Incidents of women dressed in bikinis in central Seoul areas have sparked criticism online, with the authorities considering charging them with indecent exposure. On Friday, a woman riding an electric scooter dressed in a bikini was spotted in Hongdae district. Photos taken by citizens quickly spread across online communities and social media. On the very same day, a report was made to the police about four motorcycles carrying women in bikinis and helmets in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. The police are cu

Social Affairs Aug. 14, 2023

Suga of BTS recently completed the process of canceling his deferral for mandatory military service and is expected to enlist in the winter of 2023. Big Hit Music announced through Weverse, a communication platform for fans, that Suga has begun the procedure for fulfilling his military duty and that further updates regarding his enlistment will be provided later. The agency requested warm support and unchanging love for Suga as he fulfills his military duty and returns in good health. Suga, who

K-pop Aug. 8, 2023

A notification service called Terrorless has been launched to predict stabbing attacks and provide related information amid indiscriminate online murder threat posts. The number of online posts about murder threats has increased following the Sillim Station and Bundang stabbing incidents in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province. Terrorless allows users to access information about stabbing attack threats, related news links, and the locations of the threatened areas on a map. Currently, there are 45 alerts

Social Affairs Aug. 7, 2023

Anxiety and fear are spreading among Koreans after a random vehicle and stabbing attack late Thursday afternoon in Seongnam, south of Seoul, with many voicing concerns about safety and some even choosing to cancel their outings to crowded areas. On Thursday, a 23-year-old man surnamed Choi was captured after he drove a car on a pedestrian walkway, injuring five, and going on a random stabbing rampage at a nearby department store, further injuring nine near Seohyeon Subway Station in Bundang, Gye

Social Affairs Aug. 4, 2023

Parasols, used for sun protection, have become a nationwide trend, transcending gender and age, as an unprecedented heatwave with temperatures nearly reaching 40 degrees Celsius has gripped the country. A 107 percent increase in parasol purchases July 25-31 was reported compared to the same period last year, right after the end of the rainy season and the onset of the heatwave, Hyundai Department Store said. Lotte Department Store also experienced a 45 percent increase in parasol sales, with a s

Social Affairs Aug. 3, 2023

The value-added tax will be exempted for veterinary expenses related to a number of common diseases in pets starting from October. The Ministry of Economy and Finance announced on Thursday that they will expand the conditions for VAT exemption on veterinary services for pets to alleviate the financial burden of medical expenses. The scope of exempted services will be expanded to include disease prevention and treatments. The Finance Ministry listed about 100 treatments and diseases, such as neut

Social Affairs July 28, 2023

Daegu police are investigating the death of a 3-year-old girl at a day care center. On June 21, the child was discovered unconscious and not breathing with traces of vomit around her mouth during nap time. The family of the child claims the responsibility lies with the day care staff, while the child's teacher claims she was occupied with other tasks at the time. Despite the teacher performing cardiopulmonary resuscitations and rushing the child to hospital, the child died. No apparent exte

Social Affairs July 28, 2023

Concerns over censorship are growing in South Chungcheong Province over the provincial government's decision to remove seven titles dealing with sex and gender issues from public libraries following complaints from conservative groups. South Chungcheong Governor Kim Tae-heum on Tuesday told the provincial assembly that seven titles on such issues were removed from 36 public libraries. The move follows a "flood of complaints" from conservative groups, including the Kkumkium Growth

Social Affairs July 27, 2023

Introduction of tipping by Kakao T, South Korea's largest taxi hailing service, has been met with mixed reactions from the public. This service enables Kakao Taxi users to tip drivers about 1,000 to 2000 won ($0.78 to $1.57), as a gesture of appreciation for good service. The trial tipping service is available for all services offered by Kakao (Blue, Deluxe, Venti, pet-able taxis) except for regular taxis. Passengers can provide tips after rating the taxi service, and the entire amount go

Social Affairs July 26, 2023

Fourth-grade students from Iseo Elementary School in Wanju, North Jeolla Province, are drawing attention online for their compassionate efforts in helping their community recover from flood damage after recent monsoon rains ripped through the country. A group of forty students, accompanied by their homeroom teacher, visited the Iseo-myeon Administrative Welfare Center on Wednesday morning. They expressed their concern about the hardships people were facing due to the heavy rains and donated 96,0

Social Affairs July 22, 2023

According to a report by CJB on Tuesday, a 44-year-old cargo truck driver named Yoo Byung-jo rescued three people while seeking refuge on the roof of his truck near an underpass that flooded in Osong-eup, North Chungcheong Province, on Saturday. On the day of the flooding accident, Yoo explained that he noticed the bus in front had stalled when the water started rising in the tunnel. He drove his truck into the bus in an attempt to push the bus along, but the attempt failed and his truck lost po

Social Affairs July 18, 2023

Gwangju Nambu Police Station arrested two Vietnamese nationals without detention on charges of property damage for allegedly shooting steel balls and breaking the windows of an apartment Monday. The two students allegedly fired the steel balls with a slingshot near an apartment in Nam-gu, Gwangju, damaging two windows on the 5th and 6th floors. The police received a report and conducted an investigation for four days before apprehending the suspects at a university dormitory at 5 p.m. on July 14

Social Affairs July 18, 2023

A restaurant in Gangwon Province has branded itself a "yes kids zone," amidst public debates surrounding spaces in which children's access is restricted here, commonly known as "no kids zones." A "yes kids zone" stands in direct opposition to the point of the "no kids zone," as it actively embraces child customers. On the June 16, a restaurant operating in the city of Taebaek, Gangwon Province, received a glowing review stating it was an "excelle

Social Affairs July 17, 2023

Starbucks Korea will release a limited edition of three popular beverages in a size called "trenta" that is almost 1 liter starting from July 20 to Sept. 30, to commemorate its 24th anniversary of opening in the country. The trenta size will be available as to-go only at select locations, and offered as an option for three popular Starbucks beverages: Cold Brew, Iced Grapefruit Honey Black Tea, and Strawberry Acai Starbucks Refreshers Beverage. The trenta size is currently only availab

Consumer July 12, 2023

Seoul Metro has once issued a "map" of subway trains to help passengers avoid being too cold or too hot, as it turns up the air conditioning in the summer heat. There has been a 60 percent increase in complaints regarding uncomfortable heating and cooling conditions on trains compared to the same month last year, Seoul Metro said, issuing guidance on subway usage on Thursday. From January to May of this year, complaints about "being hot" increased by approximately 60 percent.

Social Affairs July 7, 2023