The Korea Times

KiiiKiii chosen as Seoul Color ambassadors

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Wednesday it had appointed K-pop group KiiiKiii as Seoul Color ambassadors, tasking them with promoting the capital’s annually selected signature color used across major festivals, public events and prominent city landmarks. Since 2024, the city has selected an annual color meant to reflect shifting social trends and the rhythms of residents’ daily lives, as part of a broader effort to project a bright and appealing image of the capital and strengthen its visual identity. Sky Coral was chosen in the inaugural year, followed by Green Aurora last year. This year’s color is “Morning Yellow,” inspired by the morning sun and intended to symbolize vitality — the quality residents most wanted reflected in Seoul’s signature color, according to a city government survey of 1,416 people conducted last year. Debuting last year, the five-member K-pop girl group was chosen as ambassadors for their bright, upbeat image and youthful energy, city officials said. They added that the group’s fresh appeal aligns with the message the capital hopes to co

Jan 21, 2026By Park Ung

KiiiKiii chosen as Seoul Color ambassadors

Society

Seoul moves to curb taxi fare gouging after almost 500 complaints of overcharging

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Tuesday that 487 complaints of overpriced fares were filed within six months after a QR code system for reporting unfair taxi practices was introduced last June. To address the ongoing issue, the city last month introduced English-language paper taxi receipts that provide passengers with itemized fare details. The move follows a broader push to modernize oversight, including an app-based system for checking fare estimates. The measures aim to close loopholes that have long left travelers vulnerable to overcharging — which has emerged as the most common complaint among international visitors using taxis in the capital. New paper receipts show key details — including the final fare, pickup and drop-off times and whether surcharges were applied — in English alongside Korean. The city also standardized English terminology across platforms, using “meter fare” for fares and “toll fee” for road charges. “Previously, paper taxi receipts were printed only in Korean and did not show whether surcharges were applied, a flaw that could be exploit

Jan 20, 2026By Park Ung

Seoul moves to curb taxi fare gouging after almost 500 complaints of overcharging

Society

Most Koreans favor keeping immigration levels steady, survey shows

Nearly half of Koreans say the number of foreign residents — now surpassing 2 million — has grown faster than they anticipated, while roughly four in 10 favor maintaining current immigration levels, suggesting substantial public concern, a survey found. Earlier this week, the Migration Research and Training Centre released a report examining Koreans’ views on immigrants, based on a 2024 Ministry of Justice survey of 6,000 Koreans. As of 2024, the number of foreign nationals staying in Korea for more than 90 days reached about 2.04 million, surpassing 2 million for the first time on record. When asked about the appropriate size of Korea’s immigrant population, the largest share of respondents, 41.5 percent, said the current level should be maintained, while only 24.1 percent favored an increase and 21.5 percent called for a reduction. The survey also found that 49.1 percent of respondents said the number of foreign residents was higher than expected, while 28.3 percent said it was about as expected. Another 15.1 percent said it was lower than expected. Responses also reflected poli

Jan 20, 2026By Park Ung

Most Koreans favor keeping immigration levels steady, survey shows

Society

Gov’t to review Cheongdo bullfighting over animal abuse concerns

Bullfighting in Cheongdo, North Gyeongsang Province, is facing new government scrutiny as criticism mounts that the practice amounts to animal abuse, putting a decades-old and lucrative local attraction under renewed pressure over animal welfare concerns. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said Sunday it will conduct a review of the Cheongdo Public Business Corporation, which runs the Cheongdo Bullfighting Festival. The ministry said it would also strengthen oversight of bullfighting operations with Cheongdo County, including reviewing registered fighting bulls, introducing a nose-pattern identification system, convening an external panel of experts to improve animal welfare and tightening controls on the issuance of betting tickets. The annual festival in the southeastern county, held since 1999, features bouts between two bulls. Although the origins of bullfighting in Korea are unclear, the practice was largely banned during the 1910-45 Japanese occupation of the peninsula, citing concerns about large public gatherings. Revived after liberation and later formalized, th

Jan 18, 2026By Park Ung

Gov’t to review Cheongdo bullfighting over animal abuse concerns

Society

Temple stay participation hits record 350,000 visitors last year

Nearly 350,000 domestic and foreign visitors took part in temple stay programs last year, marking an all-time high amid growing favorable perceptions of Buddhism in Korea. The Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, the country’s largest Buddhist sect, said Sunday that about 349,000 people took part in temple stay programs at 158 temples nationwide, including about 294,000 Koreans and 55,515 foreign visitors. The total marked a 5.1 percent increase from 2024, and the highest level on record. Temple stay programs began in 2002 during the World Cup co-hosted by Korea and Japan, offering a glimpse into Buddhist daily life while helping ease a lodging shortage and promote traditional culture. Launched with 33 temples and 2,558 participants — about 51 percent Koreans and 49 percent foreign visitors — the program has expanded steadily over the past two decades. Foreign participation first surpassed 50,000 in 2018, the year of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, plunged during the COVID-19 pandemic and rebounded last year above the 2018 record. From 2002 through last year, cumulative participation rea

Jan 18, 2026By Park Ung

Temple stay participation hits record 350,000 visitors last year

Society

State health insurance agency loses damages suit against major tobacco companies on appeal

The National Health Insurance Service (NHIS), which administers Korea’s universal health insurance system, lost its appeal seeking financial compensation from major tobacco companies, after also losing a lower court case in 2020. The Seoul High Court ruled Thursday that it found no error in the lower court’s ruling and dismissed NHIS’ appeal, siding with KT&G, Philip Morris Korea and British American Tobacco Korea. In 2014, the NHIS filed a 55.3 billion won ($37.58 million) lawsuit against the top three tobacco companies by market share at the time, seeking to hold them responsible for smoking-related damages and to curb health insurance losses from cigarette-induced illnesses. The national insurer’s claim is based on insurance benefits paid by the NHIS between 2003 and 2012 for 3,465 lung and laryngeal cancer patients with subtypes strongly linked to smoking, all of whom had smoked for more than 30 years, including at least 20 years of smoking 20 or more cigarettes a day. In 2020, the lower court dismissed the damages claim, ruling that lung cancer can stem from causes other tha

Jan 15, 2026By Park Ung

State health insurance agency loses damages suit against major tobacco companies on appeal

Society

Unification Church, Shincheonji face probe over possible disbandment

Investigations into the Unification Church and the Shincheonji Church of Jesus — two religious groups widely regarded as cults — which could result in their dissolution, began this week, amid concerns voiced by senior figures about the harm they are causing to society. Last week, a joint prosecution-police task force comprising 47 investigators was established to probe alleged collusion between the religious groups and politicians. This followed claims last year that the Unification Church had engaged in illicit lobbying of politicians, prompting President Lee Jae Myung to call for a coordinated investigation last month. Unification Church leader Han Hak-ja was detained last year over allegations that she provided luxury goods to former first lady Kim Keon Hee in 2022 in exchange for favorable treatment. It has also emerged that the group sought contact with the Democratic Party of Korea that year. On Monday, Lee agreed with religious leaders at a luncheon who said that the harm caused by pseudo-religious cults, including the two groups in question, is severe and must be firmly addr

Jan 15, 2026By Park Ung

Unification Church, Shincheonji face probe over possible disbandment

Society

Can gov't raise reservist pay beyond $64?

The Korean government is moving to overhaul the compensation structure for its millions of military reservists, following years of criticism that mandatory service pay has failed to keep pace with the nation’s rising cost of living. Kang Hoon-sik, the presidential chief of staff, directed the Ministry of National Defense earlier this week to modernize the reserve training system and explore raising mobilization pay to at least the minimum wage. The directive comes as the disparity between military stipends and civilian earnings reaches a breaking point for young men forced to balance careers with national defense obligations. For Kim Dong-young, 28, the gap between duty and compensation is a matter of simple math. Last year, Kim spent four days commuting between his home in Hwaseong and a training site in Pyeongtaek — a grueling daily round trip. He said the stipend barely paid for the fuel used to get there. “I carpooled with a friend, spending about two hours a day commuting round trip,” Kim said. For his four days of service, he received 72,000 won ($48). Had he worked those s

Jan 14, 2026By Park Ung

Can gov't raise reservist pay beyond $64?

Back to training in South Korea's reserve forces

Society

Older Incheon bridges grant toll breaks to foreign residents, but newest does not

Incheon’s toll exemption policy for a new bridge has come under renewed scrutiny after The Korea Times reported that foreign residents were excluded under a city ordinance, despite two older bridges connecting the same areas offering toll exemptions. Critics say the policy runs counter to established local precedent, raising questions about fairness and administrative consistency, with different standards being applied to bridges within the same city. Yeongjong Island, home to Incheon International Airport, is connected to the mainland by three bridges: Incheon Grand Bridge, Yeongjong Grand Bridge and a 4.68-kilometer bridge that opened last week and has yet to receive an official name. Under the new bridge’s toll policy, vehicles owned by residents registered at addresses on Yeongjong Island, in Cheongna International City or the islands of Bukdo Township qualify for unlimited toll exemptions, ranging from 2,000 won ($1.36) for passenger cars to 4,400 won for large vehicles. The exemptions will be expanded to all Incheon residents in April. Foreign residents, however, are not eligib

Jan 12, 2026By Park Ung

Older Incheon bridges grant toll breaks to foreign residents, but newest does not

Society

Korea’s health care costs set to double by 2030 as population ages rapidly

As Korea’s population quickly ages, pressure is mounting on the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS), with total medical care costs projected to reach as much as 191 trillion won ($131 billion) by 2030 — nearly double the nation’s health care spending a decade earlier. According to a recent report by the NHIS, total medical care costs in Korea climbed from about 22 trillion won in 2004 to 110 trillion won in 2023, a fivefold increase over two decades. As the disease profile rapidly shifts toward chronic conditions and an aging population, the report projected total medical care costs in 2030 at about 189 trillion to 191 trillion won. Last year, people aged 65 and older made up more than 21 percent of Korea’s population, surpassing the United Nations’ threshold of 20 percent for a super-aged society. It also projected a sharp rise in the share of medical spending devoted to conditions related to quality of life, with musculoskeletal diseases expected to climb from fourth in 2023 to third by 2030, mental and behavioral disorders from eighth to fifth, and neurological diseases

Jan 9, 2026By Park Ung

Park Ung

Read more

KiiiKiii chosen as Seoul Color ambassadors

Seoul moves to curb taxi fare gouging after almost 500 complaints of overcharging

Most Koreans favor keeping immigration levels steady, survey shows

Gov’t to review Cheongdo bullfighting over animal abuse concerns

Temple stay participation hits record 350,000 visitors last year

State health insurance agency loses damages suit against major tobacco companies on appeal

Unification Church, Shincheonji face probe over possible disbandment

Can gov't raise reservist pay beyond $64?

Older Incheon bridges grant toll breaks to foreign residents, but newest does not

Korea’s health care costs set to double by 2030 as population ages rapidly

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