Hong Kong records 21 mpox cases since August, high-risk groups urged to get jabs

South China Morning Post - Oct 10, 2026

Hong Kong has recorded 21 cases of mpox since August, accounting for 70 per cent of this year’s total, prompting health authorities to urge people who engage in high-risk sexual contact to take protective measures and get vaccinated to reduce their risk of infection. The latest case, involving a 29-year-old man, brought the total number recorded in Hong Kong this year to 30, comprising 23 local cases and seven imported ones, the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) said on Saturday. Twenty-one...

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Oct 10, 2026

US prison term counts toward Korean military exemption, court rules

A Korean-born man who spent 14 years in a U.S. prison for armed robbery does not have to serve in the Korean military, a Seoul court has ruled, extending an exemption for convicted inmates to those who have served their jail sentences overseas. The ruling rejects the Military Manpower Administration's position that only inmates transferred to Korea to complete their sentences qualify for exemption. The court did, however, attach a condition meant to keep the exemption from becoming a loophole for draft evasion. Under the Military Service Act, anyone sentenced to 18 months or more in prison is placed in wartime labor service, a category that exempts a person from peacetime duty and calls him up only for labor support in the event of war. The man, whose name was withheld, moved to the U.S. with his family and later became a permanent resident there. He was convicted of robbery and aggravated assault in 2010 and was deported to Korea after completing his sentence last year. A physical examination classified him as eligible for alternative service as a social service agent, but he sought ass

Oct 10, 2026

[PHOTO] Seoul Trail Walking for international students

International students take part in the 2026 Seoul Trail Walking Festival for International Students along Course 10 of the Seoul Trail in the city's Umyeonsan area, Friday. The event offered international students studying in Korea an opportunity to experience Seoul’s natural beauty, history and culture while connecting with fellow participants. Some 2026 Korea Times Global Supporters joined the event. Courtesy of Seoul Trail Information Center

Oct 10, 2026

In Korea, towns compete to host prisons as population declines

Local governments across Korea are competing to host prisons, once widely regarded as undesirable facilities, as shrinking populations and struggling local economies prompt communities to seek new sources of jobs, residents and spending. Cheongsong and Yeongdeok counties in North Gyeongsang Province, Jecheon in North Chungcheong Province and Boeun County in the same province are among the municipalities that have entered the competition. According to the Ministry of Justice, Thursday, the government is seeking sites for four correctional facilities to address prison overcrowding and aging infrastructure. Each facility would accommodate 1,000 inmates and employ 250 permanent staff members, requiring at least 192,000 square meters of land. The four projects have a combined construction cost of 967.6 billion won ($680 million). They will be carried out as build-transfer-lease projects, under which private companies construct the facilities and transfer ownership to the government, which then pays rent for their use. Cheongsong is touting its experience as host to four correctional facilitie

Oct 10, 2026

Ceiling collapse at Daegu building injures 38

Thirty-eight people suffered minor injuries Saturday when part of a ceiling collapsed at a building in Daegu, fire authorities said. According to the Daegu Fire and Safety Headquarters and the Buk District Office, the incident occurred at 10:16 a.m. on the second floor of a four-story building in Gwaneum-dong, Buk District. At the time, a vendor was selling kitchenware and other goods to elderly customers when a section of the ceiling finish collapsed. All 66 people inside evacuated the building on their own following the collapse. A total of 38 people were reported to have sustained minor injuries, with nine of them transported to hospitals. None of the injuries are believed to be life-threatening. Firefighters were dispatched to conduct a search and implement safety measures at the scene. A thorough search following the evacuation revealed no additional casualties. Police also deployed officers around the site to manage traffic. Built in 1994, the four-story building previously housed a grocery store on the first floor, which had suspended operations in September. Authorities plan to in

Oct 10, 2026

[COVER STORY] After interviewing 42 death row inmates, researcher believes capital punishment should end

Every weekday before 1997, death row inmates in Korea braced themselves between 6 and 9 a.m. — the hours when executions could happen. If 9 a.m. passed uneventfully, they felt relief. Then they went to sleep wondering if the next morning would be their last. No one has been executed since Dec. 30, 1997, but 56 people remain on death row — 52 in Ministry of Justice correctional facilities and four in military prisons. Kim Dae-keun, a research fellow at the Korean Institute of Criminology and Justice, interviewed 42 of them. "Most of them were ashamed, distressed or regretful about what they did," Kim said in an interview with The Korea Times. "I imagine they were brutal and frightening when they committed their crimes. But many I met in prison now were older, frail men." Oct. 10 marks World Day Against the Death Penalty, an annual international observance calling for the abolition of executions as judicial punishment. In Korea, the day arrives with the death penalty still on the books but widely regarded as unenforceable. Most inmates now believe executions will not resume — a beli

Oct 10, 2026

Human rights watchdog calls for progress on abolishing death penalty

The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) on Saturday called for renewed efforts to abolish the death penalty, nearly 30 years after the country's last execution. In a statement marking the 24th World Day Against the Death Penalty, NHRCK Chairperson Ahn Chang-ho noted that Korea had not carried out an execution since Dec. 30, 1997. “The past 30 years have shown that society can maintain public safety and a stable criminal justice system without carrying out executions. This experience is a valuable asset that goes beyond simply suspending executions,” Ahn said. “Now is the time to advance discussions on whether the death penalty should remain in law, drawing on this experience.” Ahn also highlighted the global trend toward abolishing capital punishment. According to Amnesty International, 145 countries had abolished the death penalty in law or practice as of the end of last year, accounting for about three-quarters of countries worldwide. He said discussions on abolition should take into account the suffering of violent crime victims and their families, as well as publ