Supreme Court confirms 5-year sentence for driver responsible for 9 deaths

South Korea's top court on Thursday upheld a lower court ruling that sentenced a 69-year-old man to five years in prison without physical labor for causing a car accident last year that left nine people dead and five injured. The defendant drove his car onto the pavement near City Hall Station in Jung-gu, central Seoul, at 9:26 p.m. on July 1, 2024, striking multiple pedestrians before colliding with two vehicles. His car's speed had exceeded 100 kilometers per hour at one point. He claimed the

Dec. 4, 2025

Nearly half of teens regularly skip breakfast: data

Over 40 percent of Korean teenagers now skip breakfast at least five times a week, a steady rise since 2016, according to a report released Thursday by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. The KDCA found that 44 percent of teens regularly miss breakfast, up from 42.4 percent in 2024. The rate reached 41.9 percent for boys and 45.3 percent for girls. The proportion has climbed every year from 28.2 percent in 2016. The findings are based on a nationwide survey conducted in June and Jul

Dec. 4, 2025

Thai murder of Korean tourist ends in life, 25, 30-year jail terms

The three men convicted of murdering a South Korean tourist in Thailand last year received confirmed sentences of 25 years, 30 years and life imprisonment, after the Supreme Court upheld their punishments on Thursday. South Korea’s top court affirmed the lower courts’ rulings, finding the defendants guilty of murder during a robbery, abandonment of a body, fraud and attempted extortion. Each defendant will also be required to wear an electronic monitoring anklet for 10 years upon release. The th

Dec. 4, 2025

Women more willing to have kids if job return assured: survey

Women in Korea are more open to having children if they can be sure of their return to the workplace after giving birth, according to research by a state-funded think tank. Kim Eun-ji, a senior researcher at the Korean Women’s Development Institute, found that women who believed they could continue working after childbirth were significantly more willing to have children than those who did not expect such job security. Her findings were based on an analysis of survey responses from men and women

Dec. 4, 2025

Mugshot revealed of man who killed ex-girlfriend, discarded body

South Korean police on Thursday revealed the mugshot of 54-year-old Kim Yeong-woo, who confessed to killing his former girlfriend out of apparent jealousy and hiding her body in wastewater. The Chungbuk Provincial Police Agency said it decided to reveal the suspect's name, face, and age, based on the cruelty of the crime, the severity of the harm caused and the opinion of the victim's bereaved family. Kim did not challenge the decision, and his information will be posted on the police agency's h

Dec. 4, 2025

15-year prison term sought for former first lady

A special counsel on Wednesday sought a 15-year prison sentence and a 2 billion won ($1.36 million) fine for former first lady Kim Keon Hee, accusing her of offenses ranging from stock manipulation to bribery and unauthorized interference in state affairs. Prosecutors, led by special counsel Min Joong-ki, asked the court to impose 11 years for alleged violations of the Capital Markets Act and bribery-for-mediation provisions under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes. They req

Dec. 3, 2025

Victims to get real-time location of stalkers

The National Assembly has passed a revision to a law that will enable stalking victims to view the exact real-time location of their stalker, government officials said Wednesday. The revision of the Act on Electronic Monitoring will share the exact location of a stalker if they get too close to their victim, according to the Ministry of Justice. The current policy notifies the victim when the convicted stalker is nearby, but only via text messages indicating distance, such as: “The perpetrator i

Dec. 3, 2025

Man kills mother, believing 'God will revive her'

South Korean police said Wednesday they have arrested a man in his 30s who turned himself in after fatally stabbing his mother, allegedly acting under the delusion that God would bring her back to life. According to the Goesan Police Station in North Chungcheong Province, the suspect attacked his mother around 1:30 p.m. Tuesday while she was napping, stabbing her multiple times with a knife. He appeared at a police station about an hour later and confessed to the killing. He reportedly told inve

Dec. 3, 2025

Cold wave grips Korea; Seoul’s first snow likely Thursday

Temperatures dropped sharply across South Korea on Wednesday as a mass of Arctic air moved south, triggering cold wave advisories for Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and parts of Gangwon Province and the Chungcheong provinces, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration. Morning lows ranged from minus 11 degrees Celsius to minus 1 C nationwide, with even colder conditions forecast through Friday. A cold wave advisory is issued when morning temperatures are expected to remain below minus 1 C fo

Dec. 3, 2025

Court’s refusal to arrest Choo sparks partisan clash

The ruling Democratic Party on Wednesday denounced a court decision refusing an arrest warrant for Choo Kyung-ho, the former floor leader of the main opposition People Power Party, as part of investigations into ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol’s imposition of martial law. DP senior spokesperson Rep. Park Soo-hyun called the ruling “senseless,” claiming there is ample evidence that Choo actively impeded the parliamentary vote to lift the martial law declared by Yoon on Dec. 3 last year. Prosecutors ar

Dec. 3, 2025