A man suspected of stealing money from drunk people by using their fingerprints to unlock their phones has been apprehended, police said Thursday. The suspect in his 30s is accused of luring inebriated people into secluded areas without surveillance cameras to extort a total of 55 million won ($42,184) in the Gangnam area. Over 11 instances of the crime were reported from July 2022 until last month. He is also suspected of blackmailing the victims who have no recollection of the event afterwards

Social Affairs July 6, 2023

Surveillance footage showing two elderly women allegedly stealing goods and electrical cords from moving boxes has set off a police investigation and online outrage. The footage, taken on Friday in Seoul, shows the two women rummanging through boxes temporarily placed outside a building during a move, while moving company employees were busy with other boxes. According to the online post from the victim, the boxes were temporarily placed outside a building in the process of moving to another bui

Social Affairs July 4, 2023

A man in his thirties was booked for allegedly filming his child's babysitter using a hidden camera in a bathroom at his home in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province on Thursday, the police said. The man is accused of installing a 3-centimeter-long camera inside a body wash bottle, and then requesting his babysitter to take her clothes off when bathing his child because of what he claimed was the child's sensitive skin. After noticing that the bottle had been tampered with, the babysitter sou

Social Affairs June 30, 2023

A fire broke out at an apartment building in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province on Tuesday, causing 51 residents to be evacuated. No injuries were reported. The fire broke out at 7:52 p.m. from a kitchen on the 10th floor of a 12-story building when a woman in her 40s started deep-frying caterpillars. The fire department dispatched 54 firefighters and 25 fire trucks and was able to put out the fire within 19 minutes. The fire is estimated to have caused 320,000 won ($242) in property damage. The authori

Social Affairs May 24, 2023

A joint public-private discussion forum to promote animal welfare in chemical testing took place at the National Assembly on Tuesday. The forum was hosted by Reps. Nam In-soon, Han Jeoung-Ae and Jeon Yong-gi, organized by Humane Society International/Korea and Rep. Lee Soo-jin, with public officials and experts from chemical industries in attendance. At the forum, Nam stressed the need for constant investment in the development of animal replacement testing and the training of such experts. Acco

Social Affairs May 3, 2023

A 27-year-old man who was with the teenager who livestreamed her suicide may be charged with abetting suicide, local media reported Tuesday. Police have confirmed that she was with the man around the time she killed herself on Sunday, and that the two were active on an online community. Police have conducted digital forensics on her phone, and an autopsy will be carried out. Police believe she entered a suicide pact with the man through an online community. According to a blog post he uploaded M

Social Affairs April 18, 2023

A 13-year-old boy was apprehended for murdering his aunt, but released and sent for psychological evaluation. The suspect is alleged to have attacked his aunt when she would not let him play video games. The victim was taken to hospital and later died due to injuries caused by the suspect. The victim was discovered unconscious on the third floor of her home by her father. The victim and her father had been taking care of the suspect and the suspect's brother since their father -- the victim

Social Affairs March 28, 2023

A man in his 40s was sentenced to 18 months in prison for multiple counts of fraud, which he tried to get away with by faking his own death, Gwangju District Court said Tuesday. Some additional charges were dismissed because the statute of limitations has already passed, the court said. From 2008 to 2013, he swindled 375 million won ($287,000) out of five people under the pretense of finding them employment in the Yeosu Industrial Complex. As he faced lawsuits, he forged his death by tipping ove

Social Affairs March 22, 2023

“We’re having a June wedding, and he hasn’t proposed yet.” This oxymoronic statement is not that uncommon among Korean couples. Weirdly enough, a proposal, which usually involves someone on his or her knee nervously asking, “Will you marry me?” has little to do with asking for a hand in marriage in Korea. More often than not, Korean brides get proposed to after all the preparations are done, sometimes only days before the wedding. Unlike Western norms of marri

Culture March 14, 2023

Finding a romantic partner is a task many struggle with, but a group of university students is looking to make the task easier with an algorithm designed to connect people. Two years ago, four Yonsei University undergraduates created Yeonpick, an online matchmaking service catering mainly to college students. One big difference for Yeonpick is that its design largely eliminates looks from the equation. Its algorithm matches the users based on their values, interests, and what they look for in th

People March 14, 2023

Looking to get hired? Your next job interview could be with a robot. As artificial intelligence applications grow across industries, it is increasingly being used in human resources. According to a survey conducted by Saramin, an online recruiting company, in 2022, nearly 2 out of 3 local companies said that AI recruiting programs have helped them save time and human labor. At present, AI is mainly used by recruiters to save time and give more chances to more candidates by screening a lot more r

Technology Feb. 17, 2023

Traditionally, Seollal mornings begin with paying reverence to ancestors through charye, a traditional rite. A variety of home-cooked dishes prepared days ahead are set out, incense burning, and each family member takes time to pay their respects. Although charye is very structured with a particular way of placing the plates, the food served on the table differs by region. The geographical and cultural characteristics of each region are mirrored on the charye table. Gyeonggi Province Distant

Food Jan. 22, 2023

Last December, Jin of BTS officially enlisted for duty, the first of the seven members. Jin has completed five weeks of training at a front-line infantry division boot camp in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province, and has been assigned as an assistant drill instructor as his permanent military position. The assistant instructor's main responsibility is to discipline recruits and demonstrate training exercises. Only a handful are selected at each division, and the position requires strict qualificat

K-pop Jan. 19, 2023

A 29-year old woman is to be awarded by the police for taking on and helping to apprehend a thief. According to the police, the woman caught the thief at the cosmetics store she works in North Jeolla Province on Dec. 30, 2022, around noon. The woman, identified by the surname Lee, spotted him taking money from the counter as she left the bathroom. Lee grabbed the man, and called the police with her free hand. The man resisted, choking and biting Lee, but she clung on to him and tackled his leg.

Social Affairs Jan. 19, 2023

A shuttle to Cheong Wa Dae that circuits back to Gyeongbokgung is free of charge for everyone starting this year. The Cheong Wa Dae tour bus launched last June and was only free to people over 65, children under 8, pregnant women, and people with disabilities. The number of passengers last year amounted to 49,820, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Wednesday. The shuttle runs 12 times a day, 15 minutes apart. A separate shuttle with a wheelchair lift will also be in service. The bu

Travel Jan. 18, 2023