Potential gravity of Lee Ki-young's crime sparks debate over release of suspects' police photograph

Police busted a nightclub in Gangnam, southern Seoul, for providing a place for lewd acts such as partner swapping and group sex last year, arresting the owner of the club and four employees. But there will be no criminal charges against the clients of the club as they were there voluntarily, according to local reports quoting investigators. The case was sent to the prosecution in October and is currently being investigated by the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office, they said. Five people

Police have put a Chinese national on the wanted list after he ran away and refused to be isolated, although he had tested positive for COVID-19 upon his arrival to Korea. According to Incheon Metropolitan Police and disease control authorities, the 41-year-old was tested under the new COVID-19 mandate applied to travelers from China on Tuesday, and was confirmed to have the virus later in the evening. He was sent to a hotel on Yeongjongdo near Incheon Airport, but fled while waiting to be assig

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases fell below 80,000 on Wednesday amid lingering concerns over a wintertime surge, and the government has taken steps to tighten entry rules to prevent the virus inflow from China and other regions. The country confirmed 78,575 new coronavirus infections, including 172 from overseas, bringing the total to 29,299,166, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said. It is slightly lower from the previous day's 81,056 cases. The latest figure also marke

Over 3,300 people died “lonely deaths” in South Korea last year, a report has found. Lonely death refers to a phenomenon of people with no relatives dying alone and remaining undiscovered for a long period of time. It’s also called solitary or unattended death. According to the report released by the Welfare Ministry, there were 3,378 lonely deaths nationwide in 2021, up from 3,279 in 2020, 2,949 in 2019. The number of lonely deaths has grown at an average annual rate of 8.8 pe

South Korea on Tuesday counted a death of a teenager, who survived in the aftermath of Itaewon crowd crush but later took his own life in December, in its official death toll. This pushed the Itaewon disaster death toll up to 159. The Ministry of Interior and Safety said bereaved families of the victim will be eligible for the same state support such as a financial relief as other victims. "The Ministry has decided to recognize a person who suffered an injury from Itaewon disaster and later

Seoul mandates travelers from Hong Kong, Macau also get tested upon arrival

Extended line scheduled to start operation in 2028

Seoul education governor Cho Hee-yeon laid out the blueprints for a “future-oriented” education system, highlighting the need to ramp up efforts for students hit by pandemic-related setbacks and technology-led education as well as narrow educational inequalities from the school starting gate. The three-term Seoul education superintendent touted his decade-long achievements, saying the past 10 years have changed from an authoritarian education system to a democracy-based education sys

'1 percent rise in median home prices results in 0.002 less babies per woman'

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases jumped to a weekly high of more than 80,000 on Tuesday amid concerns over the spread of a new omicron subvariant and a wintertime surge. The country confirmed 81,056 new coronavirus infections, including 63 from overseas, bringing the total to 29,220,591, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said. It is far higher than the previous day's 22,735, as the infections had been on a decline over the past six days. The figure a week earlier was 87,5

Health authorities consider gift vouchers to incentivize updated boosters

South Korean police unveiled Monday plans to ramp up human rights protections for foreign suspects through a new set of standards and a new policy. The Korean National Police Agency said it would seek to make video recordings of custodial interrogations involving foreign suspects mandatory beginning this year at their request in case they need an interpreter. Foreigners would be among those eligible to request video recording of their statement to police, along with those who are illiterate or

The Ulsan District Court said Monday that it has turned down a Chinese national's request to nullify the immigration office's order to leave the country after the long-term resident was convicted of driving under the influence. The court dismissed the plaintiff’s request that was made on the basis of procedural defect, and said the Chinese national, who was caught drunk driving with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.183 percent in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, in July 202

In one of the world’s busiest metropolises, Seoul is home to over 9 million people and now, officially, at least 15 otters. Following a series of otter sightings along the Han River which cuts across the megacity, local authorities last week announced that 15 Eurasian otters are confirmed to be inhabiting there. The analysis, conducted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, is based on footage of surveillance cameras installed along the Han River. Otters, which are most active at night, wer