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Yong Hye-in quits as gender minister nominee amid criticism

Rep. Yong Hye-in of the minor Basic Income Party withdrew her nomination for minister of gender equality and family Sunday, ending two weeks of mounting controversy over her decision to retain her parliamentary seat alongside the cabinet post. “I decided to step down as the nominee for minister of gender equality and family, relinquishing my personal determination to create a gender-equal society for all under the Lee Jae Myung administration,” Yong said during a press conference at the National Assembly. She cited opposition from within the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) as the decisive factor. “Cabinet members are meant to bridge the Assembly and government to build consensus. With even the ruling party voicing concern, I concluded that fulfilling the duties in reality would be impossible,” Yong said. “I also determined that stopping here is necessary to carry forward the spirit of solidarity of the DPK, the Basic Income Party and the broader democratic progressive bloc.” Yong also directed criticism at the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), accusing it of ab

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Lee Chang-dong's 'Possible Love' wins Grand Jury Prize at Venice Film Festival

Filmmaker Lee Chang-dong claimed the prestigious Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival on Saturday (local time) with his latest feature "Possible Love." The historic victory marks the second time a Korean movie has taken home the award at the world’s oldest film festival, following director Kim Ki-duk’s Golden Lion win for "Pieta" in 2012. It also brings closure to a long-standing Venice quest for Lee, who won the Silver Lion for Best Director 24 years ago with "Oasis" (2002). The Golden Lion award, the festival's highest honor, went to Danish-Egyptian filmmaker May el-Toukhy's "Woman Unknown," beating out other works from world-famous directors like Lee, Hirokazu Kore-eda and Martin McDonagh. Accepting the award on stage, the director expressed deep gratitude to the jury, festival organizers and his team. "I would like to thank the jury for giving me this precious award, and the festival officials for inviting me back to this beautiful festival after 24 years," Lee said. "Without the patience and long wait of so many people, this movie might nev

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Korea's nuclear-powered submarines could take on broader Indo-Pacific role

As South Korea moves ahead with plans to acquire nuclear-powered submarines, the debate is shifting from whether the country needs them to where and how they should operate. South Korean military experts say Seoul has a strong case for acquiring nuclear-powered submarines to counter North Korea, even if their initial mission is focused on waters around the Korean Peninsula. Over time, however, they expect the submarines’ role to expand into the broader Indo-Pacific, from protecting vital sea lanes to supporting undersea cooperation with the United States. The assessments come after a U.S. Navy official said last week that South Korea needs a clear security rationale and concept of operations for the costly assets, reviving questions over whether Seoul needs nuclear-powered submarines if they are to operate mainly close to home. Moon Keun-sik, a submarine expert who formerly headed the nuclear-powered submarine project team at Navy Headquarters and is now a professor at the Graduate School of Public Policy at Hanyang University in Seoul, said that argument overlooks the ability of nucl

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Hyundai Motor Group targets hands-free urban driving by 2029

Hyundai Motor Group plans to start mass-producing vehicles capable of hands-free autonomous driving in urban areas in the second half of 2029, while launching vehicles using Nvidia’s validated autonomous driving technology a year earlier. The group unveiled the road map Friday during an autonomous driving media day at the headquarters of 42dot, its autonomous driving software subsidiary in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. The strategy centers on a two-track approach: using Nvidia’s technology to accelerate commercialization while developing its own autonomous driving system to secure long-term technological independence. The group plans to apply Nvidia’s vehicle AI computing platform and autonomous driving software to Level 2+ vehicles in the first half of 2028 and Level 2++ vehicles in the second half. Level 2+ allows drivers to take their hands off the wheel on highways, while Level 2++ extends hands-free driving to urban roads. At the same time, the group is advancing Atria AI, its proprietary end-to-end (E2E) autonomous driving system jointly developed by its Advanced Vehicle Platf

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Finance minister nominee backs January crypto tax rollout despite industry, opposition pushback

The nominee to head the Ministry of Finance and Economy expressed his intention on Sunday to implement the cryptocurrency tax next January as scheduled, despite pushback from both industry players and opposition lawmakers. In written materials submitted to the National Assembly ahead of a confirmation hearing slated for Tuesday, Lee Hyoung-il, who currently serves as first vice finance minister, noted that specific tax rules would be finalized through a National Tax Service public notice by year-end, ensuring taxpayers face no confusion when filing. He also defended classifying crypto asset income as miscellaneous income under the current tax framework, calling it an “appropriate” approach to applying taxpayer-friendly measures, such as a basic deduction and a single tax rate. “Given that stock trades involving major shareholders, foreign equities and unlisted shares, along with transaction taxes, are already subject to taxation, extending tax rules to crypto assets is essential for tax fairness,” he said. The crypto tax regime treats profits from transferring or lending digital

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More young Koreans look to stocks, bonds as retirement nest egg

A Seoul office worker surnamed Park has been setting aside 1 million won ($744) from her monthly paycheck for retirement since early this year, after friends and colleagues encouraged her to start investing. She puts the money into two types of retirement accounts — a pension savings account and an Individual Retirement Pension (IRP) — with most of her savings invested in exchange-traded funds (ETFs) tracking the S&P 500. She makes her ETF purchases automatically each month rather than trying to time the market based on currency or stock price movements. “Before, I was just paying into the national pension and my bank savings accounts. But I started to worry that I wasn’t doing enough to build up my assets,” the 32-year-old said. News that the national pension fund could run out sooner than expected as Korea’s birthrate falls and its population ages only heightened her concerns. “That was around the time people around me started encouraging me to invest, so I decided to give it a try,” she said. “I’m thinking of this as building my own pension over time. I want to kee

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Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei says AI industry needs to give safety measures time to catch up

NEW YORK — The CEO of Anthropic said Saturday the artificial-intelligence industry should slow its fast-moving development to give safety measures time to catch up. Without such a slowdown, Dario Amodei warned that within six to 12 months, AI could be capable of leading a swarm of agents that could take over the entire internet. The warning comes as worries about AI grow inside and outside the industry and reports continue to emerge about increasingly powerful systems that solve problems beyond human capacity but could also go rogue and carry out other, more harmful tasks. The worries have grown so loud that the CEO of OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, said in an interview with Fortune that his company would wait until next year to start selling its stock to investors on Wall Street as it focuses on safety. Amodei is one of the leading voices in AI, and he offered a plan in a post on his website to increase checks on the industry. He said Anthropic is already undertaking one part of it on its own, while the others would require coordination across the broad industry and with govern

4 MIN READ
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Gyeonggi Province partners with Naver to boost local pet product brands

In a country where pets are increasingly treated as full-fledged family members, Korea’s most populous province is stepping in to give local pet supply startups a digital boost. Gyeonggi Province said it has teamed up with Naver Happybean — the charitable and social impact arm of Korea’s dominant search engine operator — to launch Gyeonggi Petstar, a monthlong online showcase designed to connect homegrown pet businesses directly with consumers nationwide. Running through Oct. 11, the virtual storefront on Naver Happybean’s Empathy Store offers a curated selection of high-quality treats, pet essentials and walking accessories crafted by local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). To entice shoppers, the platform is offering 30 percent discount coupons alongside extra Naver Pay point rewards. The initiative targets a fundamental hurdle for small businesses in Korea's crowded retail market: digital visibility. While many local makers produce premium goods, standing out on massive e-commerce platforms often requires marketing budgets that fledgling brands simply do not have. T

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Employment among people in their 20s falls at fastest pace since 1998

The number of employed people in their 20s fell at the fastest pace this year since the 1998 Asian financial crisis, data showed Sunday, amid a trend toward entering the labor market at a later age. The number of employed people in their 20s averaged 3.38 million in the January-August period, down 193,000 from the same period a year earlier, according to data compiled by the Korean Statistical Information Service (KOSIS). The decline was the steepest since 1998, when the figure plunged by 550,000 in the wake of the Asian financial crisis. The employment slump was more pronounced than the decline in the age group's population. The population of the age group fell 3.5 percent on-year to an average 5.55 million, while the number of employed dropped 5.6 percent. As a result, their employment rate fell 1.3 percentage points to 59.1 percent, slipping below 60 percent for the first time in five years. In contrast, employment among people in their 30s strengthened. The population of the age group rose by 83,000 on-year to 6.94 million, while the number of employed increased by 103,000 to 5.6 millio

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Smilegate founder's divorce suit draws attention to game empire built in silence

A Seoul court's ruling Wednesday on the divorce of Kwon Hyuk-bin, Smilegate’s founder and chief vision officer, drew major attention as it involved a record property division payout in Korea — an order for him to pay 2.55 trillion won ($1.91 billion) to his wife. Despite the record settlement amount and the company's megahit first-person shooter game CrossFire, little is known about Kwon, as he rarely makes public appearances, except for charity events. Smilegate, Korea’s fifth-largest game company by sales, is unlisted and wholly owned by Kwon, often called a game empire built in silence. Though Kwon maintains absolute control over the company, the court found that Smilegate’s founding and growth were not solely attributable to him. The bulk of the payout order is made up of Kwon’s 35 percent stake in the game company, worth 2.49 trillion won, and 65 billion won in cash, meaning the court recognized his wife’s contributions to building the company’s value. From ashes to empire Kwon is regarded as one of the Korean game industry’s early-generation entrepreneurs. Now 52, h

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3 Life at the American gold mines in northern Korea : When tigers reigned

Situated in the mountainous region of northern Korea, the Oriental Consolidated Mining Company (OCMC) was surrounded by rough, unforgiving terrain that was both isolated and beautiful. Many of the immediate rugged peaks were bare, their forests stripped by the concession’s incessant need for timber. Further away, other hills and mountains were still covered with trees and thick brush — a precarious sanctuary for deer and other small mammals. Pheasants, pigeons, ducks and geese, as well as various other species of bird, graced both the sky and, like the deer, the miners’ tables. Aside from the miners, there were other predators. Large birds of prey ruled the sky, while predators lurked in the forest, drawn by the plentiful game — and occasionally, humans were among their prey. Born in Busan in 1904, Charles John Pedersen, who later received a Nobel Prize, described his brief stay at the mining concession where his father worked: “I spent my first and last winter at the mines when I was 4 years old. The region was known for severe weather due to the confluence of the Siberian st

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How Magok development changed southwestern Seoul's historical landscape

When I first moved to southwestern Seoul, near Gimpo International Airport, in 2003, the nearby Magok area was a large expanse of fields where rice and vegetables grew and egrets and weasels roamed. It was surrounded on many sides by apartment complexes that were built in the early 1990s, a time when much of Gangseo District was urbanized. Hints of the urban development to come were on the horizon, however. A long, deep gash in Magok’s fields marked where Seoul Metro Line 9 was under construction, and soon after it was covered over, another flurry of construction activity took place as ground broke on the Airport Express (AREX) line. The two lines came together at Magongnaru Station, though for years, the only evidence of its existence was a single, sealed-off subway exit in the middle of the fields. Despite its forlorn appearance in those days, these subway lines with their express trains proved to be something of a game-changer for Gangseo District, much of which had been previously ill-served by the subway system. In 2008, the last large-scale rice harvests in Magok took place and

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No more fixating on numbers: Comedians open up about regaining weight

Comedians Hong Yoon-hwa and Kim Shin-young are opening up about regaining weight after major weight-loss journeys, showing how their priorities have shifted toward health and happiness rather than maintaining a certain number on the scale. Hong Yoon-hwa appeared as a special guest on SBS’ entertainment program “Same Bed, Different Dreams 2: You Are My Destiny” on Sept. 8. When Hong appeared on the show, fellow comedian Kim Sook pointed out her changed physique. Hong jokingly acknowledged the change while touching a gold bracelet on her wrist, saying, “It’s gotten a little tight, hasn’t it?” The bracelet was a gift from her husband, comedian Kim Min-ki, after Hong successfully lost 40 kilograms. At the time, Kim reportedly purchased the gold bracelet in a single payment for approximately 9.55 million won ($6,900), drawing considerable attention. The bracelet was seen fitting much more snugly around her wrist recently, prompting interest from the panelists. When Lee Ji-hye asked Hong about her current condition, she smiled and replied, “I’ve been enjoying life a little mo

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From drinks to cars, Chinese brands take over Southeast Asia

BANGKOK, HANOI — Tana-wat, 34, an office worker who works in central Bangkok, starts his morning by turning on his BYD Atto 3, a Chinese electric vehicle (EV). On his way to work, he stops for a 20-baht ($0.60) lemonade at Mixue, a low-cost beverage chain from China. When he has a spare moment, he scrolls through TikTok, a Chinese short-form video platform, and clicks links at the bottom of videos to shop on TikTok Shop. His daily routine is surrounded by Chinese brands, known colloquially as "C-brands." Just a few years ago, C-brands were synonymous with “cheap” in Thailand. The picture has now changed dramatically. Their reach has expanded from inexpensive food and beverages to high-end fashion and cutting-edge electric vehicles. Chinese companies’ expansion into Southeast Asia has moved beyond large-scale infrastructure investment and manufacturing and into consumers’ everyday lives. C-brands on every floor of luxury malls At Iconsiam, one of Bangkok’s most upscale shopping malls, C-brands are found on virtually every floor. Among them are Urban Revivo, a fashion brand; Pop

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N. Korean state media again silent on missile launches

North Korean state media on Sunday made no mention of the ballistic missiles fired a day earlier, continuing a pattern of silence over its missile launches since early August. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) and the Rodong Sinmun, the most widely read newspaper in the country, had made no mention of the launches as of 9 a.m. On Saturday, North Korea fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles from the Wonsan area toward the East Sea, just a day after South Korea, the United States and Japan wrapped up their trilateral military exercise. Pyongyang fired a short-range ballistic missile toward the East Sea on Aug. 6 and another on Aug. 12, followed by a barrage of the same type of ballistic missiles on Aug. 20, as South Korea and the United States staged their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise. North Korean state media remained silent on all three launches. The North has typically used its state media to publicize its ballistic missile launches the following day, especially when North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has overseen them. The silence comes amid conciliatory signals toward P

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Japan again makes no mention of Koreans' forced labor at Sado memorial event

Japan again stopped short of acknowledging the forced nature of Korean labor during a ceremony Saturday commemorating victims of a World War II-era mine complex in the country. The annual ceremony was first held in 2024 as a fulfillment of Japan's pledge when the Sado mine in Niigata Prefecture was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in July 2024. Hamamoto Yukiya, director-general for cultural affairs at Japan's foreign ministry, attended the ceremony in his capacity as a government representative, along with about 70 other participants. "Workers from the Korean Peninsula engaged in arduous labor in dangerous and harsh conditions inside the mine during the war," Hamamoto was quoted as saying by Japan's Kyodo News. "Sadly, some people lost their lives here." However, his remarks were largely similar to those made at the two previous ceremonies and made no mention of the forced nature of Korean labor at the time. Korea boycotted the event for the third consecutive year, saying no agreement was reached with Japan on Seoul's demands that the ceremony acknowledge that Korean workers were

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REPORTER’S NOTEBOOKTaiwan-China row at Gwangju Biennale could have been avoided

JEONNAM-GWANGJU SPECIAL METROPOLITAN CITY — The "Taiwan Pavilion" dispute that overshadowed the opening of the 16th Gwangju Biennale last weekend wasn't a mere display of diplomatic tension between China and Taiwan that erupted randomly at an art event. It laid bare a deep-running problem with one of Asia’s best-known contemporary art event organizers and raised a question: Is the organizer's management system working? The biennale, launched in 1995 in the spirit of the May 18 Gwangju Democratic Uprising in 1980, has grown into Korea’s largest and Asia’s oldest and best contemporary art biennale. It has more than 10 billion won ($7.44 million) in public funding and related spending committed to each edition. Its 2026 operating budget was set at about 14.3 billion won, excluding a separate 1 billion won for replenishing its basic assets. It seems that the problem boils down to its precarious staffing model. A team manager-level Gwangju Biennale Foundation employee on a short-term contract told The Korea Times that the biennale’s core working staff numbers only around 30, with t

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Editor's Pick

[WEEKENDER] Foreign victims shut out of Korea's 'jeonse' fraud relief efforts

WEEKENDER Foreign victims shut out of Korea's 'jeonse' fraud relief efforts

At the start of 2022, Nan Ming-ji, a 40-year-old with Chinese citizenship, moved with his parents into a home in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province. The family put down a 140 million won ($104,000) deposit — money his parents had saved since arriving in Korea two decades ago. It was no small sum. But under the country’s distinct “jeonse” system, such large upfront deposits have long been the norm. Instead of paying monthly rent, tenants put down a lump sum that is returned in full when the lease ends. For landlords, the deposits provide access to a large pool of capital they can invest or earn interest on. In October 2023, Nan’s father found a notice saying their home was being put up for auction. Just weeks later, the family learned that their landlord owned several other buildings in his wife’s and brother-in-law’s names. Those properties, too, had been flagged for auction. The family had fallen victim to a form of jeonse fraud that has spread rapidly across Korea over the past decade. Some landlords used deposits from multiple tenants to acquire properties with little of their ow

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Life in Korea

Half Local magazine brings fresh perspective on Seoul through 1st print issue

Half Local magazine brings fresh perspective on Seoul through 1st print issue

It can often feel overwhelming to look up social media recommendations for things to do in Seoul. There are aesthetic cafes tucked away in Seongsu-dong, where visitors might wait 40 minutes for a seat, or the latest “must-visit” Korean beauty store that has taken over Instagram. But for those who live in Seoul, those sites aren't necessarily part of the city they know and love. Enter Half Local, a media project exploring Seoul’s communities, neighborhoods and creative stories, offering a glimpse of the city beyond the trends that dominate social media. After initially sharing its stories online, Half Local is now entering the world of print with the release of its first physical magazine. Created by longtime British foreign resident Ella Kaill alongside Korean photographer Harry Heo, the first issue brings together a collection of stories built around a simple idea: being close enough to understand Korea, but far enough away to still see it with fresh eyes. After studying Korean in university, Kaill moved to the country in 2019 and gradually became immersed in its culture and ever

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Lifestyle

From vitamin C to fiber: Nutritional benefits of fresh jujubes

Click here for more articles by Kormedi.com. Fresh jujubes are now in season, offering a brief taste of early fall. Unlike dried jujubes, fresh ones contain plenty of water and have a crisp, apple-like texture, making them an easy snack to enjoy. They are also rich in vitamin C and dietary fiber, making them a good choice for an early-autumn snack that combines flavor and nutrition. Fresh jujubes are known for containing considerably more vitamin C than apples. Vitamin C is an antioxidant nutrient that helps maintain normal immune function and protect cells from oxidative damage. It is also essential for collagen production, which helps maintain healthy skin, gums and blood vessels. The skin contains antioxidants such as polyphenols and flavonoids, while the dietary fiber in the flesh can support bowel movements and regularity. Jujubes also provide potassium, which can help the body excrete excess sodium and support healthy blood pressure. Because fresh jujubes are typically eaten with their skin on, they can provide a wider range of nutrients. The easiest way to enjoy fresh jujubes is t

2 MIN READ
From vitamin C to fiber: Nutritional benefits of fresh jujubes

K-Culture

BTS' Jung Kook can't get enough of RESCENE, shares 'Love Attack' performance

BTS member Jung Kook has once again shown his interest in rising girl group RESCENE, this time sharing a video of the group performing live. On Friday, Jung Kook posted the video on his Instagram account. The clip shows RESCENE performing "Love Attack" the previous day at Spotify House Seoul, held at Anderson C in Seongdong District, Seoul. It was not the first time Jung Kook had drawn attention to the group. In July, he shared a video of RESCENE member Minami covering his solo song "Still With You." He added "yaho," a phrase often associated with Minami, to the post. Minami has previously said that she was a fan of BTS even before making her debut, making Jung Kook's repeated attention to RESCENE particularly noteworthy among fans. After sharing Minami's cover in July, Jung Kook has now personally captured and posted the group's live performance, drawing renewed attention from fans. Jung Kook also shared a video of boy group RIIZE performing "Get A Guitar" at the event. RIIZE member Sohee has previously said that he is a fan of Jung Kook, adding another fan-to-idol connection to the BTS s

1 MIN READ
BTS' Jung Kook can't get enough of RESCENE, shares 'Love Attack' performance

Celebrities

'Winter Sonata' star Bae Yong-joon spotted on golf course in rare public appearance

Actor Bae Yong-joon, one of the biggest stars of the early Korean wave, has been spotted on a golf course in a rare public glimpse more than a decade after largely stepping away from the entertainment industry. Amateur golfer Kim Seo-ah shared a photo with Bae on social media Friday, writing, "An enjoyable round of golf with actor Bae Yong-joon." The photo shows the two posing together on the golf course, with Bae smiling broadly and flashing a peace sign. Dressed in a green top and white pants, the actor also drew attention for the gray hair visible beneath his cap. Kim, born in 2012, is a promising amateur golfer who has earned recognition with strong finishes in amateur golf championships. Bae has largely stayed out of the public eye since making a special appearance in the KBS drama "Dream High" in 2011. Since then, occasional sightings and photos posted online have offered rare updates on the actor. Bae rose to stardom through the 2002 drama "Winter Sonata," becoming one of the most recognizable faces of the first-generation Korean wave, particularly in Japan. He married Park Soo-jin,

1 MIN READ
'Winter Sonata' star Bae Yong-joon spotted on golf course in rare public appearance

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Opinion

Top 10 Stories

  1. Japan again makes no mention of Koreans' forced labor at Sado memorial event

  2. Yong Hye-in quits as gender minister nominee amid criticism

  3. 3 Life at the American gold mines in northern Korea : When tigers reigned

  4. Smilegate founder's divorce suit draws attention to game empire built in silence

  5. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei says AI industry needs to give safety measures time to catch up

  6. President Lee reassures public over oil prices amid escalating Middle East tensions

  7. Gyeonggi Province partners with Naver to boost local pet product brands

  8. From drinks to cars, Chinese brands take over Southeast Asia

  9. Women's volleyball team heads to Japan with sights set on redemption

  10. Collective learning in decline: Korea's hidden risk

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