The Korea Times

Landfills go quiet as Seoul’s trash heads to incinerators — and other regions

Seoul’s waste management system changed overnight on Jan. 1. Trucks that once lined up to dump mixed household waste at the Sudokwon Landfill Site in Incheon, west of the capital, have largely disappeared. Only ash and residue from incineration can now be buried there, forcing Seoul and other local governments in the capital region to burn or recycle their trash before anything is landfilled. According to the government-run Sudokwon Landfill Management Corp., just 66 tons of household waste entered the Incheon facility on the second day of the capital area's direct landfill ban. That is only about 3 percent of the 2,045‑ton daily average for directly landfilled household waste recorded there last year. Under the new policy, local governments in Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province are no longer allowed to bury household garbage in standard pay‑as‑you‑throw bags at the Sudokwan facility. Only waste that has been processed first, such as incineration ash or nonrecyclable residues left after sorting, can now be buried there. The rule is the first stage of a nationwide shift, with

Jan 21, 2026By Jung Min-ho

Landfills go quiet as Seoul’s trash heads to incinerators — and other regions

Society

AI developers fear being replaced by their own creation

Every Monday at lunchtime over the past several weeks, a small crowd gathers outside Microsoft Korea’s Seoul office, protesting out of fear that artificial intelligence (AI) could make their jobs obsolete. The weekly demonstration has become a visible symbol of the deep anxiety gripping white-collar workers, particularly software developers and other employees who are building the very AI systems that could one day replace them. Union officials say about 50 positions — mostly software developers — have been affected by AI-driven restructuring over the past three years, and they worry that another 10 percent of roughly 550 jobs could be at risk as the technology is rolled out more aggressively. “For example, in one technical support division that handles phone and email queries from customers using Microsoft products, workers have been told to help train an AI agent that will automatically suggest solutions to problems,” Kwak Chang-yong, secretary-general of the union, told The Korea Times. “It naturally prompts a question, ‘What will happen to me when I complete the traini

Jan 20, 2026By Jung Min-ho

AI developers fear being replaced by their own creation

Law & Crime

Ex-president sentenced to 5 years in prison in first martial law-linked ruling

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol was sentenced to five years in prison on Friday on multiple charges related to his martial law declaration. The ruling, televised live, was the first judicial decision addressing Yoon’s responsibility linked to the imposition of military rule on Dec. 3, 2024. Judges at the Seoul Central District Court convicted Yoon on charges including infringement of ministers’ constitutional right to deliberate on the imposition of martial law, aggravated obstruction of the execution of a lawful warrant and the fabrication and destruction of official documents. The court stressed that emergency martial law is an “extremely exceptional” measure that may only be invoked when there is no other way to overcome a national crisis. “The fact that the Constitution specifically requires deliberation on a declaration of martial law is meant to prevent abuse of presidential power and to check unilateral decision-making. So the president must, even more than in ordinary Cabinet meetings, listen carefully to the views of all Cabinet members and act with great caution,” Ju

Jan 16, 2026By Jung Min-ho

Ex-president sentenced to 5 years in prison in first martial law-linked ruling

Health

EXPLAINER Korea’s push for ‘regional doctors’: Reform or gamble?

Korea’s long-running debate over a shortage of doctors outside the Seoul metropolitan area is now centering on a new policy idea: a so-called "regional doctor system" that would require qualified physicians to serve for several years in underserved areas and key specialties. Years of incentive payments, pilot projects and increases in medical school quotas have so far failed to ease the shortage of physicians in emergency rooms, maternity wards and key specialties in smaller cities and rural counties. Health authorities say a mandatory system is now needed to maintain — or at least stabilize — medical services outside the capital region. The regional doctor system has become a key part of President Lee Jae Myung’s health care plan. Last month, lawmakers passed a law that makes the system official and gives the government the power to require doctors to work in hospitals and clinics outside the capital. At its core, the scheme reserves a set share of medical school seats for “regional tracks,” in which students receive government financial support for tuition, dormitory fees

Jan 16, 2026By Jung Min-ho

[EXPLAINER] Korea’s push for ‘regional doctors’: Reform or gamble?

Doctor shortage projections ignite fresh tensions with medical groups

Society

Demographic decline puts dozens of universities at risk, experts warn

As Korea’s annual number of first graders is projected to fall below 300,000 for the first time this year, experts warn that higher-education institutions across the country are headed for a brutal shakeout, with many unlikely to survive the coming decade. Experts say the steep decline in births seen since the 2000s is now moving into the school system, with the number of children entering elementary school set to decrease even faster between now and 2030 than it did from 2020 to 2025. This means the current crisis is “only the beginning” of a much deeper contraction in the student population ― and its impact will shake the higher education system profoundly, they added. Their warning on Wednesday comes a day after a report by the Ministry of Education, which projected that elementary schools nationwide are expected to enroll 298,178 new students this March. This figure is far short of the 450,000 to 500,000 new students that universities and two-year colleges are built to enroll each year, with many already struggling to fill their quotas. According to government data, there a

Jan 14, 2026By Jung Min-ho

Demographic decline puts dozens of universities at risk, experts warn

Society

Seoul commute disrupted by bus strike despite extra subway, shuttle service

Seoul’s bus union brought much of the city’s road transit to a standstill on Tuesday, leaving commuters facing severe disruptions across the capital during the morning rush hour. At bus stops around the city, many people waited in the cold, staring at signs showing buses “waiting to be dispatched” or looking at their phones, hoping to squeeze onto the few buses still operating — many at intervals of 30 to 40 minutes or longer. In the early morning near a bus stop by Gupabal Station in northwestern Seoul, electronic information boards showed many buses that normally arrive in quick succession during rush hour were not yet in service. Some commuters eventually gave up and walked toward the nearest subway station instead. One office worker surnamed Kim, who was heading to Jung District in central Seoul, said the subway was “much more crowded than usual.” “My home is a bit far from the subway station, so I normally take a bus, but today I had no choice but to walk all the way despite the cold,” Kim told The Korea Times. Subway stations quickly turned into bottlenecks as bus

Jan 13, 2026By Jung Min-ho

Seoul commute disrupted by bus strike despite extra subway, shuttle service

Global Community

Korea considers allowing E-9 workers to change workplaces after 1 or 2 years

Korea is weighing significant changes to its employment system for foreign workers, including a proposal that would allow E-9 visa holders to change jobs after one or two years. If implemented, the move would mark a departure from the long-standing Employment Permit System (EPS), under which workers are effectively tied to a single employer. According to activists participating in the government task force launched last month by the Ministry of Employment and Labor to reform policies involving foreign workers, representatives of the government are currently weighing two proposals — including one that would allow EPS workers to change employers after one or two years with their current employer. Under the EPS, workers — mostly employed in agriculture, fisheries, construction and certain service-sector jobs — can change workplaces only under restricted conditions, such as business closure or due to serious labor law violations by the employer. They typically work in small and medium-sized firms that struggle to attract local labor, often under demanding conditions and for relativel

Jan 12, 2026By Jung Min-ho

Korea considers allowing E-9 workers to change workplaces after 1 or 2 years

Health

ADHD ‘study drug’ prescriptions surge among children, teens

Prescriptions for methylphenidate, a central nervous system stimulant primarily used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), are rising sharply among children and teenagers in Korea, raising concerns that the drug is being misused as a “study drug.” According to the latest report on medical narcotics use released by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, the number of young patients prescribed the drug in the first nine months of 2025 has already surpassed the total for 2024. The report shows that 113,263 boys aged 19 or younger received at least one prescription for methylphenidate between January and September 2025 — surpassing the 107,267 boys prescribed the drug in all of 2024. Among girls in the same age group, the pattern is similar: 49,209 were prescribed methylphenidate during the same period, compared with 45,764 for all of 2024. The growth is even steeper over a longer time frame. In 2023, 90,851 boys and 34,888 girls under 20 received methylphenidate prescriptions. In other words, over two years, the number of male teenage patients increased by roughly

Jan 11, 2026By Jung Min-ho

ADHD ‘study drug’ prescriptions surge among children, teens

Society

UNESCO raises censorship concerns over Korea’s ‘anti-fake news’ law

UNESCO has expressed concerns over Korea’s “anti-fake news” law, warning that efforts to fight disinformation must not come at the expense of freedom of the press or encourage censorship. In a statement recently sent in response to a Korea Times inquiry about the controversial law, UNESCO stressed that journalism needs to be “free, independent and pluralistic” and that “journalists must be able to work without fear of reprisals.” UNESCO is the primary U.N. agency with a specific mandate to foster freedom of expression, press freedom and the safety of journalists, viewing these causes as crucial for democracy and human rights. “UNESCO is concerned by the recent trend of growing self-censorship worldwide,” a spokesperson said, noting the sharp increases in media self-censorship in the Asia-Pacific region. “UNESCO stands ready to work with its member states to ensure that policies aimed at addressing mis- or disinformation are aligned with international standards on freedom of expression, including Article 19 of the human rights declaration,” the spokesperson said. Arti

Jan 11, 2026By Jung Min-ho

UNESCO raises censorship concerns over Korea’s ‘anti-fake news’ law

UN envoy signals scrutiny over 'fake news' law as lawyers condemn 'state censorship'

Foreign Affairs

Committee chair’s protest against Trump raises concern at PM Office

Senior officials in the Prime Minister’s Office are voicing concern over Park Seok-woon, a committee chairman under its authority, after he joined protests criticizing U.S. President Donald Trump and his administration over American military operations in Venezuela. Park, a longtime liberal activist, took part in a rally on Monday in front of the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, following an American military operation to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, who has been in power since 2013, and his wife Cilia Flores. As the first speaker at the gathering, which was organized by 267 civic and political organizations, Park delivered a sharply worded speech denouncing Trump and Washington. “It’s a violent atrocity that will horrify humanity around the world,” Park said, branding the military operation that has left as many as 80 people dead as “murder.” Participants accused the Trump administration of violating international law and called for the immediate release of Maduro. Organizers have also unveiled plans for a larger anti-U.S. demonstration near Gwanghwamun Square this Saturd

Jan 9, 2026By Jung Min-ho

Jung Min-ho

Read more

Landfills go quiet as Seoul’s trash heads to incinerators — and other regions

AI developers fear being replaced by their own creation

Ex-president sentenced to 5 years in prison in first martial law-linked ruling

EXPLAINER Korea’s push for ‘regional doctors’: Reform or gamble?

Demographic decline puts dozens of universities at risk, experts warn

Seoul commute disrupted by bus strike despite extra subway, shuttle service

Korea considers allowing E-9 workers to change workplaces after 1 or 2 years

ADHD ‘study drug’ prescriptions surge among children, teens

UNESCO raises censorship concerns over Korea’s ‘anti-fake news’ law

Committee chair’s protest against Trump raises concern at PM Office

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