Seoul residents put traffic congestion, late-night crime and fine dust at the top of the city problems they want technology to solve. The findings come from a survey of 8,531 people living in Seoul. Conducted online and offline in February 2025, it was released Sunday as the city lays out its plans for tech-forward upgrades through 2030. Transportation was the biggest concern overall, cited by 37.5 percent of respondents, followed by environmental issues at 21.2 percent and safety at 16.2 percen

Yong Hye-in’s path into public life began with a silent march she organized as a university student to mourn the victims of the 2014 Sewol ferry disaster. Over a decade later, the two-term lawmaker has been nominated as gender equality and family minister. At 36, the progressive Basic Income Party floor leader is the first Cabinet nominee born in the 1990s. She helped found the party in 2020 around a pledge to provide every citizen with 600,000 won ($435) a month. Yong entered parliament that ye

A former judge who became a leading architect of the ruling party’s prosecution overhaul has been nominated to lead Korea’s Justice Ministry. Kim Seung-won, 57, is a two-term Democratic Party lawmaker and a member of the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee. Born in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, in 1969, Kim studied law at Seoul National University and passed the bar in 1996. He joined the bench in 2002, serving at the Jeonju and Suwon district courts, before leaving in 2009 to pr

South Koreans are almost perfectly split over a surprisingly contentious question: How should you ride an escalator? A government survey of 1,000 adults in seven major cities found 50.1 percent preferred standing on one side and leaving the other open for people in a hurry. The other 49.9 percent said passengers should stand still in two lines. The near-even divide has revived a decades-old commuter debate in South Korea — and challenged the assumption that leaving one side open is always faster

Police in southeastern South Korea have recovered additional remains of a female Chinese graduate student allegedly killed and dismembered by a Chinese university lecturer, authorities said Sunday. Gyeongsan Police Station in North Gyeongsang Province said the remains were found Saturday while officers searched locations identified by the 31-year-old Chinese suspect, surnamed Jeong. Police have been taking Jeong to locations where he said he disposed of the victim's remains. Investigators believ

Super Junior member and actor Choi Si-won inadvertently became part of Seoul's fire prevention campaign when he asked a foreign tourist to stop smoking at Gyeongbokgung in Seoul, according to a video uploaded to his YouTube channel on Tuesday. The video, titled "A rainy palace tour, Gyeongbokgung (feat. Yang In-eok)," was posted Tuesday and shows Choi touring the Joseon-era palace with Yang In-eok, a volunteer guide. While the two were talking near one of the palace's stone sculptures, a foreign

Police are investigating the deaths of two brothers in their 40s and 50s at an apartment in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province, on Friday. According to police and fire authorities, a report was received around 10 a.m. that a person had fallen from a 15-story apartment building in the city. A man in his 50s who lived on the 15th floor was found after the fall and taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Firefighters forced open the door to his apartment while checking his residence and found

A 49-year-old former airline pilot who plotted to kill six former colleagues and fatally stabbed one of them was sentenced to life in prison Friday. The Busan District Court convicted Kim Dong-hwan of murder, attempted murder, preparing to commit murder, trespassing and violating information network laws. The court also ordered him to wear an electronic tracking device for 30 years. Kim was accused of fatally stabbing a former airline captain at an apartment in Busanjin-gu, Busan, on March 17. A

The digital revolution of the 21st century has brought humanity remarkable advances, fundamentally transforming the way we structure our societies and lead our daily lives. However, technological progress always brings new security challenges. Today, the surge in deepfake-based digital sex crimes and the viral spread of sophisticated disinformation are eroding social trust and making it increasingly difficult to distinguish fact from fabrication. Coupled with advancing phishing scams, cryptocurr

Seoul is taking its city-run dating program to the Han River, inviting 100 single residents to meet at a matchmaking event next month. The Sept. 19 event, officially titled “Seolleim in Seoul,” will run from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Ttukseom Hangang Park and bring together 50 men and 50 women aged 25 to 45. The program will include a ride on the city’s Han River bus, dating coaching, games, dinner and group conversations. Applicants must be unmarried Seoul residents and economically active as employe

South Korea's elite science high schools will admit a record number of students next year, expanding opportunities for young science talent at a time when universities and companies are competing for students in fields from artificial intelligence and semiconductors to medicine. The country's 22 science high schools will recruit 1,858 freshmen for the 2027 academic year, up 13.2 percent from 1,642 this year and the highest number since the first such school opened in 1983, according to private e

Busan’s Haeundae district has been selected as South Korea’s first “global tourism zone,” as the city looks to capitalize on a surge in foreign visitors by turning the beach destination into a year-round place to stay, work and travel. The designation comes as international tourism to Busan continues to rise sharply. More than 2.42 million foreign travelers visited the city in the first half of this year, up 43.9 percent from a year earlier. Under the government-backed project, 6 billion won ($4

A South Korean city is asking the public for ideas to save a 34.4 billion won ($24.4 million) landmark that became famous for all the wrong reasons. Changwon, a city in South Gyeongsang Province, said Sunday it is holding a nationwide contest to find ways to improve the appearance and usability of the 40-meter-tall Big Tree, a giant observation structure built in Daesang Park. The structure was intended to become a new symbol of the city, but drew widespread criticism after it was unveiled last

A man in his 60s was arrested early Thursday after allegedly attempting to enter the US Embassy in central Seoul, police said. The Jongno Police Station said the man, whose identity was withheld, allegedly kicked the embassy's main gate near Gwanghwamun at around midnight while trying to gain entry. Police responding to a report arrested him at the scene on suspicion of attempted trespassing. The man is not believed to be a member of or affiliated with an anti-US group, according to police. His

South Korean police said Wednesday they have uncovered an illegal gambling operation that used websites distributing child sexual exploitation material to lure users to online betting sites, generating an estimated 47.6 billion won ($34 million) in illicit profits over five years. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said two men, aged 40 and 36, have been detained and referred to prosecutors on charges including violations of laws protecting minors from sexual exploitation and banning illegal s