Flu season hits early and hard; cases double in a week

Seasonal influenza is spreading rapidly among children and teenagers in Korea, with cases more than doubling in just one week. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on Friday, about 51 out of every 1,000 outpatients visiting 300 monitoring hospitals between Nov. 2 and 8 showed influenza-like illness, defined as having a fever of 38 degrees Celsius or higher accompanied by symptoms such as a cough or sore throat. The figure marks a 122.4 percent increase from the previous w

Nov. 14, 2025

Gwangju district criticized for using female officials as mayor’s backup dancers

A district office in Gwangju is under fire after eight female civil servants appeared as backup dancers during a performance by Gwangju Buk-gu District Mayor Moon In. The performance took place on Nov. 6 at Donggang University during filming for the KBS program “National Singing Contest,” which drew more than 1,000 audience members. Moon took the stage to sing Yoon Soo-il’s 1985 hit “Apartment,” with the officials dancing behind him. The women, wearing sunglasses and headscarves and holding pomp

Nov. 14, 2025

Cafe owner’s sign language greeting warms hearts online

There are countless ways to promote a cafe. But sometimes, all it takes is kindness. On Oct. 19, a short video posted to the official Instagram account of Ediya Coffee’s Ansan Wolpi Hyundai branch captured a small but powerful interaction: a cafe owner serving their drinks to two deaf customers. Noticing that the customers were deaf, the owner greeted them in sign language, saying, “Enjoy your drinks,” when serving. Surprised and touched, one of the customers responded with a smile and a thumbs-

Nov. 12, 2025

Meet the man making recycling less ugly in Korea

You had a fun night out. But the next morning, the hangover hits hard. Your sister orders delivery, but after all that drinking, you can barely take a bite. Soon, leftovers, crumpled napkins and takeout containers start to pile up. And like any older sister would, she tells you to clean it up. How would you feel? That was four years ago for Seo Ho-seong, founder of Uglee Lab, the startup behind Oneul Sugeo, a service that picks up your trash from your doorstep and takes care of Korea’s notorious

Nov. 12, 2025

From lucky pencils to lunch boxes, Suneung prep drives secondhand boom

Students are making sure they have all their gear ready for Thursday's Suneung, South Korea’s university entrance exam often regarded as a life-or-death test. According to data released Tuesday by the secondhand trading platform Bungaejangter, “Suneung mechanical pencil” was the most searched keyword between August and October. The pencil, specially made and distributed at test sites by the Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation and the Ministry of Education in a different color each year

Nov. 11, 2025

Korea Post to pause deliveries in deep freeze

The state-run Korea Post announced Monday that it will temporarily suspend deliveries during periods of severe cold or heavy snowfall to protect its workers. The policy will remain in effect through the end of February. “Amid cold waves and snowstorms, we will make every effort to ensure that our employees can work safely,” said Kwak Byung-jin, acting head of Korea Post. Customers will be notified in advance if mail is delayed when postal workers pause deliveries or take shelter due to extreme c

Nov. 10, 2025

How a car karaoke video transformed a single mother’s life

GYEONGJU, North Gyeongsang Province -- A single video changed not only singer Ryssi Avila’s life but also her son’s. In it, her hair is down, her makeup minimal, and her expression calm. Sitting in her car, she softly sings “Come What May” by Air Supply. Posted in February 2023, the TikTok clip went viral, drawing more than 5.2 million views. Before that moment, Avila, a single mother, was constantly on the move, performing wherever she could to support her family. “I used to sing everywhere, at

Oct. 30, 2025

Where APEC happens: Gyeongju's 4 key venues for summits and meetings

As Gyeongju hosts the APEC 2025 summit, several key sites across the city have taken center stage. From the main conference hall to the leaders’ banquet venue and accompanying exhibitions, here are four key locations where the international event is unfolding. The main stage for the APEC summit is the Gyeongju Hwabaek International Convention Center, or HICO, located inside the city’s World Expo Grand Park. The venue embodies Gyeongju’s cultural heritage and the legacy of the ancient Silla Kingd

Oct. 29, 2025

No free G-Dragon performance during APEC, Gyeongju confirms

The city of Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, announced Sunday that online rumors that K-pop superstar G-Dragon would perform at a free, outdoor concert during the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit are false. “Recent online posts about a ‘G-Dragon performance at Cheomseongdae’ are all not true,” the city said in a statement, adding that “there are no official plans for a G-Dragon concert at Cheomseongdae.” Cheomseongdae is one of Asia’s oldest surviving astronomical observator

Oct. 27, 2025

Teacher who murdered student sentenced to life, not death penalty

A former elementary school teacher who fatally stabbed a 7-year-old student in a Daejeon school has been sentenced to life in prison in her first trial, despite prosecutors’ call for the death penalty. The Daejeon District Court on Monday convicted Myeong Jae-wan, 48, of murdering Kim Ha-neul inside an elementary school classroom in Daejeon on Feb. 10. The court also ordered Myeong to wear an electronic tracking device for 30 years. According to the verdict, Myeong lured Kim into an audiovisual

Oct. 20, 2025