The first ultrafine dust advisory in nine months was issued across Seoul on Thursday, the city government said. The advisory was issued at midnight over the capital, the first since Feb. 11, according to the Research Institute of Public Health and Environment of the city government. The advisory is issued when the hourly average concentration of PM 2.5 -- particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter -- stay above 75 micrograms per cubic meter for over two hours. The hourly average concentr

Prosecution took into custody a man suspected of colluding with Ssangbangwool Group to smuggle huge sums of foreign currency into North Korea about three years ago, according to judicial sources. The Suwon District Prosecutors Office apprehended the chief of the Asia Pacific Exchange Association, a Seoul-based nongovernmental organization, at an unidentified place in Seoul where he was hiding out, on charges of violating the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act. Prosecutors have been investigatin

Gloomy Firefighters’ Day for Yongsan Fire Station amid blames for Itaewon tragedy

Thirty-four dogs have been rescued from local dog meat farms and sent to the US, an international nongovernmental organization said Monday, criticizing the lack of progress in the discussions on banning dog meat. Humane Society International rescued the dogs from farms across South Korea, and flew them to the US to be cared for Humane Society US. The dogs are to be transferred to shelters before arrangements are made for their adoption. The South Korean government announced plans to begin discus

The Seoul court ruled on Tuesday that it was wrong for the National Human Rights Commission of Korea to drop the petition filed on behalf of the two North Korean fishermen who were forcibly repatriated three years ago. The Lawyers for Human Rights and Unification of Korea -- more widely known as Hanbyun -- filed the petition asking the public human rights watchdog to investigate the possible violations that may have occurred in the South Korea decision to deport the fishermen. The South Korea

Nathan Taverniti, a 24-year-old from Australia, lost two friends to the tragic crowd crush on Oct. 29. He had come to Seoul with the friends to celebrate Halloween after hearing about how popular the day is in the city’s hip district of Itaewon through TikToks and the popular Korean TV series “Itaewon Class.” What began as a fun night unfolded unexpectedly. Caught in a crowd, he was hit by a wave of pressure that led people to fall on top of each other and block an entire alley

Two of opposition leader's closest aides now under investigation

Police have started an investigation into Hamilton Hotel, which stands on one side of the alley where more than 150 people lost their lives in the deadly crowd crush in Itaewon, it said Wednesday. The hotel is currently believed to have built an illegal extension, which led to the narrowing of the alley. Under the Building Act, pedestrian passage should be wider than 4 meters for the safety of pedestrians. But, the hotel’s building addition has made the alley narrow to 3.2 meters at one en

Located to the west of Seoul World Cup Stadium in Mapo-gu, Seoul, Oil Tank Culture Park is a cultural complex created in a transformation from an oil depot. The cultural complex provides a wide range of cultural events, welcoming locals and tourists alike, along with features catering to those with visual impairments. Oil Tank Culture Park said earlier this week that it started a pilot tour program for people who are blind or have a visual impairment. The new program is designed to introduce arc

South Korea's new coronavirus cases reached the highest level in nearly two months Wednesday to stay over 60,000 for a second day, as the country is bracing for another wave of the virus in winter. The country reported 62,472 new COVID-19 infections, including 42 from overseas, bringing the total to 25,981,655, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. It is the largest daily count since Sept. 15, when the country reported 71,444 infections. The country has seen a growth

The National Union of Media Workers on Tuesday reported three paper companies to the Fair Trade Commission, accusing them of colluding on price hikes. The three companies -- Jeonju Paper, Paper Korea and Daehan Paper -- raised the price of newsprint paper beginning in May and supplied less product to certain newspaper companies that did not cooperate with their price raise, the union claimed. "If the paper price rises amid financial difficulty, newspaper companies will pass the burden to th

Radio communication exchanged between emergency rescue officers responding to the Oct. 29 Itaewon disaster was released Tuesday, revealing the chaotic situation that took place that tragic night. Rep. Lee Sung-man of the main opposition Democratic Party released the transcripts of the recordings he received from the Seoul Emergency Operations Center. It shows communication among the rescue officers sent after the initial citizen’s report to the 119 emergency center on 10:15 p.m., which is

Nam Hwa-yeong, Acting Commissioner General of the National Fire Agency It was a tragedy that should not have happened. Too many young lives were lost in the Itaewon disaster last month. With our deepest condolences to the victims and their families, the National Fire Agency commemorates the sixtieth National Fire Service Day with a very heavy heart. As the first line of support for citizens in danger, the weight of responsibility on our shoulders feels heavier than ever as we take another look a

The Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism 2023 will invite experts from Korea and abroad to discuss a master plan for restoring urban green spaces in the country’s capital city, the Seoul city government said Tuesday. At the Seoul Hall of Urbanism and Architecture, the Seoul city government on Monday held a pre-biennale under the title of “Land Architecture, Land Urbanism: City of Mountain Ranges, Waterways, and Wind Breezes -- Drawing of the Seoul’s Next 100 years.&rdquo

The special investigation division looking into the causes behind the recent Itaewon tragedy has narrowed its sights on top police figures, after President Yoon Suk-yeol slammed police leadership for their insufficient response on Monday. A special investigation team set up by the National Police Agency searched 55 sites related to the Itaewon disaster Tuesday, including the offices of Yoon Hee-keun, chief of the National Police Agency, Kim Kwang-ho, chief of the Seoul Metropolitan Agency, and L