Why Korea sets 'no more rip-off' campaign

South Korea on Wednesday signaled a shift away from a visitor-volume strategy, unveiling measures to encourage repeat visits by tackling price gouging and unfair practices affecting international travelers. The initiative reflects growing concern that negative first impressions — ranging from inflated hotel rates to taxi overcharges — could undermine the country’s rising global appeal through K-pop, film and streaming content. Policymakers say improving visitor experience has become as important

Feb. 25, 2026

Man in 30s dies during cosmetic sedation after alleged propofol overdose

Police have referred a doctor to prosecutors in connection with the death of a man in his 30s who went into cardiac arrest while undergoing sedation at a beauty clinic in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, according to local media reports Wednesday. The Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division said Tuesday that the doctor was forwarded without detention on charges of professional negligence resulting in death, as well as violations of the Medical Service Act and the Narco

Feb. 25, 2026

Seoul happiness index rises, but foreign residents cite hurdles

Seoul residents’ overall happiness index rose 0.07 points in 2025 from a year earlier to 6.61 out of 10, with satisfaction increasing in green space, though foreign residents reported continued difficulties navigating public services, according to the city’s annual survey released Wednesday. The Seoul Survey, conducted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government since 2003, measures citizens’ quality of life and changes in values amid shifting social conditions. This year’s survey covered 20,000 househ

Feb. 25, 2026

Hangang Bus back in full operation after safety concerns

Hangang Bus, Seoul's river ferry service, will resume full operations on Sunday following months of partial service after a grounding incident late last year. Ahead of the June mayoral election, the relaunch is considered a critical moment for Oh Se-hoon, who has championed the project as a centerpiece of river mobility despite mechanical troubles and persistent safety concerns. Launched last September and modeled after London’s Thames Clippers, the Hangang Bus was intended to become a new urban

Feb. 25, 2026

Namdong-gu seeks global reach beyond industrial roots

Known mainly for its factories and shopping areas, Namdong-gu is now trying to connect with the wider world, from attracting travelers to helping local firms reach abroad. The district has long served as one of Incheon’s key industrial bases, anchored by the Namdong National Industrial Complex, while Guwol-dong’s shopping streets and restaurants have made it a major consumption hub for residents. Now, officials say the district is looking to step up its engagement with the global community. Leve

Feb. 25, 2026

Suncheon plots new growth engine in cultural content

Located just off the coast in Suncheon, South Jeolla Province, the Suncheonman National Garden has established itself as one of the most loved tourist sites in the country. Rebranding the city is a tall order, but Suncheon succeeded with the then-relatively novel concept of a garden expo in 2013. It garnered international fame by hosting the Suncheonman International Garden Expo that year, and again in 2023. The Suncheonman National Garden attracts over 4 million visitors each year and welcomed

Feb. 25, 2026

Women occupy larger share of chaebol leadership

Women are taking on a larger share of management roles within chaebol ownership families, now accounting for 37 percent of executives and showing stronger representation among the next generation, a corporate tracker reported. CEO Score said Wednesday that among 81 conglomerates with at least 5 trillion won ($3.5 billion) in assets, 370 members of their ownership families were serving in management as of January. Of those, 137 were women. The data shows a more pronounced shift among younger heir

Feb. 25, 2026

What you ask AI could land you in court

Police are increasingly examining suspects’ generative artificial intelligence usage history as key evidence in establishing intent or motive, according to media reports citing legal experts on Wednesday. In a recent case, investigators said they decided to pursue murder charges -- rather than charges of death resulting from bodily injury -- against a female suspect accused of serial killings in Gangbuk-gu, Seoul, after reviewing her chat logs with OpenAI’s ChatGPT. The suspect, a woman in her 2

Feb. 25, 2026

Rapper Keith Ape’s 18-month prison term upheld by Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has upheld an 18-month prison sentence for Korean rapper Lee Dong-heon, known as Keith Ape, for marijuana use, local media reported Wednesday. Lee was convicted of violating the Narcotics Control Act. The top court rejected his claim that the sentence was excessive. Prosecutors accused Lee of smoking cannabis and vaping liquid cannabis five times at music studios in Seoul’s Gangnam and Mapo districts between February 2023 and January 2024. Lower courts sentenced him to 18 month

Feb. 25, 2026

[Graphic News] Templestay sees record high participation last year

The Templestay program saw a record 349,219 participants in 2025, including 293,704 Koreans and 55,515 from abroad, marking a 5.1 percent increase from 2024, the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, the country’s largest Buddhist sect, has reported. Including repeat visits, total attendance reached 625,304. Launched in 2002 during the Korea-Japan World Cup to promote traditional culture, the Templestay program allows participants to experience daily life at Buddhist temples. Foreign participation, wh

Feb. 25, 2026

Two teenagers behind breach of 4.62m Seoul bike users’ data

Two teenagers were found to be behind the leak of personal information belonging to 4.62 million users of Seoul’s public bike-sharing service “Ttareungi”, police said Monday. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s cybercrime investigation unit said it had apprehended two high school students on charges of violating the Information and Communications Network Act. The suspects were forwarded to prosecutors without detention. The data breach occurred between June 28 and 29, 2024, involving 4.62 mil

Feb. 24, 2026

Police deploy 2,500 officers for 9 fake threats over 3 years

At least 2,500 police officers have been mobilized in response to nine fake public threats since a notorious murder threat in Seoul’s Sillim-dong in 2023, according to local media reports Tuesday. According to local daily Dong-A Ilbo, citing police data, authorities are preparing nine civil lawsuits related to public murder threats. The cases include a threat at Sillim Station, a bomb threat targeting Jeju International Airport and an explosives threat at Shinsegae Department Store. In 2023, a m

Feb. 24, 2026

'SEAblings' vs. Korea: Online spat reveals long-buried tensions

What began as a quarrel over camera equipment at a K-pop concert in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, has erupted into sweeping backlash across Southeast Asia, exposing long-simmering racial tensions with South Korea that many in the region say have been ignored for years. The escalation — now framed as “SEAblings vs. K-netz” — is no longer about a single breach of concert etiquette, but about accumulated frustrations over condescension and racism within the global K-pop ecosystem and beyond. The conflict

Feb. 24, 2026

Health officials deny use of contaminated COVID-19 vaccines

Amid rising concerns that government-managed COVID-19 vaccines may have been administered despite possible contamination, health authorities said Tuesday that no vaccines reported to contain foreign substances were administered. According to a report released Monday by the Board of Audit and Inspection, a total of 1,285 vaccine doses distributed nationwide were found to contain foreign materials. The report also noted that additional doses sharing similar characteristics were not subject to gove

Feb. 24, 2026

Followers of female serial murder suspect surge after face revealed

The number of social media followers of a woman suspected of serial murder surged after her face was revealed online, with some users even expressing sympathy for her, local media reported Tuesday. The suspect, a woman in her 20s surnamed Kim, was sent to prosecutors in custody on Feb. 19 on charges of murder, aggravated bodily injury and violations of the Narcotics Control Act. She is accused of providing drug-laced hangover remedies to three men at a motel in Seoul’s Gangbuk district between D

Feb. 24, 2026