Ministry to roll out additional recruitment notice this month to induce striking trainees to resume their training

South Korea's planned shutdown of coal-fired power plants to achieve carbon neutrality could exacerbate regional disparities, according to a new study by a national research institute on Thursday. In a report on the paradox of carbon neutrality, the Korea Research Institute for Human Settlement, a think tank in the country, claimed that South Korea's coal phaseout will increase the Gini coefficient, a measure of income inequality, from the current level and widen economic disparities b

Police concluded Thursday that the fatal car crash that killed nine people on July 1 near Seoul City Hall was caused by the driver’s poor handling of the vehicle rather than sudden unintended acceleration as claimed by the driver. The findings were announced as the police ended a monthlong investigation into the accident, where a sedan hit pedestrians on a walkway while traveling at a speed of up to 107 kilometers per hour. “Though the suspect is consistently maintaining a stance tha

Overdue salaries exceed 1 trillion won in first half of year

Prosecutors searched the headquarters of Tmon and WeMakePrice in Seoul on Thursday as part of an investigation into the e-commerce platforms’ delayed payments to their vendors amid a persisting liquidity crisis surrounding both companies. According to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, an investigation team searched the headquarters of Tmon and WeMakePrice on Thursday, along with seven other related offices. The investigators also searched the homes of three executive me

A South Korean court said Thursday it has handed down a six-month prison term to a man for assaulting a taxi driver who refused to answer politics questions, including which presidential candidate he voted for. The defendant was found guilty of violating Article 5-10 of the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes, on the use of violence against or threatening a driver operating a motor vehicle used for transportation business. The investigation showed that the defendant had been ja

A South Korean man who set his house on fire on Wednesday had called the firefighters before the crime, asking them to come as quickly as possible. Local police officials in Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province said Thursday that they are investigating a 55-year-old man on charge of committing arson on his own home, at around 3:34 p.m. Before starting the fire, he called the Nonsan Fire Station and asked them to come to his house within five minutes, telling them what he was about to do. The autho

A recent fatal attack by a sword-wielding man in Seoul has brought the country's control of lethal weapons into question. On Monday night at an apartment complex in Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul, the suspect, a 37-year-old resident there, wielded a 120-centimeter Japanese sword against a victim in his 40s, eventually resulting in his death. Police have said they barely knew each other. The suspect, who was arrested at his home about an hour after the killing, told police he had believed the victim

Deepfake sex crimes using artificial intelligence are increasing on school grounds in South Korea, raising concerns over insufficient education and measures to prevent further damage. A student at an international school in Jeju English education city has been handed over to prosecutors for allegedly making sexually exploitative videos of his female student peers, according to the Seogwipo Police Department on Tuesday. The police also sent three of his classmates who watched the videos with him

Due to South Korea’s hot and humid temperatures, cases of malaria have been on the rise, with the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency reporting 367 cases as of Tuesday. Though the number of malaria cases so far this year is half of last year's total figures, the agency on Wednesday noted there has been an unusual surge in malaria cases in Seoul and that it is possible this year's total figures could pass last year's. In previous years, malaria cases were normally rep

Nearly 70 percent of South Koreans aged 55 to 79 are willing to work past retirement, data showed, reflecting the ongoing financial insecurities among the country's senior population. The figure, coming from a May survey by the government’s statistics body, represents an increase of 0.9 percentage point from the previous month. Additionally, 20.7 percent of seniors actively sought employment in the past year, also up 0.9 percentage point from April. The data was released Tuesday. Resp

A South Korean rapper confirmed that he is alive and well, bringing to a close commotion over a rumor he had died, believed to have been orchestrated by either him or his girlfriend. Rapper Ch1tkey, whose real name is Jeong Jun-hyeok, uploaded a video on his Instagram account on Tuesday afternoon with the caption, "Nice to meet you," in Korean. It showed him posing on a rooftop, in a bathroom holding a knife and an electric saw, dancing in an elevator, walking up stairs and sitting on

Oh holds meeting with Beijing mayor for 1st time in 6 years

The state-run Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency has begun a video abstract service to promote its research output, with top articles already promoted via the new service. According to the agency, an affiliate of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the APQA library has also made a section for the video abstract on its website. It expects that the research output of APQA will spread to research institutes in other countries, opening doors for more research collaboration opportu

Korean Agriculture Minister Song meets with WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain