Seoul will start towing illegally parked electric scooters, as the city asks service providers to take responsibility by preventing their products from disrupting traffic and causing inconvenience. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Sunday that it will start towing illegally parked e-scooters Thursday in six of its districts, before going on to do so in the remaining 19 districts. The city plans to levy a 40,000 won ($35) towing fee for each scooter and a 700 won storage fee for every 30 mi

Owning and driving an electric car, as everyone likes to say these days, is a thoughtful choice for an environment-conscious citizen. Many in Seoul have followed the advice of officials promoting environment-friendly vehicles, and more electric cars than ever can be seen on the city’s streets. As of January, a total of 23,441 electric vehicles were registered for use in Seoul, a sharp contrast with the 1,498 cars registered at the end of 2016. More electric car options have become avail

Seoul will operate free shuttle services for wheelchair users to get their COVID-19 shots starting Thursday as the capital of South Korea seeks to improve access for those unable to easily reach vaccination centers in the city. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Tuesday that it will dispatch two wheelchair-friendly “Seoul Accessible Buses” to pick up and drop off passengers at welfare centers and 33 local COVID-19 vaccination centers. The buses will run every Monday to Friday an

South Korea has walked back its plans to ease restrictions in the capital region for people who have been vaccinated against COVID-19, as the country struggles with another virus resurgence despite continued vaccination efforts. Face masks will again be mandatory and drinking outdoors past 10 p.m. will be prohibited in the Greater Seoul area, even for those vaccinated against COVID-19. These rules are to be enforced indefinitely until the authorities decide that the COVID-19 situation has impro

The life story of Gyeonggi Province Gov. Lee Jae-myung, one of the top contenders for the presidential election next March, is a quintessential rags-to-riches tale in South Korea. His policy initiatives and past works, as well as his political philosophy, have been controversial and criticized by many, but to call the path that he has walked to date as simply dramatic could be an understatement. From being a young factory worker to assuming the top gubernatorial post of this country, Lee is on

Former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl on Tuesday announced his bid to compete in the presidential race next year, officially launching a political career 118 days after stepping down from the top prosecutorial post. During a press conference in southern Seoul on Tuesday, Yoon vowed to rebuild justice and the rule of law, saying the Moon Jae-in administration has destroyed South Korea’s foundations. “It is hard to articulate every misdeed that this administration has committed,&r

The chief of the state-run audit agency offered to resign Monday, potentially as a precursor to a presidential bid, marking the start of another important chapter ahead of next year’s election. Choe Jae-hyeong, chairman of the Board of Audit and Inspection, told reporters Monday morning that he had conveyed his intent to resign earlier and now planned to “spend time contemplating what role I can play for the future of South Korea.” “I expressed my intent to resign to t

South Korea is slated to officially put local governments in charge of regional police forces from next month, in the biggest reform of the police force since its launch in 1945. The National Police Agency said Sunday that the change would take effect on July 1, with many duties handed over from the national police. The plan, introduced by the Presidential Committee on Local Autonomy Development in 2018, will put local governments in charge of their regional police agencies and directly run sa

A bill aimed at expanding the substitute holiday system is gaining support at the National Assembly, as the ruling party pushes to ensure it goes into effect in the coming weeks. The substitute holiday system at the moment provides an extra day off when the Lunar New Year, Chuseok or Children’s Day holidays fall on weekends. The bill seeks to expand this rule to all holidays that may fall on weekends, which would provide extra days off in almost any year. If the bill passes and comes int

Education workers have raised concerns over South Korea’s plans to resume in-person classes from fall, as COVID-19 continues to spread and authorities have not clarified how they would deal with a virus outbreak in a classroom setting. Education Minister Yoo Eun-hae said Sunday that students from all grades would be allowed to fully attend in-person classes starting next semester while daily number of new COVID-19 cases remains below 1,000. The attendance cap is set at two-thirds for mid

The obstacle-strewn journey to setting next year’s minimum wage level has effectively kicked off, with those representing labor and business presenting starkly different views on how the rate should be set to assist those suffering from COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing economic setback. This year’s negotiation is the last one to be held during the Moon Jae-in administration, which the labor side has claimed is the final chance to uphold his campaign promise to hike the rate to above 10

The ABB FIA Formula E Championship, an electric car racing series, is coming to Seoul for the first time in August next year for a global event the city believes will help revive its tourism sector, which has been struggling for months amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The final round of the 2021-22 season of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship will be held on the streets around Jamsil Stadium in southern Seoul from Aug. 13-14 next year, according to the Seoul city government on Friday. The whole sch

Getting a tattoo is not illegal in South Korea, but having one done by an artist without a medical license is -- legislation that activists are fighting to fix, as they say it is outdated and does not fit today’s growing attitude of acceptance. Rep. Ryu Ho-jeong of the minor left-wing Justice Party joined tattooists and advocates for a press conference at the National Assembly in Seoul on Wednesday, wearing a backless purple dress. Her back was painted with temporary tattoos in a show of

Starting next month, people vaccinated abroad will no longer be required to lock themselves up for two full weeks. The South Korean government opened the doors to greater freedom in international travel on Sunday, when it announced that starting in July it would waive its self-quarantine requirement for fully vaccinated passengers arriving here under certain circumstances, regardless of their citizenship. There are some exceptions to this rule, but overall, it is a positive sign for the touri

The official launch of a new educational governance body is in sight as demand grows for comprehensive reform of South Korea’s educational system. The National Assembly’s Education Committee approved a bill Thursday to install a new body tentatively called the National Education Commission. The bill is expected to be put to a vote at a plenary session within this month in hopes of the commission officially launching by the end of this year. Under the bill, the commission would comp

SEOUL/CORNWALL, England -- South Korea will provide $200 million in aid through next year to ensure equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines in lower-income countries, President Moon Jae-in said Saturday. During a plenary session on health during a Group of Seven summit, Moon vowed to offer $100 million in grants this year, according to a statement from the presidential office. Another $100 million will be provided next year through the COVAX Advance Market Commitment, a financing framework estab

Artists from different parts of the globe joined Herald Corp.’s first H.eco Forum on Thursday to showcase their artistic approach in responding to the looming climate crisis and to communicate with the public through data. Five artists came together from different time zones for an hourlong session to present their experimental works of art from “Heartbeat of the Earth.” The series was created in collaboration with the Google Arts & Culture Lab and the United Nations Frame

Transnational cooperation is key to finding solutions to avert a climate catastrophe and creating a sustainable future, global leaders stressed Thursday. During the first session of Herald Corp.’s first H.eco Forum in Seoul, three international figures from South Korea, Colombia and the UK gave remarks on the importance of government policies, international cooperation and political leadership in tackling climate change. Opening the session, Yun Sun-jin, co-chairperson of Korea’s 2

Unionized delivery workers in South Korea launched a full-scale strike Wednesday following the failure of talks with the government and logistics firms on improving working conditions. The Parcel Delivery Workers’ Solidarity Union announced Tuesday that 2,100 of its 6,500 members would stage an indefinite walkout starting Wednesday, as the dialogue fell through due to the absence of the association of delivery service branches from the talks. The union has asked firms to implement what i

With almost everything centered in Seoul, for many South Koreans born outside the capital the “Korean Dream” has meant packing their bags and making their way to the city, whether it be for education, a career or a new life. The capital city, home to a fifth of Korea’s population, has been a dream destination for Koreans yearning to blend into a crowd of 10 million people. But once they are within that crowd, many feel left out and stranded. “All of my friends are back