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S. Korean FM stresses bilateral trust as he discusses NK POW issue with Ukraine counterpart

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun stressed mutual respect and trust as basis for bilateral relations during his talks with Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha, the Korean foreign ministry said, Tuesday. It was their first meeting since a rift has deepened between the two countries over Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's September disclosure of the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) to South Korea. Their discussion took place on the sidelines of the Group of Seven (G7) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in France on Monday (local time). "Cho stressed that mutual respect, trust and the faithful implementation of agreements between countries are fundamental prerequisites for developing bilateral relations, expressing hope that all pending issues between the two countries will be resolved amicably," the ministry said in a press release. The remarks are interpreted as repetition of South Korean government’s demand for Ukraine to apologize for the disclosure, which Seoul claims the two sides had agreed to keep confidential. The ministry’s statement, however, did not show whether

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How Disney+'s 'The Remarried Empress' wins over Gen Z, global viewers

Disney+’s new Korean original series "The Remarried Empress" features Korean actors addressing one another with Western names while navigating a fictional European-style empire in elaborate gowns and military uniforms. When the initial teaser trailers were released, some viewers expressed skepticism, comparing the visual aesthetic to a cosplay convention. However, upon its official premiere on Nov. 3, the series completely shattered expectations. Within just three days of release, the drama officially became the most-watched Disney+ local original series of all time worldwide, based on cumulative global views. Audience feedback across global fan platforms has mirrored this enthusiasm. Viewers who binged the first four episodes highlighted its "slow, subtle, addictive royal drama vibe." Fans on Reddit praised the adaptation as "visually stunning" with a "fairytale-like feel," admitting that while anyone expecting a literal live-action translation of the webtoon might be surprised, it remains deeply rewarding as a "K-drama in its own right." Ultimately, audiences voiced genuine appreci

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House Republicans quash effort to impeach Defense Secretary Hegseth

WASHINGTON — The House on Tuesday turned aside a resolution to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, halting an effort to remove the Pentagon chief for his conduct in office and his handling of the war in Iran. The vote came as Republicans grapple with the fallout from sweeping midterm losses that some in the party have blamed on the war in Iran and the resulting surge in gas prices. But after President Donald Trump signaled strong support for Hegseth, GOP lawmakers largely stood by the secretary Tuesday. They rejected the impeachment effort led by Kentucky Republican Thomas Massie and backed by Democrats. The vote may only delay an impeachment push against Hegseth, with Democrats set to take control of the House and Senate in January. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, who is expected to become the next speaker when Democrats take charge in January, stood firmly behind the push, saying Hegseth has “abused his power” and “undermined America’s national security.” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer endorsed Hegseth’s impeachment as well. Hegseth rebuked the effort

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Taiwan, China tap market rescue funds. Why won't Korea?

China and Taiwan have tapped market rescue funds to reverse last week's sharp stock sell-off, triggered by the U.S. midterm elections. Korea, meanwhile, is holding back, resisting calls from retail investors to deploy what policymakers consider a weapon of last resort. KOSPI has shed 11.13 percent since the start of November as of Monday, leaving the benchmark down 42.87 percent from its June 22 record high of 9,114.55 as concern mounts that the artificial intelligence boom has peaked. The government said it would temporarily suspend a rule requiring brokerages to maintain collateral worth at least 140 percent of margin loans from Monday through Jan. 31 next year. The move is aimed at preventing forced selling from deepening the market rout. But the measure has failed to satisfy 14.42 million retail investors, who are pushing for the activation of a market stabilization fund amid a dearth of major buyers. Share buyback programs by Samsung Electronics and SK hynix that helped absorb foreign selling ended on Oct. 21. While SK hynix has begun another round of repurchases, the new program is

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Korea's shift toward cashless society leaves elderly behind

A 67-year-old man surnamed Cho living in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, recently tried to pay for a cup of coffee at Starbucks with cash, only to be told that the store accepted only credit cards and mobile payments. "I just wanted to pay in cash, but they told me it had been the store's long-standing policy not to accept it. I knew most people paid by card these days, but I never expected a store to refuse cash altogether," he said. "Since then, I've made sure to always carry a card." His experience comes as cash is becoming harder to use in everyday life in Korea, with more cafes, buses and even bank branches moving away from physical payments. For many consumers, paying by card or mobile phone has become the new normal as Korea moves toward a cashless society. But for those who still rely on cash, the growing number of places that no longer accept it is making everyday purchases increasingly difficult. The shift has been underway in the retail sector for years. Starbucks Korea introduced cashless stores at 103 locations nationwide in November 2018, accepting only cards and mobile payment

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Seoul shares open lower on inflation woes

Seoul shares turned higher after a weak start Wednesday amid concerns that hotter-than-expected U.S. inflation could prompt rate hikes down the road. After opening 0.56 percent lower, the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) turned higher, trading up 13.71 points, or 0.26 percent, at 5,252.84 as of 9:15 a.m. On Tuesday, the index gained 4.39 percent, buoyed by a rally in U.S. technology stocks and falling oil prices. Overnight, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.3 percent, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite declined 0.74 percent. U.S. consumer prices rose at a higher-than-expected rate of 0.3 percent in October from the previous month, stoking concerns that the Federal Reserve could pursue a more aggressive monetary tightening policy to curb inflation. In Seoul, large-cap stocks were mixed. Market bellwether Samsung Electronics fell 0.2 percent, and its chipmaking rival SK hynix declined 0.5 percent. Defense giant Hanwha Aerospace dropped 1.37 percent, and national flag carrier Korean Air shed 0.92 percent. Among gainers, leading auto parts maker Hyundai Mobis rose 1.

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Fire breaks out again at shantytown in southern Seoul; no injuries reported

A fire broke out early Wednesday at a shantytown in Seoul's southern ward of Gangnam, but firefighters fully extinguished the blaze, officials said, with no injuries reported. The fire began at a home in Guryong Village at 4:28 a.m. before fire authorities put it out at 6:27 a.m. after mobilizing 105 personnel and 32 vehicles. Authorities plan to investigate the exact cause of the fire. The latest fire at the village came about two weeks following the Oct. 27 fire that forced 39 people to flee and left one person with a minor injury. Many of the makeshift homes illegally built in the town are prone to fires as they are built with highly flammable materials.

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Korea to extend fuel tax cuts through January to ease price burdens

Korea will extend its fuel tax cuts by another two months through January to ease the financial burden on the public amid lingering uncertainty in the Middle East, the finance ministry said Wednesday. The Ministry of Finance and Economy said the decision was made at a meeting of economy-related ministers chaired by Finance Minister Lee Hyoung-il, taking into account the need to ease the burden on households and the government's capacity to respond to future price volatility. Under the measure, the current tax cuts of 15 percent on gasoline and 25 percent on diesel and butane, originally set to expire at the end of this month, will remain in place through the end of January. The government has maintained the rates since May. The ministry said the larger tax cuts on diesel and butane reflect the importance of diesel to industrial and logistics operations and the widespread use of butane as fuel for small trucks.

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Jinan: Korea's open-air museum of geological wonders

JINAN, North Jeolla Province — Just a 30-kilometer drive east from Jeonju Station, the rolling green mountains of North Jeolla Province give way to a sight that feels entirely alien yet deeply sacred as two colossal weathered rocks bearing a striking resemblance to a pair of giant horse ears rise abruptly out of the forests of Maisan ("horse ear mountain") Provincial Park. Stepping into this high-plateau region, which forms an integral part of the Jinan-Muju National Geopark, visitors are immersed in the unique landscape that earned Mount Mai three stars in the prestigious Michelin Green Guide, the highest possible rating. First time visitors will immediately be struck by the texture of the mountains. Rather than the granite found in most places on the peninsula, the giant cliffs here are made of conglomerate sedimentary rock, pockmarked with thousands of hollow cavities known as tafoni. Geologists believe these unique depressions were created during the Fourth Ice Age, when water trapped in fissures in the rock repeatedly froze and thawed, expanding and shattering the stone from with

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'Honey trap': Nvidia spy scandal puts Korea on alert

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s affair with a Chinese woman accused of spying for Beijing has emerged as a significant national security concern for the United States. According to U.S. intelligence officials, Alice Huang, who worked as a business executive at Singapore-based data center firm Megaspeed in 2023, allegedly collected intelligence and passed it on to China. The scandal erupted amid an intensifying race between the U.S. and China for global leadership in artificial intelligence (AI). The case has served as a wake-up call for South Korea. Yoo Seong-ok, a retired intelligence official who previously served as president of the Institute for National Security Strategy during his career at the National Intelligence Service (NIS), warned that South Korea is equally vulnerable to espionage operations by foreign intelligence agencies seeking to steal critical technologies. “Chinese [or] North Korean spies — or both — could have used, or may still be using, a similar honey trap to the one allegedly used against Nvidia CEO Huang to gather confidential information and pass it on to th

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Rubio sees 'no need' for major combat operations against Iran

PARIS — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday said he saw no need to resume major combat operations against Iran because economic sanctions and other restrictions were working so effectively. "The economic campaign (against Iran) is so devastating that right now there is no need for major combat operations," Rubio said after a meeting of G7 foreign ministers in Paris. "That's what I told our allies here today." President Donald Trump "has concluded that for the time being there is no need for major combat operations because we are achieving the same objective by economic means," Rubio said. But if Iran were to cross "red lines" then the "U.S. military stands ready," said Rubio, warning of a "terrible price" for Tehran. European members of the G7 had pressed Rubio at the meeting of foreign ministers of the group in Paris to avoid any new escalation against Iran. In a surprise move, Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani joined talks on the G7 sidelines with four European top diplomats and the Saudi foreign minister hours after meeting Trump to discuss en

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Army howitzer collides with civilian cars in fatal highway pileup crash

An Army self-propelled howitzer collided with two civilian cars trailing from behind on a national highway in the central border region of Cheorwon last week, leaving one civilian driver dead, military officials said Tuesday. The K55A1 howitzer was struck by the two cars from behind when it was driving along a national route at around 7 p.m. on Thursday, according to Army officials. The crash killed the driver of the first car, while the driver of the second vehicle suffered injuries and was rushed to a hospital for treatment. The artillery vehicle was reportedly returning from a training exercise. Seven soldiers were aboard the vehicle at the time of the crash, with a few of them sustaining minor abrasions. Footage circulating on social media showed the crash occurred on a pitch-black stretch of road, with the howitzer's rear lights appearing to be hardly visible. An Army official said a police investigation is under way to determine the exact cause and circumstances, adding that the Army will fully cooperate with the investigation. Police are examining whether the howitzer was traveling

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Lee reaches out to migrant workers with winter clothes, vows respect at work

President Lee Jae Myung said Tuesday that he will send winter clothes to migrant workers, reaching out to them weeks after his remarks downplaying their economic contribution sparked a backlash. “Charity campaigns for migrant workers have continued across the country, and on Nov. 15, various institutions and organizations in Ulsan will join forces to deliver winter clothes and work clothes,” Lee wrote on social media, adding that he will also send winter clothes himself to contribute in a small way. “Migrant workers are our colleagues and neighbors who help build our industrial sites and local communities alongside us,” Lee said. “Our nationalities and languages may differ, but the value of labor is the same. The government will also pay close attention to ensure that everyone can work safely and be treated with respect.” Lee added that winter feels especially cold in an unfamiliar land far from one's home and family. While a single set of clothes cannot fully keep out the cold, he said, he believes the care behind the gesture will offer lasting warmth. The post came weeks af

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Million-dollar bonuses, shuttered shops: 2 sides of Korea's economy

Korea's semiconductor boom is generating enormous bonuses for employees at major chipmakers, with some even considering early retirement. But for young job seekers struggling to land their first job and small business owners facing falling sales, the country's economic recovery feels increasingly out of reach. "Even with strong qualifications, it's difficult to get past the initial resume screening," said a job seeker in their 20s. "They say the economy is booming, but it feels hopeless." The contrast highlights a widening divide in Korea's economy, where soaring semiconductor earnings fueled by the artificial intelligence boom have lifted corporate profits without delivering comparable benefits to workers and businesses outside the industry. While employees at Samsung Electronics and SK hynix anticipate substantial performance bonuses, young people face a prolonged employment slump. Luxury retailers and department stores are enjoying robust sales even as neighborhood restaurants and small businesses struggle to survive. The growing disparity raises questions about whether Korea's headli

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OPCON transfer unlikely during Trump's term, ex-US diplomat says

The transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) from the United States to South Korea is unlikely to happen during the remaining two years of the Trump administration, former acting U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Joseph Yun said Tuesday. He said there is no consensus in Washington that conditions are met, adding that the same applies to Seoul’s nuclear submarine ambitions and its U.S. investment pledge. “There is no consensus in Washington, for example, that conditions are ready for wartime OPCON to be transferred,” Yun, who also served as the State Department’s special representative for North Korea policy, said during the second Korea-U.S. Diplomatic Forum, which he joined remotely from the U.S. “Conditions are factors. It is never going to be ready but that still remains an issue and I cannot imagine it moving very rapidly,” he added. His remarks came about a week after the U.S. midterm elections, in which Democrats won control of Congress, both House and Senate, and amid differences between the two allies over the timing and conditions of the transfer. South Korea wa

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Defense chief reiterates need to integrate military academies

Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul on Tuesday reiterated the need to integrate the Army, Navy and Air Force academies into a single institution, saying the reform is essential to preparing the military for future warfare, his office said. Kang made the remarks during a meeting with about 60 cadets from the three academies at the Korea Military Academy in northern Seoul to gather their views on the government's integration plan. During the meeting, Kang reiterated his support for establishing the tentatively named National Military Academy to better prepare future officers for evolving warfare and strengthen the country's long-term security. He added that the location of the proposed academy remained under consideration. An Army cadet argued that military education reform should be distinguished from past misconduct by some Army officers, citing President Lee Jae Myung's remarks in August linking Army academy graduates to past military coups and calling for swift integration to prevent another coup. Lee's remarks were widely interpreted as an allusion to military commanders' involvement in fo

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Inside AI-powered fight against digital sex crimes

The language of sexual predators grooming potential victims may look harmless. But spotting their patterns is necessary for protecting underage internet users. “A teenager posts a short video and receives comments such as ‘You’re pretty’ or ‘How old are you?’ These may seem like harmless compliments or signs of interest. But when they are used to build trust and steer the child toward private contact, they can mark the beginning of online grooming,” an official from the National Center for Digital Sexual Crime Response said during a demonstration for reporters Tuesday. Detecting predators' pattern is the next challenge for the center, where artificial intelligence (AI) has already improved its capacity to detect suspected child sexual exploitation material and streamlined the process of requesting its removal. “Because the individual words are not inherently suspicious, keyword searches alone cannot detect the pattern," the official said. "That is why we’re now developing technology that looks beyond isolated words to examine how an exchange unfolds and identify attemp

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InterviewActor Zo In-sung embraces artistic challenge in 'Possible Love'

For actor Zo In-sung, starring in master director Lee Chang-dong’s latest movie "Possible Love" means both a career peak and a profound journey of self-discovery. "Possible Love,” which clinched the Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival and has been selected as Korea’s official entry for International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards, centers on two couples whose lives collide during a documentary project, exposing hidden desires and social divides. In the Netflix original film, the 45-year-old actor plays Sang-woo, a wealthy heir who embodies a multilayered nature of capital and power. "Working with director Lee came as a complete surprise," Zo told The Korea Times during an interview at a cafe in Seoul on Tuesday. "While I was on a set of ‘Humint,’ I got a call that director Lee was asking about my schedule. I was thrilled, but at the same time, I wondered if I could live up to such a great opportunity. It felt like facing another massive mountain to climb." Working under Lee’s thorough direction required Zo to strip away artifici

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Korea Times Translation Awards bring Korean literature closer to world readers

The Korea Times honored five winning translators during the 57th Modern Korean Literature Translation Awards ceremony held in Seoul Tuesday, celebrating their roles in connecting Korean writers with global readers as artificial intelligence raises new questions about the future of literary translation. Held at the Korea Press Center in Seoul, the ceremony brought together translators, cultural officials and publishing representatives, with speakers emphasizing the human sensitivity needed to carry a work’s emotional depth across languages. The awards are organized by The Korea Times and supported by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and KB Financial Group. The Korea Times President-Publisher Oh Young-jin said the growing international reach of Korean culture coincides with a technological upheaval that demands reflection on what makes literature meaningful. “In this age when machines write, how can we preserve the emotional resonance, imagination and cultural depth that only humans can convey?” Oh said. “How we carry forward the essential beauty of literature while embr

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Korean parents enlist ghosts to discipline kids, sparking child abuse complaints

A popular attraction at the Korean Folk Village, where actors dressed as ghosts discipline misbehaving children, has come under scrutiny after complaints prompted the local government to consider investigating possible child abuse. The move has instead sparked controversy, with many online commenters arguing that parents who bring their children to the attraction, rather than the folk village itself, should be held responsible if the experience is deemed abusive. Yongin City, Gyeonggi Province, said Monday that it plans to visit the Korean Folk Village later this month with child welfare experts and police to examine how the so-called "ghost discipline" event is operated. Every autumn, the folk village hosts an event featuring actors dressed as traditional Korean ghosts, including the nine-tailed fox and the virgin ghost. More recently, a segment dubbed "ghost discipline," in which the performers scold and discipline children on behalf of their parents, has gained popularity through word of mouth. However, the event has drawn criticism from some visitors, who argue that it exposes childr

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Editor's Pick

[COVER STORY] Iran sees Cheonghae expansion as backing US war effort

COVER STORY Iran sees Cheonghae expansion as backing US war effort

Korea is facing a diplomatic challenge in convincing Iran that the Cheonghae Unit’s expanded mission closer to the Strait of Hormuz is not an intervention in the ongoing U.S.-Iran war, as the Middle Eastern country warned Korea could be “portrayed as an accomplice” of U.S. military attacks. Although Korea’s defense authorities reiterated that the unit's expanded duties do not cover the strait but rather are aimed at protecting Korean vessels from piracy, experts say it seems Seoul’s message has not been delivered as intended. This raises concerns that Iran could view the move as entry into the war and lead to potential clashes. The concerns come after Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei delivered a briefing on Monday (local time). “South Korea should keep itself away from entering into an issue that is already complicated enough,” Baghaei said, according to local media reports. "It should refrain from deploying military forces to the region under the name of supporting the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz." He noted that Tehran and Seoul have maintained re

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Life in Korea

16 short-form playwrights to face off in Seoul Players' 10-Minute Play Festival

16 short-form playwrights to face off in Seoul Players' 10-Minute Play Festival

Seoul's international theater community prepares for battle once again, as the 10-Minute Play Festival (10MPF) takes to the stage to find this year's top playwright. This will mark the 13th year of the contest, brought to the stage at Dulwich College in southern Seoul by Seoul Players, a not-for-profit, volunteer-run English-language theater group founded in 2001. For this year's contest, they received 410 submissions sent in March and April from 354 playwrights based all over the world. The number of submissions has exploded in recent years, peaking at more than 500 for last year's festival in just two weeks, before submissions had to be closed early. "Last year, one of the board [members] felt that many of the hundreds of plays we got were AI-generated," said Lorne Oliver, a producer for Seoul Players. He didn't disagree with the assessment, but he explained why it didn't affect their final decisions: "I just thought most of them were not up to snuff." He added, "We did not bother to run them through an AI check; we just went with the assessment results, since cream floats." This year, th

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Lifestyle

K-ART FOCUS Yeon Jin-yeong challenges conventions of masculinity

A U.S. military uniform becomes a bathrobe. Combat boots take on the soft, playful look of jelly shoes. A military duffel bag becomes a Birkin-style handbag. A urinal is adorned with colorful beads, as though it, too, needs accessories to stand out. Bathroom mirrors are covered with images of male fashion models drawn from the artist's own Instagram feed. Inside a former military bathroom and shower at Camp Greaves in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, installation artist Yeon Jin-yeong gives symbols of military masculinity an unexpected makeover. Objects associated with toughness and discipline become pretty, pliable and decorative. His installation for “DMZ Open Exhibition: Staging” explores and questions Korea’s changing ideals of masculinity, where traditional expectations of toughness, endurance and conformity coexist with a growing pressure for men to refine, display and reinvent their appearance in contemporary Korea. “When those images of conventionally attractive men keep appearing in my Reels, I start disliking myself,” he said during a recent interview with The Korea Times. In

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[K-ART FOCUS] Yeon Jin-yeong challenges conventions of masculinity

K-Culture

'Dead-End Job' tops Netflix's non-English TV chart

The Korean original series "Dead-End Job" has topped Netflix's non-English TV series chart, the streaming platform said Wednesday. The Netflix series, released Oct. 30, accumulated 8.7 million views during the latest tracking week ending Sunday, according to Netflix. The series, starring Lee Jae-wook and Kim Min-ha, blends horror and black comedy and satirizes South Korea's grind culture. It landed in the top 10 in 76 countries and topped the chart in 22 of them, including South Korea, Bolivia, Egypt, Indonesia and Vietnam. The Korean medical drama series "Doctor X: Mafia in White" ranked No. 4 with 3.7 million views. Based on the Japanese series "Doctor-X: Surgeon Michiko Daimon," it follows genius surgeon Gye Su-jeong (Kim Ji-won), who challenges corruption in her hospital. In the English film category, "KPop Demon Hunters" ranked No. 10, marking its 69th week in the top 10. It accumulated 2.8 million views and reached the top 10 in four countries.

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'Dead-End Job' tops Netflix's non-English TV chart

Celebrities

Cha Eun-woo spotted riding Seoul subway in military uniform

ASTRO member and actor Cha Eun-woo has once again drawn attention during his mandatory military service, this time after a video apparently showing him riding a Seoul subway train in uniform went viral online. The footage, reportedly filmed by a fan while on Seoul Metro Line 4, has circulated widely across social media and online communities. It shows a man believed to be Cha standing among ordinary passengers, wearing a military uniform and a cap pulled low over his face. Despite the cap, his distinctive facial features and sharp jawline caught viewers' attention. The overseas fan who uploaded the video said they initially told an acquaintance that the man resembled Cha, only to be told that it was actually the K-pop star. The apparent sighting has added to growing interest in Cha's everyday life during military service. Another recent online post said Cha had been seen at a restaurant in Cheongdam-dong, an upscale neighborhood in Seoul's Gangnam district. Cha's appearances outside the entertainment industry have repeatedly attracted attention since he enlisted. In July, haegeum player Sh

2 MIN READ
Cha Eun-woo spotted riding Seoul subway in military uniform

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Opinion

Top 10 Stories

  1. 'Honey trap': Nvidia spy scandal puts Korea on alert

  2. Korea's shift toward cashless society leaves elderly behind

  3. Seoul's Namdaemun Market to host K-food night festival with star chefs

  4. Million-dollar bonuses, shuttered shops: 2 sides of Korea's economy

  5. COVER STORY Iran sees Cheonghae expansion as backing US war effort

  6. Army howitzer collides with civilian cars in fatal highway pileup crash

  7. Lee reaches out to migrant workers with winter clothes, vows respect at work

  8. Seoul Metro union threatens Nov. 25 general strike over wage, hiring disputes

  9. Hegseth slams impeachment push as 'political spectacle' undermining US troops

  10. Korean parents enlist ghosts to discipline kids, sparking child abuse complaints

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