A Thai man caught entering the women's shower room at the campground of the 2023 World Scout Jamboree in the southwestern reclaimed land area of Saemangeum has been sent to the prosecution for further investigation, police said Wednesday. The man, who participated in the jamboree event as an adult supervisor, is accused of entering the women's shower room and taking a shower on Aug. 2, according to the Jeonbuk Provincial Police Agency. A female participant who heard the man singing in

The number of apparent heat-related deaths hit the highest this summer since 2018, the disease control agency said. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, a total of 28 people were presumed to have died of heat-related illness as of Aug. 11 since late May. The tally marks the largest since 2018, when the comparable figure was 48. The number of people hospitalized for heat-related illnesses, including those who have died, came to 2,123 during same period, also the largest s

The government is considering extending a tax cut scheme on fuel consumption, which is set to expire this month, through December, sources said Tuesday, amid soaring energy costs and high inflation. According to the sources, the Ministry of Economy and Finance has been mulling extending the measure and plans to announce its decision later this week. Currently, a 25 percent discount is provided for the consumption of gasoline, and a 37 percent discount is given for the consumption of diesel and l

Three underage foreign participants of the World Scout Jamboree that ended last week have been arrested on theft charges in Seoul, police said Tuesday. The male suspects from Europe, whose identities have been withheld, are under investigation for allegedly stealing clothes worth 100,000 won ($75) from a store in the Gangnam district in southern Seoul on Monday, according to the Gangnam Police Station. The suspects are all aged 14 or older and are subject to criminal punishment under local law.

Long sleeves, insect repellent, mosquito screens and nets helpful to prevent getting malaria: experts

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Monday designated two areas hit hard by last week's Typhoon Khanun as special disaster zones, his office said. They are the town of Gunwi in Daegu, 213 kilometers south of Seoul, and a part of Goseong in Gangwon Province, 154 kilometers east of the capital city, according to the presidential office. The typhoon, which plowed through South Korea from south to north for 16 hours last week, caused flooding, facility destruction, landslides and school closures. The de

As South Korea marks the 78th Liberation Day from Japan on Aug. 15, a recent poll highlighted a societal divide on how to approach traveling to Japan – a top destination for South Korean tourists – during the holiday. A recent poll by research firm PMI surveyed 3,000 South Koreans aged 15 to 69. Of those polled, 50.6 percent said they believe it is inappropriate to visit Japan on Liberation Day, the most popular view across all age groups. Some 19.9 percent responded they are against

Controversy has erupted online after a store owner was reported to police for staring at a female customer's sheer clothing. Recent posts on various online communities and social media platforms have shared an article with the headline: "Store owner reported to police for looking at customer's underwear." The owner explained the customer was wearing a white dress shirt that made the clear outline of her underwear visible. He admitted to looking at her for about three seconds

The number of South Korean children and teens diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder has risen by 80 percent over the last four years, a government agency report found. According to data released by the National Health Insurance Service on Sunday, ADHD diagnoses for individuals aged between 6 and 18 rose from 44,741 in 2018 to 81,512 in 2022, marking an 82.2 percent increase. Of these, 63,182 were male and 18,330 were female. The global rise in ADHD diagnoses, including in South K

The police are investigating an email threatening to blow up Seoul City Hall on this week’s Liberation Day, officials said Monday. According to police, the email stated that high-powered bombs were installed in several locations around Seoul City Hall, with detonation set for 3:34 p.m. Tuesday. The email, sent from a Japanese account to local media outlets, was received Sunday afternoon. The email, sent in English, Japanese and Korean, stated, "There are bombs planted in several place

Young and middle-aged people in the middle-income bracket will be newly eligible to receive state welfare services starting as early as this month upon registration and a small fee, officials said Monday. Young people aged 13 to 34, who are caring for family members with severe diseases, disabilities or mental illnesses, or are supporting them financially, and middle-aged people aged 40 to 64, who are socially isolated due to illness or injury, will be new beneficiaries. Socially isolated people

Incidents of women dressed in bikinis in central Seoul areas have sparked criticism online, with the authorities considering charging them with indecent exposure. On Friday, a woman riding an electric scooter dressed in a bikini was spotted in Hongdae district. Photos taken by citizens quickly spread across online communities and social media. On the very same day, a report was made to the police about four motorcycles carrying women in bikinis and helmets in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. The police are cu

JINCHEON -- South Korean swimming star Hwang Sun-woo is under police investigation over a suspected hit-and-run accident, local authorities said Monday. Police in Jincheon, North Chungcheong Province, said Monday that Hwang is being accused of leaving the scene after striking an 80-something man with his vehicle's side-view mirror Sunday evening. Police added Hwang had been driving back to the National Training Center in the central county, where he'd been training for the upcoming Asi

GORYEONG --A lioness was shot dead Monday about an hour after escaping from a private tourist animal farm in the southern county of Goryeong, officials said. The animal broke out of its cage at the farm in Goryeong, 233 kilometers southeast of Seoul, at 7:24 a.m. About an hour later, fire authorities located the animal in a forest next to the farm and shot it to death, officials said. The county government had earlier sent an emergency text message alerting residents of the escape and sent polic

South Korea's National Police Agency announced on Sunday a comprehensive crackdown on crimes allegedly perpetrated by those of foreign nationality, running through Oct. 31. They have decided to launch an intensive crackdown because the portion of the four most serious crimes -- murder, robbery, theft and assault -- has been increasing among all crimes allegedly committed by foreign nationals, the police said. Among all crimes, the percentage of the four most serious crimes was 27.9 percent