South Korea plans to release its stockpile of vegetables and salt to cope with the lingering inflation for the annual kimchi-making period ahead of winter, the government said Friday. Under the plan, South Korea will release 5,000 tons of garlic, 1.4 tons of peppers and 3.6 tons of onions starting next week, according to the finance and agricultural ministries. It plans to supply 500 tons of salt reserves to traditional markets as well. "For a considerable period, prices are expected to sta

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases fell below 40,000 on Thursday, breaking an upward trend that had continued for the past two days. The country reported 34,987 new COVID-19 infections, including 55 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 25,431,105, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said. Thursday's tally is a 5,855 drop from the previous day, but slightly higher than the past seven day average, KDCA data showed. The country reported 26 deaths, bringing the death tol

‘If we don’t treat every death as a failure of our programming, we don’t fix things in real time’

The number of drug arrests made against foreign nationals in South Korea has increased much faster than the foreign population, a study has found, with the nature of the offenses also becoming more serious. According to a study by the Criminal Investigation Institute, a research center at the Korean National Police University, the number of drug arrests made against foreigners reached 2,335 in 2021, up from 359 cases in 2012. That is a 6.5-fold increase, while the foreign population rose just 35

Late-night taxi fares will increase in December

The Ministry of Justice announced comprehensive countermeasure plans to deal with young offenders, including lowering the maximum criminal minor age from 14 to 13, Wednesday. Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon said at a press conference at the Justice Ministry on Wednesday that the aim was not rigid adherence to discipline or lowering the age standard in itself. "It is for the reformation of juvenile offenders and protection for victims," he said. At present, offenders aged over 10 and und

Police have launched an investigation into an online seller who put up a hat allegedly worn by BTS member Jungkook for 10 million won ($6,981) on an online flea market platform. According to Seoul Seocho Police, the seller has turned himself or herself in to a police station in Gyeonggi Province on Oct. 18 after the attempted sale caught public attention for its potential unlawfulness. In South Korea, a person who obtains a lost property must report it to the police. If the person keeps it or

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases stayed above 40,000 for the second straight day Wednesday, fanning concerns of a possible resurgence of the pandemic. The country reported 40,842 infections, including 81 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 25,396,155, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said. The figure is higher than the past seven day average of 27,259, showing signs of a possible rebound in infections. The country reported 26 deaths, bringing the death toll to 29,04

GWANGMYEONG -- A mother and her two teenage sons have been found dead with stab wounds at their home in Gwangmyeong, just south of Seoul, police said Wednesday. Her husband in his 30s alerted police around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday that the three were found dead, officials said. The bodies of the mother in her 30s and the two boys were on the living room floor of their apartment when the police arrived, officials said. "We plan to investigate the case while leaving various possibilities open based

The largest-ever annual shopping event in South Korea will take place next week amid the government's effort to curb high prices and boost private spending, the industry ministry said Wednesday. The Korea Sale Festa, the Korean equivalent of Black Friday, will be held from Nov. 1-15 both online and in stores nationwide, with around 2,300 companies participating, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. The figure is the largest ever since the festival was launched in 2016, i

When stock and crypto markets were hot and borrowing costs were cheap, many younger South Koreans, who typically had strong risk appetite but little capital to invest, dabbled in leveraged investing, known as “bittoo” in Korean. Many of these young investors had dreamed of getting rich quick and retiring young to become a new member of “FIRE tribe” -- the acronym standing for financially independent, retire early. But many are now suffering, as markets have tanked and int

Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon implies that Kim abused lawmakers' exemption from liability for speech in National Assembly

The number of hospitals offering medical services for infants and children at night or on weekends are shrinking amid a chronic shortage of pediatricians in the country, data shows. From this week, Gangnam Severance Hospital has decided to suspend the nighttime emergency room for pediatric treatment. Emergency room treatment for pediatric patients under the age of 16 is available only from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital suspended its emergency treatment for pediatric p

Sports facilities, saunas, kids cafes among least tattoo-friendly places in S. Korea

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases sharply bounced back to over 40,000 Tuesday, sharply rebounding after showing a gradual decline in the past week. The country reported 43,759 new COVID-19 infections, including 71 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 25,355,350, the Korea Disease and Prevention Agency said. The figure is more than double from 14,302 a day earlier and the highest daily tally in the past week. Except for Oct. 18, daily caseloads have stood under the 3,000 mark, KDCA d