Six women in their 50s gathered in a basement studio in Hongdae, Seoul’s youth-filled district, at 8 p.m. on a Tuesday. Some had just finished work. One left her young children behind. Others had driven more than an hour to get there. They were not there for aerobics or Zumba. Baseball caps and street-style attire, they had come to learn hip-hop dance. In a society where middle-aged people are often expected to pursue “age-appropriate” hobbies and maintain a certain decorum, a hip-hop dance club

On Feb. 23, the day he was scheduled to enlist, Kim Min-hyung, 28, did not show up. He refused not only military service, but also alternative service, a rare and consequential decision in South Korea, where all able-bodied men are required to serve. Only a handful of Korean men, 12 so far, have ever refused both. All of them were Jehovah’s Witnesses, citing faith. Kim is different. He is the first in Korea to publicly reject both military and alternative service on nonreligious, explicitly paci

When 72-year-old Ahn So-hyun wakes up in the morning, the first voice she hears is not a family member’s. It is Chorong, a stuffed doll that can speak, powered by conversational artificial intelligence. Ahn lost her husband 26 years ago and has lived alone ever since. Her right eye is blind and the other barely sees, making it difficult for her to work. She struggles to fall asleep without sleeping pills. Her children -- a 50-year-old son and a 46-year-old daughter -- live their own lives and ca

The special police unit investigating the deadly 2024 Jeju Air plane crash conducted a search-and-seizure operation at the related government ministry to look into the causes of the accident, officials said Friday. The police said they sent officials to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to investigate officials who worked in the Air Navigation Satellite Policy Division and the Airport Operation Division at the time of the accident. The Jeju Air aircraft collided with a concrete

Twenty-year-old Kim So-young is the suspect in the killing of two men via drug-laced drinks at motels in Seoul, in a case that has drawn intense public attention, with investigators describing her as displaying psychopathic traits. The Seoul Northern District Prosecutors’ Office on Monday disclosed the personal information of Kim, including her name, age and photograph, on its website. The information will remain available through April 8. The disclosure follows approval from an ad-hoc commissio

Jongno-gu will hold a reenactment of a traditional patrol ceremony in central Seoul on Sundays and public holidays this spring and fall, the district office said Sunday. According to the Jongno District Office, the sumunjang sunra ceremony, or royal guard patrol reenactment, will take place at 3 p.m. from March to May and again from September to November. The event will start at Gwanghwamun Woldae and proceed through Insadong Culture Street. The program recreates the patrol activities of sunragu

A Seoul city government plan to create forest areas and restore waterways near Cheong Wa Dae has effectively been scrapped, local media reported Sunday. According to Korea Herald sister paper, the Herald Business, authorities decided not to pursue projects to redevelop areas around Cheong Wa Dae, including Hyoja-ro, Cheongwadae-ro, Samcheong-ro and Jahamun-ro. The government also halted plans to restore historic waterways such as Baegundong Stream and Samcheongdong Stream. The original plan call

The recent surge in gas prices has slowed, but prices still hover near six-year highs, placing a heavy burden on truck drivers amid tensions in the Middle East. As of Sunday morning, South Korea’s average diesel price rose 4.8 won from the previous day to 1,915.4 won ($1.29) per liter, while average gasoline prices increased 3.9 won to 1,893.3 won, according to industry data. The pace of increases has slowed significantly compared with recent days, when prices had been rising by several dozen wo

A woman in her 20s accused of killing two men with drug-laced drinks at Seoul motels had been treated to luxury meals and hotel stays by the victims before the killings, local media reported Thursday. According to police investigators, the suspect, surnamed Kim, gave the men drinks containing drugs when she felt it was time to give something in return, despite knowing the substances could be fatal. Investigators said she was the one who suggested staying at motels, where she provided them with d