Police probe ticket scams ahead of BTS Gwanghwamun comeback show

Police have launched an investigation into suspected ticket scams and misuse of automated programs related to BTS’ upcoming comeback show at Gwanghwamun Square. Park Jeong-bo, chief of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, said Monday that police are currently investigating three suspected criminal cases tied to ticket sales for the concert, after ticket platform Nol Universe requested a probe into signs of automated programs buying tickets for the event on March 21. Police said the main types o

March 10, 2026

Government to increase retirement age in phases

The National Human Rights Commission of Korea said Tuesday that the Ministry of Employment and Labor had informed it the government would begin working to meet its recommendation to gradually raise the statutory retirement age. “We plan to draft new legislation to gradually raise the retirement age as part of the government’s national agenda,” the ministry said, according to the commission. “The government will actively support discussions so that labor and management can find common ground in a

March 10, 2026

More regions pay grandparents for child care

Jeju will begin offering stipends to grandparents caring for their grandchildren starting in March, following strong public approval of a similar program in Seoul. A survey conducted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government in February found that 99.2 percent of guardians were satisfied with the program, while 99.5 percent said they would recommend it to other caregivers. “I want to give my parents money for taking care of my children, but I’m glad the city is supporting them on my behalf,” said a p

March 10, 2026

Foreigners through eyes of media: Does coverage lead to prejudice?

Crimes committed by foreigners account for only a small share of offenses in South Korea. But news coverage and public debate often make them appear far more common than the numbers suggest. As of 2024, the number of “foreign residents” — defined by the Interior Ministry as foreign nationals staying in Korea for more than 90 days, naturalized citizens and their children — surpassed 2.58 million, the highest figure on record. They now make up roughly 5 percent of the population. Despite this demo

March 10, 2026

Why Chinese students flock to Korea’s MBA programs?

The number of Chinese students enrolled in graduate programs at South Korean universities has surged over the past decade, and now account for more than half of all foreign master's and doctoral students in the country. Chinese graduate students totaled 30,081 as of April 1 last year, according to data submitted by the Education Ministry to Rep. Kim Min-jeon of the National Assembly’s Education Committee. The figure represents a 167 percent increase from 11,250 in 2016, marking a roughly 2.6-fol

March 10, 2026

Ex-President Yoon refuses to attend hearing on 2022 Itaewon disaster

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday refused to meet with representatives of a special investigation committee on the 2022 crowd crush who visited the Seoul Detention Center to persuade him to attend a hearing. The National Commission for the Investigation of the October 29 Itaewon Disaster is scheduled to hold the hearing Thursday and Friday to uncover the truth behind the crowd accident that killed 159 people in the central Seoul district in October 2022, when Yoon was serving as presiden

March 10, 2026

Number of foreign residents in S. Korea nears 1.7m in 2025

The number of foreign nationals residing in South Korea approached 1.7 million as of May last year, government data showed Tuesday. The total number came to 1.69 million as of last May, up 8.4 percent from a year earlier, according to data released by the Ministry of Data and Statistics. The figure refers to foreigners aged 15 and older who have resided in the country for more than 91 days. By category, overseas Koreans with foreign nationalities accounted for the largest share, at 24.2 percent,

March 10, 2026

Seoul’s aging poor driven toward bankruptcy by living costs

A growing number of residents in Seoul are falling into irrecoverable debt, with new city data showing that people in their 60s and older now make up the majority of personal bankruptcy applicants. Six out of every 10 individuals who sought personal bankruptcy assistance through the Seoul Financial Welfare Counseling Center last year were aged 60 or above, according to a report released Tuesday. The center analyzed 1,192 valid bankruptcy applications filed in 2025 as part of its annual review of

March 10, 2026

Blog of jailed Telegram sex ring leader shut down after post bragging about prison award

A blog associated with Cho Ju-bin, the imprisoned leader of a Telegram-based sex exploitation ring, has been shut down as of Tuesday after a post boasting about an award he received in prison. When accessed, the blog currently displays only a notice stating that the page has been restricted for violating the platform’s policies. The closure follows public backlash over a blog post from Monday titled “Award acceptance speech," which shared the news of Cho receiving recognition in a prison educati

March 10, 2026

[Graphic News] S. Korea shuts 153 schools over five years

A total of 153 schools were consolidated or closed across South Korea between 2021 and 2025 as the nation’s school-age population continues to shrink, according to data from the Ministry of Education obtained by Rep. Park Sung-hoon of the People Power Party. Of the schools closed, 120 were elementary schools, 24 were middle schools and nine were high schools. The closures come as the number of students nationwide fell from 5,323,075 in 2021 to 5,015,310 last year, a drop of nearly 310,000. By re

March 10, 2026

Telegram sex ring leader bragging about award from prison sparks criticism

A blog linked to Cho Ju-bin, the imprisoned mastermind behind a notorious online sex blackmail ring, is stirring controversy after a post revealed he received an award while incarcerated, according to online communities Monday. The post titled "Award acceptance speech," uploaded late last month on the blog he has operated through a legal representative since January 2024, reads: "I received an award. It was given in recognition of my diligent participation in education programs over the past thr

March 9, 2026

Discovery of remains rekindles scrutiny of Jeju Air crash recovery

The South Korean government faces renewed criticism from families of victims of the Jeju Air crash that killed 179 people on Dec. 29, 2024, after human bone fragments and eight other suspected remains were discovered in rubble removed from the crash site in recent weeks. The accident occurred at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla Province, when a Boeing 737-800 skidded off the runway during an emergency landing following a reported bird strike, struck a concrete structure near the runway

March 9, 2026

Seoul to expand medical tourism interpreters tenfold

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Monday it will expand its pool of medical tourism interpreter-coordinators to about 1,000 this year — nearly ten times the current level — to better serve the rapidly growing number of foreign patients visiting the city. To support the initiative, the city signed a memorandum of understanding with the K-Medical Tourism Association last week. Under the agreement, interpreter-coordinators affiliated with the association will be deployed to major medical insti

March 9, 2026

Justice Ministry to crack down on illegal foreign delivery riders

The Ministry of Justice said Monday it will launch a two-month crackdown on foreigners working illegally as food delivery drivers, citing a rise in unlicensed riding and unauthorized employment. The ministry designated March and April as intensive enforcement months, saying some international students have recently begun working as delivery drivers using borrowed or falsified Korean identities, raising concerns that local job opportunities are being affected. Major delivery platforms such as Bae

March 9, 2026

Justice Ministry launches task force to protect migrant rights

The Ministry of Justice said Monday it has set up an Immigrants Rights Protection Task Force under the Korea Immigration Service to prevent human rights violations and strengthen remedies for foreign residents in South Korea. The ministry said responsibility for protecting foreign residents’ rights had previously been dispersed across multiple departments. The new task force is intended to provide a more systematic and coordinated response. According to the ministry, the team will conduct on-sit

March 9, 2026