The number of COVID-19 hospitalizations in South Korea saw a significant rise last month, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. Hospitalizations increased from 63 in the fourth week of June to 91 in the first week of July, 145 in the second week and 225 in the third week. This surge comes despite the country lowering its COVID-19 crisis level from “alert” to the lowest “interest” level on May 1, following a sharp decline in confirmed cases earlie

More than 1,540 patients of heat-related illnesses reported with 11 deaths

Almost six out of 10 Koreans are unwilling to date someone with opposing political views, a survey shows, pointing to a deepening rift between liberals and conservatives in the country. Data from the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, which surveyed 3,950 Koreans aged 19 to 75 last year, revealed that 58.2 percent of respondents did not wish to enter a romantic relationship with partners who do not share their political views. In civic and social activities, over 70 percent of resp

Men accounted for almost one-third of all workers taking parental leave in the first half of this year in South Korea, marking the first time they have exceeded 30 percent. According to data released by the Ministry of Employment and Labor on Sunday, fathers accounted for 32.3 percent of the 69,631 total parental leave takers from January to June this year. The total number of workers taking parental leave increased by 3.2 percent compared to the same period last year, rising to 67,465. While th

A survey indicated that South Korean women expect their potential spouse to have amassed at least 100 million won ($73,400) worth of assets before getting married, while the men want their bride-to-be to have around 60 million. Local matchmaking firm Gayeon asked 250 single women and 250 single men between the ages of 25 and 39 how much wealth they want their future spouses to have, to which the average reply for women was 103 million won and for men was 63.8 million won. "Contrary to the

Despite the government's offer of an olive branch to end the monthslong medical standoff, only 2.7 percent of medical students were in attendance, as others carried on protesting the drastic hike in medical school admissions, government data showed Sunday. With no signs of the government and medical community backing down from the gridlock that has persisted since February, attendance figures remain alarmingly low. Out of 19,345 students enrolled at 40 medical schools nationwide, only 495 w

Just an hour's drive from Seoul, in the scenic Gilsang-myeon area of Ganghwa Island, lies Art Factory Charmgiroom, an immersive media art museum and exhibition space. Once one of the largest sesame oil factories in South Korea, this expansive 23,000-square-meter complex has been upcycled into a cultural space. The centerpiece of Art Factory Charmgiroom is its immersive media art exhibition hall which stands at an impressive 8 meters tall and stretches 120 meters in length. The exhibitio

The National Police Agency said Thursday it has begun a monthlong inspection on sword and knife weapon possession across the country and related regulations, in response to a man attacking another resident of an apartment complex in Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul with a sword, killing him. The South Korean police immediately began a detailed review of the 82,641 swords registered as under individual possession in the country, set to continue until Aug. 31. It includes checking criminal records, reports of

With full-scale drone delivery services starting this month, residents on remote islands or inland locations can now receive food, daily necessities and first aid supplies with greater ease and convenience. According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the K-drone delivery service commenced on the first day of August, covering 32 island districts, 17 regional park areas and one port across 14 municipalities. Although the service initially launched on Jeju Island in July, this

The number of schools with more than 30 percent of students from international backgrounds has sharply surged in the past five years, a recent study showed Friday. Research conducted by the Korean Educational Development Institute revealed Friday that multicultural students accounted for more than 30 percent of the student population at 350 elementary, middle and high schools in the country. This is equivalent to 2.96 percent of all such schools in Korea. The number of schools has increased by 4

South Korea is poised to announce compensation plans for dog meat sellers in September, in a follow-up to its passage of a bill in January banning the eating and selling of dog meat. The country seeks to end the centuries-old yet controversial practice amid growing support for animal welfare. "We will announce the basic plan in September after consulting with financial authorities," the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said in a statement Friday. "Nothing specific h

Identification data of 322,425 students and graduates of Jeonbuk National University was stolen Sunday, as the university suffered hacking attacks on its integrated information system managing students’ academic affairs, according to reports Thursday. The university in North Jeolla Province posted an apology message on its website Thursday, confirming that it suffered data leakage a total of three times from the attacks, which took place at 3 a.m., 10 p.m. and 11:20 p.m. JBNU detected the

Seoul is expanding its Climate Card program to Guri, Gyeonggi Province, just east of the capital, in the latest move to make the eco-friendly monthly transit pass more accessible across the Greater Seoul area. Officials from the two cities signed off on the decision in a virtual meeting attended by Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and Guri Mayor Baek Kyung-hyun on Friday, according to the Seoul city government. Starting Aug. 10, Guri residents can use the pass at 24 subway stops on lines connecting to the

A woman in her 60s was stabbed to death in an underpass near Sungnyemun in Jung-gu, Seoul, Friday morning, police said. Police have detained a male suspect, who is accused of assaulting the victim at 5:10 a.m. and fleeing the scene, according to reports. He was nabbed at around 8:50 a.m. by police who searched for the attacker by surveying security footage in the area. The suspect was hiding in a residential neighborhood in Dongja-dong, Yongsan, about 1 kilometer from the scene, the reports said

A car has been illegally parked on the shoulder of one-lane road to Gimhae International Airport in Busan for days, posing threat to traffic heading to the airport’s arrival floor as of Thursday. The hydrogen fueled passenger car was first spotted on Tuesday morning. Its owner reportedly parked there as the airport parking lot was packed with the cars of those gone abroad for vacation and the owner could not find a parking space up until it was time to take their flight. Some other passeng