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Substitute driver in his 60s crashes into Seoul home, killing car owner in passenger seat

A man in his 50s was killed after being ejected from a vehicle when a substitute driver in his 60s crashed into a residential building in a narrow alley in Dongjak District, Seoul, late Saturday night, according to police and fire authorities on Sunday. The accident occurred around 11:34 p.m. in Sangdo-dong, when the driver of the vehicle drove it into a flower bed, exterior wall and utility pole of a house. The impact threw the car’s owner, who had been sitting in the passenger seat, out of the vehicle. He was rushed to hospital in cardiac arrest but later pronounced dead. The substitute driver sustained minor injuries and was also transported to a hospital. Police said there was no evidence of alcohol consumption or drug use at the time of the crash. Authorities are analyzing the car’s black box and nearby CCTV footage to determine the exact cause of the accident. Police said they plan to book the driver on charges of fatal traffic negligence. This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times

Aug 18, 2025By Hankookilbo
Substitute driver in his 60s crashes into Seoul home, killing car owner in passenger seat

More graduates delay finishing school amid hiring freeze

Kim, a 26-year-old physics graduate hoping to work in semiconductors, says he has applied even to jobs outside his field but has repeatedly failed to pass the document screening stage, leaving his confidence badly shaken. “If I had known it would be like this, I would have delayed graduation like my friends,” he added with a sigh. With the job market tightening, more young people are choosing to delay graduation and remain “fifth-year students.” Instead of risking unemployment after graduation, they see advantages in keeping student status, which provides access to career counseling, training and other benefits. According to data from the Korea Educational Development Institute released on Sunday, the number of students deferring graduation reached 17,597 last year, up by about 2,500 from 2023. Statistics Korea also reported that it now takes an average of four years and four months to complete college, the longest since records began in 2007. Creative ways to postpone Graduation delays take many forms. Some complete their credits but officially defer graduation by paying a fee of

Aug 18, 2025By Hankookilbo
More graduates delay finishing school amid hiring freeze

Family requests help searching for missing firefighter traumatized by Itaewon disaster

A 34-year-old firefighter in Incheon who had struggled with depression since responding to the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush has been missing for a week after leaving a note that read “I’m sorry.” According to Incheon Fire Headquarters on Sunday, the firefighter, identified only by the surname A, went out of contact on Aug. 10 after sending the message to family and friends. Police and fire officials said A drove out of the Nam Incheon Tollgate on the Second Gyeongin Expressway at about 2:30 a.m. that day, parked on the shoulder and disappeared. His mobile phone was last detected near an apartment complex in Seochang-dong, Namdong District, Incheon, but no signal has been picked up since. A had been dispatched to the Itaewon disaster site in October 2022 and later received treatment for depression. In a past media interview, he said, “My parents felt distressed just knowing I was there. How much more painful must it be for the victims’ parents? I kept thinking, ‘I wish this wasn’t real.’” His family has been distributing leaflets both online and offline in a desperate search.

Aug 18, 2025By Hankookilbo
Family requests help searching for missing firefighter traumatized by Itaewon disaster

InterviewEwha underscores lasting value of women's university in shaping global leaders

Despite decades of progress, Korea still lags in closing gender gaps in politics, business and leadership. It is in this unfinished push for parity that Ewha Womans University — one of the world’s largest women’s universities by enrollment — casts itself as both a catalyst for change and a training ground for women prepared to lead and compete on the global stage. "If asked whether women’s universities are still needed today, I would say they absolutely are," said Ewha Womans University President Lee Hyang-sook, during a recent interview with The Korea Times. "Ewha has a responsibility to remain a women’s university that nurtures outstanding talent — not just for Korea, but for the global stage. Our graduates are active worldwide, and we continue to expand our role as a global institution through research and international collaboration." Lee stressed that cultivating global women leaders ranks among the university’s central long-term goals, with initiatives in education, research, international outreach and leadership training already underway to bring that vision to li

Aug 18, 2025By Jung Da-hyun
Ewha underscores lasting value of women's university in shaping global leaders

Cash handouts exclude migrant workers, prompting debate on fairness

The government's cash handouts to boost domestic consumption have reached nearly every Korean citizen and many long-term foreign residents, but not migrant workers, whose labor remains essential to keeping local economies afloat, especially in rural areas. As Korea’s foreign population approaches 3 million and the government promotes its multicultural identity, critics argue that migrants remain excluded from benefits and subsidies, weakening efforts at social integration and inclusion. As of Aug. 5, about 93.6 percent of the population — some 47.3 million residents — had received the government cash handout coupons. Non-Korean citizens are in principle excluded from the initiative, but exceptions were made for those with permanent residency, marriage immigrants and recognized refugees who are covered by the state health insurance system. Although the program makes limited exceptions for some foreign nationals, its narrow scope leaves out many migrant workers who pay taxes, sustain local economies and face the same strain from the ongoing economic crisis. "Foreign nationals, especia

Aug 17, 2025By Jung Da-hyun
Cash handouts exclude migrant workers, prompting debate on fairness

No extra holiday expected for Chuseok, dimming hopes for 10-day break

The government appears unlikely to designate Oct. 10 as a temporary public holiday, a move that would have extended this year’s Chuseok festival to 10 consecutive days. The move comes despite President Lee Jae Myung’s call last week for proactive steps to boost domestic demand during the Chuseok holiday period, as officials worry the longer break could drive more outbound travel than local spending and cut working days. Korean media reported Friday that the government is currently not considering designating Oct. 10 as a temporary public holiday, citing concerns that it could dampen domestic demand and negatively affect exports and industrial output due to fewer working days. With the Chuseok holiday period overlapping with National Foundation Day and Hangul Day this year, the holiday spans a full seven days. If Friday, Oct. 10, were designated as a temporary public holiday, the break would extend by an additional three days with the weekend, making it a 10-day stretch. Under Korean law, the government can designate temporary public holidays as needed. In recent years, it has occasio

Aug 17, 2025By Park Ung
No extra holiday expected for Chuseok, dimming hopes for 10-day break

2 dead, 13 injured in apartment building fire in Seoul

Two people were killed and 13 others injured after a fire broke out in an apartment building in Seoul on Sunday, authorities said. The blaze began on the 14th floor of the 20-story building in Seoul's western ward of Mapo at about 8:10 a.m., forcing 89 residents to evacuate. A woman in her 60s and her 20-something son died in the fire. One person was seriously injured, while the rest sustained minor injuries. The fire agency said it mobilized 252 personnel and 79 vehicles and extinguished the flames at 10:42 a.m. after receiving a report of black smoke from the building. Fire sprinklers were not installed on the 14th floor where the fire started, according to the fire agency. It plans to investigate the exact cause of the fire.

Aug 17, 2025By Yonhap
2 dead, 13 injured in apartment building fire in Seoul

Korea’s drug crisis deepens — but some are fighting back

Park Se-hyuk, 52, and Ahn Jae-hyun, 48, who together endured more than 40 years of drug addiction and faced numerous convictions, managed not only to quit but to completely turn their lives around — becoming drug recovery counselors themselves. The secret, according to Reborn House, a privately run rehabilitation center in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province, is simple: having fun every day. Operated by Han Bu-sik, who overcame his own years of addiction, the facility doesn’t preach or push for reform. Instead, it focuses on helping users rediscover joy and rebuild their lives. Once considered largely drug-free, Korea has seen a growing drug problem in recent years. According to the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, more than 27,600 drug offenders were apprehended in 2023, about 1.5 times higher than the year before and the first time the total exceeded 20,000. There are growing signs that international drug cartels are extending their operations into Korea. In April, acting on intelligence from U.S. authorities, Korean officials inspected a ship arriving from Mexico at a port in Gangneung

Aug 16, 2025By Park Ung
Korea’s drug crisis deepens — but some are fighting back

Between competition and comparison, teen anxiety disorder cases soar in Korea

The number of teenagers receiving treatment for anxiety disorders has risen sharply over the past four years, with a notable surge among younger children. According to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service on Friday, a total of 41,611 people aged 10 to 19 were treated for anxiety disorders between January and December last year — a 65.2 percent increase from 25,192 in 2020. The number has grown steadily, from 32,008 in 2021 to 37,401 in 2022, surpassing 40,000 last year. The increase was even steeper among children under 10. Last year, 4,336 in this age group received treatment for anxiety disorders, up 87.6 percent from 2,311 in 2020. Overall, the total number of patients treated for anxiety disorders across all age groups rose 20.2 percent, from 757,251 in 2020 to 910,385 in 2024. By age, increases were recorded as follows: 24.7 percent for people in their 20s, 30 percent for 30s, 25.3 percent for 40s, 12.4 percent for 50s, 14.7 percent for 60s, 4.2 percent for 70s, 16.7 percent for 80s and 50.3 percent for people in their 90s. Anxiety disorders are mental health conditi

Aug 15, 2025By Hankookilbo
Between competition and comparison, teen anxiety disorder cases soar in Korea
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