The Korea Times

Seoul to enforce pigeon feeding ban in parks from July, fines up to $673

Starting in July, anyone caught feeding pigeons in Gwanghwamun Square or major city parks in Seoul will face an immediate fine of up to 1 million won ($673), the city government announced Wednesday. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said it will designate 38 city parks and Han River parks in the capital as “wildlife feeding restriction zones” beginning Thursday. The ban and penalty come after amendments to the Wildlife Protection and Management Ordinance in January. Under current law, wild animals in Korea that consistently damage crops or fruit trees in large groups, or those that live in high population densities in certain areas — such as pigeons, sparrows, magpies, crows, water deer and wild boars — are classified as urban pests. After an initial three-year feeding prohibition, the city mayor may review whether to modify or lift the restriction every three years. The prohibited areas are managed by the city government, including the Seoul Forest, Namsan Park, World Cup Park, Yeouido Park, North Seoul Dream Forest and Seoul Grand Park. Seoul Plaza, Gwanghwamun Square, and 11 Han

Apr 9, 2025By Lee Hae-rin

Seoul to enforce pigeon feeding ban in parks from July, fines up to $673

Travel & Food

Korea must think outside the box to boost inbound tourism: TOSOK president

Korea is emerging as a popular travel destination, placing 14th out of 119 countries in the World Economic Forum's 2023 Travel and Tourism Development Index. Driven by the global rise of Korean culture, Korea is expected to welcome approximately 18.73 million foreign visitors this year — surpassing its pre-pandemic record of 17.5 million set in 2019, according to an estimate by Yanolja Research, an independent institute specializing in travel and tourism. Against this backdrop, Korea must strengthen regional tourism and address the imbalance in travel infrastructure between Seoul and the outer provinces to sustain inbound tourism growth, according to professor Seo Won-seok of Kyung Hee University’s College of Hotel and Tourism Management. Seo, who became president of the Tourism Sciences Society of Korea (TOSOK) in February, emphasized the need for more balanced development across the country. “The future economic power of Korea will rely more heavily on tourism than even the automobile, battery or semiconductor industries,” Seo told The Korea Times in an interview at his office

Apr 9, 2025By Lee Hae-rin

Korea must think outside the box to boost inbound tourism: TOSOK president

Travel & Food

Park Hyatt Seoul marks 20th anniversary with culinary journey to Milan

Park Hyatt Seoul is marking its 20th anniversary with a special culinary journey to the city of Milan. Celebrating its 20th anniversary, Park Hyatt Seoul, located in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, is hosting a series of culinary events at its flagship restaurant, Cornerstone, with Guido Paternollo, executive chef at Park Hyatt Milano. Under the theme "My City" (La Mia Citta), Chef Guido Paternollo will infuse traditional Italian cuisine with a contemporary twist, representing his hometown of Milan. From April 18 to 24, guests can embark on an exclusive gastronomic journey featuring a special lunch, gala dinner and Easter brunch. The four-course Italian lunch will include a beef carpaccio, saffron risotto, a tenderloin Milanese and panettone millefeuille dessert. The six-course gala dinner will feature cuttlefish ragu, beef carpaccio, mushroom ravioli, saffron risotto, "hanwoo" sirloin steak and panettone millefeuille dessert. On April 21, the restaurant will offer a brunch buffet featuring a special Easter menu, including roasted lamb with roasted potatoes and green lasagna with aspara

Apr 8, 2025By Lee Hae-rin

Park Hyatt Seoul marks 20th anniversary with culinary journey to Milan

Society

Police to boost security for presidential candidates

Police plan to establish a dedicated security team for presidential candidates and implement measures to protect them ahead of the upcoming early election following the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol on Friday. Park Hyun-soo, acting chief of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, said at a regular press briefing on Monday, “The announcement of the selection of a security team dedicated to presidential candidates was made on Friday,” adding that the agency is working on security measures for the snap election. Police will be deployed to locations where candidates hold campaign events once full-scale canvassing begins, he said. Reportedly, there have been no security requests from presidential hopefuls regarding the upcoming presidential election. The measure comes amid months of turmoil sparked by Yoon’s martial law bid, which has deepened the political divide and further polarized the country. In his martial law declaration, Yoon referred to the opposition-led assembly as “a den of criminals” and “anti-state forces,” while opposition party leaders retaliated by calli

Apr 7, 2025By Lee Hae-rin

Police to boost security for presidential candidates

Politics

Without presidential status, Yoon faces simultaneous criminal investigations

Criminal investigations into multiple allegations against former President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee are expected to accelerate, following the Constitutional Court's unanimous ruling on Friday to remove him from office, which also lifted the presidential privileges protecting him from criminal prosecution. Now that Yoon no longer has presidential status, authority or privileges, investigative authorities — including the police, the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) and the prosecution — are expected to fully pursue the allegations, which have so far seen limited progress due to presidential immunity. The former president may be detained again during the investigations. As to his Dec. 3 martial law declaration, the prosecution earlier indicted him only for rebellion, but not for other related charges, because the Constitution grants the president immunity from criminal charges except in cases of rebellion. But now prosecutors are likely to indict him with additional accusations such as abuse of power. The Constitutional Court’s decision

Apr 6, 2025By Lee Hae-rin

Without presidential status, Yoon faces simultaneous criminal investigations

Society

‘Long Live Democracy’: Millions in Seoul celebrate Yoon’s ouster

At 11:22 a.m. Friday, thunderous cheers erupted from thousands of Koreans gathered around the Constitutional Court in Seoul as acting Chief Justice Moon Hyung-bae announced former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s immediate removal from office. As soon as the words “impeachment sentence” appeared on giant electronic screens, those sitting on the asphalt leapt to their feet, embracing one another and breaking into tears. “Victory! Victory! Long live democracy," they shouted. Seoul-based office worker Jeong Hee-seong said the 123 days since Yoon’s declaration of martial law have been painful and suffocating. “It took so long and I kept wondering, ‘Why should this take so long?’” the 32-year-old said. “We are all here, like-minded and united for the ouster of Yoon, but from all walks of life … I hope Korean society grows more open and respective to diverse opinions.” Ahn Mi-ja, 45, who came close to tears at the moment of the ruling, said the court's decision was a reconfirmation of the power of democracy. “I knew there would be no other option but impeachment,” she said.

Apr 4, 2025By Lee Hae-rin and Park Ung

‘Long Live Democracy’: Millions in Seoul celebrate Yoon’s ouster

Society

Korea on edge as Yoon's impeachment ruling looms

Koreans from all walks of life gathered near the Constitutional Court in Seoul for a tense overnight sit-in, both supporting and opposing the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol. The protests took place on Friday, as anticipation builds ahead of the court’s upcoming ruling. Calling for Yoon’s ouster over his Dec. 3 martial law declaration, hundreds of pro-impeachment protesters have staged overnight rallies in central Seoul, keeping their fingers crossed that the high court will uphold the National Assembly’s impeachment motion against the president over his failed martial law declaration. Among the group was 61-year-old Yang Hee-bu, who boarded the last bus to Seoul at midnight from Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province, with a certainty that the president will be removed from power by the final ruling. “Yoon Suk Yeol must be ousted … by a unanimous 8-0 decision, of course,” he said. “Every word from his mouth was a lie. Even at the final [Constitutional Court] hearing, he continued to lie, and we all know it.” Park Chi-min from Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, settled on a picni

Apr 4, 2025By Lee Hae-rin and Park Ung

Korea on edge as Yoon's impeachment ruling looms

Law & Crime

Over 96,000 apply for 20 seats at Yoon's impeachment ruling

As of 5 p.m. Thursday, 96,370 Koreans had applied for a seat at the Constitutional Court’s ruling on Friday regarding President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment over his martial law declaration. With only 20 seats allocated to the public, the competition rate has surged to a record high of 4,818.5 to 1, making it the highest in the history of the country’s impeachment rulings. The Constitutional Court began accepting online applications on Tuesday at 4 p.m.; however, the site became inaccessible at times due to heavy traffic. In the history of the country’s Constitutional Court, the highest competition rate to attend a ruling was for the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye in 2017. At that time, 19,096 people applied online for 24 seats in the courtroom, resulting in a competition ratio of 796 to 1. The competition ratio for the impeachment ruling of former President Roh Moo-hyun was 21.3 to 1, with 1,278 people applying for 60 seats. However, the highest number of online applications to attend a Constitutional Court event was for Yoon’s first hearing in the impeachment tri

Apr 3, 2025By Lee Hae-rin

Over 96,000 apply for 20 seats at Yoon's impeachment ruling

Environment & Animals

Korea’s wildfire-hit forests need century to recover: study

The devastating wildfires that swept through more than 48,000 hectares of forest in southeastern Korea last week — the worst in the country’s history — will require around a century for full ecological recovery, according to forestry experts. The National Institute of Forest Science estimates that fire-damaged areas in North and South Gyeongsang provinces and Ulsan will take about 20 years for vegetation to regrow, achieving around an 80 percent structural recovery of forests. Forest wildlife — including fish, insects and other animals — is expected to return in 35 years as the ecosystem recovers, providing ample food and suitable conditions for reproduction. Overall, it will take about 100 years for the burned soil to fully regain its original condition through microorganism activity and natural ecological processes. The wildfires, which started March 21 in Uiseong, North Gyeongsang Province, spread rapidly to neighboring cities and counties due to strong winds and dry conditions, claiming at least 30 lives and displacing over 33,000 residents. Despite days of firefighting effo

Apr 2, 2025By Lee Hae-rin

Korea’s wildfire-hit forests need century to recover: study

Law & Crime

Police to boost security on day of presidential impeachment ruling

Police will ramp up security measures and deploy some 14,000 personnel on emergency standby in Seoul to prevent civil unrest on Friday when the Constitutional Court is poised to deliver its long-awaited verdict on President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment over his Dec. 3 martial law declaration. The number represents 60 percent of all available riot police forces to be mobilized nationwide under the police's highest-level security alert, known as "gapho." The alert is typically issued during massive protests involving violence or terrorist attacks or when such incidents are deemed highly likely. Under this alert, all police officers are prohibited from taking leave and must remain on standby for mobilization. Police will designate a 100-meter radius around the Constitutional Court in central Seoul as a no-go zone and will immediately arrest anyone attempting to breach the court's compound. Security for all Constitutional Court justices will also be heightened. The Anguk-dong area surrounding the court has been designated a no-fly zone since last month, and police will deploy anti-drone equ

Apr 1, 2025By Lee Hae-rin

Lee Hae-rin

Read more

Seoul to enforce pigeon feeding ban in parks from July, fines up to $673

Korea must think outside the box to boost inbound tourism: TOSOK president

Park Hyatt Seoul marks 20th anniversary with culinary journey to Milan

Police to boost security for presidential candidates

Without presidential status, Yoon faces simultaneous criminal investigations

‘Long Live Democracy’: Millions in Seoul celebrate Yoon’s ouster

Korea on edge as Yoon's impeachment ruling looms

Over 96,000 apply for 20 seats at Yoon's impeachment ruling

Korea’s wildfire-hit forests need century to recover: study

Police to boost security on day of presidential impeachment ruling

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