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Lee urges 'aggressive' police reform to address wrongful practices, systems

President Lee Jae Myung on Wednesday urged the police to aggressively reform themselves to address wrongful practices and systems, also stressing the need for a special system to independently vet police investigations. The president made the call in a speech marking the 81st Police Day, as the police have assumed greater investigative authority following the Lee administration's prosecution reform, which removed prosecutors' investigative powers, leaving them in charge only of indictments and their maintenance. "By objectively looking back on what has been lacking, (police) should aggressively pursue reform to boldly address wrongful practices and systems," the president said.

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Grammy boycott debate turns toward K-pop acts that submitted

Fans were angry at the Grammys/Recording Academy for creating the new Asian pop category, but some of that anger is now directed at K-pop acts that reportedly submitted for the category. The academy has not officially disclosed which acts entered the category, though some have been named in local media outlets. Criticism has mounted in some online fan communities, with people questioning whether the acts should compete in a category that many see as discriminatory and some even asking whether they really want to win a "racist award." Others have countered that pursuing a Grammy nomination is a practical choice for artists. The debate traces back to June, when the academy announced that Best Asian Pop Music Performance, one of five new categories, will debut at the 69th Grammy Awards in February 2027. The award covers recordings that make meaningful use of one or more Asian languages, but many in the Korean music industry questioned whether it would wall K-pop off into a separate box instead of recognizing it in the main categories. Boy band BTS brought the debate to a head on July 29, anno

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Arson suspect admits to planning, setting fires at 2 buildings in southern Seoul: police

A man suspected of setting fires at two buildings in southern Seoul that left nearly 20 people injured this week has largely admitted to planning and carrying out the arson, police said Wednesday. The fires at the adjacent buildings in Seoul's southern ward of Gangnam on Tuesday left 19 people injured, including one who was rushed to a hospital in a state of cardiac arrest. Police apprehended the suspect, in his 70s, hours later. The suspect, who set fires at separate patent firms at the two buildings, told investigators that he bought two jerrycans, a lighter and flammable material near his home in western Seoul on Friday, according to the police. He claimed the patent firms had defrauded him by issuing fake patent registration certificates, and that he had wanted to scare them and let the world know, the police said. The police said it plans to seek a warrant for the suspect's formal arrest on suspicion of arson resulting in injury after questioning him again.

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REPORTER’S NOTEBOOKRushed single-stock leveraged ETF rollout leaves questions of responsibility unanswered

Policymakers have yet to explain who decided to introduce single-stock leveraged exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or why their reviews were expedited, even as retail investors have sustained more than 2 trillion won ($1.5 billion) in losses on the products tracking Samsung Electronics and SK hynix. The funds have also drawn criticism for amplifying stock market volatility. At a National Assembly audit Monday, Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) Gov. Lee Chan-jin acknowledged that the products underwent unusually rapid reviews to meet a policy timetable. But he offered no concrete explanation of who set that timetable or on what grounds. These ETFs were made possible by a government decision to ease regulations. An amendment to the enforcement decree of the Capital Markets Act cleared the Cabinet on April 21. The Financial Services Commission (FSC), the country’s top financial regulator, said at the time that the products could be listed as early as May 22. On May 15, it announced a planned listing date of May 27, and 16 products made their debut that day. Monday’s audit raised questions

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US cites evolving 'threat environment' amid debate over OPCON transition to S. Korea

WASHINGTON — A senior U.S. official said Tuesday the requirements for the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) to South Korea remain unchanged but stressed that the threat environment on the Korean Peninsula was evolving faster than ever before. "The fundamental requirements for OPCON transfer have not changed. But the threat environment is evolving faster now than ever before," the official told Yonhap News Agency in response to a media inquiry on the state of the bilateral OPCON transition review process. "Together, we must be prepared to deter and defeat all regional threats to the alliance," the official, who asked not to be identified, added. The official appeared to reflect concerns over evolving threats posed by advancements in Pyongyang's missile and nuclear programs. Separately, the Pentagon reaffirmed that the transfer of wartime OPCON to South Korea remains a conditions-based process agreed upon by Washington and Seoul, stressing that the necessary requirements must be met before any transition takes place. "The transition of wartime OPCON remains a conditions-base

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N. Korea may be testing Trump's red lines with increased missile launches in 2nd term: analysis

WASHINGTON — North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may be testing U.S. President Donald Trump's tolerance for military provocations, a U.S. think tank analysis showed Tuesday, as Pyongyang has increased its missile launch activities during Trump's second term. The analysis by Victor Cha and Andy Lim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) raised the possibility that Kim is seeking to gauge Washington's response to his expanding weapons activities despite Trump's repeated overtures for renewed dialogue. The two suggested Kim "may be testing Trump himself and the limits of Trump's red lines," which they characterized as no intercontinental ballistic missile tests, no nuclear tests and no lethal attacks. The analysis noted that North Korea has carried out 34 missile launch events during the first 21 months of Trump's second term, double the 17 recorded during the comparable period of his first term. Pyongyang has also fired at least 93 missiles since Trump returned to office in January 2025, already exceeding the total number launched throughout his entire first four-year p

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Busan to launch 3rd attempt to guide canal-trapped shark back to sea

BUSAN — Authorities in the southeastern port city of Busan were set to make a third attempt Wednesday afternoon to guide a shark back to the open sea as it has spent over a month trapped in a city canal. A joint rescue team involving municipal and Coast Guard officials will use a net secured to a pontoon — a flat floating platform — to drive the shark out of the canal at Busan's North Port, located about 330 kilometers southeast of Seoul. The shark — named "Bukang-i" after Bukhang, the Korean word for North Port — was first spotted in the canal on Sept. 18. Since then, the canal park has turned into a major attraction, drawing over 1.6 million visitors as of Sunday. After two previous attempts to guide the fish to the open sea failed, officials have waited for it to exit the canal on its own. But it has not, and officials decided to make a third attempt over concern it could die if water temperatures fall further. In the latest operation, one vessel will tow the net while another sprays water jets to steer the shark toward the exit. However, this time, personnel will be statione

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Seoul shares open sharply higher ahead of Meta earnings amid AI woes

Seoul shares opened sharply higher Wednesday ahead of Meta Platforms' earnings results, as investors weighed concerns over profitability from artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 113.60 points, or 2.05 percent, to 5,666.34 at the opening bell, rebounding from a nearly 4 percent-dip the previous session. Overnight, U.S. stocks closed mixed, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average rising 1.02 percent, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite slipped 0.02 percent. Strong earnings from some technology companies helped revive investor interest in tech stocks. Investors are now turning their attention to earnings reports from Meta Platforms and other technology companies due this week.

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France to deploy troops, admits to failures over weekend unrest

PARIS — France will reinforce police with troops and mount a huge security operation for more protests planned on Saturday, the government said on Tuesday, acknowledging failures in its response to last weekend's violence. "The deployment next Saturday will be massive," Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said, adding that the immediate priority was to restore order after rioting and looting swept Paris, Marseille, Lyon and other cities on October 17. In a sometimes rowdy debate, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the military would be deployed alongside police, while the government pledged to overhaul tactics after widespread criticism that city centres had been left vulnerable. Targeted curfews help restore calm Framing the crisis as a choice "between violence and the Republic", Lecornu blamed the unrest on far-left groups, who in turn have accused the government of underestimating public anger over high living costs and declining public services. The unrest shocked France because of both its scale and the apparent inability of police to contain it, inflaming tensions ahead of presiden

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Seoul to pull half of embassy staff from Kyiv as NK POW dispute deepens

South Korea will pull half of its embassy staff out of Ukraine, citing Kyiv’s failure to take constructive steps to resolve a weekslong dispute sparked by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s disclosure of the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) to the South, the foreign ministry said Tuesday. The decision adds pressure on Kyiv after South Korea recalled Ambassador Park Ki-chang on Oct. 8 over its refusal to acknowledge a confidentiality agreement on the transfer and issue a public apology. Park returned to Seoul on Oct. 10. “The government decided to withdraw some embassy staff, considering Kyiv’s failure to take constructive steps even after our ambassador’s recall, along with persistent airstrike threats across Ukraine that make it difficult to ensure their safety,” foreign ministry spokesperson Park Doo-soon said at a regular briefing. A ministry offcial said 84 Koreans are in Ukraine, including embassy staff, but did not say how many worked at the embassy and exactly how many of them would leave, just saying half of them. He explained that the timing of the

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Raw fish replaces fried chicken as Seoul's new Han River picnic craze

Click here for more articles by Kormedi.com. A new trend known as “hoe-cnic” — a combination of "hoe," the Korean word for raw fish, and picnic — is gaining popularity along the Han River. Replacing fried chicken, long a staple of riverside outings, fresh raw fish is emerging as a new food trend in Seoul. A typical hoe-cnic outing begins with picking up takeout sashimi at Noryangjin Fisheries Wholesale Market before heading to destinations such as Yeouido Hangang Park, Nodeulseom Island or Yanghwa Hangang Park. Participants often pair their raw fish with instant noodles cooked at the riverside or alcoholic drinks, and some rent picnic mats, tables or tents to create the perfect outdoor setting. Online content featuring people enjoying takeout sashimi and raw shrimp by the river is also spreading rapidly across social media. Celebrities and influencers, including actor Ahn Jae-hyun, have been sharing their outings on their own channels. Some vendors in Noryangjin have even introduced special offerings for the trend, including “hoe-cnic omakase” sets. The trend is also said to

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Ugly loss by KBO champions closes book on iconic stadium

As the defending South Korean baseball champion LG Twins bowed out early in the postseason Tuesday night, the exit also closed the book on their iconic home park in the capital city, Jamsil Baseball Stadium. The Twins absorbed a 13-1 loss to the visiting Kia Tigers in Game 3 of the first round in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) postseason Tuesday. It completed the Tigers' three-game sweep of the best-of-five battle and ended the Twins' bid for their second straight Korean Series title. It also ended up being the last official game played at Jamsil, which opened in 1982 and will be demolished after this season to make room for a new dome. Jamsil has been home to many memorable championship moments over the years, with the Twins and another club, Doosan Bears, as co-tenants. Most recently, the Twins clinched the 2023 Korean Series championship at Jamsil, their first title since 1994. The Twins also won the 2025 title, but the clincher came on the road in the central city of Daejeon against the Hanwha Eagles. And there will be no more celebration. The Tigers put up a seven-spot in the t

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'Dracula' featuring Jennie ties its peak on Billboard Hot 100

"Dracula," a collaborative single between Jennie of K-pop girl group BLACKPINK and Australian act Tame Impala, has returned to the top five on the Billboard Hot 100. According to Billboard on Tuesday (U.S. time), "Dracula" rose one spot from the previous week to No. 5 on the U.S. Billboard's singles chart, tying its highest position to date. Another K-pop girl group Katseye's "Animal" rose four spots to No. 28. Multiple K-pop acts also appeared on the Billboard 200 main albums chart this week. The highest-charting among them was Stray Kids' "This & That," which placed 35th. The original soundtrack for the Netflix hit animation "KPop Demon Hunters" and Katseye's "Wild" placed No. 37 and No. 38, respectively. BTS' fifth full-length album, "Arirang," ranked 41st, staying on the chart for the 30th consecutive week. Boy group Enhypen's "The Sin: Bliss" remained unchanged at No. 122, while Katseye's "Beautiful Chaos" ranked No. 176.

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S. Korean firm's debut plunge adds to investor concerns about AI spending

A 32 percent drop in shares of South Korea's Elice Group on Tuesday renewed investor concerns about the sustainability and the payoff cycle for the vast amount of capital pouring into the AI buildout amid growing scrutiny of company valuations. The plunge in shares of the provider of AI arcloud services as well as AI-based education and business software made it the worst debut ever in South Korea for a company that raised more than $100 million in an IPO, according to Dealogic data. Elice raised 201.1 billion won ($150 million) in its IPO, and said that it planned to spend most of the proceeds on launching portable modular data centres and related infrastructure. The stock's poor first day of trading contributed to renewed weakness in AI-linked stocks on Wall Street on Tuesday, with shares in neocloud firms including CoreWeave and Nebius Group both falling more than 5 percent. Elice's slide had earlier weighed on the broader South Korean market, a poster child for global AI trade and investor sentiment, with the benchmark KOSPI falling 3.73 percent to its lowest closing level since Apri

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Ruling party introduces chip cluster bill as union opposes labor exemptions

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) introduced a bill Tuesday to support a major semiconductor cluster in Korea’s southwestern region, drawing opposition from labor rights groups over provisions that would ease working-hour limits and labor protections. The bill, tentatively called the Special Act on Super-Regional Economic Zones, would allow local governments to form a single economic zone and offer faster permitting along with financial, fiscal and tax incentives to businesses. This comes as the liberal administration under President Lee Jae Myung and businesses seek to develop an 800 trillion won semiconductor cluster in the southwestern Jeolla region. DPK floor leader Rep. Han Byung-do said the party would submit another version of the bill — one that does not contain controversial labor exemptions — and develop a final draft through parliamentary deliberations. “We are well aware of the differing views across society on the bill’s key contentious issues, including the proposed working-hour exemptions,” Han said during a meeting at the National Assembly. “We will

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Lending services for foreign nationals becomes next battleground for banks

Korean banks are expanding lending services to foreign residents as they seek to tap a growing customer base beyond traditional services such as bank accounts and overseas remittances, industry officials said Tuesday. The shift reflects intensifying competition for foreign customers, including migrant workers and international students, as lenders broaden their offerings to include loans. Major commercial banks have rolled out dedicated loan products for foreign borrowers in recent years. Hana Bank launched the Hana Foreigner EZ Loan in August for E-7 and E-9 visa holders, offering loans of up to 10 million won ($7,500) for terms of up to 30 months. Shinhan Bank introduced its SOL Global Loan with a maximum limit of 20 million won, while NH NongHyup Bank rolled out its K-Foreigner Credit Loan, which offers loans of up to 30 million won to foreign borrowers. Regional lenders have established an early foothold in the market. Jeonbuk Bank, based in North Jeolla Province, launched loan services for foreign customers in 2016 and introduced online lending services in 2023. Kwangju Bank, BNK Kyo

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After 20 years in acting, Jung Il-woo ventures into film investment, distribution

Actor Jung Il-woo has added another title to his resume: film investor. After expanding his presence beyond Korea into markets across Asia, including China, Japan and Vietnam, he is broadening his scope by investing in and distributing films. His goal is to use the name and experience he has built over 20 years to introduce good films to audiences. At this year's Busan International Film Festival, Jung was invited as a guest to Japanese Cinema Night, where he added star power to the event. Having appeared in numerous Japanese productions, he took on a role that went beyond the boundaries of Korea and Japan, helping share films and foster cultural exchange as part of the global film community. In an exclusive interview with the Hankook Ilbo in Busan on Oct. 9, Jung said he was invited through his involvement in the Amazon Prime original series "Criminal." "The Busan International Film Festival has long been an extremely important place where filmmakers from across Asia meet and discover new works. That's why I wanted to talk about what role I could play there as an actor and how I could

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Academics explore how entrepreneurs can navigate AI disruption at Jinju forum

JINJU, South Gyeongsang Province — Academics explored how entrepreneurs can turn artificial intelligence (AI)-driven disruption into business opportunities and solutions to social challenges at the 2026 Jinju K-Entrepreneurship International Forum. The fourth session, held Tuesday, the second day of the forum, examined how individuals and organizations can navigate uncertainty and turn technological disruption into opportunities through experimentation, resilience and practical problem-solving. Erkko Autio, chair in technology transfer and entrepreneurship at Imperial College London, pointed out that AI has dramatically lowered the technical and financial barriers to developing products, making the products themselves less effective as a source of competitive advantage. “The bottleneck in entrepreneurship was that it required engineering capacity and money. But now AI has collapsed that constraint because anyone can now build whatever they desire,” Autio said. “So the competitive advantage now comes from the entrepreneurial journey, which takes time, and from the product itself t

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Editor's Pick

[COVER STORY] Should women serve? Korea's female conscription debate is back as troop pool shrinks

COVER STORY Should women serve? Korea's female conscription debate is back as troop pool shrinks

South Korea’s decade-old debate over female conscription resurfaced during a National Assembly audit this month, amid growing concerns that a shrinking draft-eligible population could undermine military readiness. During a National Assembly defense committee audit on Oct. 12, opposition lawmakers raised the issue, arguing that the time has come for a public discussion as the eligible male population continues to fall. Defense ministry data shows the pool of 20-year-old men eligible for service dropped from 332,000 in 2019 to 257,000 in 2022, and is projected to fall further to 228,000 by 2035 and 120,000 by 2043. Rep. Yoo Yeong-ha of the main opposition People Power Party said, "Now, we must officially put female conscription on the table. This will also require broad societal consensus." Rep. Chun Ha-ram of the Reform Party used the term “gender-equal conscription” — meaning mandatory service for both men and women — to call for a broader discussion on reforming the system. “If we continue wringing a dry towel without even considering gender-equal conscription as an option,

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Life in Korea

Seoul spreads nighttime attractions across all 25 districts

Seoul spreads nighttime attractions across all 25 districts

Late-night leisure in Korea's capital is moving beyond downtown and the Han River as city officials prepare to build dozens of neighborhood evening hotspots designed to boost local alleyway economies. The Seoul Metropolitan Government unveiled a plan Tuesday to establish 10 Seoul Starlight Destinations by late 2027, with the ultimate goal of creating 25 localized night-leisure hubs — one for each administrative district — by 2028. By bringing curated evening attractions closer to residential neighborhoods, the city aims to enrich daily life for locals while funneling foot traffic and consumer spending directly into quiet alleyway commercial districts. The initiative responds directly to shifting public preferences. A municipal survey of 1,000 residents revealed that 82.6 percent expressed a desire to visit evening attractions if located near their homes, favoring illuminated waterfront trails, outdoor dining avenues and late-night cultural openings. To kick off the multiyear program, 21 districts submitted 27 candidate locations spanning natural retreats, historical landmarks and urb

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Lifestyle

In Seoul's Seongbuk-dong, art finds a home in historic spaces

In Seongbuk-dong, a quiet neighborhood tucked beyond Seoul’s centuries-old city wall, traditional houses and secluded gardens have long drawn generations of modern and contemporary Korean artists, poets and architects seeking space to live, work and reflect. Painters Kim Whan-ki, known for his abstract works, and Lee Jung-seop, best known for his paintings of white oxen, were among them. So it is fitting, then, that Seongbuk Art Week is taking shape here. Opening Tuesday, the inaugural art week will turn the neighborhood and surrounding district into an interconnected museum, featuring more than 40 exhibitions and projects. Organized by Seongbuk District, the Seongbuk Cultural Foundation and the Seongbuk Museum of Art, the event will also explore how attachments to places can endure across generations. Home shared across generations At Seongbuk Museum of Art, a special exhibition brings together abstract ink painter Suh Se-ok and his son and installation artist Do Ho Suh, through their shared connection to the family’s Seongbuk-dong hanok, or traditional Korean house. For the elder Suh

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In Seoul's Seongbuk-dong, art finds a home in historic spaces

K-Culture

Illit's 'Magnetic' becomes fastest debut song by K-pop group to reach 900 mil. streams

Girl group Illit's "Magnetic" has surpassed 900 million streams on Spotify, becoming the fastest K-pop group debut song to reach the milestone on the world's largest music streaming platform, its agency said Tuesday. The track reached the milestone on Sunday, about two years and seven months after its release in March 2024, according to Belift Lab. "This is the shortest time taken among the debut songs of K-pop groups that have reached the same number of streams on Spotify," the agency said in a release. Blending Pluggnb and house genres, the dance track "Magnetic" compares the feelings of being drawn to a crush to a magnet. The song achieved widespread popularity following its release, sweeping top spots on local music charts while also entering the U.S. Billboard's Hot 100 main singles chart and the British Official Singles Chart Top 100.

1 MIN READ
Illit's 'Magnetic' becomes fastest debut song by K-pop group to reach 900 mil. streams

Celebrities

Son Ye-jin's Japan vacation look sparks unexpected fashion debate

Actor Son Ye-jin's laid-back vacation photos from Japan have sparked an unexpected online debate, with some criticizing her casual fashion choices while others questioned why a celebrity's private wardrobe should matter at all. Son shared a series of photos from a trip to Yokohama on her social media account Sunday, writing, "Hope you have a lovely Sunday!" The photos show the actor enjoying a relaxed outing in the Japanese port city. In one shot, she raises both arms while sitting on an amusement park ride, while another shows her posing by the waterfront in sunglasses. Son paired a shirtdress with jeans in one look and wore an oversized sweatshirt with loose-fitting white pants in another. The seemingly ordinary vacation outfits unexpectedly became a talking point online. Some commenters criticized her styling, writing, "Another fashion fail today," "This is pretty bad" and "Why does she dress like this?" Others quickly came to her defense, questioning the scrutiny surrounding what the actor chooses to wear in her private life. "Who cares what she wears off duty?" one commenter wrote. Oth

2 MIN READ
Son Ye-jin's Japan vacation look sparks unexpected fashion debate

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Top 10 Stories

  1. Seoul to pull half of embassy staff from Kyiv as NK POW dispute deepens

  2. Raw fish replaces fried chicken as Seoul's new Han River picnic craze

  3. Unverified rumors of NK leader's death spread on overseas social media

  4. Lending services for foreign nationals becomes next battleground for banks

  5. Seoul dismisses Pyongyang's criticism of border warning shots as 'groundless'

  6. Police apprehend arson suspect behind 2 building fires in southern Seoul

  7. US cites evolving 'threat environment' amid debate over OPCON transition to S. Korea

  8. Battery CEO's 4-year sentence upheld over fire that killed 23, mostly foreigners

  9. France to deploy troops, admits to failures over weekend unrest

  10. Korea to certify 1,000 Korean restaurants abroad with expanded rating system

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