The Korea Times

Busan launches homestay program ahead of BTS concerts

Ahead of next week's BTS concerts, Busan launched a citizen homestay program as part of efforts to stabilize accommodation prices. Busan Metropolitan City said Monday that the three-day program, running June 12-14 to coincide with the concerts, will offer stays at private residences of Busan citizens, with each booking covering two nights. To participate, foreign tourists can apply through k-popstay.wehome.me or Visit Korea. The program is offered free of charge, with a 50,000-won ($33) security deposit required at the time of reservation to prevent ghost bookings and no-shows. The deposit will be fully refunded upon check-in in the form of a Busan tourism voucher of the same value, usable at traditional markets and other local venues. The city will also cover liability insurance premiums for hosts, including personal injury and property damage, within the available budget, allowing them to open their homes without liability concerns. Scheduled for June 12 and 13, the K-pop juggernaut's Busan concerts are drawing high anticipation from fans, especially as the second day marks the group's

Jun 1, 2026By Park Ung

Busan launches homestay program ahead of BTS concerts

Society

'Call him oppa': Politicians' outdated language draws fresh scrutiny

Ahead of the local elections on Wednesday, some candidates' use of insensitive language is exposing a widening gap between politicians and public sensibility in Korea. The most recent incident came Sunday, when the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) candidate Woo Hyoung-chan, running for southwestern Seoul's Yangcheon District chief, sparked controversy after asking a baby for a peck at a campaign event. The baby was being held by DPK Seoul mayoral candidate Chong Won-o at the time and a spokesperson for Chong intervened. Woo later apologized. The People Power Party (PPP) condemned the remarks as inappropriate coercion. “Why would you ask a baby to do that?” PPP spokesperson Ham In-kyung said. Ham added that parents today teach their children to set clear boundaries around physical contact with strangers and to feel free to say no. “Many parents were shocked to see a public figure casually ask a baby in public for a peck.” This is not the first time a politician's outdated or inappropriate use of language has stirred controversy during this campaign. Last month, DPK leader Jun

Jun 1, 2026By Park Ung

'Call him oppa': Politicians' outdated language draws fresh scrutiny

Society

Foreign voters in Guro seek economic revival but lack candidate awareness

Ahead of the June 3 local elections, Kim Bun-ok, an ethnic Korean from China and permanent resident living in southwestern Seoul's Guro District, has a lot on her mind. “I'm not sure who to vote for, but I definitely plan to vote,” the 66-year-old side dish shop owner told The Korea Times, Wednesday. Kim is among a fast-growing pool of foreign eligible voters, a number that has tripled from 48,428 in 2014 to 151,532 this year, according to the National Election Commission. Unlike presidential and parliamentary elections, foreign residents aged 18 or older are eligible to vote in local elections three years after obtaining an F-5 permanent residency visa. Among all 25 districts in Seoul, Guro District leads with 6,736 eligible foreign voters, reflecting its large population of Chinese nationals and ethnic Koreans from China. On the ground, however, foreign voters The Korea Times spoke with last week knew little about the district chief candidates and their platforms. However, they were united in calling for the revival of the regional economy, which in part is a national-level issue r

Jun 1, 2026By Park Ung

Foreign voters in Guro seek economic revival but lack candidate awareness

Society

Alternative forms of smoking double as less smokers try to quit

The use of heated tobacco products has nearly doubled since records began in 2019, even as overall tobacco use has not declined with fewer smokers attempting to quit. The findings, released by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) on World No Tobacco Day on Sunday, show that e-cigarettes have partially replaced conventional cigarettes without reducing overall tobacco use. The agency based its report on last year's annual Community Health Survey, which tracks the health behaviors of approximately 230,000 adults aged 19 and older nationwide. The smoking rate for conventional cigarettes stood at 17.9 percent last year, down 1 percentage point from 2024, while usage of heated tobacco products rose 0.3 percentage points to 6.3 percent and liquid e-cigarettes climbed 0.5 percentage points to 4.5 percent. Since records began in 2019, the heated tobacco product usage rate has nearly doubled from 3.3 percent, while liquid e-cigarette usage surged 73.1 percent from 2.6 percent. The quit attempt rate fell from 46.8 percent in 2020 to 40.6 percent last year. Of overall tobacco produ

May 31, 2026By Park Ung

Alternative forms of smoking double as less smokers try to quit

Society

580 mil. sheets, largely unread: Election pamphlet waste problem returns ahead of June 3 vote

With the June 3 local elections approaching, election pamphlets are set to arrive at households nationwide, but concerns are growing that the mass mailings waste resources while going largely unread. Under the Public Official Election Act, election pamphlets must be mailed to every household no later than 10 days before election day. This year's election pamphlets were sent out by Sunday and are expected to arrive by month's end at the latest. The law caps pamphlets for local government heads at 12 pages and those for local council members at eight. The environmental cost is steep. According to the National Election Commission (NEC), election pamphlets for the 2022 local elections totaled 580 million sheets and weighed 12,853 tons, enough to consume some 210,000 trees. Yet few voters actually read them. A survey of 6,820 eligible voters by the Korean Government Employees' Union between February and March found that just 11 percent read the pamphlets in detail, while 52 percent skim them and 37 percent do not read them at all or throw them away unopened. Some lawmakers have tried to move

May 26, 2026By Park Ung

580 mil. sheets, largely unread: Election pamphlet waste problem returns ahead of June 3 vote

Society

Central Seoul district candidate pushes foreign tourist tax

The increasing number of international tourists visiting Korea has prompted calls to review the introduction of a tourist tax to cover local government expenses to address problems resulting from overtourism. The idea was floated recently by Lee Dong-hyun of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), a candidate for head of Jung District in central Seoul, with party leaders also supporting the suggestion. Lee has made an international tourist tax a centerpiece of his campaign pledges, promising to turn the tourism boom into benefits for residents. “Jung District is the most visited district in Korea among foreigners, yet the burden of waste and noise falls entirely on residents,” Lee said during a Sunday campaign rally. “But not a single benefit from that prosperity flows back to our residents. I will absolutely open the floodgates of our district's development through the introduction of a foreign tourist tax.” Jung District, located at the heart of Seoul, is home to some of Seoul's most iconic landmarks, including Myeong-dong, Mount Nam, Namdaemun Market, Dongdaemun Design Pla

May 25, 2026By Park Ung

Central Seoul district candidate pushes foreign tourist tax

Society

1 in 14 youths repeat self-harm attempts within 2 months

One in 14 people aged 24 and under who visit an emergency room in Seoul following a suicide attempt or self-harm returns within two months for the same reason, highlighting the need for stronger postcrisis care for young people. According to the findings of a joint research team from Seoul Metropolitan Government-Seoul National University Hospital Boramae Medical Center and Yonsei University College of Medicine, released this month, the 7.1 percent revisit rate was recorded among 1,445 people aged 24 and under who visited Seoul emergency rooms for suicide attempts or self-harm between 2015 and 2022. They made up 32.5 percent of the 4,452 total patients during the period. Among those aged 24 and under, 75.4 percent were female, with most attempts being impulsive and nonlethal, and 79.4 percent were discharged home. The study also identified several factors associated with higher revisit risk. Women were 1.93 times more likely than men to return, while the risk faced by those living alone was 1.57 times higher. A history of psychiatric treatment raised the risk by 2.41 times, and a prior

May 25, 2026By Park Ung

1 in 14 youths repeat self-harm attempts within 2 months

Society

Suicide remains top cause of death among Korean youth for 14th straight year

Suicide has been the leading cause of death among Korean youth for 14 consecutive years since 2011, claiming more than three times as many young lives as safety accidents have in 2024. According to youth statistics released by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family on Thursday, the number of deaths among those aged 9 to 24 stood at 1,749 in 2024. Suicide was the leading cause at 10.9 deaths per 100,000, followed by safety accidents at 3.3 and cancer at 2.6. A Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency survey of 54,170 middle and high school students last year found that more than one in four, or 25.7 percent, reported experiencing feelings of depression in the past year. The number of people aged 9 to 24 stands at 7.4 million this year, accounting for 14.4 percent of the total population, down 46.5 percent from four decades ago. Students from multicultural backgrounds, by contrast, are on the rise. The number of such students in elementary, middle and high schools surged 145 percent from 82,536 in 2015 to 202,208 last year, now accounting for 4 percent of all students. Students also

May 22, 2026By Park Ung

Suicide remains top cause of death among Korean youth for 14th straight year

Society

Samsung's record bonuses leave many Koreans envious, some bitter

Han Myung-ae starts work before most people are awake and rarely stops before dark. As a real estate agent, her commissions are capped by law, so when she learned that Samsung Electronics employees in the memory chip division could pocket bonuses of up to 600 million won ($397,000) this year, the news did not sit well. “They already earn more than most of us just for being at Samsung, now they want even more and are making a scene out of it,” the 58-year-old told The Korea Times, referring to the drawn-out labor negotiations that ended just short of a strike. Han's sentiment illustrates the mixed reactions of Koreans as Samsung Electronics and SK hynix roll out record bonus packages fueled by the artificial intelligence (AI)-driven semiconductor supercycle. If the tentative wage agreement reached Wednesday between Samsung Electronics and its unions is approved in a union members' vote, 10.5 percent of the company's projected 300 trillion won in operating profit this year would fund a special performance bonus pool. Employees in the memory chip division are estimated to receive up to

May 22, 2026By Park Ung

Samsung's record bonuses leave many Koreans envious, some bitter

Society

Seoul mayoral candidates kick off races on first day of campaign period

With the campaigning period for the June 3 local elections officially kicking off Thursday, Seoul mayoral candidates from both major parties launched their bids in neighborhoods with deep personal roots. While the conservative People Power Party candidate Oh Se-hoon focused his attacks on the Lee Jae Myung administration's housing policy and called for checks on its power, the ruling Democratic Party of Korea candidate, Chong Won-o, highlighted the Lee administration's achievements over the past year while pointing to a catalog of safety lapses under Oh's four terms as mayor. Oh launched his campaign in Gangbuk District, where he spent his childhood. In his subsequent stump speech, he turned to housing, saying the Lee administration had driven the market to a breaking point. “Whether you own or rent, jeonse or monthly, just thinking about moving is enough to send your anxiety through the roof,” Oh said. “Jeonse units are nowhere to be found, and renewing a monthly lease at your current rate has become impossible.” Jeonse is a unique Korean rental system where tenants pay a large

May 21, 2026By Park Ung

Park Ung

Read more

Busan launches homestay program ahead of BTS concerts

'Call him oppa': Politicians' outdated language draws fresh scrutiny

Foreign voters in Guro seek economic revival but lack candidate awareness

Alternative forms of smoking double as less smokers try to quit

580 mil. sheets, largely unread: Election pamphlet waste problem returns ahead of June 3 vote

Central Seoul district candidate pushes foreign tourist tax

1 in 14 youths repeat self-harm attempts within 2 months

Suicide remains top cause of death among Korean youth for 14th straight year

Samsung's record bonuses leave many Koreans envious, some bitter

Seoul mayoral candidates kick off races on first day of campaign period

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