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Death toll rises to 23 after heavy rains, landslides
Four more people have been confirmed dead after last week's heavy rains that triggered floods and landslides, bringing the total number of deaths to 23, the interior ministry said Thursday. Authorities discovered the bodies of three people missing in the southern county of Sancheong and another in the northern county of Gapyeong after heavy downpours battered the country between Wednesday and Sunday, according to the ministry's daily safety notice. With the discovery, the number of those missing
July 24, 2025 -
Prosecutors ask for acquittal of woman convicted of biting off attacker’s tongue
South Korean prosecutors on Wednesday asked the court to acquit a 78-year-old woman in her retrial, 60 years after she was convicted for biting off the tongue of a man who tried to rape her. Admitting to wrongful prosecution, the prosecutors offered an official apology to Choi Mal-ja. In 1964, then 18-year-old Choi was subject to sexual attack by a 21-year-old man, surnamed Noh, and she bit off his tongue while defending herself. She was criminally charged and the Busan District Court sentenced
July 23, 2025 -
Toddlers cramming for English tests: Time for a legal ban?
A legislative proposal seeking to ban intensive early English education for toddlers and cap lesson hours for young children was submitted to South Korea’s National Assembly on Wednesday, amid a continued frenzy over English-language preschools. The bill, introduced by Rep. Kang Kyung-sook of the minor Rebuilding Korea Party, proposes banning private English instruction for children under 36 months and limiting lessons for those aged 3 and older to 40 minutes per day. Violators could face penalt
July 23, 2025 -
Korea’s birth rate rises for 11th month amid marriage, policy push
Driven by rising marriages and supportive government policies, the number of newborns in South Korea increased for the 11th consecutive month in May, according to Statistics Korea on Wednesday. The growth rate for births in May was the highest for the month in 14 years, while the number of marriages was the largest in six years. A total of 106,048 babies were born during the first five months of this year, marking a 6.9 percent rise from the same period last year. In May, 20,309 babies were born
July 23, 2025 -
Was pilot error to blame? Jeju Air crash investigation sparks controversy
A recent government analysis suggests that the pilot involved in the fatal Jeju Air crash last December at Muan Airport in South Jeolla Province may have made a critical error by shutting down the left engine, which was intact, instead of the right engine damaged by a bird strike. However, the preliminary findings have sparked an outcry from the victims’ families and the pilots’ labor union at Jeju Air. They argue that the report unfairly places blame on the pilot, who died in the crash, before
July 23, 2025 -
Innovations at major dams helped limit floods during record-breaking rain: K-water
The Korea Water Resources Corp. (K-water) said Wednesday that it managed to mitigate downstream flooding despite rainfall exceeding dam design capacities in some regions after last week's record-breaking downpours. Together with weather forecasts, this was achieved by securing additional water storage capacity and capitalizing on technologies, such as digital twins, in response to the torrential rain, according to K-water. A digital twin is a virtual, dynamic model of a real-world dam and its su
July 23, 2025 -
Heat wave warnings issued for South Korea’s southern regions
Southern parts of Korea were placed under heat wave warnings Wednesday, as heat wave advisories for South Gyeongsang Province, South Jeolla Province, Busan, Daegu and Ulsan were raised on Wednesday. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, temperatures in a total of 12 cities and counties of South Gyeongsang Province, including Changwon, Jinju, Gimhae and more, reached 34 C and daytime highs were expected to surge to 36 C. Though Gwangju was put under heat advisory with the highest
July 23, 2025 -
Man fined for insulting ex-PPP leader Han's daughter
A man in his 40s was recently found guilty of insult by a local court for an online post made three years ago that contained misogynistic language targeting the daughter of Han Dong-hoon, former leader of the People Power Party. According to local reports on Wednesday, the Seoul Central District Court sentenced the defendant to a fine of 500,000 won ($362). “The content of the post harms the dignity of another person and constitutes a contemptuous expression, appearing to be a deliberate insult,
July 23, 2025 -
Seoul implements country’s first AI 119 emergency service
Artificial intelligence is set to play a role in streamlining Seoul's emergency report systems in the event of large-scale disasters such as heavy rainfall, earthquakes or wildfires, Seoul's municipal government said Wednesday. Seoul’s new 119 emergency system, applied during call surges, is South Korea's first AI-based emergency service. It has been under pilot operation since March. The Seoul Metropolitan Government explained that the AI emergency call system boosts efficiency when handling a
July 23, 2025 -
South Korea’s health insurance crackdown reduces foreign dependents
A year after South Korea introduced stricter health insurance rules for foreign residents, misuse of the system has noticeably dropped, especially among Chinese nationals. According to the National Health Insurance Service, the number of Chinese dependents enrolled under Korea’s national health insurance fell from 111,059 in March 2024 to 106,243 in March 2025. That is a decrease of nearly 5,000 people within one year. The policy change was introduced amid growing concerns that foreign nationals
July 23, 2025 -
'It's not a family issue': bereaved family of domestic shooting victim denies rumors
The family of a man who was shot dead by his own father has hit back at rumors that a family feud had led to the tragedy, saying that it was a "meticulously planned murder" and that the perpetrator had "no justifiable reason whatsoever" for the brutal killing. In a statement sent to local media outlets, the family said that the 62-year-old murder suspect planned to kill not only his 34-year-old son, but also the victim's wife and children. They explained that it was only due to a malfunction of
July 23, 2025 -
‘She would’ve wanted to live’: daughter-killer gets heavier sentence in appellate trial
A woman who killed her own daughter has been sentenced to 15 years in prison in an appellate trial, after the court said she meticulously planned the crime and showed no remorse. Gwangju High Court recently upheld the conviction while imposing a heavier sentence than the 12-year prison term handed down by the lower court. The defendant, in her 60s, has been accused of murdering her 33-year-old daughter on Feb. 12, 2023, citing what she claimed to be insurmountable debt. The defendant accumulated
July 23, 2025 -
Lee designates 6 special disaster zones over rain damage
President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday designated six areas in the central and southern regions as special disaster zones following recent deadly downpours. The six -- Gapyeong in Gyeonggi Province, Seosan and Yesan in South Chungcheong Province, Damyang in South Jeolla Province, and Sancheong and Hapcheon in South Gyeongsang Province -- were given the designations at 6:44 p.m., according to presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung. The designation of a special disaster zone makes the area eligible fo
July 22, 2025 -
US, Chinese embassies offer condolences to victims of heavy rain in S. Korea
The US and Chinese embassies in South Korea expressed condolences Tuesday to the victims of last week's downpours that left at least 19 people dead and nine missing. "The US Embassy in Seoul offers our sincere condolences to the people of the Republic of Korea for the tragic loss of life and extensive damage caused by recent flooding and landslides," the US Embassy wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. "We sincerely hope for the safety of everyone impacted and a swift recovery for the communiti
July 22, 2025 -
Groups call for harsh punishment of hunters who brutally killed 160 wild animals
Animal rights groups on Jeju Island held a joint press conference in front of a local court on Tuesday, expressing discontent over a recent ruling against two individuals who captured and killed wild animals in a brutal manner. "The animal abusers who tortured wild animals for four years must be handed the highest possible punishment allowed by law so that such heinous crimes do not occur again," the groups said in a statement in front of the Jeju District Court, criticizing the court for what t
July 22, 2025