South Korean throws away £14,000 in central Seoul
Passers-by more interested in taking photos than picking up the cash – and other tall tales
Our pick of the strange but true stories from around the world.
Throw-out fails to impress in South Korea
A South Korean woman scattered more than £14,000 in cash on a pavement in central Seoul in an attempt to give the money away - but passers-by were more interested in taking photos than picking up the money, say police. The woman told officials she was giving it to strangers to stop her son and ex-husband from taking it away from her. Taking unattended money is considered a form of theft in South Korea.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
One car, two drivers – and both arrested
Police in Massachusetts have arrested two men for drink-driving in the same car. One of the friends had driven the car onto a footpath and hit a road sign. He then swopped seats with his passenger – who promptly drove into the side of a parked car. When police stopped them, the driver reversed into the front of the police cruiser. "It was kind of comical," Lieutenant Scott Englehardt told the Boston Globe. "It was the first time in my 31 years that I've seen two people get arrested for drunk driving in the same car."
Home demolished by mistake
The owners of a duplex in Rowlett, Atlanta, returned home from work on Tuesday to discover their house had been torn down by mistake. "I pull up and, sure enough, it's gone," homeowner Lindsay Diaz said. "There's nothing left." The demolition company, who has so far refused to speak to the media on the matter, had been contracted to pull down a home on the neighbouring block.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
How to make the most of chestnutsThe Week Recommends These versatile nuts have way more to offer than Nat King Cole ever let on
-
Deaths for children under 5 have gone up for the first time this centuryUnder the radar Poor funding is the culprit
-
Codeword: December 22, 2025The daily codeword puzzle from The Week
-
How Bulgaria’s government fell amid mass protestsThe Explainer The country’s prime minister resigned as part of the fallout
-
Femicide: Italy’s newest crimeThe Explainer Landmark law to criminalise murder of a woman as an ‘act of hatred’ or ‘subjugation’ but critics say Italy is still deeply patriarchal
-
Brazil’s Bolsonaro behind bars after appeals run outSpeed Read He will serve 27 years in prison
-
Americans traveling abroad face renewed criticism in the Trump eraThe Explainer Some of Trump’s behavior has Americans being questioned
-
Nigeria confused by Trump invasion threatSpeed Read Trump has claimed the country is persecuting Christians
-
Sanae Takaichi: Japan’s Iron Lady set to be the country’s first woman prime ministerIn the Spotlight Takaichi is a member of Japan’s conservative, nationalist Liberal Democratic Party
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of TaiwanIn the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdownIN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users