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  • Society

    Murder suspect's father evades charges, fueling debate over Korea's family evidence-tampering exemption

    The father of Jang Yoon-gi, a suspect in the murder of a high school girl, allegedly destroyed evidence in the case, renewing debate over Korea's criminal code exemption shielding family members from evidence-tampering charges. Last month, prosecutors indicted Jang, 23, on charges of stabbing and killing the girl in Gwangju in May after following her with intent to rape. He was also indicted on charges of attacking another student with a knife when they tried to intervene. Investigators later found that Jang's father, an active-duty police officer, had disposed of items from his son's residence, including several mobile phones and a sex doll whose chest and neck areas showed concentrated damage. The father was not indicted, however. Under current law, destroying evidence in another person's criminal case carries penalties of up to five years in prison or a fine of up to 7 million won ($4,530), but relatives or family members living with the offender are exempt. Lee Yung-hyeock, a professor of police science at Konkuk University, said the exemption exists in Korea because of questions whe

    2 MIN READBy Park Ung
    Murder suspect's father evades charges, fueling debate over Korea's family evidence-tampering exemption
  • Society

    Korean couples ditch luxury wedding halls for $19 public venues

    3 MIN READBy Hankookilbo
    Korean couples ditch luxury wedding halls for $19 public venues
  • Law & Crime

    Bill targets deportation of drug, phishing offenders

    2 MIN READBy Jung Min-ho
    Bill targets deportation of drug, phishing offenders
  • Environment & Animals

    'Noseprints' to bring lost dogs home

    2 MIN READBy Jhoo Dong-chan
    'Noseprints' to bring lost dogs home
  • Global Community

    Grand Ole Opry's Mama Kim reflects on 50 years doing business in Itaewon

    5 MIN READBy Matt VanVolkenburg
    Grand Ole Opry's Mama Kim reflects on 50 years doing business in Itaewon
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Politics

Ruling party, gov't agree on support measures for SMEs hit by rising oil prices

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and the government agreed Thursday on the need to provide support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and micro business owners to cushion them from rising oil prices due to an intensifying war in the Middle East. The meeting, attended by DPK lawmakers and Financial Services Commission (FSC) officials, came as the government is preparing a supplementary budget to address the fallout from the ongoing conflict. The two sides also discussed plans to provide financial support to the state-run Industrial Bank of Korea (IBK), one of the key policy lenders in Korea, to help lower borrowing costs for SMEs and mom-and-pop stores, DPK Rep. Kim Nam-geun said during a briefing. At the meeting, FSC Chairman Lee Eog-weon said the government will seek to include in the supplementary budget programs aimed at easing the burden on companies and small merchants hit by the Middle East crisis. The DPK and the government earlier agreed to draw up and submit this year's first supplementary budget bill to the National Assembly by the end of this month.

Mar 19, 2026By Yonhap
Ruling party, gov't agree on support measures for SMEs hit by rising oil prices
Defense

US Army stationed in Korea conducts long-range aviation combat drills

A U.S. Army unit stationed in South Korea said Thursday it has conducted large-scale aviation drills aimed at demonstrating its aviation combat capability. Soldiers from the 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade of the 2nd Infantry Division participated in the Talon Reach exercise, which ran from March 9-12, according to a release by the brigade. It involved AH-64 Apache attack helicopter, UH-60 Black Hawk and CH-47 Chinook aircraft, alongside sustainment elements and small unmanned aircraft systems, it said. The brigade's aviation regiment in charge of operating small unmanned aircraft systems supported reconnaissance and targeting missions across the battlespace. Following an extensive aviation mission stretching over 1,300 miles, or 2,092 kilometers, the Apache crews engaged in a precision fires mission against simulated enemy targets, wrapping up the exercise in an attack and seizure of an island. "Exercises like Talon Reach demonstrate the strength of the U.S.-ROK alliance and the commitment of both nations to maintaining a ready and capable combined force," it said, referring to South Korea b

Mar 19, 2026By Yonhap
US Army stationed in Korea conducts long-range aviation combat drills
Others

Korean cafe’s $1.35 'toilet without ordering' menu sparks online debate

A social media post showing a cafe charging 2,000 won ($1.35) for restroom use without a purchase has sparked heated debate online in South Korea. The image featured a screenshot of a self-order kiosk displaying a menu item reading “restroom use without ordering,” priced at 2,000 won per person, per visit. The post also drew mixed reactions in an online community for small-business owners. One user said the fee was understandable, writing that many people come in just to use the restroom without buying anything and sometimes leave it in a filthy condition. From a cafe owner’s perspective, the commenter said, such behavior can seem brazenly inconsiderate. Others were less sympathetic. Another commenter called the fee excessive and said it came off as “cold-hearted.” One cafe owner also shared the challenges of managing restrooms at a business located in an area popular with tourists. “It is a big burden because people often throw away regular trash or even leave full garbage bags in the restroom,” the owner wrote. The owner said a password system was added to the restroom door

Mar 19, 2026By Hankookilbo
Korean cafe’s $1.35 'toilet without ordering' menu sparks online debate
Law & Crime

Investigators question ex-oceans minister in Unification Church-linked bribery case

A former oceans minister, who is a ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) lawmaker, appeared before investigators Thursday to be questioned about bribery allegations linked to the Unification Church. Rep. Chun Jae-soo is suspected of violating laws on bribery and political funds for allegedly receiving 20 million won ($13,300) in cash and a luxury watch worth 10 million won from the church in 2018. The gifts are suspected to have been given to win Chun's support for church projects, including the construction of a proposed undersea tunnel connecting Korea and Japan. "I hope a conclusion is made as soon as possible," Chun told reporters as he arrived at a joint police-prosecutor team's office in southern Seoul. He did not answer their questions about the alleged gifts and favors. The joint investigation launched in January after a former Unification Church official claimed that he gave cash and other gifts on behalf of the church to current and former lawmakers, including Chun, between 2018 and 2020. Chun stepped down as oceans minister late last year shortly after the bribery allegations

Mar 19, 2026By Yonhap
Investigators question ex-oceans minister in Unification Church-linked bribery case
Defense

S. Korea, US conclude key springtime military drills amid N. Korean threats

South Korea and the United States wrapped up their annual Freedom Shield (FS) exercise Thursday aimed at strengthening their combined readiness posture, amid North Korea's verbal threats and the launch of some 10 ballistic missiles. The major springtime exercise, involving realistic wartime scenarios reflecting trends in modern warfare, drew to an end after an 11-day run, their militaries said in a joint statement. "The Republic of Korea and the United States successfully concluded FS 26, reaffirming a strong combined defense posture and further enhancing the alliance's ability to conduct operations across all domains," the statement said, referring to South Korea by its formal name. This year's exercise focused on assessing conditions to achieve the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) from Washington to Seoul as South Korea seeks a "conditions-based" handover within President Lee Jae Myung's five-year term ending in 2030. Some 18,000 troops took part in the drills, a scale similar to the previous year, but the number of field training exercises halved to around 22, compared

Mar 19, 2026By Yonhap
S. Korea, US conclude key springtime military drills amid N. Korean threats
South Korea

Gov't discusses adopting AI education programs in elementary, middle schools

The science and education ministries discussed Thursday ways to foster artificial intelligence (AI) talent amid fast changes in the rapidly evolving sector, officials said. The Ministry of Science and ICT held a meeting with the Ministry of Education to seek joint efforts to provide AI education programs across all stages of schooling, including establishing education platforms in which students can engage directly with data and AI models. Korea will also provide training courses for teachers and prepare guidelines on the safe use of AI platforms. The government will promote cooperation among AI-related departments at local universities, including joint research and exchange programs. "Now is the golden time to implement policy measures to foster professionals amid a major transformation, under which the development of cutting-edge technologies is accelerating and the global industrial order is being reshaped by AI," Science Minister Bae Kyung-hoon said in a release.

Mar 19, 2026By Yonhap
Gov't discusses adopting AI education programs in elementary, middle schools
Politics

Ruling party introduces key prosecution reform bill at plenary session, triggering filibuster from main opposition

The ruling Democratic Party Korea (DPK) on Thursday introduced a prosecution reform bill aimed at separating investigative and indictment powers at a parliamentary plenary session, prompting the main opposition party to launch a filibuster. In what would be a major overhaul of the prosecution service, the bills are follow-up measures to a government reorganization law that will abolish the existing prosecution service structure in October and outline the framework for launching new investigative and indictment agencies in the same month. During the plenary session, the main opposition People Power Party launched a filibuster in protest, after the DPK brought the bill to establish an indictment agency to the floor. Under the bill, the indictment agency will only handle indictments, while a separate body, the so-called serious crimes investigation agency, will have powers to open investigations into crimes involving corruption and economic offenses, among others. No change was made to the title of the agency's chief, which will remain "prosecutor general." The government has pushed for the

Mar 19, 2026By Yonhap
Ruling party introduces key prosecution reform bill at plenary session, triggering filibuster from main opposition
Law & Crime

Police seek arrest warrant for suspect behind airline pilot murder

BUSAN — Police sought an arrest warrant Wednesday for a former pilot suspected of fatally stabbing an airline pilot in the southeastern city of Busan, according to officials. The man in his 50s, surnamed Kim, was taken into custody Tuesday evening after allegedly murdering the victim, a former colleague, early that morning at an apartment in Busan. The suspect has said he began planning the crime three years earlier and sought to kill four people, according to police. Shortly after the murder, Kim visited another former colleague's home in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, to allegedly carry out another attack but the attempt failed. He is also accused of attempting to strangle and kill another former pilot colleague on Monday in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, before fleeing the scene. The suspect is said to have fallen out with his former colleagues when he lost his job two years earlier.

Mar 18, 2026By Yonhap
Police seek arrest warrant for suspect behind airline pilot murder
Society

Warehouse-style drugstores in Korea fuel rise in teen overdoses

Lee, a 15‑year‑old middle school student in Ulsan, boarded a bus for an hour‑long trip not to meet friends or shop for clothes, but to buy sleep aids. At a warehouse drugstore, she said, no one asked why she was buying pills, or how many. Warehouse drugstores in Korea are enabling a growing teenage overdose problem by removing face‑to‑face medical oversight from over‑the‑counter drug sales, a retail model regulators have yet to meaningfully address. Teenagers refer to the practice as “OD,” short for overdose — taking excessive amounts of over‑the‑counter drugs to cause hallucinations. Health officials say the trend has spread rapidly, fueled by easy access to medication and social media posts that help spread the trend. At the center of the issue is the warehouse drugstore model, where customers select over‑the‑counter medications directly from open shelves with minimal pharmacist consultation. The format contrasts with neighborhood pharmacies, where pharmacists typically screen purchases and question minors about their symptoms. “Local pharmacies either ref

Mar 18, 2026By Hankookilbo
Warehouse-style drugstores in Korea fuel rise in teen overdoses
Society

Say “That’s not my job” and you may be out: AI ushers in age of voluntary overwork

Nam Dong-deuk, 42, a 15-year veteran at his company, sat at his desk and turned on his computer. As his fingers moved across the keyboard and his eyes darted between the monitors, he looked as if he were casually chatting with a colleague. Ninety minutes later, he leaned back with a relaxed smile, like a student relieved to have finished his homework. In that time, he had created an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot that could answer coworkers’ questions on the company’s internal messenger, from how to use vacation days to how to spend company reward points, using information drawn from internal manuals. Nam is not a seasoned developer fluent in code. A business administration major who has worked at both large corporations and startups, he is now an HR manager at an online commerce platform. The reason he was able to build the chatbot in under two hours, he said, was “vibe coding.” Nam described vibe coding as a way to create software simply by telling AI what function is needed, instead of learning complex programming languages. Employees in each department can build the pro

Mar 18, 2026By Hankookilbo
Say “That’s not my job” and you may be out: AI ushers in age of voluntary overwork
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