Some 182 cases of hiring irregularities were found through a three-month survey of hundreds of public institutions, the government said Wednesday. In response, the government said it would require public institutions to disclose the number of new hires with family ties to existing staff members and would also take steps to introduce legislation to address conflicts of interests, which would limit public officials’ ability to influence their relatives’ careers.The survey took place Nov. 6 through

K-pop star Seungri, affiliated with the nightclub Burning Sun, may be questioned by police as the authorities have expanded a drug and assault investigation centered on the club, police said Tuesday. “We are currently expanding the targets of the investigation. If necessary, Lee (Seungri) may be questioned,” the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said.This is the first time police have mentioned the possibility of the celebrity being questioned.　The K-pop star resigned from his post as the Gangnam

National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang said Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is politicizing the “comfort women” issue as part of efforts to win supporters at home.“It is shameless. Prime Minister Abe is in a corner (in Japan), so he is politicizing the issue for domestic politics,” Moon said in an interview Friday during a US visit. “A greater politician would think about strengthening cooperation between Korea, the US and Japan ahead of the second US-North Korea summit,” Moon added.National

A deep-sea search ship has retrieved a voyage data recorder (VDR) and a bridge of the ill-fated South Korean bulk carrier Stellar Daisy that sank in the South Atlantic two years ago, Seoul's foreign ministry said Monday.The discovery on Sunday morning (local time) came three days after the search ship, Seabed Constructor, arrived at the scene of the sinking and launched its operations employing four autonomous underwater vehicles.(Yonhap)Stellar Daisy sank in the South Atlantic, some 3,700 kilom

Police are widening a crackdown on drugs and distribution at clubs located in Gangnam, southern Seoul, according to an announcement Sunday.The crackdown comes amid heightened public anger over unlawful assault at the club Burning Sun, owned by K-pop star Seungri, which has sparked suspicions of sexual violence against female customers after drugging them with GHB, known as a date rape drug, on top of a short sex video that was allegedly filmed at the club.“In addition to Burning Sun we have wide

An aide to a ruling party lawmaker said on social media that a man who set himself on fire in front of the National Assembly building was “barbecued.”　A man in his 60s suffered third-degree burns and is now semiconscious after the car he was in caught fire outside the parliament building on the morning of Feb. 1. Fire authorities believe he set his car on fire. (Yonhap)An aide to Rep. So Byung-hoon of the Democratic Party, surnamed Lee, posted a photo on Instagram of the man lying on the ground

The deaths of three employees in an explosion at a Hanwha factory on Thursday have fueled concerns about workplace safety at the major Korean conglomerate, as an explosion at the same factory had claimed the lives of five people just seven months ago. Hanwha confirmed Thursday three employees had died after the explosion at its plant in Daejeon, a city some 140 kilometers south of Seoul. (Yonhap)“We express our deep condolences to the victims and their families. We will do our best to address th

Outraged over inflammatory remarks by far-right politicians about the 1980 Gwangju Democratic Uprising, some 300 family members of those who died during the uprising and Gwangju citizens on Wednesday took to the National Assembly to voice their anger and grief, calling for answers and apologies.“My husband Jung Ki-bong, an ordinary citizen, was kidnapped by soldiers on the streets. He was let go after being tortured for a month and 10 days at the Army 31st division, which caused severe mental pr

A drunk driver in a highly publicized fatal car crash that killed a young college student in a southern port city was sentenced to six years in prison on Wednesday. The Busan District Court handed down the verdict to the 27-year-old defendant, identified by his last name Park, ruling that "the degree to which the crime has been committed is very grave and the result is as devastating."Park was charged for hitting Yoon Chang-ho, a KATUSA conscript and Korea University student, with his vehicle wh

Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon met with a visiting Japanese lawmaker Wednesday to discuss frayed ties between the two neighboring countries in the wake of South Korean court rulings on wartime forced labor victims. Lee and Fukushiro Nukaga, a member of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, had an 80-minute breakfast meeting from 8 a.m. at the prime minister's office in Seoul, according to Lee's office. Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon (Yonhap)The meeting was arranged at Nukaga's request, it added. They

A long-delayed commencement ceremony was held Tuesday for 250 Danwon High School students who died in the Sewol ferry disaster on April 16, 2014. (Yonhap)The students were on a school trip to Jeju Island when the ferry carrying 476 passengers sank off the southwestern coast near Jindo, killing 304 aboard. Only 75 students survived, and they graduated in 2016. The victims’ families had asked the school to postpone the honorary commencement ceremony until all the bodies of the victims had been rec

Political parties called for the expulsion of three lawmakers of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party on Monday over their remarks about the 1980 Gwangju Democratization Movement. The ruling Democratic Party of Korea, minor conservative opposition Bareunmirae Party, minor liberal Party for Democracy and Peace and progressive Justice Party have stepped up pressure on the Liberty Korea Party to expel the three members -- far-right Rep. Kim Jin-tae, Rep. Lee Jong-myeong and Rep. Kim Soon-rye --

Have you recently developed a liking for the K-pop sensation BTS? Catching up with the breakneck speed of the band’s career can feel overwhelming, but you have to start somewhere. Here is a complete guide to the seven bandmates. From its advent to its meteoric rise, this guide will tell you everything you need to know about BTS. Or if you are simply wondering about the hype around the band, allow us to enlighten you about BTS’ catchy songs, heart-pumping dance moves and colorful personalities th

A 4.1 magnitude earthquake struck off the southeastern city of Pohang on Sunday, but there have been no reports of damage, meteorological officials said.The quake happened at 12:53 p.m. in waters 50 kilometers northeast of the port city at a depth of 21 km, officials at the Korea Meteorological Administration said. The KMA had earlier announced the quake's magnitude was 4.0 but later revised it.   (Yonhap)About 1 1/2 hours later, a smaller 2.5 magnitude quake happened at 2:12 p.m. in waters 45 k

Sohn Suk-hee, a popular news anchor and president of cable TV network JTBC, has been countersued by a freelance journalist who threatened to go public about a car accident involving Sohn.Kim Woong, 49, sued Sohn, 62, for assault, blackmail and libel on Thursday.According to the Seoul Western District Prosecutors’ Office, Kim claimed that Sohn not only punched him, but also pressured him to agree to a settlement, and spread false information by issuing a press release.Kim had filed a police repor