Seoul City Acknowledges Construction Errors in GTX-A Line, Conducts Immediate Safety Checks Seoul City has reported that it became aware of construction errors, including the omission of rebar in the GTX-A Line near Samseong Station, several months before notifying the government, prompting an audit. The city stated that it conducted immediate safety inspections in response. On May 16, the city released a detailed report outlining the timeline of events and confirmed that safety checks and reviews of reinforcement methods were promptly initiated. According to the city, Hyundai May 16, 2026

Noh Hong-chul Reveals Drop in Apartment Value After Assault 방송인 노홍철이 집값 하락 경험했다고 밝혔다. On May 15, Noh Hong-chul discussed his experience with falling housing prices during a video on his YouTube channel titled "Noh Hong-chul Surprised by the Current Reality of Young People Living on Rent." Noh shared, "I worked hard to buy an apartment in Apgujeong. It wasn't as expensive as it is now," referring to a past incident where he was assaulted. He recalled, "I was attacked by a stranger in front of my house. I thought it was a misunder May 16, 2026

Yuk Joong-wan Band's Kang Jun-woo Welcomes Son, Calls Birth a Miracle Kang Jun-woo, a member of the Yuk Joong-wan Band, announced on May 16 that he welcomed his first son, Woo-joo, on April 16, according to his agency, Rockstar Music & Live. In a statement to Yonhap News, Kang revealed, "Woo-joo was born as a very small micro-preemie at 25 weeks, weighing 690 grams, due to oligohydramnios and placental abruption. Although there were significant challenges early on, he is now growing well in the neonatal intensive care unit and has surpassed 1 kilogram in we May 16, 2026

Jung Won-oh Promises 15-Minute Sports Living Zones and 20 Projects in Seongsu-dong Jung Won-oh, the Democratic Party's candidate for Seoul mayor, unveiled his sports-related pledges following the registration deadline for candidates in the June 3 local elections. On May 16, Jung announced on Facebook his plans to establish a "15-Minute Sports Living Zone" and a "20 Hot Places in Seoul" project, stating, "I will ensure that every citizen can exercise close to home and enjoy healthy leisure activities with neighbors." He proposed creating large-scale public sports spa May 16, 2026

First Heat-Related Death of the Summer Occurs Earlier Than Ever A heat-related death has been reported in mid-May, marking the earliest occurrence on record for this time of year. On May 16, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported that an elderly man in his 80s died from heat-related illness in Seoul. This incident represents the earliest heat-related death since the KDCA began monitoring such cases. Starting May 15, the KDCA activated its heat-related illness surveillance system in collaboration with 516 emergency rooms May 16, 2026

Car Crashes Through Window and Falls into Pool in Miryang, Injuring Two On May 16, at approximately 10:20 a.m., a car driven by a woman in her 70s crashed through a glass window of the Hanam Sports Center in Hanam-eup, Miryang, and fell into the underground swimming pool. According to Yonhap News, the vehicle flipped over after landing in the pool. Bystanders who were swimming at the time immediately jumped into the water to rescue the driver. Witnesses described hearing a loud crash as the car broke through the glass and fell into the pool. One witness stat May 16, 2026

Samsung's Lee Jae-yong Apologizes Ahead of Planned Strike, Negotiations to Resume Lee Jae-yong, chairman of Samsung Electronics, publicly apologized to the nation and customers just five days before a planned general strike by the company’s union. Samsung and the union agreed to resume negotiations on May 18. Upon his return to Seoul on May 16 at the Gimpo Business Aviation Center, Lee stated, "I sincerely apologize to our global customers for the anxiety and concern caused by our internal issues," and added, "I bow my head in apology to the people who always support, May 16, 2026

Launch of South Korea's Climate Citizen Assembly, the World's First Permanent Body The Climate Citizen Assembly, the world's first permanent national-level body for climate discussions, has been launched in South Korea. Prime Minister Kim Min-seok attended the assembly's launch on May 16, where he expressed his commitment to incorporating the recommendations generated by citizens into government policy. "The Climate Citizen Assembly represents a new model of climate governance where citizens actively participate in policy formation and implementation, rather than being May 16, 2026

Son Heung-min Named to South Korea's 2026 World Cup Roster South Korea's national soccer team coach Hong Myung-bo announced the 26-player roster for the upcoming 2026 World Cup on May 16. The announcement took place at the KT Gwanghwamun Building in Seoul and included star player Son Heung-min of LAFC, along with three reserve players. This will be Son's fourth World Cup appearance, following previous tournaments in Brazil in 2014, Russia in 2018, and Qatar in 2022. He is joined by key European players such as Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), K May 16, 2026

Considering Ordination? Join Us in Jongno on May 17 If you are contemplating ordination, head to Jongno, Seoul, on May 17. The Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism's General Affairs Department announced that it will operate an "Ordination Counseling Booth" at the Traditional Culture Fair on Ujeongguk-ro in Jongno from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on May 17. This booth is open to anyone curious about the life of a practitioner and Buddhist culture. The department plans to engage the public through interactive programs, including on-site counseling, distr May 16, 2026