Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon announced plans Thursday to transform Nodeulseom, an artificial islet in Han River, into a new landmark by embracing a set of regulatory changes to allow architectural landmarks on the island. Under the tentative plan led by the municipal government, construction will begin in January, following feasibility reviews such as research and the architect selection process for the renewal. Vying for the Nodeulseom project are Denmark-based Bjarke Ingels Group, Germany-based Jurg

A Korean rescue team on Thursday pulled a man in his 70s from the rubble in Antakya, southernmost Turkey, ravaged by the region's worst earthquake in modern history. The team also recovered four bodies from the same site during the rescue and search mission, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Seoul. The survivor was conscious and in relatively good health by the time he was rescued, the ministry added. He was found hours after the Korean team set up base camp at a high school i

Actor Yoo Ah-in is under police probe for the illegal use of propofol, a powerful anesthetic commonly used for routine surgeries, and has been banned from leaving the country, according to the police on Wednesday. A drug crime investigation unit under the Seoul Metropolitan Police questioned Yoo on Monday, on suspicions of violating the Narcotics Control Act. The police questioned Yoo over allegations that he was habitually prescribed propofol through repeat visits to several hospitals. The inve

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases stayed below 20,000 for the eighth straight day Thursday, in a sign of a downward trend in new infections. The country reported 14,664 new cases, including 13 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 30,311,979, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. The Thursday tally is down from the 16,856 the previous week and from 17,934 the previous day. The country added 34 COVID-19 deaths Thursday, bringing the death toll to 33,680, the KD

Actor Yoo Ah-in has been under investigation for illegal use of propofol, an anesthetic medication, according to police officials Thursday. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's drug investigation unit called in Yoo on Monday to question him about use of propofol for non-medical purposes, which constitutes a violation of the Narcotics Control Act, officials said. Police has sent Yoo's hair samples to the National Forensic Service to secure evidence and placed an overseas travel ban on

The National Assembly was set to submit on Thursday a motion calling for the impeachment of Interior Minister Lee Sang-min over last year's Itaewon crowd crush, a day after the main opposition railroaded the motion in a vote. Rep. Kim Do-eup of the ruling People Power Party, who leads the parliamentary legislative committee, said the committee will submit a resolution on the impeachment to the Constitutional Court at 10 a.m. On Wednesday, the main opposition-controlled Assembly passed the motion

Suspects claim the bruises on boy's body were self-inflicted

The Seoul Metropolitan Government, while moving to raise fares for buses and the subway to cover mounting losses, backpedaled Wednesday on its plan to introduce a new distance-based fare system for buses after facing public backlash. The initial plan, which was recently submitted by the municipal government to the city council, called for raising the basic fare for intra-city buses by 300 won ($0.24) or 400 won from 1,200 won, and the inter-city bus fare by 700 won from 2,300 won. On top of that

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon has been elected by majority vote as vice chairman of the Steering Committee of the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group for the East, Southeast Asian and Oceania regions, the city government said Wednesday. In line with the organization’s initiative to make the world’s cities greener and more sustainable, Seoul would take the lead in achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, it added. “We will seek ways to contribute to the fight against the climate crisis thr

The Seoul city government has proposed building a mega Ferris wheel and more green spaces as part of an upgraded urban planning project aimed at making the capital more liveable and attractive to tourists, Mayor Oh Se-hoon said Tuesday. Under the plan, the city aims to build a Ferris wheel larger than the London Eye, with the mayor saying that it will become Seoul's landmark. The London Eye stands at 135 meters tall, and has a maximum capacity of 800 people. Haneul Park in Sangam-dong in

Jeon Joo-hwan, who fatally stabbed an ex-coworker at her workplace to seek revenge last year, was sentenced 40 years of imprisonment and labor at a district court on Tuesday. Jeon, 31, was also ordered to put on a tracking device for an additional 15 years after his release from prison. Jeon was earlier sentenced to nine years behind bars for stalking the same victim in a district court, which both prosecutors and Jeon appealed. A judge at the Seoul Central District Court said the murder was int

Over 60 percent of Korean moth[1]ers aged 24 and under show signs of depression, a recent study by state-run institutes showed. The state-run National Youth Policy Institute and Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs conducted a survey on 101 mothers in that age group across the country based on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale-11, which asks people how they felt or behaved in the previous week It found that 61.4 percent of mothers surveyed scored 16 or more, which in

South Korea will weigh whether to lift the remaining COVID-19 policies based on the World Health Organization decision on the status of the disease, the country’s public health chief said Tuesday. Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency Commissioner Jee Young-mee said in a press conference that while the discussions around the future course of COVID-19 policies have begun within the government, the decision on any change would likely come after the WHO withdraws its official emergency

In historic ruling, court holds S. Korean government accountable for atrocities committed by Korean troops

Following a devastating earthquake that struck central Turkey and northwest Syria, Koreans from all walks of the life on Tuesday expressed condolences to the victims and their families and showed their support for rescue missions in search of survivors. Calling for international assistance to people who lost homes and families, Koreans said they would stand in solidarity with those in Turkey and Syria struggling to respond to the biggest quake in 84 years in the area. “A disaster is not ea