Seoul Subway Line No. 7 became fully operational around 2 p.m. on Sunday, after a train breaking down at Boramae Station caused delays. Seoul Metro, the main operator for Line No. 7, said in a statement made around 2 p.m. that operations had resumed for all sections. A north-bound train malfunctioned at Boramae Station in Donjak-gu, Seoul, at around 12:23 p.m. This caused temporary delays for all northbound trains, but southbound trains remained operational. Officials believe the train may have

Nearly 4 in 10 South Koreans in the middle income bracket saw their income decrease in 2024 compared to 2023, government data showed Sunday, the highest rate since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The income level for 38.9 percent of those in the third income quintile decreased between 2023 and 2024, according to the data by the Ministry of Data and Statistics. About 12.8 percent saw their income drop by at least 50 percent. The proportion of people in the middle income bracket with decreased inco

A South Korean court has leveled a three-year prison term for a woman who did not provide medical care for her critically ill son and instead obtained life insurance subscriptions for him. The defendant in her 60s was found guilty of death by abandonment by the Uijeongbu District Court, officials said Sunday, for the death of her son, whose age was unspecified, on Sept. 22, 2023. The victim on Sept. 20 that year coughed up around 3 liters of blood, but the defendant did not take him to the hospi

Some 70.1 percent of South Koreans had problems with their mental health in the past year, a survey conducted by the state-affiliated National Center for Mental Health showed Sunday. The biennial report showed that while the annual figure decreased compared to 73.6 percent in 2024, the percentage of those who suffered at least five separate mental issues has substantially increased in the last decade, to 30.8 percent from 18.5 percent in 2016. The nationwide survey was first conducted in 2016 to

A man who stole an unguarded package at an apartment complex has been slapped with a 1 million won ($750) fine, as the court reprimanded the defendant for violating an unspoken societal rule in Korea to not take other people's delivered objects. The Gwangju District Court on Oct. 15 convicted the defendant for stealing a package carrying about 100,000 won of items. The package was placed at a designated spot for the residents of the apartment in Gwangju. The punishment was higher than the 700,00

Visitors heading to Seoul’s popular nightlife districts for Halloween this weekend may face road closures and subway trains skipping crowded stations as authorities step up crowd safety measures. Seoul’s special safety measures run from Oct. 23, with heightened monitoring from Friday through Sunday. Authorities are monitoring crowd conditions across 14 areas using AI-equipped surveillance cameras and real-time city data. Here is what to know before heading out. Eight areas have been designated f

Children and teenagers from better-off households read more library books and begin using librbaries earlier than those from less affluent families, according to a report by the Korea Institute of Child Care and Education. Monthly reading through libraries averaged 11.8 books among those in the highest household income category, compared with 6.4 in the middle category and 4.7 in the lowest — a roughly 2.5-fold gap between the top and bottom groups. The government-affiliated institute drew on th

South Korea plans to require all employers to keep funds for workers’ retirement benefits outside their businesses by 2030, seeking to reduce the risk of employees leaving their jobs without being paid. “We must develop retirement pensions worth more than 500 trillion won ($373.9 billion) into a genuine retirement income security system,” Labor Minister Kim Young-hoon said Thursday. The government unveiled the proposal after a policy meeting with ruling party lawmakers at the National Assembly.

A man in his 20s has been referred to prosecutors for allegedly spreading false information online about victims of Japan’s wartime sexual slavery, in the first such case under a new law, police said Wednesday. The Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency said the man was referred without detention on suspicion of posting 211 messages on online forums in July that disparaged the victims and distorted accounts of their suffering. He reportedly told police he had posted the material to get attention. Po

Seven doctors at Ajou University Hospital’s pediatric emergency center have threatened to resign amid a dispute over a police raid on the facility, the hospital confirmed Wednesday. Police searched the center on Sept. 30 as part of an investigation into an infant’s death in July, after the child’s parents filed a complaint alleging medical negligence. Medical staff said the search disrupted emergency care, while police maintained that officers followed procedure and did not interfere with treatm

A South Korean man convicted of pouring boiling water on his sleeping wife has had his prison sentence reduced on appeal after reaching a settlement with her. An appellate panel at the Uijeongbu District Court reduced the sentence for the man in his 40s from three years and six months to three years, citing a settlement that included a 15 million won ($11,200) payment and the victim’s request for leniency. The man poured boiling water on his wife’s face as she slept at their home in Uijeongbu, G

Acorns and chestnuts are popular ingredients in Korean dishes and snacks, but collecting them without permission in parks and forests can lead to fines or criminal penalties. Authorities are stepping up enforcement during the autumn harvest season, when hikers and other visitors gather forest products. The Korea National Park Service is monitoring unauthorized collection in national parks, while the Korea Forest Service is cracking down on illegal activities in forests. In southern Seoul, Gangna

Many South Koreans approaching or past retirement age don’t consider themselves old and want more opportunities to participate in society, a survey showed Tuesday, as the country grapples with a rapidly aging population. Nearly 76 percent of respondents aged 60 to 74 said they did not see themselves as old, according to the survey commissioned by the Hankyoreh Economy & Society Research Institute. The figure rose to 83.4 percent among those in their 60s. When asked what determines whether someon

An empty taxi may already be booked, an app’s “Standard” ride may carry a service fee, and a trip beyond Seoul’s boundary does not always qualify for an out-of-area surcharge. For foreign passengers, understanding those distinctions can make booking a taxi easier and help identify charges that need questioning. Taxi fares and regulations vary across Korea. The following guide focuses on Seoul. Look for the windshield signs. The one reading "빈차," or “bincha,” generally displayed in red, means tha

Nearly 1 in 5 murder cases recorded in South Korea since 2023 involved a perpetrator who had previously committed domestic violence, dating violence, stalking or sexual violence, police data showed Monday. Of the 2,760 murder cases recorded from 2023 through September this year, 543 involved such prior offenses by the same perpetrator. The National Police Agency data was released by Rep. Kim Nam-hee of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea. The proportion remained close to 20 percent throughout t