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Lee proposes talks with NK to formally end Korean War, halt Pyongyang's nuclear program

President Lee Jae Myung on Saturday proposed that the two Koreas begin talks on ending their long-running war and discuss practical ways to halt the advancement of Pyongyang's nuclear program, pledging to seek a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula. Lee made the proposal in his speech at a National Liberation Day ceremony marking the 81st anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule. "Let us put down our intentions to threaten each other and begin discussions to end the long-running war as the directly involved parties," Lee said, adding, "In the process, (we) may also discuss effective ways to halt the advancement of the North's nuclear capabilities." The divided Koreas have technically remained at war since the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty. Lee said he will embark on a journey to end the war and replace the "unstable armistice system" with a peace regime. Lee's dialogue overture came despite the North remaining unresponsive to Seoul's repeated reconciliatory gestures since Lee took office in June last year. In his Liberation Day s

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InterviewDutch scholar completes landmark translation of Samguk Yusa

A few decades ago, Korean studies was often treated as an afterthought and viewed as a sub-discipline to Chinese and Japanese studies. Today, a landmark complete English translation of one of Korea’s most important medieval texts is proving how dynamic and indispensable Korean history is to the global literary landscape. At the heart of this milestone is Remco Breuker, a professor of Korean Studies at Leiden University in the Netherlands and a leading European authority on pre-modern Korean history. He, together with two other scholars — one of whom was his own teacher — to translate "Samguk Yusa," also known in English as "Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms." Published by the University of Hawaii Press, his translation is titled "Vestiges of the Three Kingdoms of Ancient Korea." The 570-page work is the first complete and fully annotated English translation of the 13th-century classic. Compiled primarily by the Buddhist monk Iryeon during the late Goryeo period, "Samguk Yusa" is a collection of forktalkes and legends of the Three Kingdoms period and before. The newly released volum

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Korea's chief trade negotiator fired amid growing US tariff pressure

Korea's chief trade negotiator has been dismissed from his post, officials said Saturday, as Seoul faces mounting tariff pressure from the United States amid a series of unresolved bilateral trade issues. Yeo Han-koo was notified of his dismissal by the Ministry of Personnel Management on Friday, an official at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said, without elaborating on the reason for the decision. His dismissal "has nothing to do with tariff negotiations between Seoul and Washington," a government official told Yonhap News Agency. Amid speculation that his dismissal was related to personal misconduct, Yeo said in a statement that such speculation was unfounded and that he would consider taking legal action over false reports. The dismissal comes at a sensitive time for bilateral trade relations, as Seoul faces growing U.S. pressure to accelerate its investment commitments under a bilateral tariff deal and a dispute over fines against U.S.-listed e-commerce giant Coupang over a personal data breach. On Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump signed a proclamation imposing new ta

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Japan's Takaichi skips controversial Yasukuni Shrine visit on anniversary of World War II surrender

TOKYO — Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi stayed away from Tokyo's controversial Yasukuni Shrine , apparently to prioritize diplomatic relations with China and South Korea, but did not mention her country’s wartime past in Asia or remorse over it in an address Saturday as Japan marked the 81st anniversary of its surrender in World War II. Takaichi mourned the victims of major devastation in Hiroshima, Nagasaki and Okinawa, as well as those who perished in overseas battlefronts, and thanked them for their sacrifice as the “foundation of Japan's peace and prosperity today.” She did not mention Japanese atrocities in Asia or apologize. “Japan, since the end of the war, has consistently contributed to global peace and prosperity. We will never let the tragedy of the war be repeated," she said, adding that Japan can play a key role in addressing global challenges as “a dependable nation" in the region. Visits by Japanese politicians to the Yasukuni Shrine, which also commemorates World War II war criminals, have been criticized by China and South Korea. They see it as showin

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Ex-PM Kim wins Gwangju-Jeolla primaries in leadership election

Former Prime Minister Kim Min-seok won the ruling Democratic Party of Korea's (DPK) primaries in Gwangju and Jeolla Province on Saturday, outpacing his two rivals in the party's leadership race. Kim garnered a combined 57.54 percent of the votes from Gwangju and North and South Jeolla provinces, beating Jung Chung-rae, who is seeking a second consecutive term as DPK leader, with 32.65 percent. Song Young-gil, a former DPK leader, came in third with 9.81 percent. Kim's victory Saturday allowed him to maintain his lead in the leadership race ahead of the party congress Monday, where the new leader will be elected. The party's new leader is expected to play a key role in overseeing the nomination of candidates for the April 2028 parliamentary elections. Kim leads the race in cumulative votes, garnering 52.21 percent, followed by Jung with 38.14 percent. The DPK has held five of six regional primary rounds so far. The final primary, in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province, takes place Sunday. Kim has won four rounds — in the central Chungcheong region; Incheon and Jeju Island; Gangwon Province, Daegu

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Walking through forest cools body faster than city streets during heat wave: study

Walking through a forest trail lowers the heat strain on the human body significantly faster than walking on asphalt roads in the city, according to a field experiment by the National Institute of Forest Science, a research body under the Korea Forest Service, conducted amid Korea's ongoing summer heat wave. The institute tested the cooling effect of Hongneung Forest, an experimental forest in Dongdaemun District that dates to the Joseon era, by using thermal imaging cameras to compare pedestrians' heat response while walking on a forest trail versus a nearby asphalt road. Participants who walked the forest trail saw their average facial surface temperature drop by as much as 1.9 degrees Celsius from their starting point, and it stayed about 1.7 degrees lower even after the walk ended. On the asphalt road, by contrast, the average facial surface temperature — 37.0 degrees Celsius at the start — jumped to 38.1 degrees in the first stretch and showed little improvement by the end. Averaged over the full route, facial surface temperatures were 1.1 degrees lower on the forest trail tha

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SK Group chairman again appeals divorce suit to Supreme Court

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won has appealed the latest court ruling ordering him to pay 944 billion won ($668 million) in property division to his former wife, Roh Soh-yeong, sources said Saturday. In July, the Seoul High Court handed down the ruling after the Supreme Court sent the case back for review in October last year while finalizing the divorce and Chey's alimony payment of 2 billion won to Roh, the daughter of the late former President Roh Tae-woo. The newly determined amount was lower than the 1.38 trillion won that the court initially ordered Chey to pay in property division in 2024. As the Supreme Court reviews whether a lower court misinterpreted legal principles, experts said there is little chance of the ruling being overturned, as it already reviewed the case when it sent it back to the lower court in October last year. Chey initiated divorce proceedings in 2017 after admitting two years earlier to having an extramarital lover and a child with her. Chey and Roh married in 1988 and have three children together.

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Spitting at nuns: Religious harassment by Jewish extremists becomes routine in Jerusalem

Jerusalem's Old City, home to sacred sites of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, is increasingly being marred by religious tensions. The three religions have historically maintained a delicate balance through their respective quarters, but expressions of hostility toward other communities are reaching dangerous levels as Jewish extremist groups gain influence amid what critics say is tacit acceptance and encouragement from the Israeli government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which includes far-right parties. Extremism threatens holy sites of three religions The Christian Quarter is one of the places where interreligious tensions are most visible. According to the Israeli civic group Religious Freedom Data Center (RFDC), 83 cases of harassment targeting Christians were reported from April through June this year. Spitting accounted for the largest number, with 47 cases, followed by eight cases of verbal abuse. While a reporter from the Hankook Ilbo accompanied nuns on their way home through the Old City on Aug. 4, a Jewish teenager spat toward them. "After a French nun was assaulted in

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N. Korean leader pays tribute to Soviet soldiers amid deepening Russia ties

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has paid tribute to Soviet soldiers who fought against Japan during World War II to mark Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule, vowing to further strengthen ties with Russia, Pyongyang's state media reported Saturday. Kim visited the Liberation Tower in Pyongyang on Friday, a day before the 81st anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule, the North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. Kim laid a wreath bearing the phrase, "We will not forget the feats of the martyrs of the Soviet Army." "The excellent history, traditions and ties of blood between the DPRK and Russia now serve as a fundamental cornerstone and inexhaustible driving force for the bilateral relations of friendship and cooperation," Kim said in an English dispatch. He added that their "great friendship and unity" would be carried forward "generation after generation." DPRK is the acronym of North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. It marked the third time Kim has visited the Liberation Tower on the occasion of Liberation Day s

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In Korea, more babies are born in places where chips are made

In Korea, the places where chips are made also happen to be where more children are born. “An obstetrician tells me everyone in this neighborhood has two or three kids,” said Shin Jung-won, 39, who has worked as a researcher at Samsung Electronics for 15 years. Due to give birth soon, she has a family plan shared by many residents in the neighborhood: to have two children. Shin lives in Dongtan District in Hwaseong Special City, the place she settled three years ago due to its close proximity to her workplace — a Samsung Electronics campus is located there — and had a young population with many children. That day, as Shin headed to a department store just below her apartment, the indoor space was full of young parents with children, many pushing strollers, even on a weekday morning. Shin herself was also on parental leave. Bonuses are the most frequently discussed subject among her colleagues, according to Shin. Although she is not part of the semiconductor division that received such exorbitant sums, she has heard how many inside the company openly talk about plans to earn 3 bi

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Japanese media call Ha Young backlash 'modern-day guilt by association'

Japanese media and online users are showing strong interest in the controversy surrounding actor Ha Young, who has faced public criticism over her initial response to revelations about the pro-Japanese activities of her great-grandfather, Ahn Sang-ho (1872-1927). Much of the Japanese reaction has been sympathetic toward Ha, with some describing the backlash as "modern-day guilt by association" and criticizing the response in Korea. The reaction highlights a stark difference in perspective between Japan, the former colonial power, and Korea, which was subjected to Japanese colonial rule from 1910 to 1945. 'Branded a descendant of a pro-Japanese collaborator' A column published Wednesday by the conservative Japanese outlet JBpress is one example. Its headline, "Why does Korea not forgive descendants of pro-Japanese collaborators? The 'modern-day guilt by association' cornering celebrities and the weaponization of history," made clear its critical view of the Korean response. The outlet first outlined the known facts, identifying Ha's great-grandfather as Ahn Sang-ho, who served as a counci

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180,000 cases of personal info leaked from Sogang University; ex-President Park believed to be affected

Sogang University in Seoul came under a hacking attack, and some 180,000 pieces of personal information of students, graduates, faculty and others were leaked, officials said Saturday. Former President Park Geun-hye is believed to be among those affected. The school said it has confirmed circumstances where some information was leaked due to an unidentified outside attack on its integrated login account information. Leaked information includes student ID numbers, names, affiliations, mobile phone numbers and passwords. School officials said they became aware of the attack on Friday, three days after it occurred. The university has since blocked the IP address used in the attack, taken emergency measures, and reported the incident to the Personal Information Protection Commission and the education ministry. "Emergency response measures have been completed, and we're now checking vulnerable points in the internal server," an official said. "We're working with an outside cybersecurity firm on measures to prevent additional damage, including strengthening the monitoring system." Former Presi

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Land minister, Seoul mayor clash over proposed public housing at Yongsan Park

The Lee Jae Myung administration is at odds with the Seoul Metropolitan Government over the former's proposal to use part or all of Yongsan Park in central Seoul for public housing, showing the growing tension between efforts to increase housing supply and the preservation of urban green. Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kim Yun-duk told reporters on Friday that the government is considering using not only Yongsan Children's Garden but potentially the entire Yongsan Park site for housing development. "Yongsan Children's Garden is a narrow concept. We are considering the entire Yongsan Park," Kim said during a news conference marking his first year in office. He said the government has been examining various sites in Yongsan, including areas that may face environmental contamination and require negotiations with the U.S. military, adding the government would consider all possible options to increase housing supply. Kim then said any housing development at the park would require discussions with the National Assembly, the Seoul Metropolitan Government, Yongsan District and t

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Trump says he will declare Strait of Hormuz US territory 'pretty soon'

WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that he will declare the Strait of Hormuz a territory of the United States "pretty soon," asserting America's control of the crucial waterway through its naval blockade. Trump made the remarks during a visit to a police academy in Garden City, New York, as disruptions to shipping through the strait, a key shipping route for oil, natural gas and other commodities, have continued amid the war in the Middle East, leaving energy prices high. "After we finish defeating Iran, which is being very badly defeated ... pretty soon, I will be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States," Trump said. "We have the blockade. No ships get through unless we want them to," he added. Trump did not elaborate on his plan to declare the strait a U.S. territory at a time when Tehran seeks to maintain control over the waterway, viewing the strait as a pivotal source of leverage in its negotiations with Washington, particularly ahead of the U.S. midterm elections in November. The president said that though he used the U.S. military "a little

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ReviewMusical 'Frozen' premiere brings blizzard of spectacle to Seoul

On one of Seoul’s hottest summer nights of August, winter arrived at Charlotte Theater. An hour before the Korean premiere of Disney’s “Frozen,” the theater lobby was already humming with families, couples, friends and solo musical fans. Long lines formed at the merchandise shop and in front of a call board and photo zone featuring a towering ice sculpture and illuminated snowflakes. Children in Elsa capes, sparkling crowns and princess shoes waited patiently beside adults eager to document the long-awaited arrival of the global musical hit. The sold-out audience came for snow and spectacle. It received both — along with a polished Korean production anchored by powerhouse turns from Jung Sun-ah as Elsa and Park Jin-joo as Anna. Based on Disney’s 2013 animated film, “Frozen” follows the estranged royal sisters Elsa and Anna. Elsa, terrified that her power to freeze everything around her will hurt those she loves, retreats into isolation. Anna sets out to save both her sister and the kingdom of Arendelle from an endless winter. The stage musical, which premiered on Broadway

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Korean rom-coms put their faith in cliches — but will they work forever?

A protagonist with memory loss. A dicey office love triangle. A chance encounter with a first love and a secret surrounding someone’s birth. Cliche-riddled, old-fashioned romantic comedies are back. After a series of productions loaded with elaborate worldbuilding and heavy atmospheres, broadcasters seem to have decided that trend has run its course and that viewers now need something lighthearted — an unhealthy yet familiar and addictive treat. 'You can't beat the classics' “Our Sticky Love,” which premiered on Netlfix on Aug. 7, might be the most quintessential romantic comedy of the season. The drama revolves around a young man and woman: Go Eun-sae, played by Ha Young, an elite prosecutor who wakes up in a hospital after losing her memory and fingerprints; and Jang Tae-ha, played by Jung Hae-in, a boxing coach who claims to be her boyfriend. Together, they begin a new life in a rural Korean village. Eun-sae’s antagonistic attitude toward Tae-ha, rooted in her deeply suspicious personality, steadily gives way to a phase of denying her attraction to the male lead before the

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Korean rom-coms put their faith in cliches — but will they work forever? thumbnail

Editor's Pick

NK aims to deepen ties with China, Russia by criticizing nuclear projects of S. Korea, Japan: experts

NK aims to deepen ties with China, Russia by criticizing nuclear projects of S. Korea, Japan: experts

North Korea’s recent criticisms against South Korea’s nuclear submarine plans and Japan’s consideration of non-nuclear policy revisions, coupled with its latest missile tests, are likely aimed at boosting ties with China and Russia and bolstering its nuclear narrative, experts said. They believe Pyongyang's recent actions were timed with the expected visit of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to Seoul, as early as next week. In a commentary released by Pyongyang's state-run news outlet Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Wednesday, Jang Kum-chol, first vice minister of North Korea's foreign ministry, criticized Seoul’s nuclear-powered submarine development plan with the United States, saying, "South Korea’s push to acquire nuclear-powered submarines will inevitably trigger a nuclear domino effect across the Asia-Pacific region." The criticism came three months after Seoul unveiled in May the Jang Bogo N Program, an initiative to develop around three 8,000-ton nuclear-powered submarines. A piece published by the KCNA on Wednesday attributed to international affairs commentator R

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Life in Korea

Julia Mellor's mission to globalize soju

Julia Mellor's mission to globalize soju

Many people think of soju, Korea's iconic distilled alcoholic beverage, as a cheap, low-quality liquor that comes in a green bottle and causes a killer hangover. But Julia Mellor, founder of The Sool Company, has made it her mission to evangelize the traditional rice-based version of the drink. Recently, she set up a booth at the International Dutch Distillers Festival, where she gave two soju masterclasses for 110 guests introducing 3 craft sojus paired with Korean snacks. "It was a totally Dutch festival, so the audience was very green and probably 90 percent of attendees had never heard of soju, so it was a really great opportunity," Mellor said of the event. "The encouraging thing is that once people taste these premium Korean spirits without preconceived ideas, the quality speaks for itself. To have the opportunity to present Korean soju to such a new audience with no background knowledge was an exciting milestone and gave us a confidence boost that we are headed in the right direction." Mellor, an Australian, spent 17 years living in Korea, where she discovered her love for Korea'

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Lifestyle

'Busy vacations' can leave your body exhausted

A car cannot remain in good condition if it races at full speed without a break, suddenly shuts off and then accelerates again without warming up. The human body is much the same. If people spend the entire workweek under pressure, finally relax on the first day of vacation and then plunge straight back into their routine upon returning to work, their bodies can easily suffer. A 46-year-old civil servant surnamed Park experienced just that. Before his summer vacation, he cut back on sleep for several nights to finish a backlog of work. But when he finally arrived at his vacation destination, he developed a headache and flu-like aches. He ended up spending his entire first day at his accommodations. Although several days of rest might have been expected to help, he said that after returning to work his body felt as heavy as a waterlogged sponge and he struggled to concentrate. He had become sick during a vacation meant for rest and returned feeling even more fatigued rather than recharged. The phenomenon cannot simply be dismissed as psychological. Researchers at Tilburg University in the N

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'Busy vacations' can leave your body exhausted

K-Culture

Tired of cookie-cutter revenge thrillers? 'A Shop for Killers' offers a refreshing dose of action

Jeong Ji-an (Kim Hye-jun), who lost both of her parents as a child, grew up with her uncle. But when Ji-an is a 21-year-old college student, her uncle dies by suicide. He had always kept her at a distance, and she is so angry that he died suddenly without saying a word that she cannot even cry. Then, immediately after the funeral, the truth about her uncle, Jeong Jin-man (Lee Dong-wook), begins to emerge. Even his occupation was a lie. The agricultural hose shopping website he ran in a rural village was merely a front for "Murderhelp," an online weapons store for assassins. As Ji-an struggles to believe that her uncle was an arms dealer, killers with old scores to settle with Jin-man begin surrounding her home, intent on eliminating her and taking over the store. Season 1 of the Disney+ series "A Shop for Killers," released in 2024, followed Ji-an's struggle for survival while trapped inside her home and surrounded by assassins. She solved a number of mysteries, but the season ended with her uncle returning alive, suggesting that many secrets remained hidden. The series returned with its

5 MIN READ
Tired of cookie-cutter revenge thrillers? 'A Shop for Killers' offers a refreshing dose of action

Celebrities

'KPop Demon Hunters' singer EJAE shows off wedding ring after '9 years together'

Singer EJAE, who gained global attention through the Netflix animated film "KPop Demon Hunters," has shared an update ahead of her wedding. On Friday, EJAE posted several photos on social media, writing, "So grateful to have someone I can call home." "9 years together and many more years to go," she wrote. The photos drew attention as EJAE showed off a wedding ring from a luxury jewelry brand. In one photo, she places her hand, wearing the ring, over that of her fiancé, while another shows the couple embracing, capturing their excitement ahead of the wedding. EJAE announced her engagement in January after sharing photos of a proposal from Korean American producer Sam Kim. The couple is reportedly set to marry in November. EJAE gained widespread recognition for writing, composing and performing "Golden," a song from the soundtrack of Netflix's "KPop Demon Hunters." "Golden" won best song written for visual media at the 68th Grammy Awards and best original song at the 98th Academy Awards. This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a gener

1 MIN READ
'KPop Demon Hunters' singer EJAE shows off wedding ring after '9 years together'

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Top 10 Stories

  1. Lee proposes talks with NK to formally end Korean War, halt Pyongyang's nuclear program

  2. Youngest Black professor at Cambridge who faced plagiarism claims is found dead

  3. Korea's chief trade negotiator fired amid growing US tariff pressure

  4. Spitting at nuns: Religious harassment by Jewish extremists becomes routine in Jerusalem

  5. Ex-PM Kim wins Gwangju-Jeolla primaries in leadership election

  6. Korea denounces Japanese officials' visits to Yasukuni Shrine

  7. InterviewDutch scholar completes landmark translation of Samguk Yusa

  8. Japan's Takaichi skips controversial Yasukuni Shrine visit on anniversary of World War II surrender

  9. Kim Koo: Are you watching?

  10. N. Korean leader pays tribute to Soviet soldiers amid deepening Russia ties

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