Former US Vice President and environmentalist Al Gore called for bigger climate ambitions on the part of South Korea and the US at the “Alliance Plus” forum hosted by Herald Corp. on Wednesday in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the two countries’ alliance and the founding of The Korea Herald. Korea and the US are already working on clean energy technologies that are driving what Gore referred to as the emergent "sustainability revolution" -- the paradigm shif

An elementary school teacher who was alleged to have been convicted of the sexual assault of a middle school student 13 years ago has been removed from his post, Gyeonggi Province’s Office of Education said Thursday. Officials said the decision was made Wednesday, but that the teacher in question has been on a leave of absence since an anonymous online post pinpointed him as one of the 16 high school students who assaulted the underage girl in 2010. The principal of the school -- located i

BUSAN -- An international fair and conference on climate change opened in the southeastern port city of Busan on Thursday, showcasing the latest eco-friendly technologies by about 500 enterprises and addresses by climate change experts. The 2023 World Climate Industry Expo will continue through Saturday at the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center in the city, 325 kilometers southeast of Seoul, under the theme "Rising above the Climate Crisis towards Sustainable Prosperity." The natio

A Seoul court has rejected an arrest warrant requested by police for actor Yoo Ah-in on charges of using five different illegal drugs, officials said Thursday. The Seoul Central District Court made the decision Wednesday night, saying Yoo is unlikely to destroy evidence or flee as he is admitting to most of the drug charges and rejected the warrant request filed by the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency last week. Yoo is accused of illegally using five different drugs for nonmedical purposes since

South Korea's parliament is on the verge of passing a revision bill to make it mandatory for high-ranking public officials to declare any cryptocurrency asset holdings, just a few weeks after a loophole in the law aimed at preventing corruption of public officials was exposed. Lawmakers are looking to float the revision of the Public Service Ethics Act at the plenary session of the National Assembly by as early as on Thursday, following an approval at a standing committee Wednesday afternoo

China's cities lead in surveillance camera density, but Seoul is high in the global ranking

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Wednesday it would inject 280 billion won ($212 million) to create new outdoor gardens in the capital city to reduce fine dust levels, lower average daily temperatures and increase citizens' access to nature. Unveiling "Garden City Seoul," Mayor Oh Se-hoon said the city’s new initiative would pave the way for Seoulites to live a greener and healthier life, pointing out that nearly 60 percent of people in the capital reside in apartment

Gyeonggi Province’s Office of Education said Tuesday that a person accused of being convicted of the sexual assault of a vulnerable middle school student 13 years ago later worked as a teacher at an elementary school, confirming a recent online revelation that sparked public outrage. The office said the person, however, is currently not working at the school. It refused to give more details, citing the protection of personal information. An anonymous claim was made last Saturday on an onli

Oceans are a 'climate controller' and home to countless creatures, experts say

  The South Korean government faces strong opposition from the medical community as it resumes discussions with doctors regarding a potential increase in the enrollment quota at medical schools. The Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korean Medical Association -- the country's largest coalition of doctors’ groups with 130,000 members -- met on Wednesday to discuss various pending issues related to the medical industry, including expanding admissions to medical schools. This is the

Court decision expected to be released on Wednesday afternoon; actor denies reports that he helped accomplice flee the country

One in 10 pediatric clinics in Seoul has closed in the past five years due to Korea’s low birth rate and chronic unprofitability, data showed on Wednesday. According to a report released by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the number of pediatric clinics decreased to 456 in Seoul last year, down 12.5 percent from 521 in 2017. While the clinics face an ultra-low birth rate, the government has also frozen doctor appointment fees for over 30 years. Lim Hyun-taek, chairman o

A fire broke out at an apartment building in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province on Tuesday, causing 51 residents to be evacuated. No injuries were reported. The fire broke out at 7:52 p.m. from a kitchen on the 10th floor of a 12-story building when a woman in her 40s started deep-frying caterpillars. The fire department dispatched 54 firefighters and 25 fire trucks and was able to put out the fire within 19 minutes. The fire is estimated to have caused 320,000 won ($242) in property damage. The authori

A Seoul court is set to decide Wednesday whether to issue a warrant to arrest actor Yoo Ah-in over his alleged use of five different illegal drugs. The Seoul Central District Court is scheduled to hold a hearing at 11 a.m. on a warrant request against Yoo filed by the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency last week. The 37-year-old actor, whose legal name is Uhm Hong-sik, is accused of illegally using five different drugs for nonmedical purposes since 2020: propofol, marijuana, cocaine, ketamine and

Debt among those in their 20s and 30s jumped more than 27 percent over the past three years since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, indicating they suffered financial difficulties due to rising home prices and an economic slowdown, central bank data showed. In the fourth quarter of 2022, overall loans extended to those in the age bracket soared 27.4 percent to 514.5 trillion won ($384 billion) from 404 trillion won in the fourth quarter of 2019, according to a report submitted by the Bank of Korea to t