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Seoul Declaration sets 30-year Korea-Central Asia agenda on minerals, energy, AI

Korea and five Central Asian countries adopted the Seoul Declaration Wednesday, outlining a vision for cooperation over the next 30 years as they elevate their multilateral partnership to the leaders’ level. Announced at the inaugural multilateral summit, the declaration institutionalizes a biennial leaders’ summit and sets out cooperation across four broad areas — partnership, peace, prosperity and people-to-people exchanges — to encompass supply chains, critical minerals, energy, trade and investment, emerging technologies and security. The summit in Seoul brought together President Lee Jae Myung and the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, representing the latest step in upgrading a cooperation framework that began at the vice-ministerial level in 2007 and was elevated to the ministerial level in 2019. Kazakhstan expressed its willingness to host the second summit in Astana in 2028, with the other participating countries agreeing to the proposal. The declaration established a framework for more systematic economic cooperation, including a

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Gov't announces plans to formally introduce abortion pills

The government on Wednesday announced plans to formally allow the use of abortion pills by women up to nine weeks pregnant, as related regulations remain unrevised following the Constitutional Court's 2019 striking down of the abortion ban. The ministries of gender equality, health and food and drug safety reported the plans at a government policy coordination meeting, noting the institutional vacuum has created risks to women's health and safety. Under the plan, abortion pills will be introduced in phases, with both prescription and dispensing taking place directly at hospitals for the first two years. When necessary conditions are fulfilled, the system will shift to doctors prescribing and pharmacies dispensing. The food and drug safety ministry said it has received applications for approval of abortion pills for use by women up to nine weeks pregnant and that it will vet their safety and quality before proceeding. "Our goal is to introduce the pills within the first quarter next year on the condition related procedures are fully carried out," a drug ministry official said in a separate

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Korean films eye Chuseok box office after dodging 'The Odyssey'

Korean films are expected to engage in a fierce battle for the top spot at the box office during this year’s Chuseok holiday. Several films that had been weighing their release dates to avoid the summer box office rush have instead converged on Chuseok after Na Hong-jin’s new film "Hope" and Hollywood blockbusters "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" and "The Odyssey" opened in succession during the peak summer season. The competition will be particularly intense on Sept. 23, when three Korean films, including new works by directors Lee Chang-dong and Hur Jin-ho, hit theaters simultaneously. The long-awaited showdown among major Korean productions is expected to continue through the Hangeul Day holiday weekend in early October. The first film off the starting line is "The Intern," a remake of the 2015 Hollywood film of the same name. Opening Sept. 16, the film has drawn attention with Han So-hee and Choi Min-sik taking the roles played by Anne Hathaway and Robert De Niro in the original. The story follows a fashion industry rising star played by Han, whose company has become a dark horse ju

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LG, Hyundai distance themselves from workers' legal actions over Georgia raid

LG Energy Solution and Hyundai Motor Group are distancing themselves from the legal actions of workers against the U.S. government over their detention during last year’s immigration raid at the companies’ joint battery plant in Georgia. An LG Energy Solution official told The Korea Times Wednesday that the company was not aware that employees were taking legal action until media reports emerged Tuesday night. The official added that the company would not get involved because the legal actions were based on individual decisions by the workers, and the company is not tracking who is joining the campaign. An official at Hyundai Motor Group also said none of the company’s employees were among those detained at the time, adding that it is not involved in legal action taken individually by workers from partner companies or those dispatched to the site. A day earlier, CNN reported that more than 300 Korean workers detained during the raid started filing administrative claims with nine federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (I

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Seoul faces tough Hormuz calculus ahead of Cho-Rubio talks

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun is visiting Washington from Thursday to Saturday for talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, with the agenda spanning the potential Hormuz troop deployment, President Lee Jae Myung's possible sideline summit with U.S. President Donald Trump at the U.N. General Assembly and a range of unresolved bilateral issues — all against a backdrop of rising domestic opposition to any military commitment in the Middle East. “Cho will hold a South Korea-U.S. Foreign Ministers' meeting on Friday to discuss a wide range of topics, including bilateral relations, issues on the Korean Peninsula and regional and global matters,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Wednesday. The upcoming meeting will be their first formal bilateral session since February, when the two officials focused mainly on implementing the joint fact sheet under which Korea agreed to invest $350 billion in the U.S. and Washington permitted Seoul to develop nuclear-powered submarines. The two held a brief pull-aside in Manila in July. The session is expected to cover follow-up

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Defense minister nominee says conditions ripe for OPCON transfer

Defense minister nominee Kang Shin-chul said Wednesday that Korea has made substantial progress in meeting the requirements for the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) and that the conditions are now in place to move the process forward, lending support to the Lee Jae Myung administration’s push to complete the transfer within its term. Speaking at his confirmation hearing before the National Assembly’s National Defense Committee, Kang said the OPCON transfer was something “successive administrations have continuously pursued.” “We have made considerable progress in meeting the required conditions and I believe the circumstances are also in place,” he said. The Lee administration has made the OPCON transfer one of its key defense policy goals, seeking to complete the process before Lee leaves office. In written responses submitted to the Assembly ahead of the hearing, Kang cited completing the Full Operational Capability (FOC) assessment of the future Combined Forces Command as a major task related to the transfer. Kang, a former deputy commander of the Korea-U.S.

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Employability, social impact reshape global university rankings

Global university rankings are looking beyond traditional measures of academic excellence, placing greater emphasis on how universities prepare students for a changing job market and contribute to society as artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes workplaces. But emerging and regional universities still face the challenge of balancing performance on common ranking criteria with efforts to develop and showcase their distinctive strengths. Representatives of Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) and Times Higher Education (THE) pointed to a broader shift in how university performance is measured, with QS placing greater emphasis on graduate employability and THE highlighting universities’ sustainability and wider social impact. The two global ranking organizations outlined the changes during special sessions held following the 2026 Korea Times Global Conference, while also assessing the strengths and weaknesses of Korean universities. QS identified employability as a growing focus in global rankings. It currently accounts for 20 percent of the QS World University Rankings, but the organization is expl

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Disney, Marvel, Pixar to collaborate to highlight K-pop, Korean heritage

The Walt Disney Company’s long-standing legacy in animation, entertainment and consumer products is entering a new chapter in Korea, where the company sees the country’s global content power as a new source of inspiration for next-generation consumer experiences. Walt Disney Company Korea on Wednesday unveiled its new campaign, “ICONS UNLEASED: Global Icon Becomes Center of New K-Wave.” It builds on K-pop, Korean heritage and original Korean content, with plans to develop new businesses from each area. Disney Korea will collaborate with K-pop management companies like Kakao Entertainment, SM Entertainment, HYBE and Starship Entertainment to combine their artists’ unique worldviews with stories from Marvel to create new fan experiences. The company cited the successfull collaboration between G-Dragon’s fashion lineup PEACEMINUSONE and Disney’s "Toy Story” franchise in July to introduce new toys, apparel and goods as precedent. Korean cultural heritage will be combined with Disney intellectual properties (IP) to introduce new region-based tourism products for global touris

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From vocational training to AI governance: KOICA's evolving role in Central Asia

Korea's development aid to Central Asia, once rooted in vocational training and rural development, is pivoting toward artificial intelligence (AI) and digital governance, a shift that mirrors both the region's ambitions and Seoul's strategy to build lasting partnerships amid a fast-changing geopolitical landscape. Between 1992 and 2025, the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) channeled roughly $440 million in official development assistance (ODA) to the five Central Asian states. Uzbekistan received the largest share, followed by Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. Education took up the biggest slice at 30.2 percent, public administration accounted for 24.9 percent, while technology, environment and energy made up 18.8 percent. For much of that period, KOICA's work in the region centered on conventional development needs: vocational training centers, primary health care programs, rural infrastructure and capacity building in the energy sector. The turning point came around 2021, when governments across Central Asia began pressing for digitized public service

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Korea Tourism Organization's autumn travel campaign can lower your travel costs

The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) has launched the 2026 Autumn Travel Month campaign in partnership with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, offering a wide range of travel benefits to lower trip costs and stimulate local economies. The campaign, set to run from October to November under the slogan "Deeper Autumn, Lighter Travel," aims to encourage domestic travel through major discounts across transportation, accommodation and regional vacation support programs. "The best thing to do in this beautiful yet brief season is to travel with loved ones," Culture Minister Chae Hwi-young said during a kickoff ceremony in Seoul, Tuesday. "We have prepared a variety of benefits to help people travel a bit more easily this autumn." Transportation benefits cover land and air travel. Road travelers using TMAP to visit designated 89 population-declining areas can receive up to 30,000 reward points. Rail passengers visiting designated tourist spots in population-declining regions will receive discount vouchers worth 100 percent of their train fare and a 20,000 won ($15) discount on the Rai

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Korea has 540,000 socially withdrawn people — many are young men, highly educated people

Counselor Lee Ho-sun has explained the serious extent of social withdrawal in Korea and why young men in their 20s and highly educated people make up a significant proportion of those affected. On the Tuesday episode of tvN STORY's "Lee Ho-sun Counseling Center," Lee discussed the issue of social withdrawal. "An estimated 540,000 people were socially withdrawn as of 2022," Lee said, highlighting the seriousness of the situation. She described socially withdrawn people as those who "voluntarily choose isolation, avoid social participation and are reluctant to maintain relationships with others." Lee also surprised viewers by noting that young men in their 20s and highly educated people account for a large proportion of those experiencing social withdrawal. "The first reasons are difficulties with academics, employment and interpersonal relationships," Lee said. "It's not that they stop going out after failing to get a job once. Repeated failures lead them to doubt themselves and experience frustration." She added that social withdrawal can also occur among middle-aged people. "Some people be

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InterviewKyrgyzstan runs its own digital gov't after 5-year Korean partnership

For most Kyrgyz citizens, obtaining an official document or updating an administrative record used to mean days of legwork under a paper-based system. Physical mail between regions could take up to two weeks. That changed last year when a five-year development initiative by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) helped the Kyrgyz government build an e-government system that lets citizens secure government certificates online from home in minutes. “We digitalized everything. We have an electronic document management system (which) almost covers all of our territory and all of our government bodies, and now it takes up to five minutes to deliver any letter,” Nurlan Aidiev, a Kyrgyz government official, said in an interview with The Korea Times. Aidiev oversaw the technical buildout of G-Cloud — the centralized government cloud system that now underpins all state data in Kyrgyzstan — as deputy director of IT infrastructure at InfoCom, the country's state information technology agency. The project, formally titled Modernization and Capacity Development of the Advanced Ad

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Why Han So-hee embraces pressure of remaking Hollywood hit 'The Intern'

"The Intern" hit theaters on Wednesday, reimagining the Hollywood hit that grossed roughly five times its production budget worldwide through a local lens. High-profile remakes inevitably invite comparisons and pressure, but actress Han So-hee embraced the challenge and trusted her instinctive connection to the project. The film explores an intergenerational workplace dynamic, unfolding as Gi-ho (Choi Min-sik), an industry veteran of 37 years, joins the fashion startup led by Sun-woo, played by Han. Directed by Kim Do-young, acclaimed for "Kim Ji-young, Born 1982" and "Once We Were Us," the remake drew Han's immediate interest. "Regardless of the original film, I found Sun-woo compelling in the script," Han said. "She felt grounded, like someone who actually exists out there in the world, and I hoped my interpretation might bring something slightly different." In the film, Sun-woo propels her fashion company, Woo22, to post 10 billion won ($6.78 million) in sales within three years. While the workaholic founder draws industry attention, she secretly struggles with burnout away from the

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SK hynix unions agree to receive half of bonuses in cash, half in shares

SK hynix’s production workers’ unions on Wednesday approved a revised tentative agreement reached between their representatives and management, under which employees will receive half of their performance bonuses in cash and the other half in company shares, concluding this year’s wage and collective bargaining negotiations without a labor dispute. According to SK hynix, the two production workers’ unions at the company approved the tentative agreement with a 57.08 percent vote in support. More than 15,000 of the unions’ 16,000 eligible members took part in the vote. The two unions respectively represent production workers at the company’s Icheon plant in Gyeonggi Province and Cheongju plant in North Chungcheong Province. A key feature of the agreement is that half of the performance bonuses, known as excess profit-sharing, will be paid in cash, while the other half will be paid in the form of treasury shares. The revised agreement replaces an earlier tentative deal that called for 60 percent of the bonuses to be paid in treasury shares and the remainder in cash, which the t

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Korean stocks face overhang as 230 mil. shares come off lock-up

Nearly 230 million shares in listed companies are coming out of lock-up restrictions this month, raising concerns about a potential overhang in the stock market, industry officials said Wednesday. The mandatory lock-up system bars certain shareholders, including major shareholders, from selling their holdings for a specified period after a company goes public. The restrictions are designed to prevent a sudden influx of shares from weighing on other investors. Once the lock-up period expires, they become freely tradable. A large block hitting the market can prompt investors to sell ahead of the expected increase in supply, putting downward pressure on a stock and potentially triggering further selling. That is the dynamic behind what investors call an “overhang.” The risk is more pronounced for companies whose shares are already trading well below their initial public offering (IPO) prices. If a sizable amount of newly unlocked stock is sold into a weak market, it can add to the selling pressure and deepen losses for existing shareholders. A total of 229.48 million shares in 38 listed

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Woori Bank's prepaid card for foreign visitors surpasses 10,000 issuances amid rising inbound tourism

Woori Bank’s specialized prepaid card for foreign visitors, dubbed the “NOL World Card,” reached the 10,000-issuance mark within just three months of its market debut, the bank said Wednesday. The card, jointly introduced by the bank, travel platform operator NOL Universe and fintech company Kona I, aims to make local financial transactions and daily shopping more convenient for international travelers amid the surge in inbound tourism and the corresponding need for easy-to-use local payment options. Data from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism show that foreign arrivals reached 10.71 million in the first half of this year, representing a 23.1 percent year-on-year increase. However, short-term visitors have long struggled with local financial barriers, as opening bank accounts or securing domestic credit and debit cards can be difficult, often leaving them reliant on cash exchanges or international payment methods. Designed to address these issues, the NOL World Card can be collected immediately upon landing at Woori Bank exchange counters at Incheon International Airport

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Editor's Pick

[COVER STORY] Hoban's insatiable appetite: Group founder targets Korean Air

COVER STORY Hoban's insatiable appetite: Group founder targets Korean Air

Kim Sang-yeol, founder and former chairman of Hoban Group, has built the company into one of Korea’s most aggressive investors, with his latest bet on Korean Air bringing Hoban’s Hanjin KAL stake nearly level with that of the airline’s controlling shareholder. Hoban Group has so far amassed a 20.15 percent stake in Hanjin KAL, the parent company of Korean Air, putting it just 0.42 percentage point behind Hanjin Group Chairman Cho Won-tae and his related parties, which collectively own 20.57 percent. That narrow gap puts Kim in a position to challenge the balance of power at Korea’s flagship airline — particularly if Korea Development Bank (KDB) decides to sell its 10.58 percent stake. The state-run bank has yet to decide how to sell its stake in Hanjin KAL. The decision may determine who holds the upper hand in the management rights for the integrated airline that is scheduled to launch on Dec. 17 following Korean Air's takeover of Asiana Airlines. Hoban has expanded far beyond its housing construction roots through a string of acquisitions and investments, including Taihan Cab

3 MIN READ

Life in Korea

Heat-reflective 'cool roof' paint cuts summer power bills for vulnerable Seoul households

Heat-reflective 'cool roof' paint cuts summer power bills for vulnerable Seoul households

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said a pilot program applying heat-reflective "cool roof" paint to 152 buildings housing older adults, low-income families and other vulnerable residents produced clear results this summer, cutting August electricity bills by up to 40 percent compared with a year earlier and lowering rooftop surface temperatures by more than 10 degrees Celsius. "I was worried about how we'd get through the summer heat, but after the cool roof coating, the house is a lot cooler, and my electricity bill dropped by 50,000 won ($36) compared with last summer. It even stopped the leaks," one resident said. Another said the coating made the house "livable," adding that a leaking rooftop was also fixed and expressing hope the program would expand to reach more elderly residents and others in need. The city launched the program in April by designating "cool roof priority districts" — aging, low-rise residential areas with poor insulation and limited access to home repairs, where vulnerable groups such as older adults, children, people with disabilities and low-income househol

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Lifestyle

Deoksu Palace to relive 1901 diplomacy of Korean Empire

Step through the grand gates of Deoksu Palace this autumn, and the year is no longer 2026, but 1901. Amid the looming shadows of regional empires, Emperor Gojong is entertaining foreign envoys, desperately leveraging diplomacy to safeguard his nation's sovereignty. Beginning Oct. 2, the Korea Heritage Service, alongside the Korea Heritage Agency, will host an immersive historical reenactment titled "Audience with Foreign Envoys of the Korean Empire" at Deoksu Palace in central Seoul. Running through Oct. 4, the event invites visitors to step directly into a pivotal chapter of modern Korean history. Timed to commemorate the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and France, this year’s program, themed "The Korean Empire: Embarking on Diplomacy Toward the Future," reconstructs the tense geopolitical landscape of the spring of 1901. Rather than serving as passive spectators, participants will take on the role of press correspondents for the Korean Empire. Equipped with press notebooks and dedicated web applications, audience members will follow historical reenactments ac

2 MIN READ
Deoksu Palace to relive 1901 diplomacy of Korean Empire

K-Culture

Stray Kids becomes 1st K-pop act to headline Rock in Rio

Boy group Stray Kids made history as the first K-pop act to headline Rock in Rio, one of the world's largest music festivals, earning widespread praise from international media for the milestone performance. The eight-member group took the stage Friday at Palco Mundo, the festival's main stage, before a crowd of roughly 100,000 people at Olympic Park in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Rock in Rio, first held in 1985, has hosted acts such as Queen and Guns N' Roses over the decades but had never before featured a K-pop headliner. In a report published Saturday, U.S. entertainment outlet Billboard hailed the show as an especially strong debut, saying the group's performance met the high expectations of South American fans and marked the opening of a new chapter for K-pop at the festival. The group, dressed in outfits inspired by traditional Korean styling, performed a string of hit songs while interacting with the audience throughout the set, backed by fireworks and a light display. During "Chk Chk Boom," the members incorporated samba steps as a tribute to Brazilian culture, and at another point s

1 MIN READ
Stray Kids becomes 1st K-pop act to headline Rock in Rio

Celebrities

The Boyz' Sangyeon returns to fans after military service

K-pop group The Boyz member Sangyeon returns to his fans after completing 18 months of mandatory military service. Sangyeon was discharged Wednesday from the military band of the Army Cadet Military School in Goesan, North Chungcheong Province, having completed his mandatory service as an Army sergeant. Enlisting on March 17 last year, he served as a member of the military band. In an exclusive interview with the Hankook Ilbo, Sangyeon said he gained a deeper appreciation for the sacrifices made by service members and expressed gratitude for the opportunity to sing on stage and meet fans. Regarding the multiple changes and difficulties The Boyz faced during his deployment, Sangyeon said his involvement was limited, which led to many frustrating moments. However, he emphasized that he coordinated with his bandmates by continuously communicating to resolve problems and preserve the group. Previously, nine members of The Boyz, excluding New, notified One Hundred Label that they were terminating their exclusive contracts. In April, the Seoul Central District Court granted an injunction suspe

4 MIN READ
The Boyz' Sangyeon returns to fans after military service

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Opinion

Top 10 Stories

  1. Seoul Declaration sets 30-year Korea-Central Asia agenda on minerals, energy, AI

  2. Korea has 540,000 socially withdrawn people — many are young men, highly educated people

  3. LG, Hyundai distance themselves from workers' legal actions over Georgia raid

  4. Gov't announces plans to formally introduce abortion pills

  5. Korea inks 35 deals with Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, covering critical minerals, halal markets

  6. 3 civilians get suspended prison terms for flying drones into N. Korea

  7. Korea Tourism Organization's autumn travel campaign can lower your travel costs

  8. 1st multilateral summit elevates Korea-Central Asia cooperation to leaders' level

  9. Stella Artois debuts Pure Gold premium lager in Korea

  10. Employability, social impact reshape global university rankings

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