A Daejeon court on Friday said it sentenced a man to 18 years in prison for killing his colleague and getting rid of the body in the mountains. According to authorities, the 49-year-old man beat the victim to death with a weapon inside his house in Jung-gu, Daejeon, around 3 a.m. on March 19. Two days later, the man reportedly transported the body in his car to a mountainous region in Seo-gu at approximately 1:20 a.m. Surveillance footage shows the two in an alley in Daejeon at 11:38 p.m. on Mar

Social Affairs July 13, 2018

Amid the sweltering, humid weather, many Koreans look forward to traveling overseas for the perfect getaway. The only problem is that travel requires a set of cumbersome procedures ranging from picking a destination to booking hotels and arranging transportation. While working at global travel site Expedia, Jung Ji-ha wondered how he could simplify the process in booking hotels for future customers. Along with the tech expertise he had gained working at Hyundai C&I, Jung decided to jump into the

Technology July 13, 2018

A baby girl who was born after just 24 weeks gestation, weighing 302 grams, was released from the hospital Thursday after spending nearly five months in the neonatal intensive care unit, Asan Medical Center said. During the course of treatment, the baby’s weight reportedly dipped below 295 grams -- barely more than a 250 ml can of soda -- but has since increased to a healthy weight of 3 kilograms.  Calling the baby “Love,” the team of doctors said the baby&r

Technology July 12, 2018

A convicted killer on the loose has been captured thanks to a tip from a citizen after his escape from an isolated psychiatric ward in Gwangju, Gwangsan police said Tuesday.A citizen called the police around 12:48 p.m. Monday, describing a “man looking a lot like the escapee.” Dispatched officers said they immediately arrested the 48-year-old man surnamed Kim inside the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, located in Oryong-dong, Gwangju at 1 p.m. Surveillance footage shows the man walki

Social Affairs July 10, 2018

Under the theme of “AI technology, toward better life,” the 2018 Artificial Intelligence Expo Korea kicked off Monday with some 100 exhibitors setting up booths at Coex in Samseong-dong, southern Seoul. Information sessions introducing AI technologies -- machine learning, speech recognition and image recognition -- networking sessions and experiential tours are part of the three-day event. Attendees can explore various AI applications and services including, but not limited to, autonomous drivin

Technology July 9, 2018

A convicted murderer who reportedly suffers from schizophrenic disorder has escaped from the isolated psychiatric ward in Gwangju, police said Monday. According to Gwangsan Police Station, the 48-year-old man surnamed Kim slipped through opened gates when guards were not looking at the mental institution in Gwangsan-gu, western Gwangju, Sunday.  (Reuters)The man was sentenced to a three-year jail term after fatally hitting a patient for being “too loud.” Kim is reported to not be wearing an ankl

Social Affairs July 9, 2018

Prosecutors on Friday sought a five-year jail sentence for celebrity chef Lee Chan-oh on trial for the possession and use of drugs, according to the Seoul Central District Court. During the trial, the prosecution cited more concrete evidence from hair testing, which confirmed Lee’s history of drug use. Famous for his expertise in French cuisine, the chef made headlines when he was indicted without detention on May 10 for inhaling hashish -- a drug made from cannabis -- in October last year. The

Social Affairs July 6, 2018

A helmet-clad man has been taken into police custody after over 20 college students claimed to suffer sexual harassment from his lewd acts around Seoul’s college campuses, police said Friday. The 39-year-old man, surnamed Seong, has been accused of sexually harassing university students by flashing his genitals to them while riding around on a motorcycle from March to June on 24 occasions, according to Seongbuk Police Station. Victims from Kookmin University, Sungshin Women’s University and Kore

Social Affairs July 6, 2018

A Cheongju court on Thursday said it has sentenced a man, who had been charged with marriage immigration fraud, to one year in prison, suspended for two years. The man, 62, was indicted without detention in March 2012 for allegedly brokering sham marriages between his daughter and two Nepalese men, according to the Cheongju District Court. (Yonhap)In exchange for obtaining the spouse visa, the man reportedly requested some 7 million won ($6,200) from one of the Nepali men. It was not until later

Social Affairs July 5, 2018

Over seven out of 10 adults believe teenagers in the country are unhappy, while six out of 10 think senior citizens are unhappy, a survey has found Thursday. According to the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, the poll asked 2,000 adults across the nation to rate happiness for different age groups. Students take a nap during lunch hours due to chronic fatigue. (Yonhap)The findings indicated that 73.4 percent of the group think teens are either “extremely unhappy” or “unhappy,” while

Social Affairs July 5, 2018

Kim Soo-min, 23, was crowned winner of Miss Korea 2018 in the final round of the annual beauty pageant in Seoul on Wednesday.Representing Gyeonggi Province, Kim studied international business at Dickinson College. With her eyes set on becoming an international journalist, Kim said her hobbies include dancing, singing and impersonating voices.This year’s 62nd Miss Korea pageant was held Wednesday night at the Olympic Hall in Sonpa-gu, southeastern Seoul, with 32 contestants competing in the final

Culture July 5, 2018

Cleanup efforts have started after Typhoon Prapiroon tore through the southern region of the Korean Peninsula from Saturday to Monday, leaving three dead, three injured and one missing. A total of 85 public buildings and facilities, such as rivers, roads, ports and schools, were destroyed when Prapiroon hit South Jeolla Province, North Jeolla Province and Jeju. The heavy rain also caused many residential buildings and farmland to be submerged in water. Environment workers remove massive clumps o

Social Affairs July 4, 2018

Police on Tuesday said they are looking for a 34-year-old man who fled the scene shortly after his wife experienced a mysterious fall from their apartment two weeks ago. According to the Jeonbuk Provincial Police Agency, the man’s wife, 26, fell from the 12-story residential building in Yeonji-dong, North Jeolla Province on June 20. Dispatched officers said they found the woman in the bushes with an electric wire around her neck, multiple fractures and scratches all over her body, as the branche

Social Affairs July 4, 2018

A South Korean man wanted in an alleged rape case of his ex-girlfriend was finally arrested in Guatemala and extradited after 14 years and eight months, the Ministry of Justice said Tuesday. According to the ministry, the 43-year-old suspect surnamed Choi is accused of sexually assaulting his ex-girlfriend and threatening to publish the video clip online in October 2003. Shortly after the alleged rape, Choi fled the country, stopping by Canada on his way to Guatemala. Having been on Interpol’s w

Social Affairs July 3, 2018

Following reports of long-term child abuse at a school, a teacher has been booked without detention for allegedly insulting and punishing a fourth grader with tuberous sclerosis complex, police said. According to the National Institutes of Health, tuberous sclerosis complex is a rare genetic disorder that causes unexpected growths of benign tumors in different body parts such as the brain, kidneys and skin. The child surnamed Jang said that the teacher threw verbal insults and prohibited her fro

Social Affairs July 3, 2018