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Seoul tops 40 C as record heat peaks

Despite "ipchu," the traditional start of autumn, the heat wave reached a new peak on Friday, with Seoul topping 40 degrees Celsius for the first time on record. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), Friday was the hottest ipchu on record nationwide, with temperatures reaching 40.2 C in Seoul's Nowon District at around 3:28 p.m. It was the first reading above 40 degrees Celsius at a monitoring station in the capital since Aug. 1, 2018. Temperatures soared to near 40 degrees Celsius in many parts of the country, reaching 40.7 in Hanam, Gyeonggi Province, and 40.2 in Gwangyang, South Jeolla Province. Seoul's Gangseo District hit 39.2, while Yeongwol, Gangwon Province, and Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province, recorded 39.8 and 39.6, respectively. From June 1 through Thursday, Korea averaged 14.8 heat wave days, the fourth-highest figure for the period since nationwide records began in 1973. The country also averaged a record 13 tropical nights, when overnight temperatures remain at or above 25 degrees Celsius. As such extreme heat becomes increasingly common, climate insurance is

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K-beauty has moved beyond the skincare aisle

SEOUL — During a recent five-week visit to South Korea, one thing became immediately apparent: While consumers overseas continue embracing K-beauty products, many Koreans have already moved on to the next step. For years, South Korea's beauty industry has been synonymous with sheet masks, BB creams and the famed 10-step skincare routine. Those products helped turn K-beauty into a global phenomenon and cemented the country's reputation as a beauty powerhouse. Today, however, the conversation has shifted from cosmetics counters to the country's ubiquitous dermatology clinics, where aesthetic treatments have become part of everyday beauty routines. Scheduling a laser treatment or skin booster has become almost as routine as booking a haircut or nail appointment. Beauty in South Korea is increasingly treated less like a luxury and more like maintenance. Instead of asking which moisturizer someone uses, friends compare lifting treatments, collagen-boosting procedures, skin booster injections and pore treatments. Recommendations for clinics are exchanged as casually as restaurant tips, whil

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US unlikely to send tactical nuclear weapons back to Korean Peninsula

The Pentagon’s push to give tactical nuclear weapons a greater role in defending U.S. allies in regional conflicts with China or Russia is raising questions in Seoul over whether U.S. nuclear weapons could return to South Korea more than three decades after their withdrawal. According to media reports, the Pentagon is drafting a new nuclear strategy that would place greater emphasis on shorter-range tactical nuclear weapons in such conflicts. South Korean experts, however, say the shift would not necessarily lead to the redeployment of U.S. tactical nuclear weapons here. They say a more likely consequence would be closer coordination between U.S. nuclear forces and South Korea’s conventional military capabilities, while warning that making nuclear weapons more usable could also increase the risk of escalation on the Korean Peninsula. The United States withdrew all of its tactical nuclear weapons from South Korea in 1991, when former President George H.W. Bush ordered a global pullback of U.S. ground- and sea-based tactical nuclear arms. Then-South Korean President Roh Tae-woo respon

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70-year-old Sinchon bookstore defies decline with staff bond

Seven people gathered around a small table for a lively discussion of Albert Camus' "The Stranger" in the fifth-floor lounge of Hongik Mungo in Seoul's Seodaemun District on July 29. The staff reading club calls itself Odok Odok, a pun combining the number five of the fifth-floor and reading in Korean. "Just as light casts shadows, truth comes with discomfort," one member said. "Isn't the sun in the novel a device that reveals the truth?" "The sun cannot be avoided and keeps following him around. So I thought it was the inescapable fact of his mother's death," another member said. "Even while sunbathing or on a date, his mother's death keeps weighing on his mind." The participants first met as co-workers. Five of the bookstore's eight current employees participate in the club, gathering before their afternoon shifts to talk. Two former employees pursued other book-related careers, but they still return to their former workplace every month. The club has forged a bond extending beyond the store. Hongik Mungo, located just outside Sinchon Station on Seoul Subway Line 2, has been a fixture

4 MIN READ
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'Silver ARMY' reshapes BTS fandom

Vicki Ronn, a professor of English at Friends University and a BTS fan in her 60s, gave her adult son a vinyl copy of BTS member J-Hope's solo album "Jack in the Box," turning him into a dedicated fan. Ronn discovered the group in 2020. Watching BTS perform "On" in front of New York's Grand Central Terminal on NBC's "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" sparked her interest. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she was captivated by their dynamic stage performance and soon fell in love with their lyrics. "'Black Swan' is a song about the fear of losing your passion for what you love," Ronn told the Hankook Ilbo at Jeonbuk National University on Sunday. "Listening to it made me reflect on how I had been losing my passion as a scholar." 89-year-old American sparks fandom shift Ronn was among many who traveled to Korea to attend a BTS conference at Jeonbuk National University. Her presentation explored ideas of aging, participatory culture and the reimagining of women, examining how BTS has transformed the lives of older fans abroad and the new social relationships they are building through fan

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US polysilicon tariff offers boost to Korean solar makers

U.S. President Donald Trump signed a proclamation Thursday (local time) imposing a 15 percent tariff on polysilicon derivative products and minimum import prices (MIPs) on polysilicon, ingots and wafers, creating both opportunities and risks for Korean solar-material and panel makers by potentially narrowing the price gap with Chinese suppliers in the U.S. market. The measures, which will take effect on Dec. 4, are aimed at strengthening U.S. production of polysilicon and its derivatives, a key material for both the solar and semiconductor industries. “Polysilicon is the base material underpinning the security of America’s semiconductor and solar-power supply chains,” Trump wrote in the proclamation. “These tariffs — combined with the MIP program — will promote United States production of polysilicon derivatives by ensuring a commercially viable market for them.” The proclamation sets minimum prices at $21 per kilogram for polysilicon, $100 per kilogram for polysilicon ingots and wafers, 22 cents per watt for solar cells and 38 cents per watt for solar modules. For Korean s

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Private schools push back against Korea's free tuition plan for nat'l universities

A government proposal to make tuition free for some 64,000 incoming students at national universities next year is facing mounting opposition from private universities. Critics warn the policy could put private institutions at a further disadvantage in attracting students and deepen their financial struggles. The concerns are particularly acute among private universities outside the Seoul metropolitan area, which are already struggling with declining enrollment and financial pressures while facing continued restrictions on tuition hikes. During a policy briefing at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on Wednesday, the Ministry of Education said it is considering providing full tuition scholarships to some 64,000 freshmen at 30 national universities outside the Seoul metropolitan area beginning in the 2027 academic year. Under the plan, it would gradually expand to cover all undergraduate students at those universities within the current administration's term. International students are not included in the plan, at least for now. Since they are admitted outside the standard enrollment quota and are su

2 MIN READ
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Time for won to catch up with Korea's economic role: Deutsche Bank

Korea accounts for roughly 2 percent of global gross domestic product (GDP), ranks among the world's largest exporters of advanced manufactured goods and is home to strategically important industries. Yet its currency plays a modest financial role relative to the country's economic and industrial weight, according to Deutsche Bank, Friday. In two recent Asia thematic strategy notes, the investment bank said Korea sits at the intersection of three key structural forces: ally-shoring, artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure investment and diversification away from China-related supply risks. These forces are likely to persist for years, directing capital toward industries where Korea already possesses scale, technological leadership and established industrial ecosystems, including semiconductors, batteries, shipbuilding, defense and robotics, the bank said. "The world is increasingly investing in the industries where Korea already leads," said Perry Kojodjojo, an Asian FX strategist at Deutsche Bank. "Manufacturing value added, high-tech exports and current account balances compare fa

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BLACKPINK's 10th anniversary event sparks backlash as only 40 fans invited

BLACKPINK finally unveiled plans to celebrate its 10th debut anniversary, but instead of excitement, the announcement has fueled frustration among fans over what many see as limited access and restrictive eligibility rules. On Thursday, the K-pop group's agency shared a notice through fan platform Weverse announcing a special event to thank fans for supporting BLACKPINK over the past decade. The event is scheduled for Saturday, the group's official debut anniversary. However, the announcement revealed few details. The exact time and venue were not disclosed publicly, with organizers saying the location would only be shared with selected attendees. Only 40 fans will be invited. The limited scale of the event quickly drew criticism online. Fans questioned why such a milestone celebration would be restricted to just 40 participants and why applications were accepted exclusively through Weverse, a platform where the members have had little activity over the past year. Another major point of contention involved eligibility. Only fans who had purchased a Weverse membership by July 31 could app

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Korea denies 'fake news' law discriminates against US tech firms

The Korean government rejected concerns raised by U.S. Republican lawmakers over the country’s revised Information and Communication Network Act, Friday, pushing back against accusations that the law threatens online speech and discriminates against American companies. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the legislation was introduced to address problems arising from changes in the digital environment and strengthen protections for users. “The legislation does not contain any provisions that discriminate against U.S. companies,” the ministry said. The government will work with relevant ministries to “actively explain the purpose and effects of the legislation” to the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, it added. The response came after four Republican members of the committee — Chairman Jim Jordan of Ohio and Reps. Scot Fitzgerald of Wisconsin, Darrel Issa of California and Michael Baumgartner of Washington — sent a letter Thursday to Kim Jong-cheol, head of the Korea Media and Communications Commission (KMCC), raising concerns about the revised law and requesting a briefing o

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Facing demographic crisis, rural Korean county reaches out to Vietnam

Bonghwa County, an isolated mountainous region in North Gyeongsang Province roughly 210 kilometers southeast of Seoul, has officially been named Korea’s newest Special Regional Development Zone in a major bid to deepen ties with Vietnam, government officials said Thursday. The designation by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups approves the K-Vietnam Valley project, an ambitious $253 million (347.6 billion won) regional development program that leverages an extraordinary 800-year history of cross-border exchange. The initiative builds on the 13th-century arrival of Prince Ly Long Tuong of Vietnam’s Ly Dynasty, whose descendants, the Hwasan Lee clan, still reside in the rural county. The unusual lineage traces back to 1226, when the prince fled royal purges in Vietnam by sea, eventually washing ashore on the Korean Peninsula during the Goryeo Kingdom. Granted asylum and land by King Gojong, the prince and his followers integrated into local society and helped defend the territory against Mongol invasions, establishing the Hwasan Lee clan. Today, Bonghwa houses Chunghyodang — a histor

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Election watchdog raided again over alleged data manipulation

Investigators raided the National Election Commission (NEC) on Friday to secure evidence over suspicions of data manipulation in connection with the June 3 local elections. A joint prosecution-police task force said it began a search and seizure at the NEC's headquarters in Gwacheon, just south of Seoul, and other local commissions in the capital, Gyeonggi Province and North Chungcheong Province. The team has been investigating suspicions that some NEC workers manipulated computer system statistics without reporting them to their superiors to cover up errors in voter turnout rates on election day. Under the current system, the NEC discloses voter turnout every hour on election day based on figures reported by election management workers at each polling station. The task force suspects some election workers bypassed the official authorization process and adjusted the figures arbitrarily at the instruction of NEC officials. The team previously raided the NEC over the data manipulation allegations on July 23. The latest search and seizure comes as part of a widening investigation into ballot

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Korean LCCs ditch 'low-cost' image in push for higher-value customers

Korean airlines are moving away from the low-cost carrier (LCC) label in a bid to attract higher-value customers and build stronger brand identities. The shift is being led by airlines adopting hybrid models between full-service carriers (FSCs) and traditional LCCs. Air Premia has positioned itself as a premium hybrid carrier, while newly rebranded Trinity Airways is introducing the concept of what it calls “selective service carrier.” Trinity Airways, formerly T’way Air, explained the new identity reflects the carrier’s willingness to provide selected services based on customer demand by moving beyond typical images from FSCs and LCCs. The rebranding reflects a broader challenge facing LCCs. The low-cost model, built around cheap fares and limited services, has become increasingly difficult to sustain amid rising fuel costs, labor expenses and intensifying competition. Despite the rebranding strategy, both Air Premia and Trinity Airways still suffer from losses. Last year, Air Premia was ordered to improve its financial condition by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Trans

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Base Group faces scrutiny over Trump ties as aluminum affiliate fights US tariffs

U.S. Democratic senators are probing a $2 million payment made last year by Korean company Base Group to a Trump family business, raising concerns that it may have been intended to influence a trade dispute involving the company’s aluminum affiliate. Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Richard Blumenthal and Andy Kim sent a letter to Base Group Chairman Kim Sung-jip seeking an explanation of the payment, according to the letter released by the lawmakers. The payment was disclosed in U.S. President Donald Trump’s 2025 financial disclosure, released in late June. It was described as being related to a “letter of intent” and a “nonrefundable development fee.” The senators said the “secretive nature and timing” of the payment raised concerns about “pay-to-play politics and bribery.” “The secretive nature and timing of this massive payment raises questions about whether Base Group is making direct payments to President Trump’s companies in an attempt to influence Commerce Department proceedings or otherwise secure lucrative tariff exemptions,” the lawmakers wrote. Base Group has

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Football federation provided sexual entertainment for foreign referees: gov't audit

The national football federation apparently provided sexual entertainment to foreign referees before and after international matches held in Korea between 2011 and 2012, a past government audit report has shown. The audit report, compiled by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 2016, said the Korea Football Association (KFA) used corporate credit cards to pay for sexual entertainment for visiting referees at massage parlors and other adult establishments in Seoul and other cities that hosted international matches between March 2011 and March 2012. Those matches included qualifiers for the 2012 London Olympics and the 2014 FIFA World Cup, according to the report. About a dozen referees and match coordinators for seven matches received these favors from the KFA. Those officials were from Japan, the United Arab Emirates, Iran, Bahrain and Uzbekistan. Korea went undefeated in those seven contests with five wins and two draws. In the two Olympic qualifying matches, Korea beat Oman 2-0 on Sept. 21, 2021, and then had a goalless draw against Qatar on March 14, 2012, though Korea had al

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Hanwha, Heungkuk, Korea Investment bid for KDB Life in 7th sale attempt

Hanwha Life Insurance, Heungkuk Life Insurance and Korea Investment Holdings submitted final bids to acquire KDB Life Insurance, setting up a three-way race, investment banking industry sources said Friday. The sale of KDB Life, a subsidiary of state-run Korea Development Bank (KDB), has been ongoing since 2014, with six previous attempts to find a new owner falling through. Attention is now focused on whether the financially troubled insurer will finally find a new owner on the seventh attempt. KDB, along with Samil PwC, the lead manager of the sale, received bids from three potential buyers after closing the final round of bidding. Hanwha Life’s participation came as a surprise, as the insurer is already pursuing the acquisition of Acuon Capital and Acuon Savings Bank, a deal expected to require around 1 trillion won ($705 million). The firm's decision to join the race despite the anticipated financial burden suggests that it is willing to commit additional capital to expand its financial business, though the potential strain from a sizable capital injection could pose a challenge. Fo

2 MIN READ
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Love with deadlines, digital hearts: Korea's dating reality boom tests ethics of romance TV

Korea’s dating reality boom has entered a new, uneasy chapter — one where terminal illness and artificial intelligence (AI) join ex-lovers, divorced couples, shamans and LGBTQ+ participants on television, raising fresh questions about how far romance entertainment should go. SBS’s “Love Against Time,” which premiered Monday, follows young adults in their 20s and 30s who have received terminal diagnoses or survived life-threatening illness as they search for “the remaining love” in their lives. In its first episode, eight contestants exchanged small talk and shy smiles, then carefully unfolded their “treatment diaries” — recounting stage 4 cancer, total gastrectomy and nights when they felt death approaching. The show’s matching device, a “room of time,” gamifies scarcity. Each evening, participants receive 100 minutes, divided into 10 segments lasting 10 minutes each, to allocate to potential dates. If two people send at least a combined 100 minutes to each other, they can earn a date lasting between 100 and 200 minutes. Time — once a private reminder of limit

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RESCENE's rise exposes price of media spotlight

“Miracle” seems a fitting word to describe what RESCENE and its leader, Woni, have experienced over the past few months. Member Minami's innocent cry of “Geoje yah-ho” in a YouTube video became a viral meme, while the group’s song “Love Attack,” released two years earlier, began climbing the charts. Almost overnight, RESCENE became one of Korea’s most talked-about K-pop groups, its music heard across the country. For Woni and the other members, such attention was a first since their debut. Soon, however, they came to realize the dark side of fame and life in the spotlight. Not long after the group began taking center stage, a series of rumors and allegations targeting Woni began circulating online. The first was a claim that she had used language associated with Ilbe, a controversial far-right online community, in a YouTube video. Her passing remark in dialect — “museupno” — was called out by a producer at a regional broadcaster based in the area where the dialect is spoken. The accusation sparked a fierce online dispute over whether Woni’s remark was an authent

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Editor's Pick

Why young women, once Lee's strongest base, are turning away

Why young women, once Lee's strongest base, are turning away

Lee, a 32-year-old office worker in Seoul, spent years working and saving toward a single goal: buying her own apartment with a mortgage. She had just reached that point when the government cut the loan cap in half, from 600 million to 300 million won. "I've been working hard and saving up money and now that I was finally about to buy my own home with a mortgage, getting the loan cap cut in half is a huge blow to me," she said. She had voted for President Lee Jae Myung, drawn by his hands-on administrative background as mayor of Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province and later Gyeonggi Governor. "I had high hopes for President Lee Jae Myung because he became president with hands-on administrative experience, unlike past leaders with a judiciary or legislative background," she said. "Watching the news about how he sold his own apartment in Seongnam makes it feel like double standards." She no longer supports him. Her story is not an outlier. Many young women in their 20s and 30s — a demographic that played a pivotal role in electing Lee — are withdrawing their support for him and the ruling Demo

4 MIN READ

Life in Korea

From busking to water parks, Seoul Facilities Corp. launches summer festivities

From busking to water parks, Seoul Facilities Corp. launches summer festivities

The Seoul Facilities Corp. said Friday it will run a series of summer events for residents from Aug. 8-23, ranging from underground busking performances to a movie night at Gocheok Sky Dome and free water play for children. At the Jamsil underground shopping center, artists from independent label Fever Lab will perform Aug. 8 starting at 1 p.m., with another lineup taking the stage from 4 p.m. Performance spaces at the Jamsil and Hoehyeon underground shopping centers can be booked free of charge on the second Saturday of each month through the city's public reservation site. Nearby, two gallery spaces near Euljiro will also host public-interest exhibitions, including one featuring art therapy works by dementia patients from Seoul Seobuk Hospital. On Aug. 14, the corporation will hold its fourth annual outdoor movie night at Gocheok Sky Dome, Korea's first domed baseball stadium, themed "Dome on a Summer Night." Held in partnership with the Seoul Art Book Repository, the free event runs from 6 to 10 p.m. and will open up the stadium's field and locker rooms to visitors, along with a pop-up

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Lifestyle

Art, ecology intertwine at Seoul Botanic Park

At Seoul Botanic Park in southwestern Seoul, contemporary art and living landscapes are increasingly merging. The park unveiled a new lineup of public programming Friday tied to its flagship exhibition, "A Tender Balance." On view through May 2027, the expansive multisite installation examines the delicate relationship between human technology and the environment. The botanical complex is introducing four interactive public initiatives designed to deepen civic engagement with contemporary eco-art. Starting this month, visitors can participate in guided docent tours, hands-on resin workshops, self-guided reflection exercises and direct creative sessions led by prominent Korean installation artists Um A-rong, Lee Ji-yeon, and Jang Han-na. The initiative reflects a growing trend among international botanical gardens to integrate contemporary art into living landscapes. Rather than serving purely as static recreational venues, public conservatories are increasingly leveraging site-specific installations to spark broader dialogue on climate change and ecological interdependence. The exhibitio

2 MIN READ
Art, ecology intertwine at Seoul Botanic Park

K-Culture

Why K-dramas turn classic hit films into series

A romance with a woman who sees ghosts, a Joseon-era libertine’s dangerous romantic wager and a criminal who vanishes by turning into gas. Television and streaming platforms are increasingly reviving the premises of classic films and reworking them for contemporary audiences. Driven by a streaming boom, the Korean entertainment industry is expanding its focus beyond webtoons and web novels to revisit past cinematic hits for their built-in audiences. The tvN weekend series "Spooky in Love," a television remake of the 2011 film "Spellbound," premiered July 18. The original film, starring Son Ye-jin as the ghost-seeing Yeo-ri and Lee Min-ki as horror magician Jo-goo, became a rare box-office hit for a romantic comedy. The new series retains the central premise of the female protagonist being able to see ghosts but reimagines the story by changing the characters' occupations, focusing on a romance between Cheon Yeo-ri (Park Eun-bin), an heiress to a family-run conglomerate, and a prosecutor who fears ghosts (Yang Se-jong). Speaking at a press event for the series, Park highlighted the ex

3 MIN READ
Why K-dramas turn classic hit films into series

Celebrities

IU sparks fresh buzz after choosing ex Jang Ki-ha's song for social media post

Singer and actress IU has found herself at the center of online discussion once again after using a song by ex-boyfriend Jang Ki-ha as the background music for a recent social media update, prompting speculation and mixed reactions from fans. On Thursday, IU uploaded dozens of photos to her social media account, giving fans a rare glimpse into her recent life. The collection ranged from makeup-free selfies and behind-the-scenes moments from a fashion shoot to a birthday meal featuring traditional seaweed soup. While the images drew attention, the soundtrack attached to the post quickly became the biggest talking point. IU selected “Living The Carefree Life” by Kiha and the Faces, the closing track from the band's 2009 debut studio album. The choice immediately fueled online speculation because Jang and IU were once one of Korea's most high-profile celebrity couples. The two confirmed their relationship in 2015 after reportedly dating since 2013 before announcing their breakup in 2017. Some online users questioned why IU would publicly share music by a former partner, particularly as J

2 MIN READ
IU sparks fresh buzz after choosing ex Jang Ki-ha's song for social media post

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Opinion

Top 10 Stories

  1. 40 C in Seoul, 15 C in Taebaek: Mountain town defying Korea's heat wave

  2. Seoul tops 40 C as record heat peaks

  3. Private schools push back against Korea's free tuition plan for nat'l universities

  4. Facing demographic crisis, rural Korean county reaches out to Vietnam

  5. Airports become unlikely summer refuge for older Koreans

  6. US unlikely to send tactical nuclear weapons back to Korean Peninsula

  7. Why young women, once Lee's strongest base, are turning away

  8. Sweltering heat takes toll on restaurants, cafes and bars

  9. Time for won to catch up with Korea's economic role: Deutsche Bank

  10. Football federation provided sexual entertainment for foreign referees: gov't audit

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