Song, a 17-year-old high schooler based in Gyeonggi Province, used to be just like any other girl her age on social media -- posting photos and short-form videos of herself or with her friends dancing along to trending audio tracks. That was until she received an anonymous message on Instagram. It still haunts her to this day. “I looked at my phone after school when I saw a message sent through an unidentified account,” Song told The Korea Herald. “The message read, ‘Do y

Social Affairs Aug. 28, 2024

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday called for a thorough investigation and identification of digital sex crimes involving deepfake pornography, amid growing concerns over the rapid spread of sexually explicit content made using artificial intelligence. “Recently, deepfake videos targeting an unspecified number of people have circulated rapidly on social media,” Yoon said at a Cabinet meeting. “Anyone can be a victim of such digital sex crimes. I urge all authorities involved

Social Affairs Aug. 27, 2024

A temporary end to the scorching heat could be near, as the Korea Meteorological Administration stated Monday that high temperatures will decrease in some parts of South Korea from Wednesday. According to the KMA, the Tibetan and North Pacific high pressure systems -- which brought hot and humid temperatures into Korea -- has shrunk, opening a gap for cold, dry air from the north to enter into the atmosphere above Korea. The weather agency added that while ocean surface temperatures around the

Social Affairs Aug. 26, 2024

The Ministry of Interior and Safety announced Monday that emergency alerts sent through the “Emergency Ready App” will now be available in five different languages. According to the Interior Ministry, the application formally sent out its emergency alerts through the app in English and Chinese only. However, starting Monday, the app will also begin to issue its alerts in Japanese, Thai and Vietnamese. The Emergency Ready App is an application run by the Ministry of Interior and Safet

Social Affairs Aug. 26, 2024

Choi Jeong-kyu, CEO of Jonny Dumpling, a Shandong-style dumpling restaurant located in Itaewon, Yongsan-gu, central Seoul, reflects on the challenging days his business has faced since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the tragic crowd crush incident nearly two years ago. The local restaurant, well known for its half-moon-shaped dumplings, faced a significant decline in customers over the past four years. However, it has gradually regained its footing after being selected as one of 30 rep

Social Affairs Aug. 26, 2024

BUSAN -- Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon called on the central government to decentralize authority and allocate more human resources to municipalities, enabling them to develop tailored strategies for addressing the population crisis and fostering future growth. “Korea’s chronic low growth and deepening polarization cannot be overcome with regional strategies that are centralized and standardized," he said Friday at a conference held by the Korean Political Science Association in Busan.

Social Affairs Aug. 23, 2024

South Korea has seen a surge in bee stings as subtropical wasps, such as Asian hornets, have gotten more active due to high temperatures, according to the National Fire Agency on Thursday. According to the fire agency’s data, the number of cases where patients had to be transported to emergency services due to bee stings reached up to 2,583 over June to July in 2024. On average, the fire agency had seen up to 42 reports made daily regarding bee stings. There has also been a 35.9 percent in

Social Affairs Aug. 22, 2024

Though Typhoon Jongdari weakened to a tropical depression late Tuesday evening, the Korea Meteorological Administration said on Wednesday that rain will continue to fall, focusing on central regions of South Korea to Thursday. As of 9 p.m., Tuesday, Typhoon Jongdari weakened to a tropical depression 30 kilometers off the southeastern coast of Heuksando, South Jeolla Province, according to the KMA. The typhoon then passed by Seosan, South Chungcheong Province, at 3 a.m., before dissipating nearby

Social Affairs Aug. 21, 2024

A typhoon warning has been issued across Jeju Island as of 2 p.m., Tuesday, as the Korea Meteorological Administration expects Typhoon Jongdari to get close to the western coast of the island around 6 p.m. the same day. The KMA forecast heavy rain, ranging from 30 to 50 millimeters per hour, accompanied by thunder and lightning, to fall on Jeju Island from Tuesday afternoon into the evening. Until Wednesday, the island can expect to see up to 30 to 80 mm of rain, while heavily hit areas such as

Social Affairs Aug. 20, 2024

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Tuesday that it will turn Gwanghwamun Square into a nationally symbolic space that represents free democracy and world peace, based on opinions and ideas submitted by civil society and experts. The city government’s recent announcement comes after its initial announcement on building a nationally symbolic space raised criticism and controversy two months ago. In late June, Oh made an announcement during a meeting with veterans of the 1950-53 Korean Wa

Social Affairs Aug. 20, 2024

Typhoon Jongdari is slowly approaching South Korea, and it is expected to bring heavy rains accompanied by strong winds to the southern parts of the country, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration on Monday. The KMA said Typhoon Jongdari, the ninth typhoon of this year and the first typhoon to hit Korea this year, formed on the southwestern coast of Okinawa at 3 a.m., Monday, moving at a slow speed of 10 kilometers per hour. Typhoon Jongdari is expected to approach Jeju Island on T

Social Affairs Aug. 19, 2024

Several proposed laws named after popular trot singer Kim Ho-joong to raise public awareness aim to prevent drunk drivers from evading punishment by obstructing accurate alcohol level readings, sparking intense debate in Korean society. Lawmakers who proposed amendments to the Road Traffic Act, being dubbed the “Anti-Kim Ho-joong Law” following the singer’s hit-and-run accident in May, have faced intense criticism from his fans, who have demanded the bills be opposed or withdra

Social Affairs Aug. 18, 2024

Seoul National University, South Korea's top-ranked university, has ignited debate with its decision to distribute stickers to students' parents. The SNU Foundation, the university's official fundraising organization, announced Wednesday that it will begin distributing stickers to display on one's car as souvenirs to students' parents who sign up to receive the foundation’s newsletters. The bumper stickers revealed by the foundation have four different designs, eac

Social Affairs Aug. 15, 2024

While Japan is grappling with record rainfall from Typhoon Maria and bracing for three more typhoons, South Korea is experiencing the opposite -- intense heat, heat wave warnings and tropical nights. In the past, after the roughly monthlong monsoon season in July, Korea would see heat waves last to mid-August, accompanied by typhoons and rain after, lowering overall temperatures to ease into fall. However, instead of typhoon warnings and heavy rain this year, Korea has seen more heat wave warn

Social Affairs Aug. 14, 2024

The number of COVID-19 cases is expected to reach its peak by the end of this month, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said, vowing to expand its COVID-19 response team and implement stricter antivirus measures. As of the first week of August, the agency said up to 861 cases have been recorded at 220 major medical institutions around the country, a sixfold increase compared to the number of cases from July. “The surge could peak around the end of August, as contacts among peo

Social Affairs Aug. 13, 2024