The weather agency said Monday that it expects the current heat wave to continue at least until Aug. 22, with temperatures until then to record higher than usual. In the past, Korea saw the summer heat easing into fall weather after Aug. 15. However, due to the continued convergence of the Tibetan and North Pacific high-pressure systems over the Korean Peninsula, the Korea Meteorological Administration anticipates the current heat wave to last longer. Until Aug. 22, morning temperatures are expe

Social Affairs Aug. 12, 2024

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Friday new measures to prevent fires caused by overcharging electric vehicles, including banning EVs with over 90 percent battery levels from entering underground parking in residential buildings. The municipal government explained that electric vehicle fires can result from various factors, including external impacts and battery defects, with excessive charging also recognized as a significant cause. The policy comes a week after an Incheon incident w

Social Affairs Aug. 9, 2024

Local training hospitals began announcing new recruitment notices for trainee doctors Friday, eight days after the Ministry of Health and Welfare called for additional recruitment notices due to low turnout during the initial recruitment round two weeks ago. The second round of recruitment for local training hospitals is scheduled to last until Aug. 14 for first-year resident doctors and until Aug. 16 for second to fourth-year resident doctors. The government plans to hold written examinations f

Social Affairs Aug. 9, 2024

After Suga, a member of the K-pop group BTS, admitted Wednesday to drunk driving an electric scooter, concerns have been raised calling for stronger regulations and management of personal mobility devices. Oh Seo-yeon, a 28-year-old office worker based in Seoul, told The Korea Herald that she finds herself being extra cautious when walking around the city because of personal mobility devices like electric scooters or motorized bicycles. “There are countless times where I almost got run ove

Social Affairs Aug. 8, 2024

This July experienced the highest number of tropical nights for any July since weather records began in 1973, the Korea Meteorological Administration said last month. South Korea recorded an average of 8.8 tropical nights this July, a three-fold increase compared to the previous average of 2.8 days in past Julys, according to the KMA's monthly weather analysis report. Tropical nights refer to a phenomenon where the lowest temperature remains above 25 degrees Celsius between 6:01 p.m. the ni

Social Affairs Aug. 7, 2024

The number of patients admitted to emergency rooms with heat-related illnesses overnight increased by some 900 percent over the past decade, data by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency showed Tuesday, amid growing concerns of an increase in tropical nights in recent years. Since the establishment of the agency’s heat illness surveillance system in 2011, the number of patients admitted to emergency rooms between 12 a.m. -- the start of a new day -- and 10 a.m. jumped 923 percent

Social Affairs Aug. 6, 2024

As extreme heat persists nationwide, widespread damage including power and water outages, as well as heatstroke-related deaths, have been reported as of Monday. On Sunday evening, 255 out of 1,089 households in the Miju Apartments in Dongdaemun-gu, eastern Seoul, experienced a power outage caused by the persisting scorching heat. A Korea Electric Power Corporation official explained to The Korea Herald that the blackout resulted from a fault in the apartment complex's transformer, which ove

Social Affairs Aug. 5, 2024

South Korea sweltered through its first 40 degrees Celsius temperature in six years on Sunday, amid a relentless heatwave that has gripped the country since the end of July, following the monsoon season. Current weather conditions on the Korean Peninsula are strikingly similar to those of the record-breaking summer of 2018, sparking concerns that this year could become one of the hottest on record. The severe heatwave has already resulted in approximately 540 cases of heat-related illnesses from

Social Affairs Aug. 4, 2024

Police concluded Thursday that the fatal car crash that killed nine people on July 1 near Seoul City Hall was caused by the driver’s poor handling of the vehicle rather than sudden unintended acceleration as claimed by the driver. The findings were announced as the police ended a monthlong investigation into the accident, where a sedan hit pedestrians on a walkway while traveling at a speed of up to 107 kilometers per hour. “Though the suspect is consistently maintaining a stance tha

Social Affairs Aug. 1, 2024

Prosecutors searched the headquarters of Tmon and WeMakePrice in Seoul on Thursday as part of an investigation into the e-commerce platforms’ delayed payments to their vendors amid a persisting liquidity crisis surrounding both companies. According to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, an investigation team searched the headquarters of Tmon and WeMakePrice on Thursday, along with seven other related offices. The investigators also searched the homes of three executive me

Social Affairs Aug. 1, 2024

Due to South Korea’s hot and humid temperatures, cases of malaria have been on the rise, with the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency reporting 367 cases as of Tuesday. Though the number of malaria cases so far this year is half of last year's total figures, the agency on Wednesday noted there has been an unusual surge in malaria cases in Seoul and that it is possible this year's total figures could pass last year's. In previous years, malaria cases were normally rep

Social Affairs July 31, 2024

The driver behind the fatal car crash that killed nine pedestrians near Seoul City Hall earlier this month repeatedly apologized as he attended an arrest warrant court hearing Tuesday morning. “I’m very, very sorry to the deceased and bereaved families,” the 68-year-old, surnamed Cha, said as he entered Seoul Central District Court at 10:30 a.m., Tuesday morning. Cha showed up to the hearing with his face covered with a cap and a mask while being asked several questions by repo

Social Affairs July 30, 2024

The Ministry of Environment announced Tuesday that it has chosen 14 different sites to build new dams to guarantee South Korea’s safety and readiness for heavy rain, floods and droughts. “Since May 2023, the Ministry of Environment has been trying to promote the construction of dams that can combat extreme weather conditions,” said Environment Minister Kim Wan-sup during a press briefing Tuesday. Kim, an ex-vice finance minister, recently became the new environment minister on

Social Affairs July 30, 2024

Heat wave warnings and tropical night phenomena are expected to persist throughout this week, with sporadic rain continuing in the Greater Seoul area and some parts of Gangwon Province until the end of the week, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration on Monday. On Tuesday, daytime temperatures are expected to reach as high as 36 degrees Celsius, with precipitation ranging between 5 to 30 millimeters for parts of Gyeonggi Province and Gangwon Province and 5 to 10 mm for much of Grea

Social Affairs July 29, 2024

With the monsoon season coming to an end, South Korea has seen a surge in the number of days with scorching heat, leading to a rapid increase in the number of cases of heat-related illnesses. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on Friday, 507 medical institutions equipped with emergency rooms reported to the agency that they saw 124 patients with heat-related illnesses from Monday to Wednesday, 55 of which were from Wednesday alone. The KDCA added that 16.3 percent of th

Social Affairs July 26, 2024