South Korea - The Korea Times

Coupang, other couriers to halt deliveries on Election Day

Coupang, often referred to as the "Amazon of Korea" for its extensive services, said Monday it will temporarily stop its popular same-day and next-day "Rocket Delivery" service between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Tuesday to ensure its approximately 20,000 delivery workers have enough time to vote for the next president. With major courier companies like CJ Logistics and Hanjin already suspending deliveries, Tuesday is expected to become a de facto “no-parcel” day nationwide. In April, the government designated Election Day as a temporary national holiday to make it easier for the electorate to vote. However, parcel delivery workers were not among those legally entitled to take the day off. Most are classified as special-type workers — a category that treats them as independent contractors rather than employees under the Labor Standards Act. As a result, many are not entitled to paid holidays or time off to vote. This is the first time Coupang has suspended its Rocket Delivery service since the service launched in 2014. In both the 2022 presidential election and the 2024 general election,

Jun 2, 2025By Park Ung

Coupang, other couriers to halt deliveries on Election Day

Doctor convicted in fentanyl overdose case sues hospital for partial liability

A doctor found guilty of causing a patient's death by administering an excessive dose of the opioid fentanyl has filed a lawsuit against the university hospital where the incident occurred, claiming it should share responsibility for the financial damages. According to sources on Sunday, a physician surnamed Yoon filed a lawsuit in February against a university hospital in Seoul where he worked as a resident at the time of the incident. Yoon is demanding the hospital reimburse him for half of the settlement he paid to the deceased patient’s family. Yoon was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and violating the Medical Service Act after prescribing a fatal overdose of fentanyl in January 2015 to a patient undergoing treatment for necrosis in the right foot. He administered 0.5 mg of fentanyl — five to 10 times higher than the standard dose of 0.05 to 0.1 mg — which led to the patient suffering cardiac arrest and ultimately dying after a period in intensive care. During his trial, Yoon paid a total of 550 million won ($402,000) to the victim’s family, including 500 million won in

Jun 2, 2025By Hankookilbo

Doctor convicted in fentanyl overdose case sues hospital for partial liability

Seoul subway arson causes over $217,000 in damage: authorities

An arson incident aboard a Seoul subway train on Saturday caused estimated financial damage of over 300 million won ($217,000), fire authorities said Sunday. The fire destroyed part of one subway compartment and caused smoke damage to two others, with total damage estimated at 330 million won. Seoul Metro told Yonhap News Agency that it plans to pursue legal action against the suspected arsonist, who is currently in police custody, to seek compensation. It also said it will review why real-time closed-circuit television footage from inside the train failed to be transmitted to the control center during the incident. A total of 23 people were transported to hospitals for smoke inhalation, while an additional 129 passengers received on-site treatment for minor injuries. Meanwhile, the police are expected to file a request for an arrest warrant with the prosecution against the suspect, whose identity has not been released, later in the day.

Jun 1, 2025By Yonhap

Seoul subway arson causes over $217,000 in damage: authorities

Police apprehend arson suspect in subway fire after hundreds escape through tunnel

Police apprehended a man in his 60s, Saturday, for suspected arson inside a Seoul subway train that prompted hundreds of passengers to evacuate through a tunnel, officials said. The suspect allegedly set fire to pieces of clothes inside the Line No. 5 subway traveling between Yeouinaru and Mapo stations at 8:47 a.m. after boarding the train with a lighter-type torch and a fuel container, according to police and witnesses. More than 400 passengers escaped through the tunnel, with 21 of them being sent to the hospital for injuries, including smoke inhalation and a fractured ankle. No serious injuries have so far been reported. Passengers and the train conductor initially contained the flames with fire extinguishers before they were fully extinguished at about 10:24 a.m. Authorities dispatched 230 personnel, including firefighters and police officers, to the scene. The suspect was taken into custody by police near Yeouinaru Station at 9:45 a.m. after being on the run. Subway services between Yeouido and Aeogae stations were suspended for awhile before resuming at 10:06 a.m. Police plan to que

May 31, 2025By Yonhap

Police apprehend arson suspect in subway fire after hundreds escape through tunnel

Factory death prompts removal of hit baseball snack amid public outcry

For one convenience store owner in central Seoul, who asked to be identified only by her surname Kim, the past few days have been consumed by the complex task of relocating her shop. As she carefully moves inventory to the new location, she’s also reassessing the range of products she carries. One item that stands out is SPC Samlip’s bread, created in collaboration with the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO). It holds an ambiguous position on her shelves — neither a top seller nor a flop. While it hasn’t flown off the shelves, Kim notes that it has performed steadily enough to avoid being considered a failure. “It never failed to sell,” Kim told The Korea Times. “Unlike other types of bread, I’ve never had to throw it out. Baseball fans always bought it.” Indeed, fans absolutely loved it. Many weren't just buying the bread for a snack, but for the thrill of collecting the photo stickers of baseball players tucked inside each package. This passionate collecting frenzy fueled an unprecedented sales surge. Just last month, the KBO bread line blew past 10 million items sold

May 30, 2025By Park Ung

Factory death prompts removal of hit baseball snack amid public outcry

Taiwanese man arrested for filming NIS headquarters in Seoul

A Taiwanese man in his 30s has been arrested on suspicion of filming Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) headquarters without authorization, police said Wednesday. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s industrial technology security unit, the man, identified only as A, was taken into custody around 12:33 p.m. Thursday near the main gate of the NIS compound in Naegok-dong, Seocho District, Seoul. He was arrested on the spot for violating the Act on the Protection of Military Bases and Installations. Police responded to a report from an NIS staff member who noticed a civilian filming the agency’s premises. Officers from Seocho Police Station apprehended the man and transferred him to the metropolitan police agency for investigation. Authorities said the man was seen loitering near the compound and allegedly filming inside the restricted area. His mobile phone has been voluntarily submitted to police, who plan to conduct a digital forensic analysis to determine the nature and purpose of the footage. This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The

May 30, 2025By Hankookilbo

Taiwanese man arrested for filming NIS headquarters in Seoul

US parents honor late daughter with annual scholarship for Korean students

The parents of a U.S. English teacher who died in a traffic accident in Korea have been sending scholarship funds to an elementary school in Ulsan for eight consecutive years in honor of their daughter’s love and dedication to her Korean students. According to the Ulsan Metropolitan Office of Education on Thursday, Yeompo Elementary School in Buk District held a scholarship ceremony on May 24 in memory of the late Sarah Dinell, a former English teacher at the school. Dinell, an American national, began teaching at Yeompo Elementary in August 2015. She passed away in a car accident in November 2016 at the age of 24. In 2018, her parents pledged to donate 1,000 dollars annually for 10 years to support the school, hoping to carry on their daughter's passion for teaching Korean students. The initiative, named the Sarah Dinell Scholarship, has been awarded to students each year since. In its eighth year, this year’s scholarship was presented to seven students, who also wrote letters of gratitude to Dinell’s parents. One student wrote, “Thank you, Sarah Dinell teacher and your parents.

May 30, 2025By Hankookilbo

US parents honor late daughter with annual scholarship for Korean students

No emergency communication occurred before fatal patrol plane crash: Navy

Crew members aboard a maritime patrol aircraft that fatally crashed earlier this week had no communication, suggesting an emergency situation with the ground control tower, the Navy said Friday. A Navy P-3CK patrol plane crashed on a mountain in Pohang, about 270 kilometers southeast of Seoul, at 1:49 p.m. Thursday, six minutes after taking off for routine training from a nearby air base, killing all four Navy officers aboard. No civilian casualties were reported. "The last communication between the control tower and the aircraft occurred at 1:48 p.m., and there were no details indicating an emergency situation," the Navy said. The aircraft was usually based on the southern island of Jeju but had flown to Pohang for touch-and-go training, due to heavy civilian air traffic at the Jeju airport. The accident occurred when the aircraft was circling to the right after completing its first round of training, according to the Navy. The aircraft remained on a pre-arranged flight route, and the weather conditions in Pohang were favorable at the time of the accident, officials said. The armed servi

May 30, 2025By Yonhap

No emergency communication occurred before fatal patrol plane crash: Navy

‘Hopeful,’ ‘hesitant,’ but still voting: Citizens rush to early polls

A polling station in central Seoul’s Euljiro area was already bustling with voters on Thursday morning as the two-day early voting period for the June 3 presidential election kicked off at 3,568 voting sites nationwide. It took about 30 minutes for voters who weren’t registered in the district to reach the booths, while a separate line was designated for district residents. After presenting their resident registration cards and scanning their fingerprints for identification, voters received a ballot and an envelope to seal it in. Voters entered booths to mark their choices, then placed their folded ballots in envelopes and sealed them with stickers. Election observers monitored the entire process. While their preferred candidates differed, voters emphasized the importance of participating in a democracy and expressed hopes that the next president would revive the struggling economy. “You need to vote if you want a better country. That’s why I came out this morning,” said Jung Jung-yong, a 70-year-old print worker who voted before heading to work. “I hope this election brings

May 29, 2025By Park Ung

‘Hopeful,’ ‘hesitant,’ but still voting: Citizens rush to early polls

Hurdles remain for voters with disabilities in Korea

While Koreans headed to early voting stations for the June 3 presidential election on Thursday, a sizable segment of the electorate — voters with disabilities — confronted persistent barriers to accessing crucial election information and casting their ballots at polling sites. As of 2024, about 2.64 million Koreans — 5.1 percent of the population — have disabilities. According to the National Election Commission (NEC), this group has a high turnout rate of around 70 percent in elections. However, they still face significant barriers to fully exercising their political rights. Structural impediments have ignited frustration and a renewed call for action from disability rights advocates. “The voting rights of people with developmental disabilities remain barred, but we will not just sit and wait here. Guarantee our rights to cast ballots!” a group of voters with developmental disabilities and disability advocacy activists said during a press conference in downtown Seoul, Thursday. The group called on the government to make elections more inclusive for people with disabilities b

May 29, 2025By Lee Hae-rin

Society