South Korea - The Korea Times

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

AirAsia blames bad weather for Incheon-bound flight's surprise Gimpo landing

The AirAsia flight that caused passenger confusion by making an unexpected landing at Gimpo International Airport instead of its original destination of Incheon International Airport on Wednesday evening made a safety-based “planned diversion” due to adverse weather conditions, according to the airline. Flight D7 506, which departed Kuala Lumpur International Airport earlier that day, had been scheduled to land at Incheon Airport. However, after circling over Korean airspace due to bad weather, the flight instead touched down at Gimpo at 8:08 p.m., about 20 kilometers away from Incheon, causing confusion and inconvenience. Videos taken on board showed a crew announcement stating the aircraft was short on fuel, describing the landing at Gimpo as an emergency measure while the captain assessed the possibility of flying to Incheon. However, several passengers later told local media that the crew failed to manage the confusion effectively during the two-hour delay, citing the lack of a clear announcement or apology in Korean about the landing. Even the cabin crew appeared “as confused

Aug 15, 2025By Lee Hae-rin

AirAsia blames bad weather for Incheon-bound flight's surprise Gimpo landing

Korea's construction worker death rate highest among major OECD economies: data

The accident mortality rate among Korean construction workers is twice the average of the top 10 economies of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), data showed Friday. In 2023, 1.59 workers out of every 10,000 died from work-related accidents, marking the highest fatality rate among the top 10 OECD economies, according to data compiled by the Construction & Economy Research Institute of Korea (CERIK). Korea was followed by Canada, which saw 1.08 deaths per 10,000 workers, France at 0.97, the United States 0.96, Italy 0.92, Spain 0.72 and Japan at 0.68. The average mortality rate of the top 10 OECD economies stood at 0.78. Korea's overall industrial accident fatality rate, including the construction sector, was 0.39 per 10,000 workers in 2023, the second highest among the 10 largest OECD economies, according to the data. Canada had the highest mortality rate of 0.5. Following Korea was the United States at 0.37 and France at 0.35. Britain had the lowest rate of 0.04. Korea's tally was 1.6 times higher than the average of the top 10 countries and 9.8 times higher

Aug 15, 2025By Yonhap

Korea's construction worker death rate highest among major OECD economies: data

Adoptees voice deep concerns regarding state takeover of adoption system

Korea’s move to bring its adoption process entirely under government control was promoted as a safeguard against the abuses that have long marred the country’s adoption system. Yet for many adoptees searching for their birth roots here, the change has sparked frustration, anxiety and skepticism over whether it will truly address decades of injustice. Adoptees contend that the transition has been mishandled in ways that violate constitutional rights, restrict access to essential personal records and jeopardize the preservation of decades of adoption files. Reflecting this concern, Emergency Action for Record Storage (EARS), an adoptee advocacy group, recently filed a petition with the National Human Rights Commission of Korea. The group alleges that the process involved unlawful rights restrictions and mishandling of sensitive adoption materials, and calls for an investigation and corrective recommendations. This comes as the government-run National Center for the Rights of the Child (NCRC) ― now responsible for all adoption administration ― has begun transferring records to a te

Aug 15, 2025By Jung Min-ho

Adoptees voice deep concerns regarding state takeover of adoption system

PHOTOS Eve of 80th Liberation Day

Fireworks are launched in front of the National Assembly in Seoul during a ceremony on the eve of the 80th National Liberation Day, Thursday. Yonhap

Aug 14, 2025By Ko Dong-hwan

Who is Korea's gender equality minister nominee?

Korea is poised to reinvigorate its long-stalled gender policy agenda after President Lee Jae Myung nominated Won Min-kyong, a veteran women’s rights activist and attorney, as the new minister of gender equality. Won, 53, is a well-known family law expert with over 20 years of work on behalf of women and children. Her nomination comes after the Lee administration’s troubled first attempt to fill the post with Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) Rep. Kang Sun-woo, who withdrew her candidacy last month amid abuse of power allegations and public criticism over her perceived insensitivity and lack of expertise on gender equality issues. Won's selection comes after the ministry endured a 17-month leadership vacuum under the former Yoon Suk Yeol administration, which initially pledged to abolish the ministry, then largely sidelined its functions. Lee has pledged to restore the ministry, vowing not only to fill the ministerial void but to also expand it into a “Ministry of Gender Equality and Family Empowerment,” targeting deeper support for the marginalized and improved protection for you

Aug 14, 2025By Lee Hae-rin

Who is Korea's gender equality minister nominee?

South Jeolla leads on hospital programs for foreign residents

South Jeolla Province has launched the nation’s first program to designate hospitals that provide medical services tailored for foreign residents, aiming to improve access to care and ensure stable treatment for those living in the region. With the province posting the fastest growth in foreign residents nationwide last year at 18.5 percent, the initiative is designed to ease medical costs and overcome language barriers that have long hindered timely and adequate care. Among the province’s more than 60,000 registered foreign residents, over half of its foreign workers hold visa types that typically place them in physically demanding jobs, such as seasonal farming, fishing and seafaring. This high share of manual laborers, whose work often carries a greater risk of injury, has heightened the need for medical services suited to their work conditions and limited access to care. The 71 designated hospitals, which began operating last month, provide foreign residents without national health insurance coverage access to medical services at prices comparable to those paid by insured patien

Aug 14, 2025By Park Ung

South Jeolla leads on hospital programs for foreign residents

Pregnant woman dies after epidural, autopsy finds anesthesia error

Police are investigating whether medical negligence was involved in the death of a pregnant woman in her 20s who lost consciousness after receiving an epidural at an obstetrics clinic in Daejeon and later died after nearly three weeks on life support. The Daejeon Metropolitan Police Agency is questioning the head doctor of the clinic in Dong District on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the June incident, police said Wednesday. Hospital and medical records show that the 29-year-old patient arrived at the clinic with her husband at about 5 p.m. on June 15 experiencing labor pains. While preparing for admission around 5:45 p.m., the attending physician administered an epidural in a family delivery room. Ten minutes later, the woman reported dizziness and difficulty breathing. Judging that both her vital signs and the fetal heartbeat were unstable, the doctor moved her to the operating room for an emergency cesarean section. At about 6 p.m., she went into cardiac arrest and lost consciousness. Emergency responders were called while the doctor proceeded with surgery to

Aug 14, 2025By Hankookilbo

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