Pop legend Paul McCartney’s first concert in Korea may be called off due to health problems, according to news reports Wednesday.(Yonhap)“McCartney’s condition is not getting better as was expected. The concert may be canceled,” Yonhap quoted an unnamed concert management company’s official as saying. The 71-year-old Beatles guitarist had been schedule to perform next Wednesday at the 20th Hyundai Card Super Concert in Seoul. The company will make a decision later in the day whether to change t

Korean actresses attending the Cannes Film Festival are drawing the media spotlight for their fashion styles, from earrings to dresses. Jeon Do-yeon, 41, the first Korean to serve as a jury member at the 67th international film festival, grabbed the eyes of global fans with a “clever” dress style. At a photo call held for the members of the jury last week, Jeon wore a Chanel white lace dress with unbalanced earrings. Her light makeup added to the style of loveliness and innocence. (OSEN)Later in

Search efforts for the ferry victims resumed Friday, following a half-day suspension due to strong winds and high currents.As of Friday, the death toll from the April 16 ferry disaster rose to 284 with 20 still unaccounted for. Most of the victims were students from a high school who were on a school trip. Divers reentered the water in the afternoon to search the third and fourth decks of the ship. This is the second round of full search operations following the completion of the first round tha

The captain of the Sewol and three other key crew members were charged with manslaughter Thursday. The 11 other sailors were indicted on less serious charges of negligence. The four key sailors ― the captain, chief mate, second mate and chief engineer ― were charged with homicide out of willful negligence. All crewmen are accused of violating the rescue rule and of negligence resulting in death. “(The investigation team) charged the captain with homicide because he did not take any measures in t

Tick viruses are more common in older people in Korea, a report showed Wednesday, following the recent death of a Korean man due to a tick bite. Ticks transmit viruses, some potentially lethal, through bites. Patients commonly show fever, body aches, rashes, diarrhea and vomiting if infected by a virus-infected tick.According to a report released by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 60 percent of officially confirmed tick virus infections in the country occurred among people

More than one third of the tracks of Seoul’s four oldest subway lines are not earthquake-safe, escalating concerns over public safety following a recent subway crash, a report showed Tuesday. According to a report released by ruling Saenuri Party Rep. Lee No-keun, 36 percent of Seoul’s Subway lines 1 to 4 are not built with an earthquake-resistant design. The combined distance of the tracks amounts to 147 kilometers. The rest can endure possible earthquakes, he added. About 87 percent of the tra

A door of a Seoul subway train temporarily went out of order, apparently because of a piece of trash, causing inconvenience for passengers during rush hour on Tuesday, officials said. One of the doors of a southbound train at Gireum Station on Line 4 failed to close at around 8:20 a.m., forcing more than 500 passengers to get off and take the next train. The exact cause is unknown but a piece of trash stuck in the door is suspected to have prevented it from closing, officials said. Subway operat

The South Korean government legally recognized Monday three ferry victims who risked their lives to save others in the Sewol ferry that sank off the southern coast of the country on April 16.The legal recognition is granted to those who go beyond the call of duty in saving others, the Health and Welfare Ministry said. Once recognized, the bodies of the victims are allowed to be buried in the national cemetery. The bereaved families become eligible for compensation and additional health and educa

Participants of the 14th Advanced Vaccinology Course in the Asia-Pacific Region listen to International Vaccine Institute CFO John Morahan at IVI headquarters in Seoul, Monday. (International Vaccine Institute)The International Vaccine Institute kicked off its annual Advanced Vaccinology Course in the Asia-Pacific Region at its headquarters in Seoul on Monday as part of efforts to support vaccine research and immunization capacities in developing countries, officials said. The IVI, established i

A former Seoul official who was cleared of charges of spying in a high profile espionage case last month was indicted again on charges of sending money to North Korea with other defectors.Yoo Woo-seong, 34, was booked without detention for violating the currency exchange law and obstruction of justice, prosecutors said on Sunday.The Seoul Central District Prosecutor’s Office indicted him for allegations that he illegally sent about 2.7 billion won ($2.6 million) to North Korea between 2005 and 2

The government said on Sunday it will exclude dual citizenship holders who live abroad for more than 60 days a year from the basic pension program that starts in July.The Health and Welfare Ministry is set to provide a monthly allowance of between 100,000 won and 200,000 won ($97 to $195) to the poorest 70 percent of Koreans aged 65 or older. In its previous plan, the ministry said it would not give the welfare benefits to seniors who hold dual citizenships and live less than six months per year

Seoul City released Thursday a five-year support plan for foreign residents as part of efforts to better protect their human rights and boost their quality of life here. As of this year, some 395,000 foreigners reside in the capital, accounting for 3.9 percent of the city’s population. To secure human rights more effectively, the city established a special human rights team specifically for foreign residents in February, which is the first started by the municipal government in the country. The

South Korean authorities said Wednesday that they would summon two subway officials as part of the investigation into the train crash in Seoul that left hundreds injured last week. An eastbound train rear-ended another at Sangwangsimni Station on Line 2 on Friday allegedly due to a traffic signal error, injuring more than 240 passengers, with seven in serious condition. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency will question two Seoul Metro traffic signal managers over whether they accurately reporte

A 55-year-old surnamed Choi, who lives in Jinan-gun, North Jeolla Province, depends on state welfare benefits to makes ends meet. In 2010, he was given the chance to secure some extra money through a government-led program called Hope Building Accounts. Under the program, he saved 100,000 won ($97) in a special bank account every month. The government adds to this amount, so that the final sum he would get at the end of the three-year program would be 20 million won.But there is a catch: Those w

Most spinal stenosis patients were found to be older women, with the prevalence increasing in recent years, a report showed Thursday. According to 2012 data released by the state-run National Health Insurance Service, 60 percent of spinal stenosis cases ― 615,000 ― occurred in women over age 50. Spinal stenosis is an abnormal narrowing of the spinal canal, which causes severe pain by compressing the nerves.Normally, there is enough space in the spinal canal to accommodate the nerve fibers branch

Yellow dust is of particular concern for children who are active outdoors and have weaker immune systems than adults, and those who suffer from allergies or respiratory conditions. Yellow dust travels from the Gobi Desert in Mongolia and China, so we cannot escape it. Therefore, people need to take appropriate action to combat the harmful effects of yellow dust. Yellow dust causes various conditions and can worsen preexisting ones. The main diseases include respiratory, eye and skin conditions.R

Concerns are growing that the bodies of missing passengers may have drifted away from the ferry that sank off the country’s southwestern coast last month, after several were found a few kilometers from the accident site.A body of a female teenager was recovered Friday 4 kilometers from the ferry, which capsized near Jindo Island, South Jeolla Province. Earlier this week, another body was spotted 2 km from the accident site by fishermen. As of Friday afternoon, divers had retrieved a total of 228

The South Korean government said it would reduce the medical fees for choice-based treatment starting from August as part of efforts to reduce the financial burden on patients, officials said Thursday. Under the choice-based treatment system, patients can opt for certain experienced doctors, with more than 10 years of experience. In return, patients seeking higher quality treatment pay 20 to 100 percent more in additional charges, which are not covered by the national health insurance. Under the

Thousands of mourners headed to the memorial altar in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, Wednesday to express their condolences to the victims of the ferry that sank off the south coast two weeks ago. As of Wednesday noon, more than 200,000 Koreans had visited the memorial altar since it opened on April 23. Mourners in other regions also visited altars in their cities to pay their respects to the ferry victims. Local governments opened altars earlier this week after more people demanded places to express

Working over 13 hours a day may double the risk of having a brain hemorrhage, a research paper published in the International Journal of Stroke showed Wednesday. According to a study conducted by neurology professor Kim Beom-joon at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, those who worked for more than 13 hours a day had a 94 percent higher chance of having a cerebral hemorrhage than those working for four hours a day.Kim analyzed the occupational types, workin