Heavy rainfall causes flooding, evacuations in southern Korea

Heavy rainfall in South Korea’s southernmost provinces led to widespread flooding, evacuations and at least one death, according to local authorities Monday. Fire departments in Gwangju and South Jeolla Province had reported hundreds of incidents as of 5:30 a.m. Monday. In Gwangju alone, 172 flooding cases were reported, while 406 total damage reports, including loss of life, came in from South Jeolla Province. Muan in South Jeolla Province received 289.6 millimeters of rainfall from Sunday to 7

Aug. 4, 2025

Daughter of Korean priest detained by ICE after visa hearing

A 20-year-old South Korean student at Purdue University and daughter of an Episcopal priest has been detained by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement after attending a routine court hearing over her visa status, according to news reports Sunday. The Episcopal Diocese of New York and immigrant advocacy groups are calling for the immediate release of Go Yeon-soo, saying she was unfairly detained despite having legal status, and that immigration authorities bypassed proper legal procedures. G

Aug. 3, 2025

Worker's death after 3-straight company drinking sessions ruled work-related

A South Korean court has ruled that the death of a worker following three consecutive company-related drinking sessions constitutes a work-related death, local media reported Sunday. The Seoul Administrative Court recently ruled in favor of the bereaved family of a worker who died from acute alcohol intoxication after attending consecutive company gatherings. The family had filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn the Korea Workers’ Compensation and Welfare Service’s decision to deny survivor benefit

Aug. 3, 2025

Yoon faces wave of lawsuits seeking compensation for martial law distress

Civil lawsuits seeking compensation for distress caused by former President Yoon Suk Yeol's imposition of martial law are being files across the nation, following a court ruling that recognized Yoon’s liability. The Democratic Party’s South Gyeongsang chapter held a press conference Thursday announcing plans to gather 10,000 participants to seek 100,000 won ($71) per person in compensation from both Yoon and his wife, citing psychological harm stemming from the Dec. 3 martial law. “The greatest

July 31, 2025

As Korea simmers, bananas grow in Seoul, Jeju's pumpkins cook on the vine

A record heat wave has led to bananas growing outdoors in Seoul and pumpkins baking on the vine on Jeju Island. Photos taken Wednesday at Chungsoo Weekend Farm in Nowon, northeastern Seoul, by News 1 show a banana tree taller than an average adult with three bunches of bananas growing beneath its leaves. At the time the photos were taken, the temperature was 35.8 degrees Celsius with 73 percent humidity. This is the second consecutive year bananas, a tropical fruit typically grown in Southeast A

July 31, 2025

Video of unidentified creature in Han River goes viral

A video showing what appears to be an unidentified creature in the Han River has gone viral, according to local media reports Wednesday. The video titled “A Real Monster Emerges at the Han River in Seoul” was posted July 11 by fishing-themed YouTube channel Jungdam Story. It shows the YouTuber fishing at night near a parking lot by the National Assembly in Yeouido, when he spotted something large and moving in the water. At first, he thought it was a big fish. Upon closer observation, he appeare

July 30, 2025

Korean-born permanent resident of US seized at airport, trapped in detention for 8 days

A Korean green-card holder and resident of Texas was detained by US federal agents at San Francisco International Airport and held for eight days without access to legal counsel, an advocacy group said Wednesday. According to the National Korean American Service & Education Consortium, Tae-heung Kim, 40, is a Ph.D. student at Texas A&M University where he researches Lyme disease. He has lived in the US since the age of five, and was returning from South Korea after attending his brother’s weddin

July 30, 2025

Mother letting child sit in driver’s seat sparks backlash in Korea

A photo of a young boy sitting in the driver’s seat of a car stopped at a traffic light has sparked controversy online in South Korea, local media reported Tuesday. According to reports, a post titled “(My boy) really likes to take the wheel” appeared Saturday on a large online community for mothers. It featured a photo of a boy, estimated to be under 10 years old, holding the steering wheel while seated in the driver’s seat. Though the car was at a stop, the gear was in drive. “He’s a boy, so h

July 29, 2025

Teen girl killed after car crashes into yard in Yangpyeong

A teen girl who was playing outside at her grandmother's house was killed after being struck by a car that drove into the property, police said Monday. The victim was visiting her grandmother in Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi Province, while on summer vacation. The incident occurred around 6:40 p.m. on Sunday, when the vehicle, driven by a woman in her 80s, unexpectedly accelerated into the yard of the detached house. After hitting the victim in the front yard, the car crashed into the building. According

July 28, 2025

Migrant worker tied to forklift for ‘smirking,’ suspect says

A Korean man who tied a Sri Lankan migrant worker to a forklift at a brick factory in Naju, South Jeolla Province, told police he did so because the worker “smirked,” according to a human rights group on Monday. A migrant worker’s human rights network based in South Jeolla Province said the Korean suspect told investigators, “I told him to teach his colleague well, but he smirked (in response), so I did that.” The victim, however, said he neither laughed nor understood what the supervisor was sa

July 28, 2025