South Korean experts will fly to Japan to monitor the second release of treated radioactive wastewater from the destroyed Fukushima nuclear plant, set to start Thursday, the Korean government said Wednesday. “Like the first release, we will be working with the Japanese government to share real-time data on the second discharge and monitor data released by the plant operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company,” said Park Ku-yeon, the first deputy chief of the Office for Government Policy C

Two new Seoul Guided Walking Tour courses in Seoul are now available for tourists to explore historical and cultural sites, Seoul Tourism Organization and Seoul Metropolitan Government said Tuesday. Both tours are available in seven languages -- Korean, English, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Indonesian and Vietnamese -- and have interpretation services for the visually and hearing impaired. “Hidden Stories of Hangang-daero, Yongsan” is a 3.5-kilometer walking tour that starts at Yongsan S

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Wednesday ordered South Korea's Cabinet to set up a pan-governmental task force to prevent "fake news" from "manipulating public opinion." The government, based on an estimate by the state-run media watchdog, the Korea Communications Commission, suspects that two foreign internet users left 20 million reactions cheering for the Chinese soccer team within a few hours on an online forum dedicated to the men's soccer match between South K

Some of South Korea’s biggest private education academies and star lecturers are under police investigation for allegedly purchasing state-administered college entrance exam, or Suneung, questions from teachers who participated in making them. The list of those being investigated includes the so-called big three hagwon, or private education institution firms -- Megastudy, Sidae Injae and Daesung Hagwon -- as well as Hyun Woo-jin, a star math instructor at Megastudy, according to local repo

South Korea's Defense Ministry on Wednesday issued a stern warning against North Korea that any attempts to use nuclear weapons against South Korea would result in the downfall of the Kim Jong-un regime. Seoul's warning came a week after Pyongyang's decision to incorporate its policy of bolstering its nuclear capabilities into its constitution. The decision was made during a two-day meeting of the Supreme People's Assembly, the North's rubber-stamp parliament, which was

Culture Minister nominee Yu In-chon said Tuesday that public figures should be careful when speaking out publicly, when asked about his thoughts on a social media post by a singer concerning Japan's discharge of contaminated water. “Although anyone is free to express their opinions, when it comes to celebrities or public figures who have social influence, they should be careful when they publicly speak about something because it comes along with responsibility," he said in a writ

A man in his 20s was apprehended by police for allegedly killing his father in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, Wednesday. According to the Seongnam Jungwon Police Station, the suspect is being held on suspicion of murder after he reportedly killed his father at their family home in Jungwon-gu, Seongnam. The suspect is reported to have stabbed his father several times after his father told him to stop watching YouTube videos. The suspect then fled the scene while his mother called the police. The su

A 6-year-old Uzbek girl was found dead in the Nakdong River in Daegu on Tuesday. The girl was found in the river about 200 meters from Dalseongbo Weir, six hours after the National Fire Service began a search, according to local media reports quoting police. Her parents had reported her missing at 12:21 p.m that day. Police secured CCTV footage showing the girl heading to a riverside park near the weir, also near her home, riding her scooter alone. A witness reportedly told the police that she p

A bipartisan Senate delegation will travel to South Korea, China and Japan this month, in an East Asia swing aimed at advancing US economic and national security interests, Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer's office was quoted as saying Tuesday. The six-senator group, including Schumer and Republican Mike Crapo, plans to make the trip, during which it will meet government and business leaders in each country, according to Reuters. Schumer's office confirmed to Yonhap News Agency tha

More than half of South Koreans are of the opinion that the nation’s alliance with the United States should continue to be strengthened, a poll showed. In the poll of 1,238 people aged 18 and older conducted by Gallup Korea from Sept. 4-8, 91.6 percent said the bilateral alliance is important and the majority, 53.7 percent, responded that it should be continuously strengthened. Another 24.9 percent said the alliance should be continuously maintained, whereas only 18.1 percent said it shoul

The pilot of a civilian helicopter, who was the sole occupant, was killed after the chopper crashed into a reservoir in a northern city Tuesday, rescue officials said. The aircraft, carrying the 67-year-old pilot, crashed into the reservoir in Pocheon, 52 kilometers northeast of Seoul, at 11:08 a.m., according to the officials. Rescue authorities found the pilot dead inside the submerged aircraft at about 3 p.m. after mobilizing divers and rescue boats for the search operation in the reservoir,

North Korea reaffirmed that it will launch a military reconnaissance satellite this month, the state-run Korean Central News Agency said Tuesday. The third attempt to put the satellite into orbit after two previous failures, each in May and August, could take place as early as next week when the regime marks the founding of the country’s ruling Workers’ Party. Leader Kim Jong-un has used such events to tout his achievement. The regime -- banned by United Nations Security Council reso

Over the long holiday weekend, South Korea’s ruling and opposition lawmakers campaigned across Gangseo in western Seoul, as the district is set to choose a new head in a by-election next week. With the general election six months away, the Gangseo-gu by-election on Oct. 11 will offer insight into voter sentiment in Seoul -- a swing electorate holding some 40 seats that can determine which party will win control of the National Assembly. Winning in Seoul will be essential for the ruling Peo

The number of patients with depression in Korea has increased by more than 30 percent over the past five years, exceeding the milestone of 1 million for 2022, data showed Tuesday. According to data that Rep. Nam In-soon of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea and the Health and Welfare Committee received from the National Health Insurance Service, the number of patients treated for depression has increased every year since 2018. From 752,976 in 2018, there were 799,011 in 2019, 832,378

The basic subway fare in the Seoul metropolitan area is poised to rise 12 percent to 1,400 won ($1.03) from the current 1,250 won, according to the capital city's municipal government on Tuesday. Seoul's public transit authorities define the basic subway fare as the charge to adult holders of a transportation card traveling up to 10 kilometers on a single ride. An additional 100 won is charged for each additional 5 kilometers of travel on the transit system, which allows for travel of up to 200

The Coast Guard apprehended 22 Chinese nationals Tuesday suspected of attempting to illegally enter a western coastal city by boat, officials said. The Boryeong Coast Guard Station detained 21 people on board an unidentified vessel anchored off the coast of Boryeong, South Chungcheong Province. A 57-year-old man who fled the scene was arrested in a house in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, some 110 km north of Boryeong. The group of Chinese nationals, known to be around their 40s, faces charges of atte

South Koreans' happiness level is rising slowly but surely, unlike what the country's ranking on happiness indices might suggest, according to a presidential committee promoting national cohesion. The Presidential Committee of National Cohesion said in a paper published last month that it reached the conclusion after comparing and analyzing data contained in the annual World Happiness Report and the annual Korea Social Integration Survey (KSIS) over the past 10 years. The World Happine

  WASHINGTON -- The United States has called on China to use its influence to encourage North Korea to take steps for de-escalation and return to diplomacy, the State Department said Monday. Spokesperson Matthew Miller made the remarks amid expectations that an anticipated summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing this month would lead to a strengthening of cooperation between the two countries and North Korea. "One of the things that w

Drug prevention education has long been thought of as a criminal issue in South Korea, but an increase in teenage drug offenders has led to wider calls for enhanced drug education. As concerns grow over adolescents’ shallow awareness of drugs due to a lack of education, politicians on both sides of the aisle are also demanding more thorough drug abuse prevention. In November last year, Rep. Lee Tae-kyu of the ruling People Power Party proposed a bill that would make drug prevention program

Lee Myung-shik, paralyzed from the chest down after an adverse reaction to an injection to treat a skin disease, cannot sit for longer than three hours due to the debilitating pain in his legs. It means the 62-year-old, who wishes to bring forward his death, is unable to take the 11-hour flight to Switzerland where assisted suicide is legal. "My legs are not just paralyzed, but they are also suffering pain beyond imagination ... so it's getting harder to withstand the pain," Lee s