The Korea Times

Ambassadors’ spouses explore Korea's heritage ahead of APEC summit

North Gyeongsang Province hosted a two-day cultural immersion program from Oct. 13–14, inviting the spouses of ambassadors stationed in Seoul to experience the heritage and charm of the region, provincial officials said. Representatives from 13 countries, including Ecuador, Mexico, Russia, Uzbekistan, Mongolia and Bangladesh, participated in the “Gyeongbuk Culture Experience Program,” held in advance of the 2025 APEC summit in Gyeongju. During their stay, guests took part in traditional Korean cultural activities such as kimchi‐making, traditional liquor brewing and hanji (traditional paper) crafts. They toured the North Gyeongsang provincial office, walked along the “Millennium Forest Path,” and visited UNESCO World Heritage sites, including Byeongsan Confucian Academy and Hahoe Village. “I believe this invitational event allowed the spouses of diplomats from around the world to experience the harmony of tradition and modernity that defines our regional culture, and to truly feel the charm and potential of North Gyeongsang Province.” Governor Lee Cheol-woo said, “With

Oct 14, 2025By Kim Hyun-bin

Ambassadors’ spouses explore Korea's heritage ahead of APEC summit

Foreign Affairs

Czech governor promotes Moravian-Silesian region to attract Korean investment

Josef Belica, governor of the Moravian-Silesian Region in the Czech Republic, highlighted the area's growing potential as a gateway for Korean businesses seeking to expand into Europe during an official visit to Korea this week. In a group interview including The Korea Times in Seoul, Monday, Belica said his mission aims to deepen ties with long-term Korean partners, such as Hyundai Motor, and to promote new investment opportunities in sectors including renewable energy, artificial intelligence and defense technologies. “We want to present our region not only as a good place for investment but also for life,” Belica said. “The Moravian-Silesian Region is the center of Central Europe, with excellent infrastructure, connections to Poland and Slovakia, and a highly skilled workforce.” Hyundai’s assembly plant in Nosovice, in the eastern Czech Republic, represents one of the country’s most significant foreign investments, employing a workforce that is 98 percent local. Belica emphasized that the Korean corporate footprint in the region is already diversified, pointing to the pre

Oct 13, 2025By Kim Hyun-bin

Czech governor promotes Moravian-Silesian region to attract Korean investment

Politics

PHOTO Gearing up for Assembly audit

Staff members make final preparations at the National Assembly’s Science, ICT, Broadcasting, and Communications Committee audit room at Government Complex Sejong, Sunday, ahead of the first parliamentary audit under the Lee Jae Myung administration, which starts Monday for a 25-day run through Nov. 6. Yonhap

Oct 12, 2025By Kim Hyun-bin

North Korea

N. Korea unveils new Hwasong-20 ICBM, signaling multi-warhead ambitions

North Korea unveiled a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and other advanced weapons during a massive nighttime parade in Pyongyang marking the 80th founding anniversary of the Workers’ Party, in what analysts described as a show of force highlighting its strides toward a multi-warhead nuclear deterrent. The parade, held Friday at Kim Il Sung Square, showcased the Hwasong-20, a solid-fuel ICBM that state media hailed as a “super-powerful strategic attack weapon” awaiting leader Kim Jong-un’s launch order. Mounted on an 11-axle transporter erector launcher (TEL), the missile resembled last year’s Hwasong-19 but featured key differences, suggesting new engineering. Its blunter, wider nose cone could signal space for multiple warheads or a multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle (MIRV) that allows a single missile to strike several targets. Rep. Yu Yong-weon, a former military journalist and lawmaker from the main opposition People Power Party, said the Hwasong-20’s design shows Russian influences. “Unlike the Hwasong-19, which had side lifting arms, the n

Oct 12, 2025By Kim Hyun-bin

N. Korea unveils new Hwasong-20 ICBM, signaling multi-warhead ambitions

Foreign Affairs

Taipei envoy stresses shared democratic values, growing exchanges

Gow-wei Chiou, head of the Taipei Mission in Korea, said Friday that Taiwan and Korea are bound by deep historical ties and a shared commitment to freedom and democracy, calling the two societies “pillars of democracy in the Asia-Pacific region.” Speaking at a reception in Seoul marking the 114th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of China (Taiwan) — also known as Double Tenth Day — Chiou welcomed guests and thanked them for joining the celebration of Taiwan’s national day. “Taiwan and the Republic of Korea share a long-standing friendship based on common democratic values,” Chiou said. “As Korea marks the 80th anniversary of its liberation this year, we are once again reminded of the preciousness of freedom and democracy.” Chiou, who previously served at Taiwan’s Consulate in Busan more than three decades ago, highlighted the dramatic expansion of people-to-people exchanges between the two sides. When he first worked in Korea 33 years ago, only around 450,000 people traveled between Taiwan and Korea each year. The figure has grown to 2.6 million and is proje

Oct 12, 2025By Kim Hyun-bin

Taipei envoy stresses shared democratic values, growing exchanges

Foreign Affairs

ASEAN Pavilion brings Southeast Asian flavors to Mokpo

Chuseok travelers who were looking for a taste of Southeast Asia didn’t need to board a plane this year. Instead, some headed to Mokpo, South Jeolla Province, where the ASEAN-Korea Centre (AKC) opened the ASEAN Pavilion at the inaugural Namdo International Culinary Expo, transforming the city into Korea’s newest hub for ASEAN flavors. The pavilion, which ran from Oct. 1-5 at Mokpo Culture & Arts Center, showcases the culinary heritage of the 10 ASEAN member states under the theme “The Taste of Herbs & Spices: Ten Nations, One Flavorful Journey.” The event is the first culinary initiative since before the COVID-19 pandemic hosted by the AKC, which was established in 2009 to strengthen ties between ASEAN and Korea. In his opening remarks on Oct. 2 AKC Secretary General Kim Jae-shin said the pavilion symbolizes more than food — it represents cultural connection. “Since its founding in 2009, the ASEAN-Korea Centre has sought to deepen friendship between ASEAN and Korea in many fields — economic, social, cultural and, of course, culinary,” Kim said. “This event is our first

Oct 2, 2025By Kim Hyun-bin

ASEAN Pavilion brings Southeast Asian flavors to Mokpo

Foreign Affairs

Saudi education minister hails translation as ‘pillar of progress’ at Seoul event

Saudi Arabia’s education minister hailed translation as a cornerstone of scholarship, cultural exchange and mutual understanding during the 11th King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Translation Award ceremony held in Seoul on Tuesday. The award, established to honor the legacy of the late King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, recognizes individuals and institutions for outstanding work in transferring knowledge across languages. This year’s ceremony, jointly organized by the King Abdulaziz Public Library and Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS), coincided with World Translation Day, held annually on Sept. 30. In his congratulatory remarks, Saudi Education Minister Yousef bin Abdullah Al-Benyan emphasized the kingdom’s long-standing support for knowledge, scholarship and cultural dialogue under the leadership of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. “The kingdom sees translation as a pillar of progress, prosperity, modernization and the building of a knowledge society,” Al-Benyan said. “It is essential for meeting the challenges of our times and contributing

Oct 1, 2025By Kim Hyun-bin

Saudi education minister hails translation as ‘pillar of progress’ at Seoul event

Foreign Affairs

Egypt celebrates 52nd anniversary of October Victory at Seoul ceremony

Egypt’s defense attache to Korea Col. Hamdi Tawfik on Tuesday marked the 52nd anniversary of the country’s October Victory, paying tribute to the sacrifices of Egyptian soldiers and emphasizing deepening cooperation with Korea as the two countries celebrate 30 years of diplomatic ties. Speaking at an evening event held in central Seoul, the attache described the 1973 conflict with Israel — known in Egypt as the October War — as a turning point that restored national dignity and the pride of the armed forces. “This victory will remain throughout history a reflection of the greatness of a people and the pride of a nation,” he said, calling it a symbol of resilience and the ability to overcome adversity. He paid homage to the “October generation” of the armed forces and honored those who fought to reclaim Egypt’s land. The speech included tributes to the country’s fallen soldiers and to late President Anwar Sadat, who led Egypt during the conflict. “A salute of reverence to the souls of our righteous martyrs, who gave their lives in sacrifice for the homeland, its dig

Oct 1, 2025By Kim Hyun-bin

Egypt celebrates 52nd anniversary of October Victory at Seoul ceremony

Foreign Affairs

Chinese envoy marks National Day with pledge of economic progress, peace

Chinese Ambassador to Korea Dai Bing hosted a reception in Seoul to mark the 76th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. During the event, he emphasized Beijing’s push for modernization. He also reaffirmed China’s commitment to peace and expressed a strong desire to deepen ties with Korea. Dai told an audience of Korean dignitaries, lawmakers, business leaders and members of the Chinese community that the establishment of the People’s Republic in 1949 symbolized the Chinese people “rising after a century of hardship.” Since then, he said, the nation has transformed into the world’s second-largest economy, its top manufacturing base and the leading trader of goods. “China’s modernization is an unstoppable historical process,” Dai said, citing stable growth under the country’s current five-year plan. He noted that China’s gross domestic product grew 5.3 percent in the first half of the year, while production, consumption and trade all showed resilience. “China has both the confidence and capacity to achieve its development goals,” he ad

Sep 29, 2025By Kim Hyun-bin

Chinese envoy marks National Day with pledge of economic progress, peace

Society

Citizens brace for prolonged disruptions after blaze knocks out gov't data center

Hundreds of government and financial services across Korea remain offline after a fire at a key national data center, disrupting citizens’ daily routines and prompting President Lee Jae Myung to order ministries to speed up recovery efforts. Officials warned it could take up to two weeks before operations return to normal, affecting everything from housing applications to moving contracts. One citizen wrote online, “I have to submit documents by Monday, but with the system down I’m really worried." Another complained, "I tried to get a resident registration copy needed for a moving contract, but Government24 was down, so I had no choice but to postpone the contract." Government24 is Korea's centralized online portal operated by the interior ministry, a core platform in the country’s e-government system. The blaze broke out Friday evening at the National Information Resources Service (NIRS) headquarters in Daejeon, the “nerve center” of Korea’s digital infrastructure. Officials said sparks from a lithium-ion battery ignited the fire while 13 workers were carrying out replac

Sep 28, 2025By Kim Hyun-bin

Kim Hyun-bin

Read more

Ambassadors’ spouses explore Korea's heritage ahead of APEC summit

Czech governor promotes Moravian-Silesian region to attract Korean investment

PHOTO Gearing up for Assembly audit

N. Korea unveils new Hwasong-20 ICBM, signaling multi-warhead ambitions

Taipei envoy stresses shared democratic values, growing exchanges

ASEAN Pavilion brings Southeast Asian flavors to Mokpo

Saudi education minister hails translation as ‘pillar of progress’ at Seoul event

Egypt celebrates 52nd anniversary of October Victory at Seoul ceremony

Chinese envoy marks National Day with pledge of economic progress, peace

Citizens brace for prolonged disruptions after blaze knocks out gov't data center

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