Spike in juvenile gambling raises concerns in Korea

SEOUL, May 03 (AJU PRESS) - The number of Korean juveniles booked for illegal gambling more than doubled last year, prompting police to come up with comprehensive preventative measures. A total of 171 teenagers aged 14-19 were booked on suspicion of illegal gambling in 2023, a 2.3-fold increase from 74 in the previous year, the National Police Agency said Friday. Boys accounted for 92.4 percent of them. The average age of such suspects has steadily declined over the past five y

May 3, 2024

Yoon, opposition leader sit down for talks for first time

SEOUL, April 29 (AJU PRESS) - President Yoon Suk Yeol engaged in discussions with opposition leader Lee Jae-myung to revive people's livelihoods, following the ruling party's resounding defeat in the April 10 elections. In the elections, the ruling People Power Party secured only 108 seats in the 300-member National Assembly, compared to the opposition Democratic Party's 175. The meeting took place 720 days since Yoon took office in May 2022. During the talks held at

April 29, 2024

Korea sees 22% surge in moonlighting workers during 1st quarter

SEOUL, April 29 (AJU PRESS) – The number of Koreans juggling multiple jobs to make ends meet rose by about a quarter in the first quarter of the year, data showed Monday. The increase is particularly high among young and middle-aged workers, many engaging in the gig economy such as food delivery services. Statistics Korea said the number of people who held one or more side jobs alongside their main one during the first three months of the year totaled 552,000, up 22.4 percen

April 29, 2024

Seoul unveils new slogan for iconic landmark 'Dongdaemun Design Plaza'

SEOUL, April 26 (AJU PRESS) - The Seoul Design Foundation unveiled a new slogan for the capital city's iconic landmark "Dongdaemun Design Plaza" during an event commemorating the design epicenter's 10th anniversary on Friday. Replacing the old initiative of "Dream, Design, Play," the new slogan "Amazing Tomorrow" embodies Seoul's commitment to mesmerize both Koreans and foreigners for the next decade with DDP's futuristic architectural d

April 26, 2024

Korean football team fails to qualify for Olympics for first time in 40 years

SEOUL, April 26 (AJU PRESS) - Korea's hopes of securing a spot in the men's football in the Paris Olympics were shattered Thursday after they lost to Indonesia in a penalty shootout in Doha, Qatar. This is the first time in 40 years that Korea has missed the men's football tournament at the Olympics since the 1984 Los Angeles games. Korea faced Indonesia in the quarterfinals of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Under-23 Asian Cup at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium i

April 26, 2024

Seoul aims to revitalize Han River into leisure, tourism hub

SEOUL, April 25 (AJU PRESS) - The Seoul city government is pushing for a major development plan for the Han River and its waterfront areas, including the construction of a floating hotel, a water-ski slope, urban marinas and various leisure activity facilities. Mayor Oh Se-hoon announced the initiative, dubbed "River City Seoul," on Wednesday as part of efforts to revitalize the river into a vibrant hub of leisure and tourism by 2030. A total of 550 billion won ($400

April 25, 2024

SNU professor to spearhead Korea's inaugural space agency

SEOUL, April 24 (AJU PRESS) - President Yoon Suk Yeol appointed an aerospace professor at Seoul National University as the inaugural chief to oversee Korea's forthcoming space agency, the presidential office said Wednesday. Yoon Young-bin will spearhead the Korean equivalent of the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), called the Korea Aerospace Administration (KASA), slated for launch in late May. Obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in

April 24, 2024

Korea launches first nanosatellite in New Zealand

SEOUL, April 24 (AJU PRESS) - Korea's first ultra-small cluster satellite was launched into orbit in New Zealand, the Ministry of Science and ICT said Wednesday. Dubbed "NEONSAT-1," the nanosatellite lifted off from a spaceport in Mahia around 8:30 a.m. About 50 minutes after launch, the satellite was successfully separated from American aerospace company Rocket Lab's two-stage Electron rocket. The satellite made initial contact with the ground station at the

April 24, 2024

Korea witnesses aging workforce trend in SME labor market

SEOUL, April 22 (AJU PRESS) - Amidst Korea's rapidly aging population and a trend of young individuals steering clear of smaller enterprises, the labor market has seen a rise in the number of older workers in 2023. Data from Statistics Korea revealed on Monday that individuals in their 20s and 30s comprised 30.9 percent of the total small-and-medium-sized enterprise (SME) workforce of 25.3 million. Employees aged 50 and above constituted 47.8 percent of the workforce. The p

April 22, 2024

Mysterious cat deaths spark fear among pet lovers in Korea

SEOUL, April 19 (AJU PRESS) - Pet lovers in Korea have been shocked as nearly 60 cats have died of a mysterious illness since March, which they speculate to be linked to local cat foods. As of Friday, at least 152 cases, including 57 fatalities, have been reported, according to Life, an animal rights activist group. Affected cats showed acute neurological and muscular symptoms, including kidney failure and difficulty standing or moving. Sick cats were found across the country r

April 19, 2024