The number of smoking violations in public areas in Seoul reached 431 cases this year, almost double that of last year, a city official said Thursday. The Seoul City government has designated three public spots including Seoul Plaza as nonsmoking zones since 2011 with fines of 100,000 won ($91.60) for violators. The number of smoking violations at bus stops also increased to 583 as of July, nearly equal to the total in all of 2012. The cases in areas governed by district offices also rose to 11,

Late night bus services running between midnight and 5 a.m. will operate on seven routes in Seoul beginning on Sept. 12, the city government said. “N Buses” will cover Hongdae, Jongno, Gangnam and other areas with many nighttime passengers while bus transfers will be available at Seoul Station, Dongdaemun, Jongno and Gangnam. During the three-month trial period on two routes from April, more than 220,000 citizens used the night bus and 88 percent of surveyed citizens approved of the route expans

The labor union of Seoul City’s public call center called off a general strike scheduled for Monday after reaching a wage agreement with their employers. Their companies agreed to raise the basic wage by 3 percent, provide 50,000 won ($45) in holiday bonus and exempt full-time union executives from work.The 120 Dasan Call Center is currently run by a consortium of three private agencies on behalf of the city government. More than 450 contract workers provide the 24-hour call service. About 150 w

The average tuition fee at private kindergartens is 14 times higher than that of public preschools, according to a government survey. The Ministry of Education on Sunday released a comprehensive survey of 8,559 preschools across the country regarding costs, financial status, rules and law violations.The result showed that parents of children over age 5 attending private kindergartens pay 191,737 won ($173) per month on average, compared with 13,285 won for public ones.For 3-year-olds, private pr

The government will directly recruit the economic delegation for the president’s overseas visits to enhance the transparency of the selection process and provide wider opportunities for small and medium-sized businesses, Cheong Wa Dae said Friday. So far, leading business organizations have been responsible for picking the delegation, raising concerns that the participants tended to be focused on conglomerates, limiting the access of smaller enterprises.The new policy goes into effect starting f

The labor union of Seoul City’s public service call center escalated their strike action Wednesday demanding a wage increase and improved job status. About 150 unionized workers at the 120 Dasan Call Center staged a four-hour partial walkout in the morning following a one-hour halt in operations Monday. They plan to go on a general strike Friday if their demands are not met. The center is run by a consortium of three private agencies on behalf of the city government. More than 450 contract worke

Gangnam District in southern Seoul plans to open a hallyu-themed street in September promote tourism and Korean Wave stars. A photo zone and “stamp tour” will be offered along the K Star Road ― spanning 1.08 kilometers between the headquarters of S.M. Entertainment and Cube Entertainment. S.M. Entertainment will also open its doors for free visits once a week. Some shops will be designated as hallyu street attractions, helping tourists make the most of their visit. Celebrity hand-printings, souv

Seoul City has decided to raise taxi fares for the first time in four years by around 10 percent in October to ease operators’ financial difficulties.The city government on Monday submitted to the metropolitan council three options, with differing mixes of basic fares and extra charges for nighttime and inter-city operations. The bill will be considered by city council members and a consumer price adjustment panel until October. If passed it would be the first taxi fare hike in the city since 20

The prosecution has launched an investigation into some Internet companies, including NHN Corp., for alleged foreign exchange transaction act violations, such as failing to report foreign investments, sources said Saturday.Seoul Central District Prosecutor’s Office is looking into NHN Corp. for suspected omission of investment report when its Japanese branch, NHN Japan, bought out Livedoor, a Japanese portal business, in 2010 for 80 billion won ($72 million), reports said.NHN Corp. is the Intern

Seoul City’s cab fare is expected to increase by no later than October, as the city moves to help improve the taxi business despite lingering public concern over the heightened transportation cost and poor taxi service.The basic fare, which had remained unchanged since 2009, is expected to rise from the current 2,400 won ($2.14) to around 2,800 or 3,000 won. The city said negotiations over the fare increase are underway with the taxi union.Meanwhile, the labor and management representatives of t

A monthly car-free day on the main street in Sejongno, central Seoul will be expanded to twice a month starting September, as part of efforts to create a pedestrian-friendly environment, a city official said on Tuesday. The Sejongno main road ― spanning 550 meters from the intersection in front of Gyeongbokgung Palace to the four-way intersection of Gwanghwamun Subway Station ― has been cleared for pedestrians every third Sunday of each month since March. The city is planning to try out a pedest

Seoul will conduct a taxi satisfaction survey with consumer groups for the first time in September, targeting 4,500 residents including 500 foreigners, a city official said on Monday. While the city government has carried out a cab service survey annually, this is the first time for it to be organized with a civic group, as part of efforts to increase objectivity and reflect passengers’ requests more accurately.The survey will cover driver etiquette, the standard of driving, cabs’ cleanness and