The top South Korean court sided with internet users here on Thursday, ruling that Google should disclose records of how its consumer data had been transmitted to a US spy agency upon the request of consumers. The ruling by the Supreme Court of Korea, after a decadelong wait, indicates that Google's policy of prohibiting the provision of such records to consumers and mandating that lawsuits be filed in US jurisdiction are both superseded by Korean law. A customer living in Korea may file a

The number of Koreans diagnosed with panic disorder surged 44 percent last year from 2017, with experts suggesting growing social and psychological stress as a possible cause. According to a report released by the National Health Insurance Service on Thursday, a total of 200,540 people received hospital treatment for panic disorder in 2021, up 44.5 percent from 138,726 in 2017. Of them, males accounted for about 45 percent or 89,273, while the number of female patients stood at 111,267. The 2021

Incheon is the only municipality in South Korea with a growing population and a home to many global organizations making the city more international and competitive, Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok said at a forum Wednesday. “Incheon is the only city with a growing population. Active reclamation projects are also possible as Incheon is adjacent to the sea and mud flats, so we have infinite possibilities,” he said in his speech titled “Incheon’s dream, South Korea’s future"

South Korea said Thursday it has decided to raise its alert level against mpox -- formerly known as monkeypox -- from the current "Level 1 attention" to "Level 2 caution" as the number of confirmed cases due to community transmission has increased. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, a South Korean national tested positive for mpox on Wednesday, bringing the total number of infections to nine. The KDCA has concluded that the case resulted from commun

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases remained over 10,000 for the third straight day Thursday as the country is moving toward regaining pre-pandemic normalcy following the relaxation of most antivirus restrictions. The country reported 11,596 cases, including 15 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 30,956,026, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said. Wednesday's tally is a slight drop from a week ago and more than 2,000 lower than the previous day, data showed.

A couple accused of masterminding a recent kidnapping and murder of a woman in downtown Seoul was referred to prosecutors Thursday for further investigation and indictment, police said. The couple -- named Yoo Sang-won and Hwang Eun-hee -- allegedly accepted the key murder suspect Lee Kyeong-woo's proposal to kill the victim, and paid him a total of 70 million won ($53,070) in return, according to the Suseo Police Station. "I have been falsely accused," Yoo, the husband, told repo

By Mahmoud Mohieldin On a recent mission to Songdo International Business District in Incheon, I was pleased to see how sustainability and resilience have been prioritized in planning this 21st century city. From light-emitting diode streetlights to solar energy supplies and rainwater storage facilities, to networks of bicycle lanes and a 100-hectare public park, Songdo is a “smart” and “green” city in every sense of the word. My country, Egypt, has also recognized the

Police on Wednesday revealed the identities and photos of a couple suspected of orchestrating a recent kidnapping and murder of a woman from southern Seoul. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency identified the two suspects as Yoo Sang-won, 50, and Hwang Eun-hee, 48. The husband, Yoo, and his wife, Hwang, were arrested by Seoul's Suseo Police Station on Saturday and Monday, respectively, on charges of aiding and abetting a robbery and murder. A committee under the agency made the decision, ci

Nightly restriction cleared after 36 years to boost economy, national image ahead of Seoul Olympics

Korean star chef Baek Jong-won is facing social media backlash from Moroccan viewers after his cooking program aired on TV last Sunday. Following the broadcast of tvN's "Business Genius, CEO Baek," Moroccan viewers are taking issue with how the program marked a map of Morocco and how they portrayed scenes of locals praying. The program shows the Korean crew selling Korean food in a Moroccan night market. With over 1,500 comments in Arabic and English, viewers criticized that the p

Students with a history of bullying or school violence will have their records reflected in the regular college admissions process starting in 2024, and the current bullying record retention period of two years will be extended to four years after graduation, the government said Wednesday. School violence records will be submitted to colleges “voluntarily” in the admissions process for the 2025 school year, but will be reflected on a “mandatory” basis for admissions in 20

South Korea was blanketed by a yellow dust storm from China, with the fine dust density level hitting a record high this year in almost every part of the nation Wednesday. As of 5 p.m., the fine dust level in every region in the country was classified as "very bad," which is the worst level. The Ministry of Environment said Wednesday that it has raised its yellow dust crisis warning, which had been issued to 17 cities and provinces nationwide the previous day, from "attention"

The Ministry of Justice on Wednesday announced plans to clear the way for the execution of inmates who have been on death row for over 30 years through a law revision. Those who are sentenced to the death penalty will no longer be able to avoid execution according to the revision proposed by the Justice Ministry. The government is to put up the legislative notice for the revision Thursday, after which it requires parliamentary approval. Under the current rules, an execution must take place withi

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and his Portuguese counterpart, Antonio Costa, on Wednesday agreed to foster development cooperation during bilateral talks held in Seoul for the first time in 39 years. Han said in a speech before the talks that there is ample room for bilateral cooperation, which would lay a cornerstone for the rules-based international order. In response, the Portuguese Cabinet leader echoed the need for supply chain restructuring to achieve the economic resilience in the face of d

The Seoul Central District Court has sentenced a reverend who purchased a house with church funds to two years in prison, officials said Wednesday. The reverend, in his 60s, used 590 million won ($445,000) of church funds to buy an apartment in his own name in Dongjak-gu, Seoul, in the fall of 2020. Church funds are received by a church for paying church programs, salaries and operating expenses. Embezzling public funds is a violation of the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic