For the first time, the South Korean government is allowing ministers and vice ministers to be directly nominated by the public — with the task of finding a health minister who can normalize government relations with doctors at the center of attention. High-profile names have been put forward, with last year’s bruising standoff over medical school quotas and health care reform still not fully resolved. Among the leading contenders for the health minister position include trauma surgeon and direc

The presidential office announced plans to roll out digital presidential souvenirs, starting with downloadable wallpapers for smartphones and smartwatches. The initial set of digital merchandise will include background images for smartphones and smartwatches, free to download for anyone through President Lee Jae-myung’s official social media platforms on Instagram, Facebook and X by the end of this month, according to the presidential office’s press release on Thursday. The background images wil

South Korea has seen a steady decline in residue levels of illegal drugs in its wastewater for four consecutive years, indicating a potential decrease in nationwide drug use, according to data presented Thursday by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. According to the ministry’s annual survey analyzing wastewater samples from 34 major sewage treatment facilities nationwide, the daily per-capita use of illegal drugs — such as methamphetamine and cocaine — dropped to 15.89 milligrams per 1,000 pe

Jeju Island is expected to witness the start of this year’s monsoon season on Thursday, with the rain expanding northward until Saturday, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration, Wednesday. Starting early Thursday, rain is expected on Jeju Island due to a stationary front situated south of the region. According to the KMA, the front formed under the influence of Typhoon Utip, the first typhoon of the summer, as it moved northward along the western coast of the Philippines toward sou

A tagless payment system is set to be introduced as a pilot program on city buses in Seoul from October, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Wednesday. According to the city government, the tagless payment system will allow passengers to ride city buses without having to tap the card reader with their transportation card. By installing a mobile application provided by T-money and enabling Bluetooth and location services, passengers can keep their smartphones in their pockets or bag

The Seoul Metropolitan Library has officially expanded the availability of its book lending service to residents outside Seoul, including foreign nationals living in Korea, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Tuesday. Previously, only residents of Seoul and individuals who were working or studying in the capital city were eligible to borrow books from the city-run library. However, under the newly revised policy, any Korean or foreign national residing in Korea can borrow books fro

The Korea Environment Corp. conducted a flood response drill on May 27 to prepare for potential flooding at small-scale sewage treatment plants, ahead of the anticipated summer monsoon season. The drill was part of K-eco’s “Integrated Water Disaster Response Support System” initiative, aiming to minimize environmental damage and ensure stable sewage services by strengthening pre- and post-disaster protocols against flooding. Small-scale sewage treatment facilities, which handle less than 500 cub

Police launched a preliminary investigation Tuesday into an online post threatening the family of President Lee Jae-myung on Tuesday, as the wedding of Lee’s son, Lee Dong-ho, was revealed to be scheduled for this weekend. According to the Seongbuk Police Station, a report was filed with the police at around 10 p.m. on Monday, regarding a social media post simulating a terrorist attack on Lee’s family. The controversial social media post, uploaded with the hashtag “Eradicate All at Once,” allege

The city of Seoul will run a brewery tour as well as traditional liquor-making classes catered toward foreign nationals, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government. The brewery tours, the city government said Friday, will be offered in partnership with Samhae Soju in Mapo-gu and Clown Brewery in Yeongdeungpo-gu, both in western Seoul. Participants can explore the breweries and sample a variety of traditional Korean rice-based alcoholic drinks, including takju — also known as makgeolli, yakju

In the same year that South Korea became a superaged society in December 2024, the top cause of hospitalization shifted from giving birth to receiving treatment for senile cataracts, new health statistics showed. According to statistics revealed by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service on Sunday, 337,270 patients were hospitalized for senile cataracts in 2024, a 5.4 percent increase compared to 2023’s numbers at 320,061. Senile cataracts are a vision-limiting condition caused by agi

SEOGWIPO, Jeju Island -- Around 10,000 people gathered Thursday to highlight the urgency of plastic pollution and seek solutions to plastic waste during the World Environment Day 2025 event in Seogwipo, Jeju Island. This year’s World Environment Day, attended by government ministers, international organizations and civil society groups, took place in South Korea for the first time since 1997 under the theme “Beat Plastic Solution.” Korea was selected to host the event during a high-level meeting

As Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party of Korea was announced as South Korea's president in the early hours of Wednesday, his spouse, Kim Hye-kyung, assumed the role of first lady -- a position that comes with both ceremonial weight and intense public scrutiny. Throughout Lee’s presidential campaign, from May 12 to Monday, Kim maintained a low profile, carrying out her acts of support privately and separately from her husband’s campaign, contrary to People Power Party presidential candidate Ki

On Election Day Tuesday, a woman was pronounced dead by medical authorities after collapsing at a polling station in Incheon. According to the Incheon Fire Department, a report was filed to authorities about an elderly woman fainting at a polling booth in Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, at around 9:59 a.m. In the initial report made to authorities, the woman was reported to be “breathing slightly and groaning.” Once medical officials arrived on site, the 70-something-year-old woman was transferred to the ho

Three major roads in Seoul will be closed to the public Wednesday morning and afternoon ahead of the inauguration ceremony for the newly elected president, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency announced Tuesday. The closures are set to accommodate the ceremony at the National Assembly in western Seoul and the president’s visit to the Seoul National Cemetery earlier in the day. In the morning, sections of Hyeonchung-ro in Dongjak-gu, near the cemetery in southern Seoul, will be off-limits. In the

Ahead of World Environment Day on Thursday, Seoul will begin offering a discount of 300 won ($0.22) for customers purchasing beverages with personal cups at coffee shops from Wednesday, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government. The new discount system announced Monday is in line with the pilot program the city government initiated for four months in September 2023, where Seoul offered a 300 won discount on drinks ordered with personal cups at coffee shops. The discount provided by Seoul at