The Korea Times

Korea to provide tour guide training for marriage immigrants and their children

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, along with the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), plans to train foreign nationals married to Korean citizens, as well as their children, to become multilingual tour guides in Korea’s cosmopolitan areas, the KTO announced Tuesday. The 152-hour program, from May 19 to November 14, includes on-the-job training, written tests and interview preparation to help participants become licensed tour guides. Marriage immigrants from countries where nine languages are spoken — Thai, Vietnamese, Malay, Indonesian, Arabic, Italian, Russian, Spanish, French and German — along with their children can apply for the KTO’s free training program. According to data from the Ministry of Justice, the number of marriage immigrants in Korea reached 172,899 as of 2023, showing a gradual rise from 149,764 in 2013 and 157,418 in 2018. Similarly, the number of children from multicultural backgrounds has steadily grown since 2012, reaching 305,246 in 2023 — more than double the 2015 figure. The tour guide license is the only government-certified license under the t

Apr 29, 2025By Lee Hae-rin

Korea to provide tour guide training for marriage immigrants and their children

Environment & Animals

Fire in Daegu forces over 5,600 residents to evacuate

A fire that broke out on a mountain in the southeastern city of Daegu on Monday around 2 p.m. spread to nearby villages and burned over 151 hectares of forest, displacing over 5,600 people. The National Fire Agency (NFA) issued an emergency response order to mobilize available personnel and equipment from neighboring regions about two hours after the blaze started. Firefighters extinguished some 19 percent of the blaze as of 7:30 p.m. but the flames were spreading quickly due to dry conditions and strong winds. Daegu’s Buk District announced in an emergency message that the fire began around 2:01 p.m. on Mount Hanji and ordered residents and hikers to evacuate at 2:56 p.m. By 5 p.m., 2,216 people living around the affected area were evacuated and took shelter in nearby elementary schools. An additional 3,414 people from 2,164 households were evacuated in the evening, according to the city government. Forest authorities issued the highest level of a three-tier wildfire response system, deploying some 704 personnel, 29 helicopters and 57 fire trucks for the firefighting operation. No casua

Apr 28, 2025By Lee Hae-rin

Fire in Daegu forces over 5,600 residents to evacuate

Society

Mountain residents clash with US military over better access to village

DONGDUCHEON, Gyeonggi Province — Hwang Ok-seon, 74, a longtime resident of Geolsan Village in Dongducheon, Gyeonggi Province, suddenly experienced intense stomach pain one night a few months ago. She called for an ambulance, but it was delayed because emergency personnel had to detour around Camp Casey — a U.S. military base established in 1952 — as they lacked the necessary access permit to pass through. Often described as an inland island, the small village has long been isolated due to the presence of Camp Casey. "I was in so much pain, but it felt like forever before the ambulance arrived. Of course, they had to take this road late at night," she said, pointing to a mountain route that connects the village with the outside world. The journey from the entrance of the U.S. Army base to her home takes 40 minutes by car, winding through a narrow, hilly and bumpy road just a few meters wide. For over 70 years, there have been two ways to access the village: by a 10-kilometer mountain trail that takes 40 minutes by car or three hours on foot, or by driving through the U.S. military fa

Apr 28, 2025By Lee Hae-rin and Lee Hyo-jin

Mountain residents clash with US military over better access to village

Society

At least 7 injured after student goes on stabbing rampage in Cheongju

At least seven people were injured after a knife-wielding student went on a rampage in a high school classroom on Monday in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, according to police and local education authorities. The attack, which occurred at 8:41 a.m., left the school's principal and two staff members with stab wounds to the chest, abdomen and back. They were transferred to hospitals for treatment, while four others sustained minor injuries. None of the injuries is known to be life-threatening. The student, who reportedly has borderline intellectual functioning, wielded a weapon against school staff members he encountered in the hallway after breaking away from a classroom where he had a counseling session. The counselor reportedly suffered difficulty breathing due to shock from the incident and is being treated at a hospital. After the attack, the student jumped into a reservoir at a nearby park. He was arrested after being taken to a hospital. Police will investigate the exact circumstances of the crime, including his motives. Until last year, he had been in a special education class

Apr 28, 2025By Lee Hae-rin

At least 7 injured after student goes on stabbing rampage in Cheongju

Society

YouTuber Johnny Somali’s legal troubles in Korea deemed ‘self-inflicted’ amid backlash

YouTuber Johnny Somali's struggles with legal fees in Korea are being described as "self-inflicted misery" by a longtime advocate for Korean culture, following a series of actions by the controversial content creator aimed at provoking Korean nationals. Johnny Somali, whose real name is Ramsey Khalid Ismael, is a 24-year-old American YouTuber who sparked outrage in Korea after kissing a statue last October symbolizing Korean victims of wartime sexual slavery. The incident was just one in a series of provocative acts he carried out in the country. He has been charged with obstruction of business and is currently banned from leaving Korea. He is now reportedly facing serious financial difficulties as a result of his actions. The situation came to light when fellow YouTuber Legal Mindset, who has been documenting Somali’s legal case, shared a Telegram message he received from someone close to Somali. The message stated: “Johnny has a travel ban, Korea doesn’t let him work and doesn’t give him any support. Johnny is out of money now and I’m supporting him. There is no choice. He w

Apr 25, 2025By Lee Hae-rin

YouTuber Johnny Somali’s legal troubles in Korea deemed ‘self-inflicted’ amid backlash

Society

Seoul tops Coldplay's LED wristband return rate in world tour

Ninety-nine percent of Coldplay fans in Korea returned their LED wristbands at the band’s world tour concerts in Seoul as of Thursday, setting a world record for the band’s global sustainable efforts. The British rock band returned to Korea for the first time since 2017 to perform six gigs in Seoul between April 16 and Friday as part of its “Music of the Spheres” world tour, with an estimated 50,000 attendees per show. As part of Coldplay's eco-conscious approach to live music, the band provided attendees with reusable, plant-based LED wristbands called “Xylobands.” Similar to K-pop light sticks, they illuminate in different colors and rhythms in accordance with the show, and fans are encouraged to return them afterward for recycling. The band has been motivating global fans by tracking the recycling rate by city and displaying the ranking of every performance. Triggered by that “friendly rivalry,” Koreans went all in to set a world record — and beat neighboring Japan. Previous top-ranking cities were Tokyo and Helsinki at 97 percent and Hong Kong at 97 percent. Seoul rec

Apr 25, 2025By Lee Hae-rin

Seoul tops Coldplay's LED wristband return rate in world tour

People & Events

JUST B's Bain comes out during world tour in LA

Bain, a member of the K-pop boy group JUST B, revealed his LGBTQ identity during the group’s world tour stop in Los Angeles on Tuesday, local time, marking a groundbreaking moment as the first K-pop boy band member to do so. "I am proud to be a part of the LGBTQ community," he said during a solo performance on the band's ongoing "Just Odd" tour at the Vermont Hollywood, and went on to say, "As a gay person." The statement was greeted with loud cheers from the audience. LGBTQ is an acronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer or questioning. After the statement, he performed Lady Gaga's famed self-validating anthem "Born This Way," waving a rainbow flag. The K-pop industry has long had a "no dating" culture, as it generates profits through fan events and platforms where fans develop romantic fantasies about artists. Thus, revealing an artist's love life, sexual orientation and identity has long been a taboo as it would threaten this approach from the industry. In response to Bain's coming out, a flood of online comments has shown support and respect for his move, under the ha

Apr 24, 2025By Lee Hae-rin

JUST B's Bain comes out during world tour in LA

Travel & Food

Time-traveling in Gyeongju, ancient capital of grand royal tomb mounds

GYEONGJU, North Gyeongsang Province — Documentary producer Lee So-yoon, in her book about the ancient city of Gyeongju, offers a simple guide for travelers: “If you don’t want to get lost in Gyeongju, you only need two things — a copy of the Samguk Yusa (Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms) and your imagination.” The southeastern coastal city, often compared to Kyoto, Japan, for its rich history, was the ancient capital of the Silla Dynasty (57 B.C.-A.D. 935) for nearly a thousand years. Much like how the legacy of the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910) lives on in Seoul, Gyeongju — often called the “roofless museum” — beautifully showcases the natural splendor, historical depth and cultural richness of the Three Kingdoms period (57 B.C.–A.D. 668), along with the artistic and technological achievements of the Silla Kingdom. Upon arriving in Gyeongju, one of the city’s most striking historical features is immediately apparent: a cluster of ancient royal tombs known as tumuli. These large, grass-covered burial mounds rise quietly throughout the downtown area, blending the ev

Apr 23, 2025By Lee Hae-rin

Time-traveling in Gyeongju, ancient capital of grand royal tomb mounds

World

Late pope noted for ties with taekwondo

Pope Francis, a voice for the poor who held an honorary black dan belt in taekwondo in recognition of his shared humanitarian commitment with the Korean traditional sport, died on Monday at the age of 88. He died the day after Easter Sunday, the most important holiday in Christianity, when over 1.3 billion Catholics around the world celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Despite his poor health, the pope made a public appearance on Sunday, greeting delighted crowds at the Vatican. During his papacy, Francis expressed his interest in the humanitarian activities of taekwondo, notably the Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation (THF). Established and based in Lausanne, Switzerland, the foundation has a mission of empowering the powerless by teaching taekwondo to refugees and displaced persons throughout the world. World Taekwondo has developed a close relationship with the Vatican and the pope in recent years through their shared commitment to promoting peace. The World Taekwondo Demonstration Team first performed in Vatican City in 2016 during the first Global Conference on Faith & Sport. On

Apr 21, 2025By Lee Hae-rin

Society

Disability advocacy group resumes controversial subway protests

For the first time in over a year, the national disability advocacy group Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination (SADD) staged a subway protest during Monday's morning rush hour, once again demanding improvements in accessibility for people with disabilities. “We have waited for a year and asked the National Assembly to create policies to protect the rights of people with disabilities. Despite submitting budget proposals, none have been passed. We will return to the subway during the morning commute,” said SADD leader Park Kyung-seok. The platforms at Hyehwa Station erupted into chaos as around 200 protesters clashed with Seoul Metro employees at 8:45 a.m., causing a tense standoff during the morning rush hour. Seoul Metro, the public enterprise that operates subway lines 1 to 8, ordered trains to bypass Hyehwa Station between 9:02 a.m. and 9:24 a.m. The protest ended around 9:28 a.m. after both parties reached an agreement. The protesters then boarded a train bound for the National Assembly, where they planned to deliver policy proposals to political parties and hold another r

Apr 21, 2025By Lee Hae-rin

Lee Hae-rin

Read more

Korea to provide tour guide training for marriage immigrants and their children

Fire in Daegu forces over 5,600 residents to evacuate

Mountain residents clash with US military over better access to village

At least 7 injured after student goes on stabbing rampage in Cheongju

YouTuber Johnny Somali’s legal troubles in Korea deemed ‘self-inflicted’ amid backlash

Seoul tops Coldplay's LED wristband return rate in world tour

JUST B's Bain comes out during world tour in LA

Time-traveling in Gyeongju, ancient capital of grand royal tomb mounds

Late pope noted for ties with taekwondo

Disability advocacy group resumes controversial subway protests

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