SEOUL, Oct. 15 (Korea Bizwire) – In a collaborative effort to improve access to public transportation for older residents in underserved areas, South Korean authorities and industry leaders have joined forces to expand a Demand-Responsive Transport (DRT) bus system. On October 14, the National Police Agency, the National Association of Mayors, and Hyundai Motor signed a [...]
SEONGNAM, Oct. 15 (Korea Bizwire) – A recreational kayaking event in Seongnam, a city southeast of Seoul, has drawn sharp criticism from environmental groups and local politicians after an attempt to raise water levels left fish stranded in dried-up sections of the Tancheon Stream. The incident occurred during the 2024 Seongnam Festival (October 5-13), where city [...]
SEJONG, Oct. 15 (Korea Bizwire) – As South Korea grapples with one of the world’s lowest birth rates, a new study suggests that rising income inequality may be a significant contributing factor, prompting calls for integrated redistribution and birth support policies. The research, presented at a recent fiscal policy forum by Lee Jong Ha, a professor [...]
SEOUL, Oct. 14 (Korea Bizwire) — A man has been awarded nearly 900 million won (US$665,926) in state compensation after being wrongfully convicted and imprisoned on spy charges more than five decades ago and recently acquitted by a court, a government gazette showed Monday. The Seoul High Court made a decision on Oct. 4, ordering [...]
SEOUL, Oct. 14 (Korea Bizwire) – For Kim, a 33-year-old office worker, the constant pinging of their smartphone has become a source of irritation. The culprit? An increasing flood of spam text messages that seem to arrive at all hours. “Given the nature of my work, I’m always on my phone,” Kim said. “Receiving multiple spam [...]
SEOUL, Oct. 14 (Korea Bizwire) – A recent survey reveals growing discontent among young South Koreans regarding the country’s national pension system, with nearly 30% of those in their 20s and younger advocating for its abolition. The Youth Action for Pension Reform commissioned a poll conducted on October 7 and 8, surveying 1,001 South Koreans aged [...]
SEOUL, Oct. 11 (Korea Bizwire) – In a cramped 33-square-meter apartment in Seoul, 14 cats huddle among stacked metal kennels and cardboard boxes. This makeshift animal shelter, one of many across South Korea, exemplifies the growing crisis of pet abandonment in a country where pet ownership has soared to over 10 million households. Despite the rise [...]
SEOUL, Oct. 11 (Korea Bizwire) – A surge in the misuse of growth hormone injections, often mischaracterized as “height-increasing shots,” has led to a sharp increase in adverse effects, prompting calls for urgent measures to curb their overuse, according to a report released by a South Korean lawmaker on October 10. Representative Jeon Jin-sook of the [...]
SEOUL, Oct. 11 (Korea Bizwire) – A new convenience in South Korea’s bustling alcohol market is raising concerns about underage drinking. ‘Smart order’ services, which allow customers to order alcohol online and pick it up at offline stores, are under fire for potentially lax age verification procedures, a consumer watchdog group reported on October 10. The [...]
YEONCHEON, Oct. 10 (Korea Bizwire) – A recent fatal shooting in Yeoncheon County has shed light on the growing risks associated with South Korea’s expanding wild boar hunting program, as the number of licensed hunters has more than doubled since 2019. On October 6, a hunter in his 40s was accidentally shot and killed by a [...]