Tmap, which operates GPS navigation and taxi hailing services in South Korea, denied online rumors that its app was used for an alleged kidnapping attempt. Tmap Mobility addressed the rumors in a post on its official Instagram page, clarifying that it had no connection to the incident which claimed to have occurred in Chungju, a city 150 kilometers south of Seoul. The rumor stemmed from a post on social media platform X uploaded on Monday, in which the writer alleged that their acquaintance was

Two drivers got into a fistfight on a road on July 22, 2023. One of them had a severe case of atherosclerosis, and, after getting punched in the face several times and pushed in the chest, the person collapsed and died. South Korea’s Supreme Court, in a decision made last month and reported by the media Wednesday, cleared the defendant of responsibility for the victim’s death, stating that while he was guilty of the crime of violence, he was not liable for the death. The top court sided with low

A series of tragic fire incidents in South Korea have been linked to individuals with hoarding disorders, raising interest and awareness of the condition characterized by persistent difficulty in discarding possessions, regardless of their actual value. The excessive accumulation of items creates hazardous living conditions, leading to increased fire risks. On Feb. 26, a fire broke out in a single-room apartment in Buk-gu, Busan. Noticing the smell of burning, the landlord entered the unit and f

Police said Wednesday that they requested the Transport Ministry to designate a temporary "no-fly zone” over the Constitutional Court premises to prevent potential terrorist threats on the day that President Yoon Suk Yeol’s verdict is delivered. Though the exact date for the announcement of Yoon's verdict remained unclear as of Wednesday, police said they asked the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to set a no-fly zone within a 1.85 kilometer radius of the court building from Thursd

Yeongyang in North Gyeongsang Province, which has one of the smallest populations of any Korean district, seeks to reverse decline Yeongyang County in North Gyeongsang Province is seeking to attract about 40 Myanmar refugees to live in the community as its population continues to decline, officials said Wednesday. The county government is in discussions with the Justice Ministry on whether refugees under United Nations protection could settle in Yeongyang. It is also reviewing various options fo

Yellow dust remains a chronic headache for peninsula, adding to spring air quality problems On the coattails of Korea's first emergency emission reduction measure of the year on Tuesday forced by heavy concentrations of ultrafine dust, the weather authorities on Wednesday issued a warning against an influx of yellow dust that afternoon. The Korea Meteorological Administration forecast that dust originating from deserts in China and Mongolia will be brought in on a northwestern wind and cover the

Police on Wednesday revealed the identity of a teacher accused of stabbing a 7-year-old student to death at an elementary school in Daejeon on Feb. 10. The Daejeon Metropolitan Police Agency disclosed the suspect’s name, age and photos on its website Wednesday, identifying the teacher as 48-year-old Myeong Jae-wan. According to the police agency, the decision was made after a deliberation committee session held a day earlier, which considered the seriousness of Myeong’s crime, the severity of th

South Korea added more than 130,000 jobs for the second consecutive month in February, but the construction and manufacturing sectors continued to see sharp declines, data showed Wednesday. The number of employed people came to 28.18 million as of the end of last month, up 136,000 from a year earlier, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea. The country had posted a net increase of 135,000 jobs from a year earlier in January, marking a turnaround from a 52,000 on-year decline the prev

Ultrafine dust, the unwelcome March guest, arrives just as Koreans shake off winter and start enjoying outdoors With spring around the corner, South Koreans are bracing themselves for what has now become standard measures to combat ultrafine dust concentrations. Authorities on Wednesday enforced the first emergency emissions reduction measures in Greater Seoul this year, as the Korea Meteorological Administration forecast "bad" levels of airborne pollutant concentrations in the area. The weather

An American YouTuber known as Johnny Somali, who is currently on trial for offensive behavior, could be deported and banned from reentering South Korea if convicted, a local lawyer said. The 24-year-old whose real name is Ramsey Khalid Ismael faces three charges, which include obstruction of business and violations of the Minor Offenses Act. He is not physically detained, although he is banned from leaving the country. Kim Ju-hyeong, a senior attorney at the law firm Majung, who specializes in i

High levels of fine dust are expected to continue until Thursday: KMA The Ministry of Environment enforced emergency emission reduction measures in the Greater Seoul region for the first time this year on Tuesday, as the capital area faced heavy concentrations of ultrafine dust for five consecutive days. The measures implemented from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesday required waste incinerators and other high-emission public facilities to adjust their hours and operational rates, while also mandating

Constitutional Court decides to deliver rulings on other impeachments first The Constitutional Court of Korea announced Tuesday that it will deliver the verdicts in the impeachment trials of the chief state auditor and three prosecutors on Thursday, amid speculation that its ruling on suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment could move to next week. The court told reporters that its verdicts in four separate impeachment trials ― those of Board of Audit and Inspection Chair Choi Jae-hae an

The South Korean government said Tuesday it will introduce legislation to subsidize child care costs for single parents whose former or current spouses refuse to pay their portion of child-rearing expenses. The revision to the Enforcement Decree of the Act on Enforcing and Supporting Child Support Payment will provide legal grounds for the government to pay 200,000 won ($137) a month per child to parents in this situation, according to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. The payments wil

Funds mistakenly transferred to a bank accounts seized by banking institutions or authorities may not be returned, the state-run Financial Supervisory Service said Tuesday. The FSS issued a public advisory based on its analysis of public complaints received in the fourth quarter of 2024. In one case, a person transferred 600,000 won ($411) to the wrong bank account and requested the bank return the money. However, the bank refused, stating that the funds had already been used to repay a loan tak

Acting President Choi Sang-mok on Tuesday reiterated a zero-tolerance policy toward any form of violent, illegal protests or challenges to public authority amid intensifying rallies being held ahead of President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment ruling. “With the Constitutional Court preparing to issue its critical ruling, public concerns are growing over deepening social conflict and (the possibility of) physical conflict,” Choi said in a Cabinet meeting at the government complex in Seoul. While expl