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Court approves 'full adoption' of stepdaughter
A recent civil court ruling granted a South Korean man the right to fully adopt his China-born stepdaughter, changing her family name and place of family origin to avoid possible discrimination and confusion on the child's part. The Korea Legal Aid Corp. said Monday that the Cheongju District Court ruled in favor of a plaintiff who sought to give his surname to his stepdaughter. His wife, a North Korean defector, had given birth to the girl with a Chinese man during her time in China before movi
April 28, 2025 -
Homeplus, MBK Partners HQs raided over controversial short-term debt sale
Prosecutors carried out a search and seizure operation at the headquarters of Korea’s second-largest supermarket chain, Homeplus, and its largest shareholder, private equity firm MBK Partners, on Monday, as part of an investigation into alleged fraud and violations of the Capital Market Act. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office announced that officials were dispatched to secure financial records in order to trace the flow of funds as Homeplus' financial health began to deteriorate afte
April 28, 2025 -
Water deer the biggest roadkill victim in South Korea
The indigenous water deer is the most frequently-killed animal on the roads of South Korea, local traffic authorities said Monday. A total of 5,300 car accidents involving wildlife occurred from 2020 to 2024, according to the Korea Expressway Corporation, 4,426 of which (83.5 percent) involved water deer. The common raccoon dog, or Asian raccoon dog, placed a distant second to account for 343 (6.5 percent), followed by 277 (5.2 percent) accidents involving wild boars. The KEC explained that the
April 28, 2025 -
Floating hotel coming to Han River: Seoul weighs luxury vs. midscale options
Seoul is moving ahead with plans to build a floating hotel on the Han River, weighing whether to develop it as a three-star or five-star facility. The Seoul Housing and Communities Corp. recently completed a feasibility study and aims to finalize the project’s basic plan by October. Construction is scheduled for completion in late 2028. The proposed hotel will be built near the Floating Stage by Seogang Bridge. Two options are under review: a three-star hotel with 121 rooms across 5,600 square m
April 28, 2025 -
Newly-enacted public intimidation law sparks confusion in law enforcement: report
Despite a revision to the Criminal Act aimed at curbing online threats of random violence, police stations nationwide are scrambling to determine which department should handle reports of the newly designated crime, according to local media reports on Monday. A police official told Yonhap News Agency that the National Office of Investigation, under the National Police Agency, has not yet issued clear guidelines on how to respond to cases under the new "public intimidation" provision. The revisio
April 28, 2025 -
'Sorry I didn't give you a healthy body': baby with rare disease found dead with mother
A woman in her 30s and her six-month-old son were found dead at a home in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, with what appears to be a suicide note apologizing for the child having a rare medical condition. Their bodies were found inside a residential building in Sinhyeon-dong, around 28 kilometers southeast of Seoul, at approximately 9:55 p.m. on Sunday, according to the Gwangju Police Station. The husband reported the incident to the police, who are investigating. The husband told police that he was
April 28, 2025 -
Karaoke owner inflicts severe injuries to customer, reports victim as 'drunk'
A Korean-style karaoke owner has been sentenced to four years in prison after causing injury to a customer, resulting in death, and falsely reporting the circumstances of the case to emergency responders. Incheon District Court said Monday it convicted the 56-year-old defendant for the violent assault resulting in death that occurred at around 12:22 a.m. on Dec. 1. The defendant was indicted for beating the 64-year-old victim on the head three times after a quarrel over fees. The victim then tum
April 28, 2025 -
Off-duty firefighter contains flames at bowling alley
A veteran firefighter out to bowl with friends used his expertise to helped extinguish a fire that broke out in the alley, fire authorities in Incheon said Sunday. According to the Incheon Fire Service, Cpt. Ji Su-ryong of the Mansu 119 Safety Center was at a bowling alley in Michuhol-gu, Incheon, on Saturday when a fire broke out at around 3:40 p.m. He spotted smoke coming out of the equipment room and instructed others to dial the 119 emergency service. He found a fire hose inside the building
April 28, 2025 -
Student stabs 7 in Cheongju -- school safety back in focus
A high school student in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, went on a stabbing rampage early Monday morning, injuring multiple school staff members and civilians before being apprehended, according to local authorities. The incident began at approximately 8:33 a.m. at a high school in Heungdeok-gu, when an 18-year-old second-year student attacked a special education teacher during a counseling session. According to police and the Chungbuk Office of Education, the student, who had been designa
April 28, 2025 -
US considering permanent deployment of F-35 fighter jets to S. Korea: source
The US military is considering the permanent deployment of advanced F-35A radar-evading fighter jets to South Korea, a source said Sunday. The deployment, if realized, would mark a major addition to US air assets in South Korea, which consist mostly of older-generation F-16 fighter jets. F-35s have previously only been temporarily deployed for joint training. "The US military has a plan to permanently deploy F-35As at Kunsan Air Base," the source said. "It will first deploy one squadron, and the
April 27, 2025 -
Seoul steps up sinkhole prevention efforts after fatal accidents
The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on Sunday that it will introduce a ground subsidence monitoring network to prevent further sinkhole accidents. Safety accidents involving sinkholes have drawn significant attention recently, after a 20-meter-wide and 18-meter-deep sinkhole formed in Gangdong-gu, eastern Seoul, on March 24, swallowing a motorcyclist who was declared dead the day after. As numerous sinkhole sightings have been reported since then, public concern over the phenomenon has g
April 27, 2025 -
Ex-Presidents Moon, Yoon likely stand criminal trial simultaneously
Former President Moon Jae-in was indicted Thursday on bribery charges involving questions over his former son-in-law’s salary, raising the prospect of Moon standing trial at the same time as disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, southern Seoul. The Jeonju District Prosecutor’s Office, which had investigated Moon since 2021, filed the indictment with the court, explaining that because the bribery case centers around the former presidential offi
April 27, 2025 -
Mange suspected for hairless animals spotted in Songdo park
Hairless animals spotted in a waterfront park in Songdo, Incheon, are believed to be raccoons infected with mange, a parasitic disease that causes fur loss, local reports said Sunday. According to Yonhap News, residents reported sightings of the creatures, which had only their heads and tails covered with fur, on Wednesday and Thursday near a high school walking path. Despite the presence of people, the animals did not immediately flee. Instead, they slowly retreated into the bushes. Seo Moon-ho
April 27, 2025 -
City of Seoul cuts prices on delivery fried chicken
The Seoul Metropolitan Government has launched a project aimed at lowering consumer prices for delivery food in partnership with Shinhan Bank and the food service industry, with fried chicken as the first target. The Seoul Delivery+ Pricing System Initiative shares the cost burden of lowering prices between Seoul City, Shinhan Bank and related franchises' headquarters, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Friday. The city government’s initiative, focused on revitalizing the local ec
April 27, 2025 -
Wildfire forces evacuations and major highway closure in northeastern South Korea
A rapidly spreading wildfire in northeastern South Korea has forced expanded evacuations and a broader highway shutdown, as authorities escalated their emergency response Saturday. The fire broke out around 1:11 p.m. local time in a mountainous area near Inje County, about 150 kilometers northeast of Seoul. Fueled by dry conditions, the blaze quickly spread smoke toward nearby communities, prompting officials to send evacuation alerts and direct residents to designated shelters. By mid-afternoon
April 26, 2025