According to the prosecution, the man graduated medical school in 1993, but did not obtain a license to practice medicine, for which doctors must pass a separate exam. He began working as a doctor in 1995 using forged documents. In addition, directors of eight general and private hospitals have also been prosecuted without detention in violation of the control of public health crimes, for hiring...

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases fell for the second consecutive day to come below 65,000 on Thursday, as the government has been on alert over a wintertime surge and began requiring a pre-entry negative virus test result for entrants from China. The country confirmed 64,106 new coronavirus infections, including 194 from overseas, bringing the total to 29,363,272, the Korea Disease Control and P...

A 2.4 magnitude earthquake struck waters off the southern island of Jeju on Thursday, the state weather agency said. The quake occurred in waters 64 kilometers east-northeast of Seogwipo City on Jeju at 12:28 a.m., the Korea Meteorological Administration said. The epicenter was at a latitude of 33.38 degrees north and a longitude of 127.23 degrees east at a depth of 24 km, the agency said, addi...

Potential gravity of Lee Ki-young's crime sparks debate over release of suspects' police photograph

Police busted a nightclub in Gangnam, southern Seoul, for providing a place for lewd acts such as partner swapping and group sex last year, arresting the owner of the club and four employees. But there will be no criminal charges against the clients of the club as they were there voluntarily, according to local reports quoting investigators. The case was sent to the prosecution in October and is ...

Police have put a Chinese national on the wanted list after he ran away and refused to be isolated, although he had tested positive for COVID-19 upon his arrival to Korea. According to Incheon Metropolitan Police and disease control authorities, the 41-year-old was tested under the new COVID-19 mandate applied to travelers from China on Tuesday, and was confirmed to have the virus later in the e...

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases fell below 80,000 on Wednesday amid lingering concerns over a wintertime surge, and the government has taken steps to tighten entry rules to prevent the virus inflow from China and other regions. The country confirmed 78,575 new coronavirus infections, including 172 from overseas, bringing the total to 29,299,166, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency s...

Over 3,300 people died “lonely deaths” in South Korea last year, a report has found. Lonely death refers to a phenomenon of people with no relatives dying alone and remaining undiscovered for a long period of time. It’s also called solitary or unattended death. According to the report released by the Welfare Ministry, there were 3,378 lonely deaths nationwide in 2021, up from 3,279 in 2020, 2,...

South Korea on Tuesday counted a death of a teenager, who survived in the aftermath of Itaewon crowd crush but later took his own life in December, in its official death toll. This pushed the Itaewon disaster death toll up to 159. The Ministry of Interior and Safety said bereaved families of the victim will be eligible for the same state support such as a financial relief as other victims. "Th...

Seoul mandates travelers from Hong Kong, Macau also get tested upon arrival

Extended line scheduled to start operation in 2028

Seoul education governor Cho Hee-yeon laid out the blueprints for a “future-oriented” education system, highlighting the need to ramp up efforts for students hit by pandemic-related setbacks and technology-led education as well as narrow educational inequalities from the school starting gate. The three-term Seoul education superintendent touted his decade-long achievements, saying the past 10 ye...

'1 percent rise in median home prices results in 0.002 less babies per woman'

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases jumped to a weekly high of more than 80,000 on Tuesday amid concerns over the spread of a new omicron subvariant and a wintertime surge. The country confirmed 81,056 new coronavirus infections, including 63 from overseas, bringing the total to 29,220,591, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said. It is far higher than the previous day's 22,735, as th...

Health authorities consider gift vouchers to incentivize updated boosters