The number of smoking violations in public areas in Seoul reached 431 cases this year, almost double that of last year, a city official said Thursday. The Seoul City government has designated three public spots including Seoul Plaza as nonsmoking zones since 2011 with fines of 100,000 won ($91.60) for violators. The number of smoking violations at bus stops also increased to 583 as of July, nearly equal to the total in all of 2012. The cases in areas governed by district offices also rose to 11,

Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon announced Thursday that the city will issue municipal bonds to finance child care services as the central government has continued to refuse further support.The plan would offer temporary relief from the budget woes that had threatened to scuttle the expanded welfare scheme applied to all children aged 5 or under. The city was expected to run out of budget for the program by this month.  It decided to make up the budget shortfall through around 200 billion won ($182 mil

Late night bus services running between midnight and 5 a.m. will operate on seven routes in Seoul beginning on Sept. 12, the city government said. “N Buses” will cover Hongdae, Jongno, Gangnam and other areas with many nighttime passengers while bus transfers will be available at Seoul Station, Dongdaemun, Jongno and Gangnam. During the three-month trial period on two routes from April, more than 220,000 citizens used the night bus and 88 percent of surveyed citizens approved of the route expans

The labor union of Seoul City’s public call center called off a general strike scheduled for Monday after reaching a wage agreement with their employers. Their companies agreed to raise the basic wage by 3 percent, provide 50,000 won ($45) in holiday bonus and exempt full-time union executives from work.The 120 Dasan Call Center is currently run by a consortium of three private agencies on behalf of the city government. More than 450 contract workers provide the 24-hour call service. About 150 w

The average tuition fee at private kindergartens is 14 times higher than that of public preschools, according to a government survey. The Ministry of Education on Sunday released a comprehensive survey of 8,559 preschools across the country regarding costs, financial status, rules and law violations.The result showed that parents of children over age 5 attending private kindergartens pay 191,737 won ($173) per month on average, compared with 13,285 won for public ones.For 3-year-olds, private pr

The government will directly recruit the economic delegation for the president’s overseas visits to enhance the transparency of the selection process and provide wider opportunities for small and medium-sized businesses, Cheong Wa Dae said Friday. So far, leading business organizations have been responsible for picking the delegation, raising concerns that the participants tended to be focused on conglomerates, limiting the access of smaller enterprises.The new policy goes into effect starting f

The labor union of Seoul City’s public service call center escalated their strike action Wednesday demanding a wage increase and improved job status. About 150 unionized workers at the 120 Dasan Call Center staged a four-hour partial walkout in the morning following a one-hour halt in operations Monday. They plan to go on a general strike Friday if their demands are not met. The center is run by a consortium of three private agencies on behalf of the city government. More than 450 contract worke

Gangnam District in southern Seoul plans to open a hallyu-themed street in September promote tourism and Korean Wave stars. A photo zone and “stamp tour” will be offered along the K Star Road ― spanning 1.08 kilometers between the headquarters of S.M. Entertainment and Cube Entertainment. S.M. Entertainment will also open its doors for free visits once a week. Some shops will be designated as hallyu street attractions, helping tourists make the most of their visit. Celebrity hand-printings, souv

Seoul City has decided to raise taxi fares for the first time in four years by around 10 percent in October to ease operators’ financial difficulties.The city government on Monday submitted to the metropolitan council three options, with differing mixes of basic fares and extra charges for nighttime and inter-city operations. The bill will be considered by city council members and a consumer price adjustment panel until October. If passed it would be the first taxi fare hike in the city since 20

The prosecution has launched an investigation into some Internet companies, including NHN Corp., for alleged foreign exchange transaction act violations, such as failing to report foreign investments, sources said Saturday.Seoul Central District Prosecutor’s Office is looking into NHN Corp. for suspected omission of investment report when its Japanese branch, NHN Japan, bought out Livedoor, a Japanese portal business, in 2010 for 80 billion won ($72 million), reports said.NHN Corp. is the Intern

Seoul City’s cab fare is expected to increase by no later than October, as the city moves to help improve the taxi business despite lingering public concern over the heightened transportation cost and poor taxi service.The basic fare, which had remained unchanged since 2009, is expected to rise from the current 2,400 won ($2.14) to around 2,800 or 3,000 won. The city said negotiations over the fare increase are underway with the taxi union.Meanwhile, the labor and management representatives of t

A monthly car-free day on the main street in Sejongno, central Seoul will be expanded to twice a month starting September, as part of efforts to create a pedestrian-friendly environment, a city official said on Tuesday. The Sejongno main road ― spanning 550 meters from the intersection in front of Gyeongbokgung Palace to the four-way intersection of Gwanghwamun Subway Station ― has been cleared for pedestrians every third Sunday of each month since March. The city is planning to try out a pedest

Won, 59, makes more than 100 cups of coffee every day at a small take-out shop in Yeongdeungpo, southwestern Seoul.For the fledgling barista, Cafe Espresso of My Life is not merely a workplace, but where he started over after years spent on the streets.“I used to live in the darkness but now I feel like I’m waking a bit,” said Won, who declined to give his full name. The cafe, established by the city government, is staffed by two homeless people who have been trained through Seoul’s self-support

Seoul will conduct a taxi satisfaction survey with consumer groups for the first time in September, targeting 4,500 residents including 500 foreigners, a city official said on Monday. While the city government has carried out a cab service survey annually, this is the first time for it to be organized with a civic group, as part of efforts to increase objectivity and reflect passengers’ requests more accurately.The survey will cover driver etiquette, the standard of driving, cabs’ cleanness and

About 300 people were detained on Thursday as police and protesters clashed in several Seoul areas after a mass rally to mark the 68th Liberation Day. Thousands of activists and politicians took to the streets demanding President Park Geun-hye apologize for the National Intelligence Service’s alleged interference in last year’s presidential election, and engage North Korea more actively.Police fired water cannons to disperse demonstrators who illegally occupied roads while marching through the c

A court in Busan on Thursday issued an arrest warrant against Lee Jong-chan, the senior executive vice president of the state-run Korea Electric Power Corp. implicated in a snowballing corruption scandal. The court issued the warrant out of concerns that the suspect could destroy evidence or flee, officials said. The prosecution on Tuesday detained the 53-year-old executive and requested a warrant against him.Lee, who heads KEPCO’s overseas business division, allegedly conspired with parts suppl

Record heat waves have been baking East Asian countries including Korea, Japan, China and Taiwan due to a Pacific high pressure system. In South Korea, the scorching weather has killed at least six people and left hundreds sickened over the past week, Seoul officials said.Heat wave alerts have been issued in most parts of the country, with peak temperatures hovering around 35 degrees Celsius. Tropical nights have also continued as night temperatures stayed above 25 degrees. On Sunday, two elderl

Police said Monday they are searching for a former opposition lawmaker after hearing a report that he jumped off a bridge into the Han River in Seoul.According to the police, they began the search after receiving a call from an acquaintance of Kim that he got a mobile message from Kim at about 5:30 a.m. saying he wants to die.An empty vehicle and a pair of shoes belonging to Kim Jong-yull were found by police at a parking lot by the river and a nearby marina, officers said. A suicide note was la

The Seoul government said Sunday that it would ease visa rules for visitors from China, Southeast Asian countries and foreign patients, as part of efforts to promote the local tourism industry and offer convenience to travelers from neighboring nations.Starting next month, the Justice Ministry will expand the issuance of multiple visas for Chinese nationals to their spouses and children. Seoul will also issue multiple-entry visas to Chinese nationals who have memberships in condominiums in Korea

Seoul City’s plan to build new light rail lines is mired in controversy as questions grow about its feasibility, cost-effectiveness and even the mayor’s political intentions. Seoul Metropolitan Government in July unveiled the project to lay nine rail transit routes in 10 years to reduce gaps in the city’s public transportation network. The total cost of construction is estimated at 8.553 trillion won ($7.69 billion). The city plans to fund half of it from municipal and central government coffers