The Seoul Metropolitan Government has launched a pilot program to provide free female sanitary products at 10 public facilities in the South Korean capital, including the Seoul Museum of Art and the Seoul Museum of History, in its effort to tackle the so-called “period poverty” among young women. 　　The program, which went into effect Monday, is part of Seoul’s newly revised Gender Equality Basic Ordinance, which advises the Seoul Metropolitan Government to offer free feminine products at public

Some 50,000 foreign nationals visited South Korea last year to receive plastic surgeries and spent some 215 billion won ($189 million), a government report showed.The amount spent by those who received plastic surgeries in Korea last year was almost four times higher than the figure for the same medical procedures in 2012. Compared to 2016, 968 more foreign nationals visited Korea last year for plastic surgeries, while the total number of foreign patients who visited the country for medical trea

Just a few days before he won the presidential election in December 2007, now ex-President Lee Myung-bak attended a church service in Seoul. “All of our family members became rich after believing in Jesus,” he famously told the worshippers. 　If there is one thing that is clear about Lee, who was sentenced Friday to 15 years in prison for bribery and embezzlement, as well as a fine of 13 billion won, is this: He seems to have been obsessed with money.　Last week, the court ruled that Lee accepted

Some 11,000 foreign nationals who initially entered South Korea as international students are in the country illegally, having overstayed their visas, data released by a lawmaker showed.　The report, released by Rep. Kim Hae-young of the ruling Democratic Party, showed that the number of such individuals had increased 97.7 percent since 2016, from 5,652 to 11,176. International students in South Korea ateend a job fair at COEX in central Seoul on Oct. 1. (Yonhap)　The largest proportion, 20 percen

A sky lantern released by a construction worker caused the recent massive fire that erupted at a large oil storage facility in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, the Korean police concluded Tuesday.　Police requested an arrest warrant for the 27-year-old suspect, a Sri Lankan national, who they believe had been aware that oil storage tanks are located near the mountain where he released the lantern into the sky on Sunday morning.Some Koreans, including lawyers, criticized the authorities for unfairly bla

Residents in western Seoul and Goyang were advised to stay indoors and keep their windows closed Sunday as a massive blaze that erupted at a large oil storage facility in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, was reported to be releasing toxic fumes. 　A text message warning of toxic fumes was sent to Seoul residents at about 6:30 p.m. The blaze was so large that those who live outside of Goyang, including those who live in Seoul and Gimpo, could see thick, black smoke in the sky during the day.　Experts say

When Kim Myung-ji became pregnant at age 19, she was told by many -- including her close friends -- that her life was “virtually over.” She hadn’t finished high school, had never been married, and her family did not have much money -- she chose to keep the baby, regardless.　“In spite of all this, I didn’t think having this baby meant my life was practically over. I never felt sorry for myself,” Kim, now 20, said at a recent public event in central Seoul. 　“It was rather disheartening to see how

Typhoon Kong-rey, which hit the country Friday and Saturday, caused two deaths and left some 470 people homeless, according to the weather authorities. One person remained missing as of Sunday morning.　A 66-year-old man was killed while crossing a bridge in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, on Saturday, according to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters.　In Yeongdeok, North Gyeongsang Province, an 83-year-old man was found dead after he went missing while trying to flee flood wa

Commonly known as the Seoul Fortress, the Hanyangdoseong is a series of walls built during the Joseon era (1392-1910) to protect the kingdom’s capital -- today’s Seoul -- against invaders. 　Completed in 1396, the 18.6-kilometer wall remains a significant historical monument in South Korea today. Originally built along the ridges of Seoul’s four inner mountains -- Baekgaksan, Namsan, Naksan and Inwangsan -- the fortress has undergone a number of reconstruction projects to be in today’s form. 　An

Unionized workers in South Korea’s service and retail sectors -- mainly those who work at department stores and duty-free shops -- are fighting for their “right to sit down” at work, saying many of them suffer health conditions that result from having to stand in high heels for more than seven hours daily.　Since late September, the union members have been sitting at work when there are no customers around as a way to protest. 　“It’s been 10 years since chairs have been placed at department store

Chloe Choi, a Korean-British living in London, says she fears visiting her native South Korea because of something she cannot bear: odor from the sewers.　The 29-year-old, who lived in Seoul from 2009-2010, said the distinctive smell on the streets often made her sick. 　“I would cover my nose and run away from (the smell) as far as possible. I would literally run,” she told The Korea Herald. 　“Being constantly exposed to it was definitely not right. I was shocked that this was the reaction I was

Residents in two districts in Seoul -- Songpa and Gangdong -- are protesting the government’s latest home supply plan, which includes building a new residential town in a former prison site in Songpa, saying they were not consulted before the Ministry of Land announcement.　Last month, the central government announced that it would supply some 300,000 public housing units starting from 2021, in an effort to stabilize the overheated housing market. 　Under the plan, 11 areas in Seoul, including the

President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday went ahead with the appointment of Rep. Yoo Eun-hae of the ruling Democratic Party as the new education minister, in spite of objections from opposition lawmakers over her apparent ethical lapses -- including falsifying her home address so she could enroll her daughter in a prestigious elementary school in central Seoul.　　“We are aware that there is opposition to Yoo in the parliament, mainly among opposition lawmakers,” said Kim Eui-kyeom, a Cheong Wa Dae spokes

South Korea on Monday said it will invest an additional 97.7 billion won ($87 million) in public health, part of an effort to tackle the country’s regional health care disparities.　The investment plan includes a proposal to establish a state-run medical school dedicated to the training of medical professionals specializing in public health, among other policies. 　The decision followed a government study released earlier this year, which showed the country’s amenable mortality rate -- defined as

Some 60 Mongolian infants have received heart surgery operations free of charge over the past six years through a charity program funded by Rotary Korea, the organizers said. Korean medical professionals pose for a photo in Mongolia, where they have performed some 60 free heart surgery operations for local children over the past six years. Rotary KoreaThe Seoul bureau of Rotary International, a global service organization dedicated to bringing professional leaders and businesses together to prov

　Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education said it will push to revise the relevant rules to allow all middle and high school students to dye or perm their hair -- a practice which is largely banned in Seoul schools -- starting next year.　　“(The right to dye or perm one’s hair is) part of one’s basic rights,” said Cho Hee-yeon, the superintendent of SMOE. “We would like to create a learning environment where one enjoys both a sense of freedom and the values of democracy.”　　According to a study by a

Breezy, sunny and cool, fall is arguably the best season to explore Seoul -- the capital filled with tradition, history and a flair for fun.　As the fall weather is ideal for outdoor activities, the city is offering an array of festival and events -- from traditional music festival to those that feature international cuisine in Itaewon.　For those who would like to get a taste of Korea’s traditional music and dance, Seoul Arirang Festival, which is taking place at the Gwanghwamun Plaza in central

Some 16,802 Koreans were arrested for spy-cam-related crimes over the last four years, and 97 percent, or 16,375, of the suspects were male, a lawmaker’s office revealed on Wednesday.　According to Rep. Lee Jae-jung of the ruling Democratic Party, among the male suspects, 15.7 percent were known to their alleged victims, often as neighbors or work colleagues. 　The biggest proportion of the suspects who had known the victims before committing the crime turned out to be the women victims‘ ex-romant

Fourteen newborns have been infected with rotavirus -- a highly contagious disease common among infants -- at a Daegu hospital, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday.The outbreak was reported after newborn twins, who were discharged on Monday, were diagnosed with the disease on the same day and readmitted at the hospital. At another medical facility, the twins underwent tests required for admission to a postpartum care center. There they were diagnosed with rotavirus infe

Seoul Metropolitan Government is to supply some 5,000 public rental housing -- almost double the amount of the current 2,500 -- annually, in its effort to tackle the ongoing housing crisis in the South Korean capital.　　The public rental housing refer to small-size studios and houses that have been purchased by the city government to be rented out to the general public at lower-than market rates. 　　Earlier this month, the central government also said it would supply 300,000 public homes starting