A fire broke out at an apartment building in Gyeonggi Province, leaving one dead and 14 others injured, according to fire services on Tuesday. According to the Gyeonggi-do Fire Service, the fire occurred on the ninth floor of a 15-story apartment building in the city of Gunpo in Gyeonggi Province at around 7:15 a.m. A man in his 50s, who was living on the ninth floor, was pronounced dead at the site. His wife, also in her 50s, was sent to a hospital for severe burns and breathing difficulties du

As 2023 draws to a close, the Korea Meteorological Administration forecast on Friday that most of South Korea will see either snow or rain over the weekend. According to the KMA, snow or rain is expected to fall in most parts of the country on Saturday and Sunday, as low pressure passes through. The central parts of the West Sea, western Seoul and northern South Chungcheong Province are expected to be hit with the first waves of snow or rain on Saturday morning. These weather conditions are expe

The Ministry of Environment said Thursday it will require industries that are heavy producers of organic waste resources to transition to the production of biogas starting Dec. 31. According to the Environment Ministry’s biogas law, public and private industries that generate organic waste such as livestock manure and food waste will be required to produce them in the form of biogas. Biogas is a gaseous renewable energy source produced from raw materials such as agricultural waste, plant m

Subways and buses running in central Seoul will extend late-night operating hours for those enjoying New Year's Eve celebrations, with the bell-ringing ceremony at Bosingak Pavilion and Sejongdaero expected to take place from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m the next day. Normally, on public holidays subways are scheduled to arrive at their final station by midnight. However, on Sunday, subway trains will operate until 2 a.m. on New Year’s Day. A total of 173 subway trains will run on Line Nos. 1 to

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Wednesday that it will add eight six-carriage trains on Line No. 9 of the Seoul Metro, increasing the number of trains in operation from the current 45 to 53 by early 2024. Out of the eight that are planned to be added, five will begin operating from this weekend on Dec. 30. With the newly added trains, the city government plans to reduce train arrival intervals and extreme overcrowding during rush hour. By the year-end, train arrival intervals are exp

A fire that broke out in an apartment building in Dobong-gu, northern Seoul that left two people dead and injured 30 others Monday was likely caused by human negligence, the police and fire authorities said Tuesday. A police official on-site said that it seems “unlikely that the fire was ignited due to electrical factors” after a joint on-site investigation. “It seems unlikely that the fire was caused by a short circuit or malfunctioning electrical equipment. Based on the evide

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on Tuesday that it will monitor traffic conditions in real time using drones starting in 2024. Using drone footage of traffic taken 200 meters above the ground, an artificial intelligence algorithm will analyze the footage to find patterns and predict future traffic conditions. To create a traffic management system that utilizes drones and AI, the Seoul Metropolitan Government conducted several tests in September and October. The city government tested

A canopy of white covered the capital city of Seoul on Christmas morning, making it a white Christmas for the first time since 2015. In Gwanghwamun Square, central Seoul, while there were several pedestrians hurrying to get indoors to escape the snow, there were also some taking photos of the winter scenery. “It really feels like Christmas today,” said 25-year-old Baek Ji-yoon. “Christmas is one of my favorite holidays of the year because of its general atmosphere, but the sn

Thursday’s temperatures were recorded to be the lowest so far this year, with morning lows reaching as low as minus 19 degrees Celsius and daytime highs expected to range between minus 10 C and 2 C. However, with winds traveling as fast as 55 kilometers per hour nationwide, the Korea Meteorological Administration stated that it would feel a lot colder than the actual temperature. In Seoul, morning low temperatures were minus 15 C, with high temperatures of minus 7 C and a wind chill of min

Temperatures are expected to drop significantly from Thursday as the cold weather continues to persist in the central region, with heavy snow forecast in southwestern parts of South Korea until Friday, according to the national weather agency on Wednesday. As the continental high pressure builds, cold air will begin to move toward the west, causing snow clouds that have formed along the west coast to move inland, it said. This will cause snow to fall near the west coast of South Chungcheong Prov

Seoul’s monthly transit pass, known as the “Climate Card,” will be available for use starting Jan. 27, 2024, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said Tuesday. The Climate Card is a rechargeable monthly transit pass that gives commuters access to public transport systems within the administrative boundaries of Seoul. It is intended to help relieve the increasing cost of living and encourage public transportation use to cut greenhouse gas emissions. “The card readers installe

The Incheon Metropolitan Government stated on Monday that it will provide up to a combined 100 million won ($76,969) in subsidies cumulatively over the life of a child up until age 18. Titled “100 million+i dream,” the policy proposes to provide cumulative monetary support for every child born in Incheon from 2023 from birth until they reach age 18. The total cumulative 100 million won figure comes from combining 28 million won in new funds and 72 million won that is already currentl

A day after issuing a cold wave advisory, the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Sunday announced that the weather warning will remain in effect as temperatures continue to drop. “The lowest temperature on Saturday was recorded at minus 3.6 degrees Celsius and the lowest temperature from Sunday morning was minus 12 C, 8.4 degrees lower than the previous day,” said the Seoul Metropolitan Government in a press release. “The city government decided to keep the cold wave watch issued

The National Human Rights Commission of Korea criticized the Ministry of Education on Thursday for insufficient subsidies and kindergarten programs for foreign children, urging the government to take action. “Initially, the Ministry of Education stated that it would investigate ways to expand its tuition program subsidies further than it is now. However, not only is their plan to do so insufficient, but no concrete data has been submitted to back up its plan,” said the NHRCK. “

In a crowded but somewhat solemn atmosphere, some 60,000 people gathered at Seoul's New Year's Eve celebration near Bosingak on Dec. 31, 2022, braving the cold and waving their smartphone flashlights while watching prominent figures here ring a 3.2-meter-tall bell 33 times after a countdown. For this year's New Year's celebration, the Seoul Metropolitan Government, as the host of the event, is looking to spice things up by adding festivities to boost touristic appeal. Immersi

South Korea ranked as the ninth-largest recent contributor to the global climate change crisis, with a financial liability of 517.7 trillion won ($392.7 billion), according to an analysis released by the nonprofit Solutions for Our Climate on Tuesday. Assuming the same liabilities for both developing and underdeveloped countries affected by the climate crisis every year until 2050, the organization concluded that Korea’s climate debt will average 20 trillion won per year. Among Korean comp

Following rain across South Korea in the past few days, the Korea Meteorological Administration stated Tuesday that temperatures will begin to drop below zero from Wednesday morning. “After the low-pressure system that brought nationwide rain ebbs away, Korea will be on the edge of the high pressure over northern China,” said the KMA. “This will bring in northern winds and colder temperatures into the country.” According to the weather authorities, Wednesday morning tempe

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on Monday the expansion of services on the city’s travel app, TripPass, to allow international tourists to easily access various services, such as personal identification and mobile payments. With TripPass, tourists can issue mobile passports for use in stores that require identity verification or for tax refund services. TripPass was developed by Lordsystem, which introduced the first mobile passport service in South Korea through a competition

The Seoul city government named 15 foreign nationals from 13 countries as honorary citizens on Friday for their contribution to the city's development. Rahil Ahmadova, a honorary citizen from Azerbaijan, was recognized for her efforts as a lecturer to spread awareness about multiculturalism and for her efforts to help other foreign nationals adjust to living in Seoul. Daniel Chukwunonso Nwagbala, another recipient from Nigeria, was recognized for his fundraising efforts for people with deve

Cases regarding school violence will now be in the purview of specialized investigators employed by education offices around South Korea, along with an increase in the number of police officers deployed at schools, starting from March 2024. In a joint press conference Thursday, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Interior and Safety and the Korean National Police Agency said the measures were devised to lessen the burden on teachers handling rising school violence cases among students. &l