Patients to pay up to 50% additional fees for treatment during holiday, except Jan. 27 During South Korea's Lunar New Year holiday, patients visiting hospitals or pharmacies will face higher medical fees, with a surcharge of 30 to 50 percent compared to regular weekdays. However, for patients with prebooked appointments on January 27, standard weekday fees will be applied. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare on Thursday, the National Health Insurance system charges additional fees fo

Incheon Global Campus, established in 2012 through a collaboration between the South Korean government and Incheon Metropolitan City, has achieved remarkable growth, according to the school. Starting with just 45 students, enrollment surged to 4,192 in 2024, reflecting a 93-fold increase driven by proactive admissions strategies and international outreach. Efforts to attract students have paid off, with the campus reporting a 92.6 percent enrollment rate, up from 87.7 percent last fall. Beyond l

Parents condemn acting president's decision, urge to revoke AI textbooks Confusion at schools is growing as to what scenario to prepare for after South Korea’s acting President Choi Sang-mok vetoed a bill to redefine artificial intelligence digital textbooks as "educational materials" rather than "textbooks." During a Cabinet meeting Tuesday, Choi justified the decision by emphasizing the importance of AI-powered textbooks in promoting personalized learning experiences. He also expressed concern

A South Korean court sentenced the head of a civic group opposed to illegal migration to one year and two months in prison for conducting unauthorized searches and detentions of foreign nationals his group suspected of being in the country illegally. The head of Citizen's Protection Solidarity, also a former candidate for a political party in the 2024 general election, was found guilty of investigating and arresting several people from Southeast Asia. Eight other members of the group received su

Experts warn YouTube’s polarizing environment escalates online hatred As South Korea continues to grapple with the political upheaval following suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol’s botched declaration of martial law on Dec. 3 last year, YouTube channels have emerged as a means for individuals and small groups to spread their political beliefs ― as well as a lucrative business opportunity. Far-right YouTubers, along with some channels on the left, have heightened existing political divisions, leve

Seven Korean words added to Oxford English Dictionary 진행자: 최정윤, Tannith Kriel 기사 요약: 한국의 영향력이 커져가면서 한글 단어들이 영어 사전에 공식적으로 추가되었다고 하는데, 어떤 단어들이 있을까요? [1] The Oxford English Dictionary just got a K-culture upgrade. In its December 2024 update, the dictionary added seven Korean words — "dalgona," "hyung," "noraebang," "maknae," "jjigae," "tteokbokki" and "pansori" — reflecting the growing presence of Korean culture in the English-speaking world. reflect: 반영하다 presence: 존재감 [2] Among this year's seven

Korea's first sitting president to be arrested will sleep on floor mattress, wash own dishes Following his formal arrest Sunday, President Yoon Suk Yeol was relocated to a solitary cell approximately 10 square meters in size. Previously held in a detainee waiting room separate from the main detention block for general inmates, Yoon underwent formal admission procedures at the Seoul Detention Center upon the change in his status to "arrested." As part of the admission process, Yoon was assigned a

Yoon becomes the first sitting president to face arrest warrant The Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials on Friday officially filed an arrest warrant for President Yoon Suk Yeol, marking the first time in South Korea's constitutional history that an incumbent president has faced such legal action. The warrant was submitted to the Seoul Western District Court around 5:40 p.m., just 45 days after Yoon's Dec. 3 martial law declaration and two days after his detention. The pres

An extended arrest warrant for impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol appeared imminent, as the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials' investigation is in the final stages of filing the warrant for Yoon on charges of leading an insurrection and abuse of power. This move, expected to be executed Friday afternoon, would mark the first instance in South Korea’s history where a sitting president faces formal arrest. A CIO official confirmed that while the exact timing of the warrant

The deadline for impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol’s detention has been pushed back to 9:05 p.m. Friday, as the embattled South Korean leader once again refused to be interrogated regarding charges of insurrection and abuse of power. The initial detention period for Yoon, which began at 10:33 a.m. on Wednesday, was supposed to end at the same time on Friday, but was pushed back to around 9:05 p.m. due to the Seoul Central District Court’s Thursday review of the legality of Yoon’s arrest warrant,

Korea calls them 'MZ.' Young people are having none of it 진행자: 최정윤, Tannith Kriel 기사 요약: 이젠 일상 용어가 돼 버린 "MZ." 하지만 정작 MZ사람들은 공감을 못하는 용어라는데...이 용어, 어디서 온거고 왜 쓰는건가요? [1] The Pew Research Center defines Millennials as those born between 1981 and 1996, and Gen Z as those born after 1997. But curiously in Korea, these two age groups are commonly lumped together under the term "MZ" -- an unusually broad grouping spanning from teenagers to adults in their early 40s. curiously: 별나게, 특이하게 lump together: 합

Kookmin University announced it will consider revoking first lady Kim Keon Hee’s doctoral degree if Sookmyung Women’s University officially revokes her master’s degree over plagiarism findings. The announcement comes after Sookmyung Women's University preliminarily concluded that Kim plagiarized her master's thesis submitted to the university's Graduate School of Education. A university official said that Kookmin University will deliberate over whether or not her doctoral degree is still valid.

The wreckage of the Jeju Air plane that crashed at Muan International Airport was set to be fully retrieved by Wednesday, the government said, promising a detailed analysis of all recovered debris. At the 18th meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, the Interior Ministry's chief disaster management official Lee Han-kyung said that investigations comparing flight data recorders, cockpit voice recorders, air traffic control records, and video footage are ongoing. T

Free high school education to be funded locally: government Acting President and Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok exercised his veto power Tuesday to reject an amendment that would extend government subsidies for free high school education. The bill, led by the opposition, sought to extend temporary state financial support for free high school education by three years to Dec. 31, 2027. The vetoed amendment to the Local Education Subsidy Act had been passed by the opposition-led National Assem

A disturbing pattern of online hate speech and misinformation has emerged in the wake of the tragic Jeju Air plane crash at Muan International Airport, targeting the victims and their grieving families. Since the crash on Dec. 29, social media platforms and online communities have been inundated with hateful comments and false narratives about the victims and their families. Among the most notable instances was a derogatory post suggesting that the victims' families were "delighted" about receiv