It’s official: South Korea recorded its hottest September on record this year, with the state weather agency recording the highest average temperature, the most heat wave days and most tropical nights last month. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, Korea saw average temperatures reaching up to 24.7 degrees Celsius last month, the highest September average since weather records were first tracked nationwide in 1973. The previous highest September average was just last year

Social Affairs Oct. 8, 2024

More people are leaving the city's welfare rolls while continuing recipients are earning higher incomes under the Seoul city government's Stepping Stone Income welfare initiative, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Monday. The city government hosted an international forum titled “Solutions for Alleviating Poverty and Income Disparity” on Monday at Dongdaemun Design Plaza, bringing together experts in economics, social welfare and sociology to discuss the city

Social Affairs Oct. 7, 2024

Ahead of the Seoul International Fireworks Festival, anticipated to draw around 1 million spectators this Saturday, both the government and the city of Seoul have announced extensive safety measures to ensure crowd control and public safety. The annual Seoul International Fireworks Festival, hosted by Hanwha Group, will take place over the Han River near Yeouido and Ichon Hangang Park. Marking its 20th edition, the event will feature stunning displays by participants from Korea, the US, and Japa

Social Affairs Oct. 4, 2024

Around 1,430 minors, aged 14 to 18, were investigated by police for drug offenses, including possession, consumption, and distribution, between 2018 and 2023, according to data from the Korean National Police Agency. The report, released by Rep. Kang Min-kuk of the ruling People Power Party on Friday, highlighted the growing concern over youth involvement in drug crimes during this period. By year, the numbers rose each year, from 56 in 2018, to 201 in 2022. This steady increase was followed by

Social Affairs Oct. 4, 2024

Skepticism toward unification with North Korea is rising in South Korea, with the proportions of people who view it as "unnecessary" and those who see it as "impossible" reaching record highs since 2007, when the poll started. According to the survey on the public unification perception, released by the Institute for Peace and Unification Studies from Seoul National University on Wednesday, 35 percent of respondents indicated that unification is either "entirely unnecess

Social Affairs Oct. 3, 2024

Following nationwide rain Tuesday, South Korea experienced chilly fall weather Wednesday morning, as temperatures dipped by up to 10 degrees Celsius compared to the previous day accompanied by strong winds, said the Korea Meteorological Administration. According to the KMA, the influx of cold air from the northwest and strong winds resulted in Wednesday morning lows 5 C to 10 C lower than the previous day in the central region, comprising the Greater Seoul area -- Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Pro

Social Affairs Oct. 2, 2024

A Seoul district court on Monday sentenced the former chief of the Yongsan Police Station to three years in prison without labor in a ruling that held, for the first time, the South Korean public office responsible for the deadly Halloween crowd crush on Oct. 29, 2022 in Itaewon, central Seoul. Delivering the ruling, the Seoul Western District Court said Lee Im-jae, the then-head of Yongsan Police Station, had failed to establish and implement a safety management plan to prevent the possibility

Social Affairs Sept. 30, 2024

The Seoul city government will hold an international forum on its Stepping Stone Income welfare initiative at Dongdaemun Design Plaza on Oct. 7, marking the program's third-year run. Under the theme, “Solutions for Alleviating Poverty and Income Disparity,” the city government said its forum would bring together experts in economics, social welfare and sociology to discuss the city’s income support system and its results. The city’s Stepping Stone Income, or Didimdol

Social Affairs Sept. 30, 2024

Nearly 45 percent of the over 423,000 unregistered foreign nationals living in South Korea had originally entered the country under its visa waiver program and overstayed their permitted period of stay as of the end of 2023, according to data from the Ministry of Justice released Sunday in a report created by Rep. Song Seog-jun of the ruling People Power Party. The data in the report said 16.9 percent of the more than 2.5 million foreign national residents in Korea were unregistered as of the en

Social Affairs Sept. 29, 2024

The number of patients suffering from malnutrition in South Korea has increased by nearly three times in the last five years, particularly among low-income households, data showed Tuesday. According to an official report from the National Health Insurance Service delivered to Rep. Jun Jin-sook of the Democratic Party of Korea, a total of 63,274 patients received treatment for malnutrition from 2019 to the first half of this year. The number of patients suffering from malnutrition increased signi

Social Affairs Sept. 24, 2024

The National Assembly’s Gender Equality and Family Committee approved a bill to strengthen punishment against deepfake sex crimes and victim support Monday, with the aim of passing it during a plenary session on Thursday. During Monday’s committee meeting, representatives of both the ruling and opposition party approved amendments to the Juvenile Protection Act and the Sexual Violence Prevention and Victims Protection Act. According to the amendments made to the Juvenile Protection A

Social Affairs Sept. 23, 2024

An international tech exposition showcasing how technology can help people and urban living will take place at Coex in Samseong-dong, southern Seoul next month, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Monday. Scheduled to take place Oct. 10-12, the Seoul Smart Life Week will feature exhibitions hosted by local companies showcasing the newest technologies and products under the theme of urban living. It will also host international conferences and forums as a platform for cities around

Social Affairs Sept. 23, 2024

Heavy rain, with strong winds of up to 25 meters per second, is expected over the weekend when Typhoon Pulasan passes near South Korea’s southern region on Saturday evening, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration on Friday. The state weather agency warned that heavy rain will be concentrated in the Greater Seoul area of Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province, the eastern coast of Gangwon Province, and Jeju Island, with some areas expected to receive up to 300 mm of rainfall by

Social Affairs Sept. 20, 2024

Three suspects are accused of selling sexually explicit deepfake images and videos of over 20 South Korean celebrities, including minors, through Telegram, according to Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency on Friday. Police officials announced two suspects were arrested and one was apprehended without arrest Thursday in violation of the Juvenile Protection Act and the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes. The police said the three suspects were in their 20s and were

Social Affairs Sept. 20, 2024

Rainfall reaching up to 250 millimeters will fall nationwide from Friday afternoon, bringing an end to the prolonged summer weather in South Korea, said the Korea Meteorological Administration on Thursday. The atmosphere above the Korean Peninsula was covered by the Tibetan and North Pacific high-pressure systems, resulting in unprecedented heat waves and tropical nights during Chuseok, Korea’s traditional mid-autumn festival to wish for a good harvest. According to the KMA, the continued

Social Affairs Sept. 19, 2024