The Korea SMEs and Startups Agency is supporting local firms to enter overseas markets, with 30 medium-sized companies receiving overseas media promotion and marketing services in the most recent campaign carried out in August. The campaign was conducted in partnership with a global communication company with an extensive PR network worldwide. English-language releases on the selected 30 companies were distributed to North American online media outlets, including newspapers, broadcasters, teleco

The ruling People Power Party on Wednesday confirmed that it will continue to pursue a ban on the consumption of dog meat through the so-called "Kim Keon Hee Law," named after the president's wife, who is an active animal welfare advocate. In a social media post, Rep. Park Dae-chul of the conservative People Power Party, rejected media reports that claimed the party had decided not to pursue the law. He further expressed his hope for thorough discussions during the parliamentary b

A man in his 30s who had disguised himself as a woman was apprehended by the police while using his phone to film video in the women's changing room of a public bathhouse in Daejeon. Daejeon Daedeok Police Station has stated that officers are investigating the man on charges of violating the Special Act on the Punishment of Sexual Violence Crimes. The man is accused of entering the women's changing room of a public bathhouse in Daejeon's Daedeok district on Aug. 26. He was disguis

Controversy has erupted over an anonymous local university's welfare program that provides menstrual pads to female students with student association fees. On Monday, a user of the online forum wrote a post complaining, "At the university my friend attends, they provide menstrual pads to all female students once a month using student association fees." The user stated, "It's not limited to those in financial need; it's provided to all female students unconditionally

An account named "Unsecured CCTV Cameras" on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, is raising concerns about the security of Internet Protocol cameras -- cameras that send image data via an IP network -- which have been sharing footage from security cameras. The "Unsecured CCTV Camera" account, active since 2021, posts screenshots from security camera footage worldwide, revealing the location of the camera based on its IP address. The spaces captured by the came

The number of children enrolled in various levels of formal education -- from kindergarten through high school -- has dropped by nearly 100,000, data showed Wednesday. Though the total number of children in Korea keeps declining, the number of children specifically from multicultural families continues to rise, accounting for 3.5 percent of all elementary, middle and high school students this year. According to the results of the 2023 Basic Education Statistics released by the Ministry of Educat

A controversy has opened up over whether a dog was abused at a pet grooming salon in Wonju, Gangwon Province. Animal protection group Korea Animal Rights Advocates said on social media on July 29 that they analyzed CCTV footage from the salon and found evidence of the owner using a leash to inflict pain on the dog, named Gibok. KARA asserted it was an act of animal abuse. The footage shows a man, who appears to be associated with the salon, dragging Gibok using a leash for about 20 minutes. Gibo

Emergency services are urging caution against snakebites as September, the peak month for such incidents, approaches. According to the South Gyeongsang Province Fire Department, a total of 2,372 snakes were captured in the province over the last three years, with nearly 500 caught in September alone. The fire department explained that there is an increase in outdoor activities such as hiking in September due to cooler weather. During this time, snakes also display heightened aggression as they a

The Gwacheon National Science Museum will host a special super blue moon observation event on Aug. 31. A super blue moon is an astronomical phenomenon that occurs when the "super moon" and "blue moon" phenomena coincide. A super moon is a full moon that appears when the moon is at its closest approach to the Earth. It can be observed 14 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter than an average full moon. A blue Moon is the second full moon to occur within a single month. This ph

Controversy has erupted online after a store owner was reported to police for staring at a female customer's sheer clothing. Recent posts on various online communities and social media platforms have shared an article with the headline: "Store owner reported to police for looking at customer's underwear." The owner explained the customer was wearing a white dress shirt that made the clear outline of her underwear visible. He admitted to looking at her for about three seconds

Incidents of women dressed in bikinis in central Seoul areas have sparked criticism online, with the authorities considering charging them with indecent exposure. On Friday, a woman riding an electric scooter dressed in a bikini was spotted in Hongdae district. Photos taken by citizens quickly spread across online communities and social media. On the very same day, a report was made to the police about four motorcycles carrying women in bikinis and helmets in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. The police are cu

Suga of BTS recently completed the process of canceling his deferral for mandatory military service and is expected to enlist in the winter of 2023. Big Hit Music announced through Weverse, a communication platform for fans, that Suga has begun the procedure for fulfilling his military duty and that further updates regarding his enlistment will be provided later. The agency requested warm support and unchanging love for Suga as he fulfills his military duty and returns in good health. Suga, who

A notification service called Terrorless has been launched to predict stabbing attacks and provide related information amid indiscriminate online murder threat posts. The number of online posts about murder threats has increased following the Sillim Station and Bundang stabbing incidents in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province. Terrorless allows users to access information about stabbing attack threats, related news links, and the locations of the threatened areas on a map. Currently, there are 45 alerts

Anxiety and fear are spreading among Koreans after a random vehicle and stabbing attack late Thursday afternoon in Seongnam, south of Seoul, with many voicing concerns about safety and some even choosing to cancel their outings to crowded areas. On Thursday, a 23-year-old man surnamed Choi was captured after he drove a car on a pedestrian walkway, injuring five, and going on a random stabbing rampage at a nearby department store, further injuring nine near Seohyeon Subway Station in Bundang, Gye

Parasols, used for sun protection, have become a nationwide trend, transcending gender and age, as an unprecedented heatwave with temperatures nearly reaching 40 degrees Celsius has gripped the country. A 107 percent increase in parasol purchases July 25-31 was reported compared to the same period last year, right after the end of the rainy season and the onset of the heatwave, Hyundai Department Store said. Lotte Department Store also experienced a 45 percent increase in parasol sales, with a s

The value-added tax will be exempted for veterinary expenses related to a number of common diseases in pets starting from October. The Ministry of Economy and Finance announced on Thursday that they will expand the conditions for VAT exemption on veterinary services for pets to alleviate the financial burden of medical expenses. The scope of exempted services will be expanded to include disease prevention and treatments. The Finance Ministry listed about 100 treatments and diseases, such as neut

Daegu police are investigating the death of a 3-year-old girl at a day care center. On June 21, the child was discovered unconscious and not breathing with traces of vomit around her mouth during nap time. The family of the child claims the responsibility lies with the day care staff, while the child's teacher claims she was occupied with other tasks at the time. Despite the teacher performing cardiopulmonary resuscitations and rushing the child to hospital, the child died. No apparent exte

Concerns over censorship are growing in South Chungcheong Province over the provincial government's decision to remove seven titles dealing with sex and gender issues from public libraries following complaints from conservative groups. South Chungcheong Governor Kim Tae-heum on Tuesday told the provincial assembly that seven titles on such issues were removed from 36 public libraries. The move follows a "flood of complaints" from conservative groups, including the Kkumkium Growth

Introduction of tipping by Kakao T, South Korea's largest taxi hailing service, has been met with mixed reactions from the public. This service enables Kakao Taxi users to tip drivers about 1,000 to 2000 won ($0.78 to $1.57), as a gesture of appreciation for good service. The trial tipping service is available for all services offered by Kakao (Blue, Deluxe, Venti, pet-able taxis) except for regular taxis. Passengers can provide tips after rating the taxi service, and the entire amount go

Fourth-grade students from Iseo Elementary School in Wanju, North Jeolla Province, are drawing attention online for their compassionate efforts in helping their community recover from flood damage after recent monsoon rains ripped through the country. A group of forty students, accompanied by their homeroom teacher, visited the Iseo-myeon Administrative Welfare Center on Wednesday morning. They expressed their concern about the hardships people were facing due to the heavy rains and donated 96,0