Police plan to install more CCTV cameras near urban cultural heritage sites

SEOUL -- Police plan to install extra closed-circuit television cameras in areas near urban cultural heritage sites such as palaces located in central Seoul. The discussion on the blueprint for the new surveillance camera networks took place after vandals damaged the walls of Gyeongbokgung Palace using spray paint cans in mid-December. Gyeongbokgung is an iconic palace in Seoul that was visited by some 3.4 million people in 2022. The area near the Blue House, the former presidential

December 27, 2023

Korean ginseng chicken soup 'Samgyetang' approved for exports to EU

SEOUL -- South Korea has concluded negotiations with the European Union on quarantine and hygiene standards for heat-treated poultry products including Korean-style ginseng chicken soup called "Samgyetang." The country's agriculture ministry plans to achieve $20 million in exports of heat-treated poultry to 27 European nations. Samgyetang, which uses a young chicken filled with garlic, rice, scallion and spices, ginseng and jujube, has been consumed as a healthy food.

December 27, 2023

About 98% of S. Koreans aged 6 and more use smartphones: survey

SEOUL -- About 98 percent of South Koreans aged six and more own a smartphone, a survey showed. More than half of smartphone users use 5G-based communication services. 5G communication service was first commercialized in South Korea in early 2019. Some parts of existing 3G and 4G networks are being used by the state and private corporates for the operation of emergency communication networks and for industrial uses such as vehicle-to-everything (V2X) networks that connect smart cars

December 26, 2023

S. Korea to demonstrate virtual map to prevent falling accidents at construction sites

SEOUL -- To protect construction workers from falling accidents, South Korea's state-funded agency will demonstrate a digital map system with information on risk factors at construction sites such as damaged rooftop materials. Construction workers can check various types of risk elements through the digital twin-based solution before climbing up the building. A digital twin is a virtual replica of an object or infrastructure. It is often used as a testing environment for new pro

December 26, 2023

Seoul becomes 14th most-visited city by foreign travelers in 2023

SEOUL -- Thanks to increased global recognition of South Korean culture including K-pop, K-drama, and Korean food, Seoul has become the 14th most visited city by foreign travelers in 2023, according to global market analyst firm Euromonitor. According to the global market analyst, some 1.3 billion people traveled to overseas destinations in 2023. People who were grounded during the COVID-19 pandemic headed to foreign countries as soon as most of the world's countries re-opened t

December 26, 2023

Bus strikes 18 pedestrians at transit center in Seoul's satellite city

SEOUL -- A public bus has struck 18 pedestrians at a bus transit center in Suwon, a southern satellite city of Seoul, killing an elderly woman and severely injuring two people. The bus also damaged infrastructure including a light pole and road signs. According to police, the accident took place at around 1:27 p.m. on December 22. An electric bus operated by a female bus driver in her 50s ran over people walking on a pedestrian crossing. The vehicle, which was just leaving a bus sto

December 22, 2023

Ordinary worker has to save every wage without spending for 15 years to buy house in Seoul

SEOUL -- An ordinary worker would have to save every dime of his or her monthly savings for 15 years to buy a house in Seoul, the land ministry's survey data showed. The homeownership rate was 61.3 percent. Renting households in the metropolitan area spent 18.3 percent of their monthly income on rent. According to South Korea's Real Estate Board (REB), the average price for an apartment in Seoul in 2022 was about 1.3 billion won ($1 million). Apartment complexes are one of t

December 22, 2023

Seoul and Beijing foreign ministry directors meet in Shenzhen to discuss S. Korea-China relations

SEOUL -- Foreign ministry directors from Seoul and Beijing met in China's southern city of Shenzhen to discuss South Korea-China international relations and other international issues that revolve around the Korean Peninsula. The meeting took place amid a thawing atmosphere between the two countries since Seoul-Beijing relations became frozen after the election of South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol in May 2022. After taking office, President Yoon aligned South Korea's dipl

December 20, 2023

S. Korea to host Winter Youth Olympics for first time in Asia

SEOUL -- The Winter Youth Olympic Games will take place in South Korea's eastern province of Gangwon, well known for its mountainous and forested landscapes, in January 2024. South Korea has become the first Asian country to host the international sports event that would be attended by some 1,800 athletes from about 80 nations. The Winter Youth Olympic Games (WYOG), designed for young athletes aged between 15 and 18, is held every four years. The multi-sport event organized by t

December 20, 2023

Number of S. Koreans with families in North continues to decrease

SEOUL -- The number of South Koreans separated from their family members due to the Korean War (1950~1953) dropped to 39,881 as of November 2023, down 32.5 percent from 2017. Divided families have been unable to reunite since the last family reunion event in 2018 due to escalating tensions between the two Koreas. Millions of Koreans were displaced by the sweep of the Korean conflict, which concluded with an armistice rather than a peace treaty, leaving the two Koreas still technical

December 19, 2023