The Korea Times

IIAC signs $25 mil. deal to share operating expertise with Uzbekistan

Incheon International Airport Corp. (IIAC) said Thursday that it had signed a $25 million contract to bring its airport operations expertise to Uzbekistan’s new Tashkent International Airport, marking the latest milestone in the Korean airport operator’s global aviation efforts. The large-scale project, estimated at $3.4 billion, was proposed by the Saudi Arabian investment firm Vision Invest to the Uzbekistan government through a public-private partnership. Under a five-year consulting deal, IIAC will dispatch up to 17 experts specializing in management, operations and IT systems, delivering hands-on support for airport design, safety, passenger services and logistics integration. The groundbreaking ceremony for the new Tashkent airport was attended by Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, key government officials, Vision Invest representatives and IIAC executives. They discussed cooperation plans and Korea’s airport management model. Located 35 kilometers south of the current Tashkent airport, the new complex will serve up to 17 million passengers annually in its first pha

Oct 17, 2025By Lee Hae-rin

IIAC signs $25 mil. deal to share operating expertise with Uzbekistan

People & Events

Volleyball icon returns to court to lead underdog squad against top rivals

Korea’s retired volleyball icon Kim Yeon-koung is thrilling audiences once again with her triumphant return to screens through MBC’s sports reality show "Rookie Director Kim Yeon-Koung." The show, which premiered Sept. 28, follows Kim as she assembles "The Unsinkable Wonderdogs," a newly formed women’s volleyball team made up of underdog talent – those released from professional teams, battling anxiety or returning from retirement in pursuit of a second chance. The team faces a daunting task: They must play seven matches against top-tier opponents, including Korea and Japan’s high school champion teams and professional volleyball clubs. To survive and avoid disbandment, they need to secure at least four wins out of these seven games with the ultimate goal of becoming the eighth officially recognized team in Korea’s sole professional volleyball league. While much of the appeal of Korea’s traditional sports entertainment comes from revisiting beloved, retired stars, the show stands out for its unique, inclusive approach. The program pairs those on the margins of the sports wi

Oct 16, 2025By Lee Hae-rin

Volleyball icon returns to court to lead underdog squad against top rivals

Law & Crime

Drugs worth $4.2 mil. found in trash bag on Jeju beach

A large cache of illegal drugs was found along the scenic coastline near Seongsan Ilchulbong, a UNESCO-listed volcanic peak on Jeju Island, prompting a swift investigation by local maritime police. According to the Jeju Coast Guard, a volunteer dedicated to marine environmental protection stumbled upon a suspicious item on Oct. 7 while cleaning Gwangchigi Beach in Seogwipo. The volunteer reported discovering a waste collection bag filled with assorted debris. Inside were 20 brick-shaped packages, each tightly wrapped in aluminum foil and clear plastic, with the Chinese character for “tea” marked on the outside. After recovering the packages, authorities sent them to the National Forensic Service for analysis. Tests revealed that the blocks contained ketamine, a synthetic drug known for its hallucinogenic effects, and classified in Korea as an emerging narcotic. The total weight of the seized drugs was 20 kilograms — enough for roughly 660,000 individual doses, based on a standard dose of 0.03 grams. Police estimated the street value at about 6 billion won ($4.2 million), making it

Oct 15, 2025By Lee Hae-rin

Drugs worth $4.2 mil. found in trash bag on Jeju beach

Travel & Food

Korean travelers embrace tailored journeys, data shows

Koreans are increasingly favoring hyper-personalized travel experiences that reflect individual interests and values, moving away from traditional bucket-list tourism, according to a report released Tuesday by the global travel app Skyscanner. The findings were presented at the “Travel Trend 2026” event in central Seoul. According to Skyscanner’s survey, 80 percent of Korean travelers expect to maintain or increase their travel frequency next year, with 31 percent planning to boost their budgets in 2026. Koreans spend considerably more on travel than many other nationalities, particularly for overseas trips. In 2024, Korean tourists spent a total of $14.32 billion abroad — averaging about $1,100 per trip. A defining trend for Korean travelers is growing interest in exploring local supermarkets. Rather than booking tables at well-known restaurants, 56 percent of travelers now report seeking out local supermarkets and convenience stores for their meals, with 52 percent saying it’s the best way to immerse themselves in local food culture. Another notable trend is the pursuit of co

Oct 14, 2025By Lee Hae-rin

Korean travelers embrace tailored journeys, data shows

Law & Crime

Crime wave in Cambodia threatens Korean investments and bilateral trust

A surge in violent crimes targeting Koreans in Cambodia has sparked fear and outrage in both countries, straining bilateral ties and casting a pall over tourism and cultural exchange. In recent months, a string of high-profile cases in which Koreans were kidnapped, tortured and killed by Cambodian crime syndicates — often tied to Chinese criminal networks — has shifted public sentiment and brought tangible repercussions for both Korean residents and Cambodian migrants. "Restaurants and tour businesses have lost bookings, and many are cutting contact with partners in Korea," said Chung Myung-kyu, head of the Korean Association of Cambodia. "People are saying, ‘Keep your head down. Don’t draw attention to yourself.'" Local business owners reported canceled contracts and a drop in tourist numbers since reports of violence and scams began going viral on social media. For Park, a 48-year-old bank employee in Seoul, the anxiety became personal. Earlier this year, he traveled to Cambodia as part of a partnership project with a local bank, with a follow-up trip planned for later this year

Oct 13, 2025By Lee Hae-rin

Crime wave in Cambodia threatens Korean investments and bilateral trust

Society

Seoul's Tapgol Park sees end as Korea's iconic senior playground after janggi ban

Kim, 80, traveled every day from his residence in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province to come to Tapgol Park in central Seoul by subway to play janggi, a traditional Korean strategy game similar to chess, with his friends. Now he has "nowhere to go." "I feel completely lost. It’s absurd that playing janggi has been banned overnight," he said. Ahn, 75-year-old based in western Seoul, offers a similar perspective: "We elders have nowhere to go and we are not welcome anywhere anymore. Playing janggi and having lunch here was my only joy, and in an instant, that joy is gone," he said. Their voices mark the end of an era in Tapgol Park, the oldest modern park in Korea and an enduring symbol of both resistance and refuge. On July 31, Seoul’s Jongno District Office installed signs banning all entertainment activities within Tapgol Park, including janggi and baduk (go), as well as smoking, consuming alcohol, posting signs and vending. "Tapgol Park is a historic site in which the spirit of the March 1 Independence Movement lives on," the signs read, warning violators of potential jail time or fines un

Oct 11, 2025By Lee Hae-rin

Seoul's Tapgol Park sees end as Korea's iconic senior playground after janggi ban

Society

Korea eases rules to let older city homes join guesthouse market as tourism surges

Korea is easing regulations on urban guesthouses for foreign tourists, allowing homeowners to register properties built more than 30 years ago, provided they meet safety standards, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Friday. The revision comes as a follow-up measure to a pledge made during the 10th National Tourism Strategy Meeting held on Sept. 25, aimed at accommodating the rise in inbound travel demand. Under current guidelines, homes that are 30 years or older cannot be registered as foreigner-friendly urban homestay businesses, regardless of their safety conditions. However, the new rules will allow registration of such properties if they comply with safety measures under the Building Act and Building Management Act. Local governments will check whether a property is labeled as "violation" and seek input from architects or safety experts to assess structural soundness, if needed. The government also overhauled evaluation standards for foreign-language services. Previously, operators were assessed mainly on fluency. Under the revised rules, they can be deemed to provide a

Oct 10, 2025By Lee Hae-rin

Korea eases rules to let older city homes join guesthouse market as tourism surges

Society

4 of 10 Korean athletes end up jobless after retiring in their 20s

Nearly four in 10 athletes in Korea find themselves jobless after retiring, with most ending their sports careers in their early 20s, recent government data revealed, underscoring the persistent challenges former athletes face in transitioning to new professions and the lack of adequate institutional support. According to Korean Sport & Olympic Committee data submitted to Rep. Cho Gye-won of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, the average retirement age for Korean athletes is 23.6. As of last year, 7,521 registered as former athletes after retirement. Only 38.4 percent of them moved into jobs related to sports, while some 38.19 percent remain unemployed. Although the committee operates a career support center for retired athletes, uptake remains low, as survey data showed only 25.2 percent of retired athletes actually used the center. The most common reason cited for not using its services was simply not knowing how to access them, accounting for 64.4 percent of responses. “The reality that four out of 10 athletes who retire around the age of 23 remain unemployed is not just an indi

Oct 9, 2025By Lee Hae-rin

4 of 10 Korean athletes end up jobless after retiring in their 20s

Society

Far-right groups hold protests across Seoul over Chuseok holiday

Far-right groups staged a series of protests across central Seoul throughout the Chuseok holiday, drawing thousands of participants and prompting heightened police presence as authorities reiterated their commitment to curbing hate speech and public disorder. The demonstrations, organized by multiple groups, included anti-China rallies, marches of support for disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol and gatherings challenging historical narratives around Japan’s wartime sex slavery. One of the largest events was organized by the ultra-conservative youth group Freedom Univ., a key actor in the ongoing anti-China movement. According to unofficial police estimates, around 1,500 people gathered in the Gwanghwamun area and marched through the capital on Oct. 3, waving giant national flags. Participants, mostly young people dressed in black, repeatedly blew vuvuzelas and shouted slogans such as "Communist Party Out," along with racial slurs and derogatory expressions, while waving leaflets with slogans including "We are Charlie Kirk," "No visa-free entry for 30 million Chinese tourists," "C

Oct 9, 2025By Lee Hae-rin

Far-right groups hold protests across Seoul over Chuseok holiday

Travel & Food

Jeju’s Saryeoni Forest: Sacred trail of healing and tragedy

JEJU ISLAND — On Jeju Island, travelers look up to Mount Halla, Korea’s tallest peak, rising at the island’s center, or down to waves breaking against the black volcanic rocks of the shore. Between mountain and sea lies a quieter, lesser-known world — the mid-mountain forests, where Jeju reveals a soulful beauty. Within this forested band, Saryeoni Forest stands out as the island’s most beloved woodland trail. Its name, said to mean “sacred forest” in the local dialect, carries a mysterious aura that envelops visitors the moment they step beneath the hushed canopy. Along its moss-lined paths, time seems to slow. Voices fade to whispers, and only the rhythmic crunch of footsteps on gravel and the calls of birds lead visitors into an otherworldly pause. As serene as Saryeoni appears today, the forest carries echoes of one of Jeju’s most tragic chapters. The wooded slopes and shaded ravines conceal scars of the Jeju Uprising, also known as the April 3rd Incident, a brutal period of suppression between 1947 and 1954, when tens of thousands of Jeju residents lost their lives. B

Oct 9, 2025By Lee Hae-rin

Lee Hae-rin

Read more

IIAC signs $25 mil. deal to share operating expertise with Uzbekistan

Volleyball icon returns to court to lead underdog squad against top rivals

Drugs worth $4.2 mil. found in trash bag on Jeju beach

Korean travelers embrace tailored journeys, data shows

Crime wave in Cambodia threatens Korean investments and bilateral trust

Seoul's Tapgol Park sees end as Korea's iconic senior playground after janggi ban

Korea eases rules to let older city homes join guesthouse market as tourism surges

4 of 10 Korean athletes end up jobless after retiring in their 20s

Far-right groups hold protests across Seoul over Chuseok holiday

Jeju’s Saryeoni Forest: Sacred trail of healing and tragedy

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