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Korea, NATO agree to open procurement talks for $9.9 billion defense market

ANKARA — Korea and NATO agreed to open negotiations on a basic procurement agreement that would allow Korean defense companies to participate in NATO's joint procurement market, estimated to be worth 15 trillion won ($9.9 billion) annually, National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said Tuesday. Wi said the agreement was reached on the occasion of a meeting between President Lee Jae Myung and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Ankara, where the NATO summit is being held from Tuesday to Wednesday. Lee is attending the summit at Rutte's invitation. "The agreement, once concluded, will provide an institutional framework for Korean companies to participate in NATO's joint procurement market," Wi said during a press briefing, pointing out that the market is estimated to be worth 15 trillion won per year. “The agreement would give Korea a foothold to enter NATO's defense market, the world's largest,” Wi added, referring to NATO's 32 member states, which make up the world's largest defense procurement market with a roughly 55 percent share of global defense spending. Wi said Korea and NATO

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Reliance on nuclear power clouds southwestern chip cluster plan

The government's plan to build a massive semiconductor cluster in southwestern Korea to house chip plants for Samsung Electronics and SK hynix is facing growing questions over whether sufficient power can be secured. The Lee Jae Myung government is increasingly moving away from its initial policy stance of maintaining the status quo on nuclear power, acknowledging that renewable energy alone cannot meet the project's electricity needs and arguing that additional nuclear power plants are needed. The challenge is that building nuclear power plants is as complicated and time-consuming as constructing semiconductor fabs. New reactors must clear environmental assessments and address potential opposition from local residents near transmission grids and other facilities, making it uncertain whether additional power generation is possible before the current memory chip upcycle fades or before Lee's term ends. According to government officials, the government is considering building four additional nuclear reactors. Earlier this month, Minister of Climate, Energy and Environment Kim Sung-hwan sa

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Monsoon rains to soak central parts of Korea

Monsoon season rains are forecast to drench central parts of Korea on Wednesday, with rainfall expected to continue into the next day, the state-run weather agency said. The broader Seoul area, the eastern province of Gangwon and the central-western province of South Chungcheong will see rainfall Wednesday morning, with downpours forecast to hit the entire nation until Thursday, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). Seoul, the surrounding province of Gyeonggi and Incheon, just west of the capital, are expected to see 50 to 100 millimeters of rainfall over the two-day period, the KMA said. The central city of Daejeon, and the surrounding provinces of South Chungcheong and North Chungcheong are forecast to receive 80 to 150 mm of rain over the period. Some parts of the region could see more than 200 mm of rainfall. The KMA also warned of strong winds and thunderstorms through Thursday. The country is expected to continue to experience hot weather Wednesday, with the daytime temperature forecast to range between 26 and 33 C.

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Open USD pushes Korea to rethink stablecoin model

The upcoming launch of Open USD, a dollar-pegged stablecoin backed by more than 140 global financial and technology firms, is expected to reshape Korea's stablecoin debate by shifting the focus from issuers to companies with real distribution power, industry officials said Tuesday. Open USD is challenging the issuer-dominated profit model that has long defined the stablecoin market. Its governance rights and reserve income will be shared among participating companies, with revenue distributed based on the competitiveness of each distribution partner. The launch is scheduled for the second half of this year. In Korea, 13 companies, including Samsung Electronics, Shinhan Financial Group, KB Kookmin Card, Dunamu and Hanwha Group, have joined the initiative. Global firms such as Visa, Mastercard, Stripe, BlackRock, Coinbase, Google, BNY and Standard Chartered are also among the participants. Industry officials said the emergence of Open USD carries significant implications for Korea as the country debates the introduction of a won-pegged stablecoin. So far, Korea's stablecoin discussion has

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Review'Agent Kim Reactivated' revives middle-aged action hero

On the surface, Mr. Kim (So Ji-sub) is just an ordinary, submissive neighborhood man who cares for nothing but his only daughter. He is a single dad who would rather kneel down and beg for forgiveness before a bully's wealthy parents than cause a scene. But the moment his daughter goes missing, the seal on this middle-aged man is shattered. Confronting a cocky gang member who claims legal protection under juvenile law, Kim delivers a bone-chilling warning: “When you lose your parents, you're called an orphan. When you lose your husband, a widow. But there is no word for a parent who loses a child. Do you know why? Because the sheer misery and agony leave you with absolutely nothing left to lose. 'Juvenile offender'? Nice phrasing. Then I guess I’ll have to be the 'lawless middle-aged'.” SBS’s drama "Agent Kim Reactivated," also streaming on Netflix, is a gripping crime noir that follows "Code Name 66" — a former North Korean operative who defected and settled in the South — as he unleashes his monstrous, hidden combat skills against a corrupt nation and giant criminal syndic

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Netflix's 'Teach You a Lesson' reignites juvenile justice debate: Korean teens weigh in

“But as juvenile offenders, aren’t you meant to learn right from wrong by experiencing things? Isn’t it the nation’s way of giving you a learning opportunity? I’ll stop once I’m no longer underage ... I promise, really.” In a scene from the Netflix Korean drama "Teach You a Lesson," a middle school student involved in serious crimes responds with a sneer. “Arrest and lock me up, only if you can.” Technically, he is both right and wrong. In Korea, juvenile offenders — more precisely minors under the age of 14 — are not subject to criminal punishment, such as fines or prison terms, even when accused of serious crimes such as drug distribution or car theft. Under the Juvenile Act, they are instead placed under “protective disposition,” with the harshest measure being confinement in a juvenile detention center for up to two years. So, strictly speaking, they can still face legal consequences — just not criminal punishment. That does not mean the rage-inducing scene from the drama is pure fabrication, however. In 2020, when a group of middle school students killed a

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InterviewSangmyung University builds distinctive global strategy around arts, culture

As Korean universities jostle for global standing, Sangmyung University is leaning into what sets it apart: a concentration in culture and the arts. Three of the university's 10 colleges specialize in culture, the arts and design — a rare institutional structure among Korean universities that Sangmyung University President Kim Chong-hee sees as a strategic asset rather than a legacy to be outgrown. “We are focusing our global partnerships on two key areas — artificial intelligence (AI), our new strategic priority, and culture and the arts, our traditional strength," she said in a recent interview with The Korea Times. Asia's cultural hub Kim said her ultimate goal is to position Sangmyung as Asia's cultural hub, connected to the world, and and the university is building a network of partnerships across Europe and Asia to back that ambition. In November 2025, the university also launched the Arts Management Asia Center as part of its broader push to become a regional hub for arts management. "We want the center to serve as a platform connecting arts management research and education a

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Binge drinking surges among Korean women in 30s

For a working mother in her 30s using the pseudonym Lim Ji-hyun, alcohol began as a brief escape at the end of the day. After putting her child to sleep, she would pour one or two glasses of soju, a clear Korean liquor, treating the drink as a small reward after hours of work and child care. She felt pressure not to fail at work or home, and that pressure gradually pushed drinking from occasional comfort into a daily routine. "I used to feel better when drinking," Lim said. As the routine continued, her drinking increased. What began as a way to clear her mind turned into binge drinking, and mistakes followed. She forgot her child’s schedule and arrived late for work — lapses she had never before experienced. After her family urged her to seek medical care, Lim went to a hospital, received a diagnosis of liver cirrhosis and began inpatient treatment. Drinking alone becomes routine Her case reflects a broader shift that health experts say deserves more attention. A Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency report showed that the monthly binge-drinking rate among women in their 30s r

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Korea says proposed US forced labor tariff is 'unwarranted,' should be reconsidered

WASHINGTON — Korea has called on the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to reconsider its proposed tariff on Korea over forced labor concerns, calling the proposal "unwarranted" and "disproportionate" to the Asian economy's relevant circumstances. The Korean Embassy in Washington submitted comments to the office on Monday, as the USTR has proposed 12.5 percent tariffs on Korea and dozens of other economies over their alleged failure to enforce import bans on products made with forced labor. The USTR conducted trade investigations into 60 countries, including Korea, China and Japan, over forced labor concerns under Section 301 of the 1974 Trade Act, as U.S. President Donald Trump's administration seeks to replace "reciprocal" tariffs that were struck down by the Supreme Court in February. "Korea shares the United States' concerns regarding the use of forced labor in global supply chains and the need for its elimination," the embassy said in its comment. "Nevertheless ..., Korea believes that the proposed action against Korea is unwarranted and needs to be revised." The embas

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'I wish I'd never met Park Geun-hye': Choi Seo-won breaks silence after 10 years

When asked whether there was a moment in her life she wished she could change, she paused for the first time in the three-hour interview. Until then, she had answered every question without hesitation. After several seconds of silence, Choi Seo-won, formerly known as Choi Soon-sil, spoke softly. A central figure in the 2016-17 state affairs scandal that shook Korea and ultimately led to the impeachment of then-President Park Geun-hye, the first sitting president in the nation's constitutional history to be removed from office, Choi reflected on the decision that changed her life. "If I could go back," she said softly, "I wish I had never met former President Park Geun-hye when we were in college." The Hankook Ilbo met Choi, now 70, on June 29 in a conference room at Soonchunhyang University Hospital in Seoul's Yongsan District, where she was accompanied by her attorney. Speaking publicly for the first time since the scandal erupted a decade ago, Choi said her rapidly declining health had prompted her to break her silence. "I feel my health worsening by the day, and I don't think I have m

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Winners of the 22nd Economic Essay Contest

The Korea Times is pleased to announce the winners of its 22nd English Economic Essay Contest for university students. The Grand Prize winners are Alexandra Maria Escobar Garay, a Salvadoran student at Busan University of Foreign Studies, and Ko Kyung-hwan, a Korean student at Hanyang University. Each winner will receive 3 million won in prize money and an award certificate. The runners-up are Sultanova Khadizha, a Kyrgyz student at Woosong University, and Said Jonathan Luviano Lessie, a Mexican student at Ajou University. Each will receive 2 million won and an award certificate. Commendation awards went to Tran Minh Ngoc, a Vietnamese student at Hanoi Financial and Banking University, Narzullaeva Maftuna Shukhrat Kizi, an Uzbek student at Inha University, and Lee Hyo-jeong, a Korean student at the University of California. Each will receive 1 million won and a certificate. The contestants wrote essays addressing one of two subjects. The first topic covered Korean banks and securities firms. The contestants were asked to write an essay based on this writing prompt: Korean banks and securitie

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Korea University's International Summer Campus combines academic program with diverse K-culture experiences

Korea University recently kicked off International Summer Campus (ISC) 2026, the largest summer university program for international students in Asia, at its Seoul campus. At the welcome event on June 27, participating students were introduced to the university’s vibrant cheering culture as they learned its signature cheers and chants under the guidance of the cheerleading squad. The university said the ISC goes beyond traditional academic programs and provides a valuable opportunity for international students to experience Korean culture. The combination of K-study and K-culture has contributed to establishing the ISC as one of Asia’s premier international summer programs. The university attributes the ISC's growth to the global popularity of Korean culture, which has expanded international interest beyond the Korean language to Korea’s history, politics, economy and advanced technologies such as semiconductors and artificial intelligence (AI). It noted that K-culture increasingly serves as a gateway to Korea, while K-study gives students a reason to stay longer and pursue academic

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N. Korea-born ex-lawmaker's son faces 5-year prison demand over crypto fraud

Prosecutors on Tuesday demanded a five-year prison sentence for the eldest son of former People Power Party lawmaker Thae Yong-ho on charges of swindling about 1.4 billion won ($924,086) in a cryptocurrency investment scam. The prosecution made the request during the first hearing of the case involving the defendant at the Seoul Central District Court. The younger Tae faces charges including fraud under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes. "The nature of the crime is grave because the total damage reached 1.4 billion won and the defendant exploited the victims' trust in him," the prosecution said. "He continued his crimes through a Ponzi scheme, using money from new investors to pay off his existing debts." The state prosecutors also noted that the damage has not been recovered yet and it is unlikely that the victims will get their money back anytime soon. The defendant admitted to his crimes and asked the court for mercy during the trial. "I admit my wrongdoing and I have cooperated faithfully with the investigation by submitting all my financial and cryptocu

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NATO ties trump Korea in Canada's submarine bid

Interoperability with NATO was a crucial factor in Canada's selection of shipbuilders for its submarine fleet, as a Korean consortium lost to its German-Norwegian rival in the multibillion-dollar submarine procurement project on Tuesday. Canada’s move is largely seen as influenced by the need to reinforce its NATO ties at a time when the United States’ commitment to the alliance faces growing uncertainty, although the Korean bidder showed enough technical competitiveness to vie with the German bidder. On Monday (local time), Canada selected Germany's ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) as the preferred bidder, beating a Korean consortium led by Hanwha Ocean and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries. The Canadian Navy is seeking 12 conventional submarines to replace its aging Victoria-class fleet. Since Canada announced the project in 2024, Korean government and industry officials went all out to win the bid worth 60 trillion won ($39.1 billion). “The determining factor was interoperability with NATO, specifically the level of cooperation that allows for integrated training, sharing of mainten

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Q&A Korea's 'fake news' law is in force — what you need to know

Korea’s revised Information and Communications Network Act, also dubbed the “fake news” law, came into force on Tuesday, reshaping how unlawful information is handled online. Under the new rules, “false or manipulated” information is defined as content whose whole or partial substance is untrue, or altered in a way that misleads audiences into believing it is factual. The revision also introduced a new category of illegal hate or discriminatory expression which covers posts that incite violence, discrimination or hatred against individuals or groups based on traits such as race, nationality or gender. Amid concerns over vague legal definitions and potential conflicts with constitutional free-speech protections, the state-run Korea Media and Communications Commission (KMCC) provided answers to frequently asked questions to address key issues. Q. What should I do if I suffer harm from false or manipulated information? A. Anyone who encounters information suspected of being false or manipulated can file a report with a large online service provider, including the location of the c

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Calls grow to delist Samsung, SK hynix leveraged ETFs

Political pressure is mounting to delist single-stock leveraged exchange-traded funds (ETFs) tied to Samsung Electronics and SK hynix following successive risk warnings from financial authorities and the Bank of Korea (BOK), as the high-risk products are being increasingly blamed for recent turbulence in the domestic stock market. Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) slammed the rollout of the products as a complete policy failure, calling for aggressive regulatory intervention, including their delisting, to restore normal market operations. "KOSPI has devolved into a casino," Ahn wrote on Facebook Monday, pointing to the 212 trillion won ($139 billion) traded in the leveraged funds, which he argued has fueled sharp swings in stock prices. "All 14 single-stock leveraged ETFs tracking the two chipmakers have posted negative returns over the past month, with losses reaching as much as 35.9 percent," he wrote. "To stabilize the market, sweeping corrective measures, including forced delistings, are urgently needed." Ahn also urged President Lee Jae Myung to hold

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Still evolving after 4 decades: Aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt at RIMPAC 2026

HONOLULU — Standing beneath rows of fighter jets on the flight deck of the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), Capt. William Mathis greeted visiting reporters with a smile before introducing the warship in a few simple words. “This is a floating city.” The Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier carries about 3,000 sailors assigned to the ship and another 2,000 with Carrier Air Wing 11. “We go out to sea and we run four and a half acres (1.8 hectares) of sovereign U.S. territory,” Mathis said. “It’s a floating airport, and really it’s a floating city.” Moored at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam during this year’s Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC), the carrier’s flight deck was lined with F/A-18 Super Hornets, F-35C Lightning II fighters, EA-18G Growlers and E-2D Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft. Sailors moved steadily between aircraft and maintenance equipment as the ship prepared to get underway. Commissioned in 1986, Theodore Roosevelt marks its 40th anniversary this year. Yet Mathis said the ship’s age matters less than its ability to adapt. “We alway

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Bento interested as Korea seeks new coach

Former Korea national football team coach Paulo Bento, who guided the country to the round of 16 at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, has expressed interest in returning to the vacant managerial position, according to people familiar with the matter. With the Korea Football Association (KFA) still in the midst of leadership uncertainty following the resignation of its former president, attention is already turning to the search for the national team's next coach. According to the football community and the KFA on Tuesday, Bento recently conveyed his interest in taking charge of the national team through a KFA official who had previously worked with him during his tenure. He has not, however, formally submitted an application to the KFA's National Team Strengthening Committee, which is responsible for recommending candidates for the head coach position. A football official said Bento is also open to serving as interim coach, as Korea is expected to appoint a temporary manager ahead of its September A matches. The KFA held the first meeting of its National Team Strengthening Committee on Friday and

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ReviewNa Hong-jin reinvents sci-fi thriller in 'Hope' with fierce pace, raw style

Na Hong-jin has returned to the director's chair for the first time in a decade with his highly anticipated sci-fi thriller "Hope," a film that undeniably breaks new ground in the history of Korean cinema. Following its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May, the blockbuster underwent careful editing and visual enhancements to shave four minutes off its runtime, resulting in a tighter 156-minute theatrical cut that delivers a relentless and high-octane cinematic experience. Set in the 1980s in Hopo Port, a fictional small coastal town near the Demilitarized Zone, the movie begins with a scary discovery. A remote outpost chief Bum-seok (Hwang Jung-min) responds to a report of a mutilated cow lying on a rural road. Believing a wild tiger is around, the village people grab their weapons to search for the threat. While tough young men including Seong-gi (Zo In-sung) head straight into the mountains, Bum-seok gets caught in a dangerous encounter with the creature, while staying in touch with a local police officer Seong-ae (Jung Ho-yeon). However, they soon realize that the mysteri

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Horror books for your summer reading list

Koreans have long known a secret about surviving the summer: fight heat with fear. For decades, the arrival of the monsoon season meant horror specials on Korean television, ghost stories and horror anthologies programmed precisely when tropical nights made sleep impossible. The logic, half science and half folklore, holds that a good shiver down the spine cools the body better than any electric fan. The tradition survives today in summer horror film releases and haunted house pop-ups that appear across Seoul every July. But for readers of English, there is now an alternate route to that seasonal chill, one that does not involve jump scares or formulaic slasher plots. Korean horror and crime fiction has quietly become one of the fastest-growing corners of translated literature, with a shelf of novels that trade cheap thrills for something colder and more lasting. The timing invites comparison with Japan. English-language publishers have spent the past decade riding a wave of translated Japanese mysteries, from Seishi Yokomizo's classic locked-room puzzles to Yukito Ayatsuji's "The Decago

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Editor's Pick

Korea's push to raise retirement age raises fears over youth job market

Korea's push to raise retirement age raises fears over youth job market

In Korea's superaged society, where those aged 65 or over account for more than 20 percent of the total population, a renewed debate has emerged over what the retirement age should be. The discussion resurfaced last month after the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) floated the idea of raising the retirement age from 60 to 65. The party, however, is taking a cautious approach and avoiding railroading the policy plan since it is closely related to youth employment. The issue now is balancing longer careers for older adults with the potential cost of fewer job opportunities for young workers. Income cliff A retirement age of 60 is usually observed in the public sector and most private companies, although some companies set their own ages under a labor-management agreement. At the heart of the issue is the income cliff between the retirement age and the national pension eligibility age, which ranges from 60 for those born in 1952 or earlier to 65 for those born in 1969 or later. For those at the higher end, that gap can mean five years without receiving national pension payments after re

4 MIN READ

Life in Korea

Seoul garden show blooms after dark with films, books and nature walks

Seoul garden show blooms after dark with films, books and nature walks

The Seoul International Garden Show is shifting into nighttime mode for the summer, inviting visitors to swap the midday heat for outdoor movies, late-night reading and guided walks as the event continues to draw record crowds. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Tuesday it will expand evening cultural and experiential programs at Seoul Forest during July and August after the 2026 Seoul International Garden Show surpassed 6 million visitors as of Thursday. The summer program is designed to encourage visitors to enjoy the gardens after sunset through a mix of films, reading, guided tours and interactive activities. One of the signature events, the Garden Cinema, will offer free outdoor screenings every Saturday evening through Aug. 29, with an additional screening scheduled for July 17. The film lineup includes "La La Land," "The Wild Robot," "Mamma Mia!," "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time," "Little Forest," "Sing," "Bohemian Rhapsody," "Malmoe," "My Neighbor Totoro" and "The Secret Life of Pets 2." Visitors will also be able to enjoy the Garden Library, an outdoor reading space featurin

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Lifestyle

Ysaye Int'l Music Competition to stage final round in Korea

The Ysaye International Music Competition, a global platform for young violinists founded in Belgium, will hold its final round in Korea this year for the first time, reflecting Asia's growing importance in the classical music world. The 2026 finals will take place July 10 and 11 at Incheon Arts Center in Gyeonggi Province, co-hosted by the Korea International Arts School and the Belgian organization. The competition, launched in 2018 in Liege, birthplace of Belgian violinist-composer Eugene Ysaye, has until now held all its stages in Belgium. This year, 121 applicants from 23 countries entered the competition, with preliminary and semifinal rounds already held in Belgium. Twenty violinists are expected to compete at the finals. Competition director and founder Elena Lavrenova said the decision to move the finals abroad for the first time was driven by both artistic philosophy and geography. “We chose Korea because we had the best partners in Korea,” she said during a press conference, adding that the majority of applicants now come from Asia. She stressed that the competition, built

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Ysaye Int'l Music Competition to stage final round in Korea

K-Culture

New wave of chef reality shows breaks the rules

The golden age of culinary television shows is undergoing a massive paradigm shift. Moving far beyond traditional cooking shows that rely on simple studio competitions or restaurant tours, a new wave of variety shows is breaking the rules by introducing high-stakes, real-world challenges. At the center of this cultural revolution are two hit reality shows titled "Undercover Chef" and "Street Restaurant Fighter." By stripping top-tier celebrity chefs of their hard-earned fame and authority, these shows have found a winning formula that resonates deeply with modern audiences worldwide. In the tvN's "Undercover Chef," legendary Korean culinary icons travel abroad to work as bottom-tier kitchen helpers under fake identities. For instance, dim sum queen Jung Ji-sun, pasta master Sam Kim and Kwon Sung-jun, winner of Netflix's "Culinary Class Wars" Season 1 must blend into demanding kitchens in China and Italy. They are given just five days to adapt to a foreign environment and successfully get their own dish onto the restaurant's main menu. Viewers are saying the format actually feels like a

3 MIN READ
New wave of chef reality shows breaks the rules

Celebrities

Rejected 3 times: aespa's Winter reveals how she finally joined SM Entertainment

Aespa member Winter has revealed that she failed auditions for SM Entertainment three times before finally making it into one of Korea's biggest K-pop agencies. Winter shared the story during Sunday's episode of JTBC's cooking variety show “Please Take Care of My Refrigerator,” where she appeared alongside fellow aespa member Karina. Host Kim Sung-joo said both idols are often described by fans as having the "classic SM look" — a term referring to an image commonly associated with artists from the agency. Karina said she believed Winter best fit that image. "I think Winter is the perfect example of the SM style," Karina said. "She has the fair complexion of seniors like Seo Hyun-jin and Taeyeon." Winter, however, disagreed. "I actually think it's Karina," she said. "I failed the SM audition three times. I kept auditioning until I finally got accepted, while SM sent Karina a direct message first." She jokingly contrasted their different paths into the company. "SM chose Karina, but I chose SM," Winter said. Kim then asked whether entertainment agencies now recruit aspiring idols through

1 MIN READ
Rejected 3 times: aespa's Winter reveals how she finally joined SM Entertainment

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Opinion

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Top 10 Stories

  1. Monsoon rains to drench Korea starting Wednesday

  2. 'I wish I'd never met Park Geun-hye': Choi Seo-won breaks silence after 10 years

  3. Hanwha Ocean's Canada setback boosts export prospects

  4. Calls grow to delist Samsung, SK hynix leveraged ETFs

  5. Q&A Korea's 'fake news' law is in force — what you need to know

  6. Seoul to transform gritty tech hub into lush green IT district

  7. KOSPI tumbles as Samsung's record earnings fail to lift market

  8. President calls for higher level of defense partnership between Korea, NATO

  9. NATO ties trump Korea in Canada's submarine bid

  10. Binge drinking surges among Korean women in 30s

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