Two cats at an animal shelter in Seoul were confirmed to have been infected with a highly pathogenic avian influenza strain, marking the first infections of the virus in mammals in seven years, the agriculture ministry has said. Cats have been found dead at the shelter in Yongsan, central Seoul, since last month, and tests confirmed that two of them died of the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of avian influenza, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs on Tuesday. It is the

A man is facing trial for animal cruelty after shooting a stray dog with a 70-centimeter-long arrow on Jeju Island last year, prosecutors said Tuesday. The man was indicted without detention on charges of violating the Animal Protection Act and is accused of shooting the dog, which was walking on his property, using a handcrafted bow on August 25, 2022. The arrow penetrated through the dog's spine. The dog survived the attack and received treatment after it was discovered by a neighbor on t

The numbers of mosquitoes in central urban areas have nearly doubled from last year, amid concerns that Korea's changing climate may have become more habitable to mosquitoes. According to Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, the trap index in central urban areas July 2-8 came to 68.2, a 98.5 percent increase on-year. The trap index refers to the average number of mosquitoes caught in one mosquito trap per day. The frequent heavy rainfall has likely contributed to the rise. Some anal

Ruling clears safety minister's accountability in deadly Halloween crowd crush disaster

Korean culture, from food to BTS, to be promoted during the world scout event that kicks off next week

Police summons parent accused of bullying teacher with excessive complaints

A kidnapping murder case in Seoul's Gangnam district in March that sent shockwaves through the nation took a twist on Monday when it was revealed that one of the main suspects had claimed to be a special operative trained for missions in North Korea. Seven people including 36-year-old Lee Kyung-woo -- who is accused of masterminding the crime -- are on trial for conspiring to abduct and murder the victim in her 40s. During a hearing at the Seoul Central District Court on Monday, a prosecuto

Suicide rate highest among OECD countries

The police on Tuesday took a man into custody for threatening to kill Korean women at the site of a recent stabbing spree in Sillim-dong, Seoul. The suspect, known to be male and in his 20s, is facing charges for making threats via a post on the online forum, DCinside, Monday. In the post, the suspect stated his plan to "kill 20 Korean women" at Sillim Station, the site of a fatal stabbing spree that left one dead and three injured on July 21, referring to "Korean women" us

South Korea reported a net inflow of migrants in 2022, data showed, following the normalization of global travel amid eased concerns over the COVID-19. The number of international migrants, referring to those who stay in and out of South Korea for 90 days or more, reached 1.12 million in 2022, up 26.8 percent from a year earlier, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea. Of the figure, the arrivals accounted for 606,000, surpassing the number of individuals who departed the country, wh

A yearlong special crackdown on home rental scams netted the apprehension of nearly 3,500 suspects nationwide, the National Police Agency said Monday, as the recent spate of "jeonse" frauds targeting low-income people emerged as a social problem. The NPA's National Office of Investigation said a total of 3,466 "jeonse" scam suspects were caught in the crackdown conducted jointly with the prosecution and the land ministry from July 25 last year to last Sunday, and 367 of

The main opposition Democratic Party urged the ruling People Power Party on Monday to refer Unification Minister Kwon Young-se to the parliamentary ethics committee following revelations that Kwon had engaged in virtual asset trading. The demand came after 11 lawmakers, including Kwon, were found to have held virtual assets, after a cryptocurrency scandal involving Rep. Kim Nam-kuk led to the National Assembly checking the virtual asset holdings of all lawmakers. In late May, the National Assemb

Monsoon rains have battered South Korea over the past few days, creating a number of bizarre commuting scenes. People in Mokpo, South Jeolla Province on Monday waded through the mud to get to work. High tides meant that the rain, which reached 200 millimeters overnight, was unable to discharge into the river. More than a dozen shops, including gas stations, financial institutions and cafes, were closed this morning as the eight-lane road around Seokhyeon Samgeori, dubbed the gateway to Mokpo, wa

Keeping restraints on prison inmates during meals and while in the lavatory is a violation of their human rights, the National Human Rights Commission of Korea said Monday. The human rights commission reviewed the issue following a petition filed by an individual incarcerated in a Gyeonggi Province prison, who was put into restraints for several hours after they along with 10 others were involved in an incident to demand improved treatment in February last year. According to the NHRCK, the indiv

More than half of Korean workers currently have no plans for a summer vacation this year, with over 60 percent attributing finances as the reason for either postponing or not considering a summer trip, a survey showed Sunday. According to local civic group Workplace Abuse 119, which surveyed 1,000 Korean employees aged over 19, some 19.8 percent of respondents had no intentions of taking a summer vacation, while 36.3 percent remained undecided, resulting in a total of over 50 percent unlikely to