can be made via a Google form shared on Everland's online community, or by commenting on a community post shared on Everland's YouTube channel. The contest instructions require participants to provide names for both pandas along

Despite the rain that has fallen across the country this week, hot weather is likely to return this weekend, according to Korea's weather agency on Thursday. The rain, which began falling Wednesday, expanded across the country Thursday as the North Pacific High receded. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, the total amount of precipitation from Wednesday to Friday morning will be 50 to 100 mm in southern Gyeonggi Province, 20 to 80 mm in Seoul and remaining parts of the cap

A fire broke out at the former Le Meridien Seoul hotel that was being redeveloped in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on Thursday, authorities said. The fire started at 12:46 p.m. on the roof of the building near Sinnonhyeon Station, according to Gangnam Fire Station. Authorities confirmed that the fire was completely put out in about an hour, after 171 firefighters and 51 fire trucks were deployed to the scene. The hotel was closed in February 2021 for redevelopment and no casualties have been reported. Eigh

Emergency services are urging caution against snakebites as September, the peak month for such incidents, approaches. According to the South Gyeongsang Province Fire Department, a total of 2,372 snakes were captured in the province over the last three years, with nearly 500 caught in September alone. The fire department explained that there is an increase in outdoor activities such as hiking in September due to cooler weather. During this time, snakes also display heightened aggression as they a