Student backlash erupts as Dongduk Women's University weighs coed future

Dongduk Women's University, one of South Korea’s seven remaining women’s colleges, is weighing a possible shift to coeducation, a move igniting opposition among students who warn it could erode the institution’s mission of championing women’s empowerment and diminish women’s representation in society. According to the student council Naran of Dongduk Women's University on Sunday, the university will soon initiate discussions on becoming a coeducational ins

Nov. 10, 2024

Chief prosecutor in first lady's Dior bag scandal resigns

The chief prosecutor of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, who was overseeing the Dior bag scandal involving first lady Kim Keon Hee, has expressed an intent to resign, further deepening the leadership vacuum within the organization. Song Chang-jin, one of the chief prosecutors at the CIO submitted his resignation earlier this week for personal reasons, according to the legal community on Friday. If accepted, the resignation will leave the CIO with just two of its se

Nov. 1, 2024

Controversial US YouTuber faces travel ban, police investigation

South Korean police have intensified their investigation into Johnny Somali, a US YouTuber known here for his controversial and disrespectful antics while traveling in Korea. Somali, whose real name is Ramsey Khalid Ismael, is under investigation for obstruction of business and alleged drug use. A travel ban has been imposed to prevent him from leaving the country while the investigation proceeds, according to police. The Seoul Mapo Police Station said Friday that Somali was under investigation

Nov. 1, 2024

Seoul City to spend W6.7tr to encourage couples to have kids

The Seoul city government will spend 6.7 trillion won ($4.9 billion) from 2025 to 2026 to financially help residents raise children, city officials said Tuesday. The city government said it was expanding an existing childbirth encouragement project launched in February as part of efforts to increase the country's low birth rate. The earlier version of the project took a comprehensive approach to supporting caregivers by providing financial assistance for infertility treatments across all in

Oct. 29, 2024

Two years on, thousands mourn Itaewon tragedy, calling for accountability

Thousands of people, including grieving families, gathered Saturday at Seoul Plaza to commemorate the second anniversary of the Itaewon crowd crush, a tragedy that claimed 159 lives -- most of them young adults -- during Halloween celebrations on October 29, 2022. Organized by the 10.29 Itaewon Disaster Bereaved Families Committee and estimated to have drawn around 5,000 participants, the ceremony began at 6:34 p.m., the exact time of the first emergency call from Itaewon that night, hours befor

Oct. 27, 2024

Campaign for proper K-food names

The Seoul city government announced a campaign to promote standardized foreign-language names for Korean foods on Thursday, aiming to boost culinary tourism by providing accurate translations for international visitors. The initiative, in collaboration with the Seoul Tourism Organization and the Korea Food Service Industry Association, runs until Nov. 1 and focuses on correcting mistranslations of famous Korean dishes. Foreign tourists often encounter baffling translations on menus, including no

Oct. 24, 2024

Seoul unveils plan to move 68km of railways underground

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced its plan on Wednesday to convert 68 kilometers -- or 94 percent -- of the city’s above-ground railway network into an underground network. The space for ground railways as well as station buildings will be turned into parks, and commercial and cultural facilities. Currently, Seoul has 71.6 kilometers of above-ground railway across six lines, running through 15 out of 25 districts. The conversion includes 34.7 kilometers of the Gyeongbu Line and 3

Oct. 23, 2024

Refugee status granted to Ugandan woman who fled domestic violence

A South Korean court has recently granted refugee status to a Ugandan woman who fled her country to escape severe domestic violence, court officials said Tuesday, showing greater acceptance of gender-based violence as grounds for granting refugee status here. The Seoul Administrative Court ruled in favor of the woman, who had filed a lawsuit against the Seoul Immigration Office to overturn a previous decision denying her refugee status, on Sept. 25. The court determined that she demonstrated a w

Oct. 22, 2024

Seoul city to spend $326m on fighting 'loneliness'

The Seoul Metropolitan Government on Monday released a comprehensive plan to support a growing number of Seoul residents struggling with loneliness and social isolation. The initiative, called “Loneliness-Free Seoul,” aims to intervene early to tackle loneliness at its root and prevent people from dying alone, known as “lonely deaths,” which have been rapidly increasing in the city. Over the next five years, the city plans to invest a total of 451.3 billion won ($326 mill

Oct. 21, 2024

Bereaved families outraged after police chief acquitted in Itaewon tragedy

Bereaved families erupted in outrage following the acquittal of former Seoul Metropolitan Police Chief Kim Kwang-ho and two senior officials in a case concerning the Itaewon crowd crush. The court’s Thursday ruling sparked widespread anger among the families and their advocates, who accuse the judiciary of failing to hold top officials accountable for the disaster, which they attribute to inadequate planning and emergency response measures. The Itaewon Disaster Bereaved Families group stro

Oct. 18, 2024