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Korean, US FMs to meet this week amid investment deals, Hormuz discussions

The top diplomats of South Korea and the United States plan to meet in Washington this week, officials said Wednesday, with Seoul's investment pledge and its role in securing the Strait of Hormuz likely topping the agenda. Foreign Minister Cho Hyun is scheduled to visit Washington from Thursday to Saturday and hold talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday (U.S. time), according to Seoul's foreign ministry. "The two sides will discuss a wide range of issues, including South Korea-U.S. relations, the Korean Peninsula and regional and global issues," the ministry said in a release. The meeting will be the first formal bilateral face-to-face talks between Cho and Rubio since February. The two top diplomats had a brief pull-aside conversation in Manila in July on the sidelines of ASEAN-related meetings. During a phone call late last month, the two diplomats agreed to meet in person "in the near future" and continue close communication and cooperation on key issues, including economic cooperation, North Korean nuclear issues and the Middle East crisis. The upcoming meeting comes

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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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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. Some women are resorting to "dangerous methods" and the problem should no longer be left unattended because it amounts to neglecting the people's lives and safety, Prime Mini

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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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Land minister nominee vows faster housing supply amid rising home prices

Hong Jee-sun, nominee for land, infrastructure and transport minister, said Wednesday he will mobilize all available resources to accelerate the housing supply and stabilize the market. Hong made the remarks during a parliamentary confirmation hearing amid growing public concerns over rising home prices in the Seoul metropolitan area. "I will mobilize both public and private sector resources to accelerate the housing supply until the market sees sufficient supply in areas where people want to live," Hong said in his opening remarks. Drawing on his experience in local government, Hong said he would address on-the-ground obstacles, including delays in permits and approvals, to improve policy implementation. He also pledged to strengthen housing support for young people and newlyweds while providing greater protection for vulnerable groups, including senior citizens and victims of rental deposit fraud. Hong described balanced regional development as "a matter of national survival," saying the government would support large-scale projects to create advanced industrial hubs outside the Seoul m

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Next-gen robots step in to assist Korea's elderly and disabled

In hospital rooms and private homes across Korea, a new generation of mechanical caregivers is quietly taking over the heavy lifting of health care. These are not the humanoid automata of science fiction, but hyperspecialized robotic systems designed for the gritty, intimate realities of eldercare and disability support. At a public showcase Wednesday at the Kim Koo Museum & Library in Seoul, developers and health officials unveiled machines capable of navigating steep thresholds, assisting with bathing and even monitoring urinary health — a technological shift aimed at easing the burden on human caregivers in a rapidly aging society. Among the innovations on display was a compact indoor mobility robot developed by Daegu Catholic University Medical Center, engineered to traverse indoor obstacles like 100-millimeter raised steps while offering postural support for patients moving to and from the bathroom. Nearby, a convertible capsule-style shower chair created by Daewon Inmul demonstrated how automation can preserve personal dignity, allowing bedridden patients to bathe safely withou

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Seoul Cyber University chairman receives Kazakhstan's Order of Dostyk

Lee Sang-kyun, chairman of Seoul Cyber University (SCU), received Kazakhstan's Order of Dostyk, recognizing his contributions to expanding online education and promoting friendly cooperation between Korea and Kazakhstan. Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who visited Korea this week for the first Korea-Central Asia Summit, personally presented the order to Lee on Monday. The Order of Dostyk is one of Kazakhstan's highest state honors, awarded to figures at home and abroad for contributions to peace, friendship, international cooperation and social harmony. "I am deeply honored and it means a great deal to receive Kazakhstan's prestigious Order of Dostyk," Lee said. "I will continue working to expand educational and cultural exchanges between the two countries and to lay the groundwork for cooperation that allows future generations to grow together." SCU maintains deep ties with Kazakhstan. In 2021, a bust of Kazakh national poet Abai Kunanbaev (1845-1904) was erected on its campus in Seoul's Gangbuk District to mark the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Kaz

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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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Over 300 Korean workers take legal action against US gov't over Georgia raid

SEATTLE — More than 300 South Korean workers detained in a high-profile immigration raid at a Hyundai Motor Group-LG Energy Solution joint venture battery plant in the U.S. state of Georgia last year have begun taking steps toward legal action against the U.S. government, CNN reported Tuesday. The workers have started filing administrative claims with nine federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Protection, the FBI and the departments of justice and labor. The filings are a required step before the workers can pursue lawsuits against the federal government under the Federal Tort Claims Act. A Korean attorney representing the workers said she aims to file claims on behalf of all of them by the end of the year. The claims allege that workers were unlawfully detained during the raid on Sept. 4, 2025, and subjected to poor conditions while held at an ICE detention facility. They are seeking damages for lost work, confiscated belongings and psychological harm, among other claims. Federal authorities detai

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Ex-President Yoon acquitted of perjury in appellate trial

An appellate court on Wednesday acquitted former President Yoon Suk Yeol of committing perjury during the insurrection trial of former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo. The Seoul High Court ruled that Yoon did not appear to have given false testimony during the November trial when he claimed to have intended to convene a Cabinet meeting before he declared martial law on Dec. 3, 2024. The ruling is consistent with a lower court's acquittal in May. "It is difficult to believe that the defendant, given his status and experience, did not know a declaration of martial law should be preceded by deliberations at a Cabinet meeting," the appellate court said. "In fact, he likely tried to meet the minimum requirements for declaring martial law." Special counsel Cho Eun-suk's team had indicted the former president on charges of perjury, saying he had initially called only six Cabinet members to his office but later changed his mind at Han's suggestion to meet the quorum for a full Cabinet meeting. The team had requested a 10 million-won ($7,332) fine for Yoon. The appellate court sided with the former pre

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N. Korea slams US over S. Korea, Japan's nuclear submarine push

North Korea on Wednesday accused the United States of instigating South Korea and Japan to push for acquiring nuclear-powered submarines, using the criticism to justify its own nuclear buildup. The North made the criticism after a U.S. Navy official assessed Seoul and Tokyo's pursuit of nuclear-powered submarines in a meeting with reporters in Hawaii on Thursday. The official said Seoul needs a clear operational rationale for pursuing nuclear-powered submarines, rather than treating them as a "status symbol," while voicing a more favorable view of Tokyo's push to acquire them. In a commentary carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), a North Korean analyst on international affairs claimed discussions were "intended to instigate" both countries "to possess nuclear submarines," and accused Washington of serving as "the major chieftain of the worldwide nuclear proliferation." The analyst also claimed Washington was using AUKUS, a security partnership comprising the U.S., Britain and Australia, to extend nuclear submarine technology to its allies, like South Korea and Japan. "The real

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Seoul bus strike averted after last-minute wage deal

Seoul city buses will operate normally Wednesday after labor and management reached a last-minute wage agreement early in the morning, averting a strike that had been scheduled to begin at 4 a.m. The two sides reached the agreement at around 1:50 a.m. after nearly 12 hours of negotiations at the Seoul Regional Labor Relations Commission. Under the deal, wages will rise 3.2 percent in 2026, up 0.3 percentage point from last year's 2.9 percent increase. The two sides, however, left unresolved a key dispute over the number of monthly working hours used to calculate ordinary wages. They agreed to determine the calculation standard after a related Supreme Court ruling expected later this year. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said it has lifted emergency transportation measures prepared for the strike and that public transportation will operate as usual.

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CONFERENCE Higher education leaders call on universities to nurture human strengths in AI era

The Ministry of Education on Tuesday laid out a vision for universities to nurture students who can harness artificial intelligence (AI) while developing the distinctly human qualities needed to lead a rapidly changing society. The vision took center stage at the 2026 Korea Times Global Conference, titled “Beyond AI: Building human-centered leadership for next era,” highlighting the role of universities in nurturing a workforce capable of leading the AI era. “As AI advances, human capabilities — such as asking questions, thinking independently, making sound judgments and working with others — will become increasingly important,” Education Minister Choi Kyo-jin said in remarks delivered on his behalf by ministry spokesperson Jeong Byoung-ik. He said universities must play a central role in the AI era by generating new knowledge, bridging disciplines and technologies and preparing the next generation of workers to lead change. The ministry vowed to support universities in their efforts to adapt and innovate, stressing that investment in higher education is an investment in the

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Comedian Kim Dong-ha set for 1st Japan solo show

Comedian Kim Dong-ha will hold his first solo stand-up comedy show in Japan next month, becoming the first Korean stand-up comedian to stage an individual live performance there, his agency, Meta Comedy, said Wednesday. Titled “Kim Dong-ha: Oishii Stand-up Comedy Live,” the show will take place at 6 p.m. on Oct. 24 at the fifth-floor auditorium of Mindan Osaka. The title, “Oishii,” means “delicious” in Japanese. The show is expected to combine Kim’s observational humor about everyday life with sharp satire and spontaneous exchanges with audiences. Korean is expected to be the main language, targeting an audience of Korean-speaking Japanese and Korean immigrants. Korean comedians have increasingly performed solo shows outside Korea recently, performing in the Korean language. Japan has long been regarded by Korean comedians and audiences as a more mature comedy market. Japanese variety-show formats, sketch traditions and performance styles had an influence on the development of modern Korean comedy. The Osaka performance follows Kim’s North American tour, “Made in Korea,

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InterviewIrish author Danielle McLaughlin on exchange with Korean students and compelling visit to Jeju

When Irish writer Danielle McLaughlin received an invitation to visit Korea, she was deep into Nobel laureaute author Han Kang’s “We Do Not Part” (2021), a novel whose reckoning with the Jeju April 3 massacre had unsettled and moved her. The timing felt like an invitation within an invitation. “The minute I was invited, I knew I wanted to go,” she said during an interview with The Korea Times after leading a creating writing workshop at Korea University on Monday. The Cork-based author, known for the award-winning short-story collection “Dinosaurs on Other Planets” (2015) and the novel “The Art of Falling,” (2021) visited Seoul as part of the Irish Embassy’s inititive to bring contemporary Irish writers to Korea. The embassy began its exchange program in 2024 with the help of Dublin City Libraries, the public-library network run by Dublin City Council. At Korea University on Monday, more than 50 students — many encountering McLaughlin’s work for the first time — packed into a classroom for a two-hour creative writing workshop. The room’s enthusiasm was striking.

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Trump says 'no help' countries should reimburse US after Iran war ends

WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump has said countries that have been "no help" should "reimburse" the United States when the Iran war ends, as the U.S. has sought international cooperation in restoring free and safe passage through the crucial Strait of Hormuz. Trump made the remarks in a social media post on Monday, as Seoul has been deliberating on whether to commit its military assets to help secure the waterway, a crucial shipping route for oil, natural gas, fertilizer and other commodities, which Iran has effectively choked off during the war. "Oil is flowing through the Hormuz Strait. The Countries of the World, which have been no help to us whatsoever, should, and will, reimburse the United States of America when this SCAM Confligration is all over," he wrote on Truth Social, apparently misspelling "conflagration" as "confligration." "We are doing it much more for others, than we are for ourselves, and we have been for Generations!" he added. He did not mention any particular countries by name. In April, Trump singled out South Korea, arguing that the Asian ally was "not he

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Inside Korea's esports training camp, where gamers get Olympic-style care

BUSAN — When the elevator doors opened at Busan e-sports Arena in central Seomyeon on Sept. 5, a black partition blocked the view. Although normally open to the public, the venue was closed to outsiders that day, converted into an exclusive training camp reserved for the national esports team. With national team insignia and cheering slogans filling the interior walls, the facility resembled the Jincheon National Training Center, Korea’s premier Olympic training complex. The national esports team, competing in the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, is finalizing preparations at the venue. League of Legends (LoL) national team players, including Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok, will join the Busan camp after completing their domestic seasons. The Korea e-Sports Association (KeSPA) announced on Monday that the LoL roster finished their domestic schedules Sunday and traveled directly to Busan to begin a bootcamp and scrims. The squad will play warm-up matches against Thailand and Vietnam this weekend to prepare. Led by head coach Kang Dong-hoon, former head coach of KT Rolster, the roster features L

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Power of short-form videos sends 13-year-old K-pop song up the charts

“We wanted so badly to make the top 100 when we were promoting this song. I never imagined it would climb the charts all these years later…” Former BESTie member Uji shared her excitement on social media after “Love Options” entered the charts on Melon, Korea’s largest music streaming platform, 13 years after its release. Released in 2013 as the group’s second single, “Love Options” is enjoying the attention that eluded it during BESTie’s active years. In a music scene flooded with new releases, such belated breakthroughs are rare. Their unpredictability is also part of the appeal: There is no telling when an old song will catch on or what will set it off. “Love Options” entered Melon’s daily chart on Aug. 27 and climbed to No. 175 as of Sept. 7. It has also appeared on Apple Music’s Top 100 chart for Korea and YouTube Music’s weekly chart, while reaching No. 1 on music recognition service Shazam’s charts in both Korea and Vietnam. The spark was a fan-made short video that paired a performance of Hearts2Hearts’ “Lemon Tang” with “Love Options.” T

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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

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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

Food journey through Korea's administrative capital

There is a striking dual identity in Sejong, the nation's administrative capital. Looking down from a cafe on the 49th-floor of a building in the city's newest district, nothing appears aged. Neat grids of avenues, government complexes, lakes and arboretums unfold like a master architect’s blueprint. However, a short drive into the old district reveals an entirely different rhythm —narrow market alleys lined with fish stalls, retro signs, train tracks and young artisans quietly setting up shop inside weathered brick houses. "Sejong Osik," or "Five-Meal tour" is an effort to bridge these contrasting worlds. Launched by Sejong's city government and the Sejong Culture and Tourism Foundation, the two-day, one-night culinary tourism program reveals the gastronomic potential of Korea's administrative capital. The tour draws inspiration from King Sejong the Great, who is said to have eaten five meals a day. The program takes participants to some of the city’s notable restaurants, markets and cafés to try a full range of culinary delights. Pork ribs The journey begins with local hearty fa

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Food journey through Korea's administrative capital

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

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

Celebrities

Stray Kids' Felix marks birthday with $220,000 donation to children, flood victims

Stray Kids member Felix celebrated his birthday by giving rather than receiving, donating 300 million won ($220,000) to support sick and vulnerable children in Korea as well as disaster relief efforts overseas. Felix made the donations on his birthday on Tuesday, giving 100 million won each to Samsung Medical Center and Seoul National University Children’s Hospital, and 50 million won each to Books International and UNICEF Korea. The funds donated to Samsung Medical Center will help cover treatment costs for children and adolescents with cancer, while the contribution to Seoul National University Children’s Hospital will support pediatric patients from financially vulnerable families. His donation to Books International will go toward creating and producing picture books in children’s native languages as part of the organization’s cultural education and awareness programs. The UNICEF Korea contribution will be used for emergency relief following severe flooding in Nepal. “I hope the days of many children will be filled with bright hope instead of worry,” Felix said. “I sinc

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Stray Kids' Felix marks birthday with $220,000 donation to children, flood victims

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Top 10 Stories

  1. Over 300 Korean workers take legal action against US gov't over Georgia raid

  2. Seoul bus strike averted after last-minute wage deal

  3. Trump says 'no help' countries should reimburse US after Iran war ends

  4. Korean, US FMs to meet this week amid investment deals, Hormuz discussions

  5. InterviewIrish author Danielle McLaughlin on exchange with Korean students and compelling visit to Jeju

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

  7. Ex-President Yoon acquitted of perjury in appellate trial

  8. CONFERENCE Higher education leaders call on universities to nurture human strengths in AI era

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

  10. US 10-year Treasury yield hits 19-year high with Fed decision eyed

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