​S. Korea launches special management program for local festivals to prevent safety accidents

SEOUL -- In a bid to prevent tragic accidents like the Itaewon Halloween stampede accident that left 159 people dead and dozens of people injured in October 2022, South Korea has launched a special management program that will monitor and examine local festivals for possible safety hazards and prevent accidents. The night of Halloween on October 30, 2022, is remembered as one of South Korea's worst safety accidents. 159 people were killed and 76 others injured during a deadly stamp

October 4, 2023

​'Influencer' gangsters use social media to attract young curious people: data

SEOUL -- Young people who are involved in organized crimes use social media platforms such as YouTube to attract ordinary people by showing off their "know-how" of quickly earning a lot of money or how to become a gangster, police data showed. "Jopock" is a Korean term that is used to describe a member of an organized crime group. The gangsters were irresponsibly glamorized in South Korean films and dramas in the early 2000s. However, such Jopocks were pushed out

October 2, 2023

Burglar suspect caught for breaking into empty stores in Seoul during autumn harvest festival holiday

SEOUL -- A burglar suspect was caught by police for breaking into some 30 stores in the northern area of Seoul during "Chuseok," a three-day autumn harvest festival holiday. This year's Chuseok holiday was coupled with a weekend to become a six-day holiday. Chuseok is celebrated on August 15 of the Lunar Calendar. Many South Koreans visit their hometowns and relatives during the autumn harvest festival. Previously, the government predicted that some 40 million people wo

October 2, 2023

S. Korea asks for Cabo Verde's support to host World Expo in Busan

SEOUL -- South Korean Industry Minister Bang Moon-kyu has visited Cabo Verde to win support for South Korea's bid to host the 2030 World Expo in the southern port city of Busan. The minister also discussed with Cape Verdean President Jose Maria Pereira Neves to cooperate in various sectors including agriculture, trade, and energy infrastructure. Despite the two nations' geographical distance, Bang visited the African country with a population of about 600,000 during a six-day &

October 1, 2023

​Number of young S. Korean drug addicts increase by about 55% over 4 years: data

b SEOUL -- The number of teenage South Koreans and people in their 20s who received professional rehabilitation treatment for drug abuse has increased by about 55 percent over the last four years, government data showed. Drugs are not as easy to access in South Korea compared to other countries like the United States or other European countries. However, it is getting easier for ordinary people to gain access to drugs using smartphone messenger apps and websites that are not easy

September 30, 2023

​Homecomers fill highways, airports, and train stations to meet families during autumn harvest festival

SEOUL -- Millions of South Koreans have traveled through highways, bus terminals, airports, and train stations to visit their hometowns and meet family members during a six-day "Chuseok," a traditional Korean autumn harvest festival holiday. Chuseok and Seollal, the Lunar New Year Day in Korean, are the two major traditional three-day festival holidays Koreans celebrate. When the holidays are positioned just before or after a weekend, then the holiday can be extended to m

September 28, 2023

Prices of autumn delicacy Songyi mushroom soar due to climate change

SEOUL -- Prices of Songyi mushrooms (pine matsutake) have soared to reach a record high of more than 1,550,000 won ($1,142) per kilogram (0.45 pounds) due to scarcity caused by climate change and abnormal weather conditions. Songyi mushroom is one of South Korea’s top autumn delicacies which is used for the preparation of menus served for "Charye," a traditional Confucian rite designed to offer food for deceased ancestors. The rare mushrooms are only found in pine fores

September 28, 2023

Seoul to crack down on illegal accommodation services using ordinary homes and apartments

SEOUL -- Seoul City's public police division will conduct a thorough crackdown on illegal accommodation service operators that use unregistered homes or apartments for short-term or long-term accommodation services. To promote South Korean home culture, the country allows owners of homes that are smaller than 230 square meters (2,475 square feet) to lease their property for homestay services. Such cultural accommodation services are not required to be registered as accommodation

September 26, 2023

More than 1 mln South Korean people aged 60 years and older work in 2022: data

SEOUL -- Out of some 13,154,000 South Korean people aged 60 years and older, more than one million are working, government data showed. South Korea is a rapidly aging country where about 30 percent of the population will consist of people aged 75 years and older by 2073. According to the health ministry's data, 1,050,718 people aged 60 years and older were registered to the mandatory state medical insurance for workers. The number increased by some 108 percent compared to 503,840 p

September 26, 2023

​King Charles invites S. Korean President Yoon to Britain

SEOUL -- South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol will visit Britain to meet with King Charles III in November 2023. The South Korean presidential office said Yoon's state visit is designed to mark the 140th anniversary of diplomatic ties that began in 1883. In November 1883, Britain established diplomatic relations with the Joseon dynasty that ruled the Korean Peninsula from 1392 to 1897. The United Kingdom (UK) was the second Western nation that set up diplomatic ties with the la

September 26, 2023