The Korea Times

Seoul issues freeze alert, warns of hypothermia risk

Seoul will issue its first water meter “freeze warning” of the winter starting at 9 a.m. Friday, as temperatures are forecast to plunge to as low as minus 12 degrees Celsius, while city officials also warned of a heightened risk of hypothermia and frostbite during the sudden cold snap. The freeze warning corresponds to the third-highest level in the city’s four-stage water meter freeze forecasting system, which ranges from “attention” and “caution” to “warning” and “serious,” the Seoul Metropolitan Government said Wednesday. The city will operate a 24-hour emergency response situation room and activate an urgent repair system in coordination with its eight waterworks offices and the Seoul Facilities Corp. As of Tuesday, Seoul had recorded 242 cases of frozen water meters this winter. Apartments accounted for the majority with 199 cases, followed by 24 cases at construction sites and 15 single-family and low-rise multiunit homes. City officials warned that corridor-style apartment buildings without windbreak windows and construction sites are especially vulnerable, a

Dec 25, 2025By Kim Hyun-bin

Seoul issues freeze alert, warns of hypothermia risk

Law & Crime

Mongolian diplomat involved in drunk driving collision in Seoul

A staff member of the Embassy of Mongolia in Korea was involved in a three-vehicle collision while driving under the influence earlier this month, police said Wednesday, with the incident only coming to light nearly two weeks later. Gangnam Police Station said an administrative employee, identified only by the initial “A” under Korean privacy rules, caused a three-vehicle crash on a major thoroughfare near Sinsa Station in southern Seoul on Dec. 12 while driving under the influence. Police released the details on Dec. 24. A, a Mongolian national, was driving alone at the time of the crash, police said. Officers at the scene were unable to make an on-the-spot arrest because the individual is covered by diplomatic immunity. After confirming the driver’s identity, police allowed A to return home. A breathalyzer test later showed the driver’s blood alcohol level exceeded the threshold for license revocation, police said. The drivers of the two vehicles struck by A’s car suffered minor injuries, according to authorities. No passengers were reported in any of the vehicles involved. Po

Dec 25, 2025By Kim Hyun-bin

Mongolian diplomat involved in drunk driving collision in Seoul

Lifestyle

Korean artist Lee Bul receives prestigious arts award from UAE

The Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation (ADMAF) honored Korean contemporary artist Lee Bul with the Abu Dhabi Festival Award, recognizing her global influence on contemporary visual art and underscoring growing cultural ties between the United Arab Emirates and Korea. The award ceremony took place in Seoul on Dec. 17 during a panel discussion organized under ADMAF’s Art @ Embassies initiative. The Abu Dhabi Festival Award is presented annually to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to culture and the arts. ADMAF said the award was conferred under the honorary founding patronage of Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE deputy prime minister, minister of foreign affairs and founding honorary patron of the Abu Dhabi Festival. The honor was presented by Abdulla Saif Al Nuaimi, UAE ambassador to Korea; Huda Alkhamis-Kanoo, founder of ADMAF and founder and artistic director of the Abu Dhabi Festival; and Huh Yong-soo, CEO of GS Energy and vice chairman of GS Group. Lee is regarded as one of Korea’s most influential contemporary artists, with an international career spannin

Dec 24, 2025By Kim Hyun-bin

Korean artist Lee Bul receives prestigious arts award from UAE

Foreign Affairs

Korea, UK discuss financial cooperation after FTA upgrade

Lee Eog-weon, chairman of Korea’s Financial Services Commission, met with Colin Crooks, British ambassador to Korea, on Monday to exchange views on the global economic outlook for next year, financial policy directions and ways to expand bilateral cooperation, the commission said. The meeting took place at Government Complex Seoul, days after Korea and the U.K. concluded negotiations to upgrade their bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) following more than two years of talks. The revised Korea-U.K. FTA was finalized on Dec. 15. Lee said the Korean government is taking preemptive steps to respond to growing global volatility by closely monitoring both domestic and external economic conditions. He emphasized that authorities are prepared to stabilize financial markets through market support programs totaling more than 100 trillion won ($67.5 billion), with additional measures available if conditions deteriorate. He also outlined the government’s broader financial policy direction, noting that Seoul this year laid the foundation for what it calls a “major financial transformation.”

Dec 23, 2025By Kim Hyun-bin

Korea, UK discuss financial cooperation after FTA upgrade

Society

Decade of safety lapses leaves Korea facing record number of public emergencies

Korea grappled with its most turbulent year in terms of public safety crises in a decade, with a government report released Sunday detailing 39 major incidents nationwide in 2024. The grim milestone underscores a 10-year high in the frequency of large-scale emergencies caused by people and systemic failures. The disasters caused 250 deaths, injured 967 people and left 16 missing, bringing the total number of casualties to 1,233. Property damage reached 131.09 billion won ($88.5 million), the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said in its annual disaster yearbook. Social disasters are defined as incidents requiring a national or local government response, including fires, structural collapses, explosions, crowd crushes, aviation accidents, disruptions to critical infrastructure and the spread of infectious diseases. The frequency of large-scale accidents rose roughly 22 percent from 32 cases in 2023. Despite the rise in incidents, the number of deaths dropped sharply from 2023, declining by 3,215. Authorities attributed the decrease largely to the easing of the COVID-19 pandemic, which s

Dec 21, 2025By Kim Hyun-bin

Decade of safety lapses leaves Korea facing record number of public emergencies

North Korea

N. Korea ramps up cybertheft following $2.3 bil. crypto haul: report

North Korea has refined its cryptocurrency hacking operations, carrying out fewer but far more lucrative attacks on major targets and deploying increasingly sophisticated laundering techniques to evade detection, according to a report by the blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis. In a preview of its Crypto Crime 2026 report, Chainalysis revealed that North Korean hackers siphoned a record $2.02 billion in cryptocurrency in 2025. This 51 percent surge from the previous year highlights the regime’s intensifying reliance on digital theft to bypass global sanctions and fund state priorities. The windfall brings the total amount stolen by Pyongyang-linked actors to approximately $6.75 billion since records began, underscoring a deepening crisis for international cybersecurity. While the number of confirmed attacks declined sharply, the overall value of thefts increased, driven by a handful of extraordinarily large breaches, the analysis found. “The year’s data highlight a shift toward fewer but larger thefts — with the biggest three hacks alone accounting for a majority of all servic

Dec 21, 2025By Kim Hyun-bin

N. Korea ramps up cybertheft following $2.3 bil. crypto haul: report

Foreign Affairs

Unification ministry briefs foreign diplomats on peace, N. Korea policy

South Korea’s Ministry of Unification held a policy briefing for ambassadors and representatives of international organizations in Seoul on Dec. 16, calling for sustained international attention and cooperation to promote peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula. The briefing, chaired by Vice Unification Minister Kim Nam-jung, was designed to help the international community better understand recent developments on the peninsula, the current state of inter-Korean relations and the South Korean government’s policy direction toward North Korea for the coming year. A total of 41 institutions took part in the session. Participants included diplomats from 14 countries belonging to the so-called “Korean Peninsula Club,” whose ambassadors are concurrently accredited to both South and North Korea. Representatives from 13 countries in the “Peace Club,” which maintain diplomatic missions in North Korea were also in attendance. Diplomats from European Union member states and Japan also joined the briefing, along with representatives from four international organizations, including

Dec 18, 2025By Kim Hyun-bin

Unification ministry briefs foreign diplomats on peace, N. Korea policy

Foreign Affairs

EU, UN mark Human Rights Day in Seoul

The European Union Delegation in Seoul hosted an event to mark International Human Rights Day in Seoul, in partnership with the U.N. human rights office in Seoul, highlighting the 2025 campaign theme, “Human Rights, Our Everyday Essentials.” The event, held Dec. 15 and supported by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Seoul, drew about 150 participants, including civil society representatives, youth activists, academics, policymakers, EU member state diplomats, journalists and human rights defenders. Organizers said the gathering aimed to deepen dialogue on equality, inclusion and democratic participation, while encouraging broader public engagement on human rights challenges in Korea and beyond. The program opened with remarks from representatives of the European Union, the U.N. Human Rights Office and the Korean government, followed by a panel discussion on equality and inclusion in Korea. A youth-focused session featured selected submissions from a joint EU-Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights social media campaign under

Dec 17, 2025By Kim Hyun-bin

Society

Woman saves 3 lives through organ donation

A Korean woman who was known for helping others in her daily life saved three people through organ donation in her final moments, medical officials said. According to the Korea Organ Donation Agency, Oh Young-sun, 67, donated her liver and both kidneys after being declared brain-dead at Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital on Oct. 20. Oh collapsed at her home on Oct. 12 and was rushed to the hospital by family members, but she never regained consciousness, officials said. Her family decided to proceed with organ donation, saying they hoped she could save other lives even at the end of her own. Born in Busan as the fourth of seven children — two sons and five daughters — Oh was remembered by relatives as a bright and diligent person who was always willing to help those in need. Family members said she often stepped forward to assist people facing difficulties and regularly shared homemade food with neighbors. Oh’s younger sister, Oh Young-ae, said her sister lived her life for others until the very end. “My sister loved helping people in need, and I believe she must have been h

Dec 17, 2025By Kim Hyun-bin

Woman saves 3 lives through organ donation

Foreign Affairs

2025 Africa Week brings culture and sustainability to Seoul

The Korea-Africa Foundation and The Korea Times co-hosted the 2025 Africa Week on Dec. 13, offering the public an immersive, daylong experience of Africa’s diverse cultures through music, literature and sustainability-focused programs. The event ran under the theme “Afro Vibes, Heat Seoul.” Organizers said the festival was designed to broaden public understanding of Africa while promoting cooperation between the cultural and creative industries of Korea and African countries. Held annually, Africa Week seeks to provide Koreans with a more comprehensive and balanced perspective on Africa, moving beyond stereotypes and economic narratives to highlight the continent’s cultural richness, creativity and social diversity through performances, talk concerts and interactive programs. Opening remarks were delivered by Oh Young-jin, the president-publisher of The Korea Times, who pointed to Africa’s expanding global cultural influence and called for deeper mutual understanding between Korea and Africa. “Africa is rising — this is no overstatement,” Oh said. “African music resonat

Dec 15, 2025By Kim Hyun-bin

Kim Hyun-bin

Read more

Seoul issues freeze alert, warns of hypothermia risk

Mongolian diplomat involved in drunk driving collision in Seoul

Korean artist Lee Bul receives prestigious arts award from UAE

Korea, UK discuss financial cooperation after FTA upgrade

Decade of safety lapses leaves Korea facing record number of public emergencies

N. Korea ramps up cybertheft following $2.3 bil. crypto haul: report

Unification ministry briefs foreign diplomats on peace, N. Korea policy

EU, UN mark Human Rights Day in Seoul

Woman saves 3 lives through organ donation

2025 Africa Week brings culture and sustainability to Seoul

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