Amid growing concerns about the rampant use of foreign languages on local stores' outdoor signs or menu boards, a new bill to promote the use of the Korean alphabet has been proposed in the National Assembly. A total of 10 legislators, led by Rep. Cho Myung-hee of the ruling People Power Party, submitted a revision bill to the Framework Act on Korean Language on Monday. The bill seeks to allow the state and local governments to advise business operators to write their outdoor shop signs or

A woman contracted Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome, a tick-borne disease, after coming into contact with a stray cat in Seogipo-si, Jeju, health authorities said on Monday. SFTS is an infectious disease that emerged from China with a mortality rate of up to 17 percent in Korea. The condition has no cure or vaccine as of now. The first local case was reported in 2013, and a total of 608 people have been infected with the disease in the last three years. Common symptoms include fever,

A man in his 20s has been sentenced to an 18-month jail term for defrauding his employer with a false property sale. The man, a part-time worker at a PC bang, duped his employer that he would sell him a temple, a property purportedly inherited from his grandfather. He defrauded his boss of nearly $100,000 over 16 instances. The property, however, was unregistered, and had multiple inheritors, meaning he had no sole right to sell it. The man also stole the pin number of his employer's moth

An SUV fell into a playground located on the lower ground-level of an apartment complex in Seo-gu, Incheon, leaving one dead and one seriously injured, police said Monday. According to police, the SUV had collided with a smaller vehicle in a ground-level parking lot before crashing through a 1-meter high brick wall. The vehicle then plummeted to the playground at around 4:53 p.m., situated 20-30 meters below the parking lot. The driver, a 79-year-old man, sustained severe injuries and was sent t

Twin giant panda babies have been born at a South Korean amusement park's zoo. According to Everland, the country's largest amusement park, Ai Bao and Le Bao, a panda couple on loan from China, had two female babies, on Friday morning. Everland said the first cub was born at 4:52 a.m. and the second at 6:39 a.m., respectively at its zoo in Yongin, south of Seoul. The mother Ai Bao and her newborns are in good condition. The baby pandas weigh 180 grams and 140 grams each, it added.   This is

The leader of a disability rights advocacy group at the center of controversial rush-hour subway protests has been referred to prosecutors on charges of staging illegal demonstrations, law enforcement officials said Monday. Park Kyoung-seok, the 63-year-old co-leader of the Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination, was referred to the prosecution by police on Thursday on charges of illegally occupying roads and obstructing subway services during 38 protest rallies across Seoul during the two

World's first audio data analysis system expected to speed up investigations, ministry says

Jeju Seogwipo Police arrested a man in his 60s who is suspected of stabbing his friend to death during a Go game on Saturday night. The two men, both unidentified, were reportedly drinking and playing Go when a dispute allegedly broke out, leading to the stabbing at around 11 p.m. The victim, in his 50s, died of multiple stab wounds. Local police responded to the scene early Sunday and recovered the murder weapon. The suspect was apprehended at around 12:30 p.m. The suspect reportedly denied the

Marcelo Ebrard, one of the major candidates in Mexico’s 2024 presidential race, has vowed to invite K-pop superstar group BTS to the country as part of his election campaign, according to news reports Monday. On Saturday, the 63-year-old former foreign minister visited an animation festival held in Actopan, Hidalgo, eastern Mexico to woo young voters where he shared his plan to bring BTS to the event as early as 2025. Holding a poster with pictures of BTS members, he said, “In 2025

Some doctors argue getting into overseas medical schools is easier than in S. Korea

A grandmother and her grandson who were swept away by waves while swimming at a beach in Donghae, Gangwon Province, were rescued by a group of foreigners Sunday, according to local news reports. The incident occurred at around noon when a large wave struck the pair, causing them to be pulled away from shore. Holding onto a small swimming tube for kids, they called for help. Four men who had also been swimming rushed to their rescue. The foreigners soon managed to pull both individuals safely

At least four Korean men had been mistakenly conscripted into the nation's military service between 2016 and April 2022, despite having been exempt based on the results of a physical examination, local media reported Monday. All able-bodied South Korean men are required to serve in the military for around two years. Those deemed unfit for active duty serve in alternative posts for the equivalent period. According to the reports, physicians at the Military Manpower Administration's phys

A one-time, one-hour job for preparing a birthday gift for a panda named Fubao attracted over 10,000 applicants, its popularity stemming from the much-valued panda as well as the job’s high hourly wage. Everland, South Korea's largest outdoor amusement park, along with Danggeun Market, a hyperlocal e-commerce platform, revealed that they selected only three finalists from a staggering 13,621 applicants during the recruitment process. This translates to a highly competitive ratio of 4,

The Korean National Police Agency’s National Office of Investigation said Monday that they are investigating 939 cases of what are popularly being referred to as “ghost children” in an ongoing nationwide probe to discover unregistered babies. So far, police have confirmed that 34 of the unregistered babies have died. Investigators are looking into the possibility of 11 babies having been killed by their own parents, according to local reports quoting police. Nineteen other case

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Monday that it had signed an agreement with the Korea Housing Association, Daewoo E&C and Habitat for Humanity Korea to team up to help repair houses in vulnerable residential areas. Under the partnership, the city government will provide administrative support and recommend houses that need improved habitat environments, while the KHA and Daewoo E&C will financially aid the home repair services. Habitat for Humanity Korea will be in charge of overs