Once-vicious bullies who find success later in life stir strong feelings of resentment among victims

A former member of a six-person K-pop boy band was indicted on charges of forcibly molesting and sexually assaulting a fellow group member over the course of four years, a local media outlet reported Monday. The former group member was referred to trial in January. He is accused of sexually assaulting the victim at least three times from 2017 to 2021 in their dorms and practice room. The charges against the suspect include "imitative rape," which under Korean law is defined as insert

A high school student was arrested by police in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, on Tuesday for brandishing a box cutter at an elementary student. The Pyeongtaek Police said Tuesday that the offender, whose name and age have not been disclosed, is facing attempted murder charges for allegedly stabbing the victim’s neck with a box cutter. The arrest came a day after a report was filed to the police that a man ran away after jabbing a young student who was eating cup noodles at an apartment co

HONGSEONG/DAEJEON -- Thousands of firefighters and forestry personnel were combating wildfires Tuesday in South Chungcheong Province and the nearby city of Daejeon that have continued for the third day. The wildfires in the county of Hongseong, 114 kilometers south of Seoul, and the nearby cities of Dangjin and Daejeon broke out on Sunday when a dry weather warning was issued in the region, and remain unextinguished as of Tuesday morning. Some 1,800 firefighting personnel, along with 19 fire cho

A revised bill to exempt foreign domestic workers from the minimum wage law has been submitted, prompting some to quietly support the move and others to criticize it as discriminatory. South Korea’s current minimum wage is 9,620 won ($7.31) per hour, which translates into about 2.1 million won a month. Many Korean full-time domestic workers, of which the pool is not big, get paid close to 3 million won monthly. In places like Singapore, Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates, live-in hel

Police investigating last week's kidnapping and murder of a woman are expanding their probe considering the possibility of a mastermind behind the crime, officials said Tuesday. Three suspects were formally arrested Monday for allegedly abducting a 48-year-old woman in Seoul's posh Gangnam district and killing her. According to the Suseo Police Station in southern Seoul, investigators have found tens of millions of won were transferred from a cryptocurrency company official to one of t

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases are on the rise as outdoor gatherings increased amid spring weather, data showed Tuesday. The country reported 13,375 new COVID-19 infections, including 16 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 30,857,275, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said. The Tuesday tally was up from 4,349 the previous day and 12,124 a week ago. The figure hit the highest Tuesday figure in seven weeks since Feb. 14. The KDCA added eight more COVID-19 death

South Korea will begin issuing mobile national identification cards in the second half of next year that have the same legal status as the current plastic identification cards, the interior minister said Tuesday. The ministry has recently put up a pre-legislation notice about the planned revision of the Resident Registration Act to introduce the mobile resident registration cards amid the increasing social trend to go walletless, ministry officials said. Should the legislation go as planned, peo

For over a century and a half, World Expos have provided opportunities for members of the global community to come together and showcase their greatest innovations, promoting progress and fostering international cooperation. It was at these expositions where the live TV broadcast, the telephone, mechanical computer and other paradigm-shifting inventions were first introduced to the world. Sanctioned by the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), the international event dates back to 1851 whe

Kim Young-man, in his 80s, remembers when he visited Yeosu Expo in 2012 with his son, and hopes to be in good health for another trip to Busan to see the World Expo 2030. It could be one last international event to attend in his lifetime, he said. “I do believe Busan will win the bid for the World Expo,” he said as he was visiting a festival at Gwanghwamun Plaza in central Seoul. "Southern port cities of Korea, including both Yeosu and Busan, are nice tourist attractions with su

The Korean National Police Agency on Monday announced a crackdown on crimes targeting foreign nationals, such as fraud, gambling, robbery and other violent crime. The crackdown will run until July 2. “While the number of illegal immigrants reached the highest last year, the main target of crimes against foreigners has been illegal immigrants. Since crimes against illegal immigrants are expected to increase, the police have decided to protect them through this intensive crackdown,&rdquo

Soongsil University said Monday that its GTEP project team participated in Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna 2023. The Glocal Trade Experts incubating Program is organized by the Ministry of Industry and operated by the Korea International Trade Association. Every year, they pick undergraduate students interested in trade and immerse them in trade practice and export marketing activities. Students from Soongsil university have been selected for the GTEP for the past 16 years and they have participated

The main suspect in a Gangnam murder case had previously been involved in a criminal case with the victim involving cryptocurrency, according to legal professionals and reports released Monday. The suspect, a 35-year-old only identified by his surname Lee, had reportedly been investigated by police for trying to seize a third party’s cryptocurrency assets in February 2021. Lee was sent to the prosecution on charges of extortion, while the third party was dismissed for a minor misdemeanor o

Yoon Jae-hyuk, a member of the K-pop boy band Treasure, suffered burns to his hand while performing on stage in Bangkok, according to local news reports on Monday. The incident occurred during the act’s concert, held on April 2 at the IMPACT Exhibition and Convention Center in the Thai capital city, with over 10,000 fans in attendance. According to footage and pictures circulating on YouTube and social media, in the middle of the band’s performance, stage equipment near Yoon suddenly

From a little-known country in Asia to bidding to host the 2030 event, history shows Korea's continued passion for the World Expo