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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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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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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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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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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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'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

3 MIN READ
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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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Financial Security Institute reports data leak following hacking attack

Korea's state-run Financial Security Institute (FSI) reported a data leak following a hacking attack targeting its security assessment system, officials said Tuesday. The FSI, which oversees financial information provided by banks and insurers, detected the breach the previous day, according to financial authorities. The leaked information reportedly came from the FSI's website used to conduct security assessments of financial institutions. Officials said some information related to the security status submitted by financial firms may have been compromised in the breach.

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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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Korea's export boom masks widening gap between large, small firms

Korea’s exports surged more than 70 percent in the third quarter from a year earlier, but much of the growth was concentrated among a handful of large corporations, widening the gap between major exporters and smaller businesses, government data showed Tuesday. While shipments soared, the number of exporting firms remained virtually unchanged, suggesting that the benefits of the export boom have yet to spread across the business sector. According to preliminary trade statistics released by the Ministry of Data and Statistics and the Korea Customs Service, exports jumped 72.3 percent year-on-year to $318.6 billion in the third quarter. Imports rose 25 percent to $203.1 billion. Export growth accelerated from 38.4 percent in the first quarter of this year and 57.2 percent in the second. “Driven by the semiconductor sector, export value and export growth reached record highs,” a ministry official said. However, the figures revealed a stark disparity in export performance by company size. Exports by large corporations more than doubled to $248.6 billion, up 103.5 percent from a year earl

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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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Boston Dynamics' Atlas robot pulls off 360-degree spinning jump on wheels instead of feet

Boston Dynamics' humanoid robot Atlas has successfully performed a challenging aerial maneuver, jumping into the air, spinning 360 degrees and landing like a figure skater — all while equipped with wheels instead of feet. The robotics company, a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Group, released a video Monday showing a wheeled version of Atlas performing a series of demanding movements designed to test the limits of its motors and whole-body control technology. The 2-minute, 50-second video shows Atlas rapidly moving sideways while changing direction on its wheels, executing a full 360-degree spinning jump, balancing on one wheel with the other leg raised and lifting itself off the floor before accelerating forward. The robot successfully completed the 360-degree spinning jump on its first attempt. The achievement followed efforts by the development team to narrow the gap between computer simulations and real-world hardware through a process known as "sim-to-real" transfer. Engineers also used reinforcement learning, a machine-learning technique in which robots improve their performance throu

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Korean stocks surge over 4% as risk appetite returns

Korean stocks surged more than 4 percent, Tuesday, as easing Middle East tensions and an overnight rally in U.S. semiconductor shares revived risk appetite. The benchmark closed at 5,239.13, up 4.39 percent. It opened 4.55 percent higher, triggering a buy-side sidecar at 9:06 a.m, but pared some of the early gains. Foreign investors turned net buyers for the first time in eight trading sessions, purchasing a net 353.2 billion won ($264.3 million) of shares. Institutional investors also bought a net 498 billion won, while retail investors sold a net 1.34 trillion won. Semiconductor stocks helped lift the index. SK hynix surged 6.69 percent to close at 1,212,000 won, while Samsung Electronics climbed 4.74 percent to 198,900 won. Power equipment shares also rallied amid improving sentiment toward the artificial intelligence (AI) value chain, with Hyosung Heavy Industries, HD Hyundai Electric and LS Electric gaining 12.72 percent, 10.67 percent and 8.33 percent, respectively. U.S. President Donald Trump signaled that military action could be avoided if negotiations made progress, following re

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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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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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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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Samsung SDI wins CES Innovation Award for UPS battery solution

Samsung SDI has won CES 2027 Innovation Award for its prismatic battery solution for uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems. The battery maker said Tuesday that its SDI U8A3-UPS was named an honoree in the awards’ Enterprise Tech category. A UPS is a battery-based backup system that supplies emergency power to critical facilities, including data centers, when the main power supply is unexpectedly interrupted. "This award recognizes the innovation of a critical power solution for the artificial intelligence era," a company official said. "We will continue to lead the market with products that combine the performance and safety our customers demand." The company explained that its solution stands out for its high-power output, high energy density and fire safety. Using lithium manganese oxide prismatic cells, the battery offers high power output and energy density while taking up 33 percent less space than existing products. This allows operators to maintain a stable power supply with fewer battery units. The system is also designed to provide additional power when electricity demand s

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How spicy is too spicy? Korea tests popular instant noodles

Spicy instant noodles in Korea range from mildly kicky to tear-inducingly hot — and some pack more than a full day’s worth of salt into a single bowl, according to a consumer report released Tuesday by the Korea Consumer Agency. The state-run watchdog conducted a comprehensive safety and quality assessment of 12 top-selling instant noodle products. The test group comprised seven traditional soup-based ramyeon products and five brothless, stir-fried varieties, evaluating them across key metrics including spiciness intensity, nutritional content, safety standards and retail pricing. Laboratory analysis revealed that the concentration of capsaicinoids — the natural chemical compounds in chili peppers responsible for their fiery burn — varied by nearly seven times among the tested brands. In the soup-based category, Paldo’s Teumsae Ramen Red Pepper Rice Cake registered the highest heat level at 650 milligrams of capsaicinoids per kilogram. Among stir-fried noodles, Samyang Foods’ globally popular Buldak Bokkeum Myeon (Hot Chicken Flavor Ramyeon) took the top spot, recording 285

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

Namdaemun Market, one of Seoul’s oldest and most bustling traditional markets, is opening its doors after dark for an eight-day night food festival starting Saturday, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said Tuesday. Running daily from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. through Nov. 21, the Seoul Moonlight Gastronomy Festival will transform the market’s covered arcade near Sungnyemun — the historic city gate commonly known as Namdaemun — into a vibrant nocturnal dining hub. The daytime landmark, which draws around 300,000 visitors daily, usually quiets down after dusk. The festival’s centerpiece is a pop-up tavern reimagined in the style of a "jumak" — a traditional Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910) roadside inn where travelers once gathered for food, drink and conversation. Adding culinary star power, two high-profile chefs will team up to craft exclusive dish pairings using Namdaemun's signature ingredients: one a popular restaurateur from Seoul’s trendy Sinyongsan district, and the other a standout competitor from Netflix’s global hit cooking show Culinary Class Wars. Festival-goers can sampl

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Editor's Pick

[COVER STORY] Ruling party leader's credibility put on line as Shincheonji claims backfire

COVER STORY Ruling party leader's credibility put on line as Shincheonji claims backfire

Kim Min-seok, chairman of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and former prime minister, is facing a test of his credibility after an internal investigation failed to substantiate his claims of a “secret alliance” involving his leadership rival and the nonmainstream religious sect Shincheonji. On Friday, Kim apologized again during the party’s Supreme Council meeting. It was his third apology over the controversy, following remarks at Tuesday’s closed-door meeting of party lawmakers and on the party’s YouTube channel on Thursday. “I once again offer my apologies to everyone who was hurt as I raised serious concerns and warned about religious interference in politics during the party’s leadership election,” Kim said. He was referring to his allegation in the run-up to the Aug. 17 party leadership election that the anti-President Lee Jae Myung faction within the party and Shincheonji had formed a secret alliance. The claim targeted the camp of his leadership rival, former Chairman Rep. Jung Chung-rae. After raising the allegation and winning the leadership race, Kim

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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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Community Closet event in Itaewon offers free medical check-ups, clothing donations for foreign residents in need

Community Closet event in Itaewon offers free medical check-ups, clothing donations for foreign residents in need

5 MIN READ
Korea Drag Pageant to select Miss Femme Supreme 2026

Korea Drag Pageant to select Miss Femme Supreme 2026

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Lifestyle

Up to 2,500 microplastic particles found in tea bags after 3 minutes in hot water

Click here for more articles by Kormedi.com. Drinking a cup of hot tea may expose people to microplastics, particularly when tea bags are made from plastic materials. When exposed to hot water, these tea bags can release tiny plastic particles into the beverage. Microplastics are plastic fragments smaller than 5 millimeters. They can enter the human body through food and drinking water, and some studies have suggested potential links to inflammation and cellular damage. A recent study found that nylon tea bags released up to approximately 2,500 microplastic particles when steeped in hot water. Researchers at Recep Tayyip Erdogan University in Turkey placed nylon tea bags sold in the country into 150 milliliters of water heated to approximately 95 degrees Celsius and steeped them for three minutes. An analysis of the resulting water detected between 555 and 2,498 microplastic particles. The researchers said that immersing tea bags in hot water could cause tiny plastic particles and chemical substances to leach into the water. The nylon tea bags used in the study were made from plastic fibe

2 MIN READ
Up to 2,500 microplastic particles found in tea bags after 3 minutes in hot water
Seoul gears up to welcome 1 mil. pilgrims for 2027 World Youth Day

Seoul gears up to welcome 1 mil. pilgrims for 2027 World Youth Day

3 MIN READ
Hungarian calligraphers reinterpret Hangeul in new Seoul exhibition

Hungarian calligraphers reinterpret Hangeul in new Seoul exhibition

2 MIN READ
'Knockout drink' returns after 11 years, and young Koreans can't get enough

'Knockout drink' returns after 11 years, and young Koreans can't get enough

3 MIN READ
Seoul Craft Museum opens hands-on 'Secrets of Wood' children's exhibition

Seoul Craft Museum opens hands-on 'Secrets of Wood' children's exhibition

2 MIN READ

K-Culture

ILLIT's 'Break Even' debuts at 6th on Billboard 200

K-pop girl group ILLIT has landed in the top 10 of the U.S. Billboard's main albums chart for the first time. Billboard said in a chart preview released Monday (U.S. time) that ILLIT's latest EP, "Break Even," debuted at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 for this week. It marks the group's fifth entry on the chart and its first in the top 10. The Billboard 200 ranks the most popular albums of the week in the United States, measured by equivalent album units comprising physical and digital sales, as well as streaming and digital track downloads. "Break Even" earned 37,000 equivalent album units during the latest charting period, with 32,500 coming from album sales.

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ILLIT's 'Break Even' debuts at 6th on Billboard 200
Doh Kyung-soo surprises fans with new single 'Darling' during global tour

Doh Kyung-soo surprises fans with new single 'Darling' during global tour

2 MIN READ
JYP's new K-pop boy band oftheblue to debut next year

JYP's new K-pop boy band oftheblue to debut next year

1 MIN READ
Why Lee Chang-dong's award-winning 'Possible Love' struggled to find investors

Why Lee Chang-dong's award-winning 'Possible Love' struggled to find investors

3 MIN READ
From 'The King: Eternal Monarch' to 'The Remarried Empress': Why fictional royalty keeps captivating K-drama fans

From 'The King: Eternal Monarch' to 'The Remarried Empress': Why fictional royalty keeps captivating K-drama fans

3 MIN READ

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
JYP founder Park Jin-young at center of controversy over his faith

JYP founder Park Jin-young at center of controversy over his faith

2 MIN READ
TXT to turn Lotte World into 'Magic Land' for 1,000 fans

TXT to turn Lotte World into 'Magic Land' for 1,000 fans

2 MIN READ
Song Hye-kyo's bob offers flattering look for fall

Song Hye-kyo's bob offers flattering look for fall

3 MIN READ
Korean actresses reveal hair loss struggles

Korean actresses reveal hair loss struggles

2 MIN READ

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Opinion

Top 10 Stories

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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