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Lee Kyung-min

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South Korea

Korea launches language initiative to bridge safety gaps on factory floors

Korea is launching a new public-private initiative to teach foreign factory workers job-specific Korean language skills, as companies and government officials grapple with growing concerns over workplace safety and communication barriers in industrial sites. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Tuesday it signed a memorandum of understanding with Hyundai Motor Group, the King Sejong Institute Foundation and the K-Mobility Bridge Foundation to develop customized Korean language education programs for foreign workers in the manufacturing sector. The ministry said the number of foreign workers employed in Korea surpassed 1.1 million in 2025, intensifying calls for stronger language education in workplaces where misunderstandings involving instructions and safety rules have become a recurring concern. Under the partnership, the organizations will develop Korean language textbooks and educational content tailored to manufacturing jobs, focusing on workplace communication and industrial safety. The initiative expands on existing Korean-language materials already developed for worke

May 19, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Korea launches language initiative to bridge safety gaps on factory floors
South Korea

From pagers to cassette tapes, Seoul museum hunts for relics of Korea’s Generation X

The Seoul Museum of History said Tuesday that it is launching a public campaign to salvage the cultural artifacts of the 1990s, calling on citizens to scour their closets, drawers and storage boxes for the relics of Korea’s Generation X before they dissolve entirely into nostalgia. The archiving initiative, which runs through Dec. 31, seeks to capture the everyday texture of a decade that fundamentally transformed the country socially, economically and technologically. The collected materials will anchor a major retrospective exhibition next year. Museum curators are casting a wide net, soliciting everything from cassette tapes, CDs and pagers to music magazines, comic books, early PC communication records and fashion staples like vintage denim and sneakers. The campaign also seeks political slogans and memorabilia tied to the 1997 Asian financial crisis, known locally as the IMF crisis. According to museum officials, Korea’s Generation X came of age at a unique historical fault line. They were the first cohort to enjoy the fruits of the nation's rapid peacetime economic boom, indul

May 19, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
From pagers to cassette tapes, Seoul museum hunts for relics of Korea’s Generation X
Companies

LS Cable, LS Marine Solution selected as preferred bidders for major offshore wind project

LS Cable & System and LS Marine Solution have been selected as preferred bidders for a major offshore wind project off Korea’s southwest coast, marking a significant step in the country’s effort to build a domestic renewable energy supply chain. The companies said Tuesday they would oversee submarine cable supply and installation for the Haesong offshore wind project near Heuksan Island in Sinan County, South Jeolla Province. The project, led by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) is designed as a 1-gigawatt offshore wind complex consisting of two 504-megawatt farms. Copenhagen Offshore Partners, a subsidiary of CIP, is managing project development through Haesong Offshore Wind Power. LS Cable & System will supply submarine cables for both external and internal power grids, while LS Marine Solution will handle installation work under a turnkey structure intended to integrate production and construction. Industry officials said large-scale submarine cable projects often depend heavily on experience working with global developers and executing offshore infrastructure projects. The c

May 19, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
LS Cable, LS Marine Solution selected as preferred bidders for major offshore wind project
South Korea

Philippine food innovators chase global spotlight at IFEX trade show

Tropical ingredients, export-ready products and a new generation of Filipino food entrepreneurs took center stage, as IFEX Philippines opened its annual showcase in Pasay City with a push to bring the country’s flavors to global markets. The Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions, or CITEM, hosted the media preview and KATHA Award for Food ceremony ahead of the 19th edition of IFEX Philippines, scheduled for Thursday to Saturday at the World Trade Center Metro Manila. Held at the newly opened Likhang Filipino Exhibition Halls, the event highlighted products ranging from mangoes and pineapples to coconut-based goods and heritage grains, reflecting what organizers described as the growing sophistication of micro, small and medium-sized Filipino food enterprises. Department of Trade and Industry Assistant Secretary Al Valenciano said local food enterprises are increasingly shaping the Philippines’ position in the global supply chain, not only as producers but also as innovators driving demand for premium tropical ingredients. This year’s IFEX Philippines carries the t

May 19, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Philippine food innovators chase global spotlight at IFEX trade show
South Korea

Korea, Vietnam tighten crackdown on cross-border crime networks

Korean and Vietnamese police officials met in Hanoi Sunday to deepen cooperation against a surge in cross-border criminal networks that authorities said have expanded rapidly across Southeast Asia. The National Police Agency said Tuesday that the talks focused on strengthening joint responses to organized crimes such as voice phishing, cyber gambling, romance scams and online investment fraud, while also enhancing protection for Korean nationals abroad. Park Jun-sung, acting commissioner general for international affairs at the agency, met with officials from Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security to discuss what investigators described as a growing “balloon effect,” in which criminal groups relocate operations to neighboring countries after crackdowns intensify elsewhere. The two sides signed an action plan under an existing police cooperation agreement, outlining expanded collaboration in tracking fugitives, sharing criminal intelligence, responding to cyber and financial crimes and protecting overseas citizens. Officials also agreed to revise operational agreements tied to the Ko

May 19, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Korea, Vietnam tighten crackdown on cross-border crime networks
South Korea

Busan concert hall marks 1st anniversary with star-studded classical festival

Busan Concert Hall will celebrate its first anniversary with a weeklong classical music festival in July, bringing together maestro Chung Myung-whun, internationally acclaimed soloists and young musicians from Busan for performances ranging from Beethoven to Mahler. Classic Busan said Tuesday that the 2026 Busan Concert Hall First Anniversary Festival will run from July 2 to 8 at the venue, which opened last year as the city’s first dedicated classical music hall. The festival will feature the Asia Philharmonic Orchestra (APO) under the direction of Chung, the hall’s artistic director. Twenty young musicians from Busan will also join the orchestra during the festival. The opening concert on July 2 will feature Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, performed by APO alongside the Busan Metropolitan Chorus and Ulsan Metropolitan Chorus. Soprano Lee Hye-ji, mezzo-soprano Yang Song-mi, tenor Kim Jung-hoon and baritone Park Ju-sung will appear as soloists. On July 5, Chung and APO will perform Mahler’s Symphony No. 5, one of the composer’s best-known works. A July 7 concert titled “Into the Ne

May 19, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Busan concert hall marks 1st anniversary with star-studded classical festival
South Korea

Asia’s top young physicists converge in Busan for first Korean-hosted Olympiad

In lecture halls and laboratories across Busan, some of Asia’s brightest teenage minds are wrestling with problems that have no easy answers — only equations, experiments and pressure. The 2026 Asian Physics Olympiad opened in Busan Sunday, bringing together student competitors and delegation members from 27 countries for a nine-day contest of theoretical and experimental physics. It is the first time Korea is hosting the prestigious competition, which is held annually to identify emerging scientists and promote academic exchange across Asia. The event runs from Saturday through May 25, beginning with arrivals on Saturday and an opening ceremony on Sunday, and culminating in an awards ceremony on May 24. Organizers said participants will undergo rigorous theoretical and laboratory examinations designed to test advanced problem-solving skills in physics, with scores determining individual rankings among the region’s top young scientists. The Olympiad is hosted by the Korean Physical Society and organized by the 2026 Asian Physics Olympiad Organizing Committee, with support from the M

May 18, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Asia’s top young physicists converge in Busan for first Korean-hosted Olympiad
South Korea

Seoul exports water management expertise to cities battling aging infrastructure

From Tanzania to Laos, cities struggling with aging pipes and unreliable drinking water are turning to Seoul for answers. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said it had launched an 11-day training program for 15 water officials from 10 cities across eight countries, sharing the technology and operational expertise behind Arisu, the capital’s tap water system, as part of a broader push to expand international cooperation on water infrastructure. Participants from countries including East Timor, Laos and Mozambique will take part in the program through Wednesday, visiting major facilities such as the Arisu Field Education Center, the Gangbuk Arisu Water Treatment Center and the Guui Arisu Water Treatment Center. City officials said the training focuses on water treatment processes, water quality management, leakage reduction and broader policy planning tied to Seoul’s municipal water system. The program also includes discussions on water-related challenges facing participating cities, with attendees expected to develop and present city-specific action plans based on the training. Seoul s

May 18, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Seoul exports water management expertise to cities battling aging infrastructure
South Korea

Geneva Conventions exhibit explores challenges of modern war

As drones, artificial intelligence and autonomous weapons reshape battlefields across the globe, a new exhibition in Seoul is asking a question that has haunted humanity for generations: Are there still limits to violence? The Seoul Museum of History and the International Committee of the Red Cross opened the exhibition, “Even Wars Have Limits,” Thursday, marking the 60th anniversary of Korea’s accession to the Geneva Conventions. Running through Aug. 9 in the museum lobby, the exhibition examines the origins of the Geneva Conventions and the evolving challenges facing international humanitarian law in an era of rapidly changing warfare. The exhibition is organized in cooperation with the Swiss Embassy in Korea and supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Korean Red Cross. Museum officials said the exhibition comes at a time when more than 130 conflicts are unfolding worldwide, even as humanitarian resources available to civilians caught in war continue to shrink. The first section traces the history of the Geneva Conventions through photographs, documents and timelines,

May 18, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Geneva Conventions exhibit explores challenges of modern war
South Korea

Korea's tax agency cuts red tape for foreign firms to boost job growth

Korea is rolling out targeted tax incentives and administrative relief for foreign-invested companies, part of a broader policy push to position the country as a more competitive global investment hub. The National Tax Service said Monday that foreign firms boosting their domestic investments or expanding youth employment by 10 percent or more year-on-year will be exempted from international corporate tax audits for one year. Qualifying companies will also receive priority processing for research and development tax credit applications, skipping standard bureaucratic waiting lines. The measures follow a directive issued earlier this year by President Lee Jae Myung calling on fiscal authorities to actively support economic expansion and youth employment. Multinational corporations operating in Korea have long cited complex regulatory codes, compliance uncertainties and language barriers as primary hurdles to local operations. To address these systemic friction points, the tax agency has established dedicated counseling desks at its three major regional offices in the Seoul metropolitan a

May 18, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Korea's tax agency cuts red tape for foreign firms to boost job growth
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