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,

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

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

Four tourists were injured after nearly 400 tons of rock fell in South Korea's eastern island of Ulleung on Monday, officials said. The rockfall occurred at 6:56 a.m. at a popular tourist attraction known for its turtle-shaped rock on the island, causing a head injury to a female in her 20s. She was transported to a hospital at around 9:40 a.m. with symptoms of a cerebral hemorrhage. She is said to have been camping near the site, along with three others who sustained minor injuries. An off

Legislative efforts to end dog meat consumption in South Korea are picking up speed amid rare political unity following the presidential office's outspoken support for ending the centuries-old practice. Calls to end the practice are not new in South Korea, where butchering or eating dog meat is neither explicitly prohibited nor legalized. But the anti-dog meat campaign received fresh attention in late August as first lady Kim Keon Hee made a surprise visit to a civic group's press conference cal

Major expressways across South Korea are expected to experience heavy traffic Monday, the fifth day of the extended Chuseok holiday, as many families headed home after visiting their hometowns. As of 1 p.m., the estimated travel time to Seoul from the southeastern port city of Busan was 5 hours and 11 minutes, 4 hours and 51 minutes from the southeastern city of Ulsan, and 3 hours and 50 minutes from the southwestern city of Gwangju, according to Korea Expressway Corp. Traffic into Seoul is expe

Expressways across the country remain Sunday, as people across the country head back home on the fourth day of the extended Chuseok holidays. The state-run Korea Expressway Corporation projected the congestion to peak around 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., with the traffic expected to ease between 11 p.m. and midnight. As of 4 p.m., the estimated travel time from the southeastern port city of Busan to Seoul ranged between 5 hours and 19 minutes to 6 hours and 24 minutes, when travelling by non-busses. It is e

Police have launched a probe into the suicide death of an elementary school teacher in Uijeongbu, just north of Seoul, for possible harassment by parents, nearly two years after his school reported the death merely as a fall, officials said Sunday. The Uijeongbu Police Station has recently opened a probe into the death of Lee Yeong-seung who taught at Howon Elementary School after a regional education office requested an investigation into three parents on suspicions of infringing his education

The Seoul city government has initiated a financial assistance program for single women interested in egg freezing, garnering significant attention from unmarried women, officials said Sunday. Starting Sept. 1, the Seoul metropolitan government began offering financial aid of up to 2 million won ($1,500) for fertility preservation, in the latest of a series of measures introduced by Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon in March to address the city's alarmingly low birthrate of 0.59. "The number of e

Traffic was backing up heavily on many expressways across the country Saturday as people traveled back home on the third day of the extended six-day Chuseok holiday. This year's Chuseok, the Korean fall harvest celebration, fell on Friday, and the holiday runs from Thursday through Tuesday when the country marks National Foundation Day. According to Korea Expressway Corp., major highways, particularly Seoul-bound ones, were jammed with vehicles. As of 2 p.m., the estimated travel time to Se

Major expressways across South Korea remained congested with heavy traffic Friday morning as many drivers hit the road to spend the Chuseok holiday with their families. Chuseok, which falls on Friday this year, is the Korean autumn harvest celebration during which people reunite with family members and relatives and visit ancestors' graves. This year's Chuseok holiday runs from Thursday to Tuesday. According to Korea Expressway Corp., the estimated journey times from Seoul to major cit

A set of memorials will be installed in commemoration of last year's deadly crowd crush in Seoul's Itaewon district on the occasion of the tragedy's first anniversary next month, bereaved families said Friday. The crowd crush killed 159 people, many of them women in their 20s, on a narrow, sloped back alley in the nightlife district of Itaewon on Oct. 29 as a massive crowd packed the path amid Halloween festivities. With the accident's first anniversary just a month away, gro

Korea Expressway Corp. said Thursday the traffic jam on major roads and expressways is expected to ease later in the day, the first day of the Chuseok holiday. Chuseok, which falls on Friday this year, is the Korean autumn harvest celebration during which people head to their hometowns to get together with family members and relatives and visit their ancestors' graves. The extended Chuseok break this year gives people six days off until Tuesday, as an extra one-day temporary holiday and Nat

Eight out of 10 expats in South Korea said they were “satisfied” with their life here, but around 20 percent of foreigners here experienced discrimination, a survey showed. Around 40.8 percent of the respondents said they were “extremely satisfied” with their life in South Korea, while another batch of 39.6 percent replied they were “a little satisfied,” according to the survey carried out by Statistics Korea. The survey was carried out on 25,000 expats last y

Heavy traffic began to build up on major roads and highways across South Korea on Wednesday as people headed to their hometowns to celebrate the extended Chuseok holiday. Chuseok, which falls on Friday this year, is the Korean equivalent of Thanksgiving during which people get together with family members and relatives and visit their ancestors' graves. The extended Chuseok break this year gives people six days off until next Tuesday, as an extra one-day temporary holiday and National Fou

South Korea's Ministry of Education will offer all Ukrainian college students in South Korea scholarships and living subsidies from October, the National Institute for International Education announced Tuesday. The ministry revised its basic plan to support the Global Korea Scholarship, a scholarship program for government-invited students, to offer a total of 780 million won ($578,000) to cover the tuition and living costs of Ukrainian students enrolled at South Korean colleges for the fal