The Korea Times

President to lock in mineral supply chains in South America trip

President Lee Jae Myung is seeking to enhance cooperation on critical minerals with South American countries during his three-nation tour this week. Lee is visiting Brazil from Sunday through Wednesady (local time), Chile from Wednesday to Thursday, and Argentina from Thursday to Saturday, as Korea seeks to secure resilient supply chains for strategic resources amid heightened economic security risks. The trip includes summits with the leaders of all three countries, with trade and investment with Mercosur, a South American trade bloc, expected to top the agenda. The president underscored the need for closer cooperation on critical minerals in the era of artificial intelligence (AI), describing Korea's relationship with South America as "entering a new phase" in a written interview with Spain’s EFE news agency released last week. His comments were widely seen as a reference to the growing demand for critical minerals, including rare earth elements used in semiconductors and other AI-related technologies. “Cooperation between Korea and South America should evolve beyond the traditional

Jul 27, 2026By Yi Whan-woo

President to lock in mineral supply chains in South America trip

Politics

$950 bil. chip partnerships reinforce Korea's place in global AI supply chain

Korea's major semiconductor makers and other top tech companies have agreed on partnerships worth a total $950 billion with global Big Tech firms during President Lee Jae Myung's visit to San Francisco, highlighting Korea's expanding role in the global artificial intelligence (AI) supply chain. The long-term agreements, announced alongside Lee's “San Francisco Declaration on AI” speech on Friday (local time), brought together leaders of Samsung Electronics, SK Group, Hyundai Motor Group and Naver, together with representatives of Nvidia, OpenAI, Broadcom and Anthropic. The partnerships were made as Seoul seeks to establish itself as an indispensable partner in AI semiconductor production and infrastructure amid an AI-driven semiconductor boom. “Korea aims to become an irreplaceable pillar of the global AI supply chain,” the president said, presenting the country's vision for the future of AI and proposing a cooperative global framework. “Building on our world-class competitiveness in memory chips and related production capacity, Korea will serve as a trusted manufacturing base

Jul 26, 2026By Yi Whan-woo

$950 bil. chip partnerships reinforce Korea's place in global AI supply chain

Society

Paichai High School's suspension over 'Tank Day' chant reduced to 1 month

A Seoul high school baseball team that was banned from national tournaments for six months over chants mocking the 1980 Gwangju Uprising has had its suspension reduced to one month, clearing it to compete in an upcoming national tournament. The Korea Sport and Olympic Committee (KSOC) said Monday it had reduced the ban on Paichai High School's baseball team after its subcommittee on sports fairness reviewed the disciplinary action stemming from the players’ chants disparaging the pro-democracy movement during a national tournament game. The committee acknowledged that the chants constituted grounds for discipline — ruling that inappropriate chanting from the dugout amounted to interference with the game — but cited the players' subsequent visit to Gwangju to seek forgiveness and Gwangju Jeil High School's own appeal for leniency, as grounds for the reduction. Monday’s ruling by the KSOC, the country’s top sports governing body, takes effect immediately, clearing Paichai High School to compete in the upcoming Bonghwangdaegi National High School Baseball Tournament. The tourname

Jul 20, 2026By Yi Whan-woo

Paichai High School's suspension over 'Tank Day' chant reduced to 1 month

Law & Crime

1st-term Cheongju council member under police probe over alleged sex crimes involving minor

A first-term city council member in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, is under police investigation for allegedly paying to have sex with a minor and producing sexually exploitative material, leaving the council reeling just weeks after the newly elected body began its term. According to police, Thursday, investigators raided the office and home of Choi Young-joong, a Cheongju City Council member from the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday. The search lasted about 45 minutes, during which investigators seized computers, digital storage devices and other potential evidence. The search warrant cited alleged violations of the Act on the Protection of Children and Youth against Sex Offenses, including statutory rape of a person under the age of consent and producing material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor. Police said Choi allegedly met a middle school girl through a chat application, had sexual intercourse with her on two or three occasions in a vehicle and at motels between October 2024 and May 2025, and created explicit sexual content fea

Jul 16, 2026By Yi Whan-woo

1st-term Cheongju council member under police probe over alleged sex crimes involving minor

South Korea

Kim Ou-joon, bearded YouTuber who moves and shakes Korea's liberal politics

Few media personalities have wielded as much influence over Korea's liberal political discourse as podcaster and YouTube host Kim Ou-joon. Over nearly three decades, Kim has evolved from an unconventional journalist running the tabloid-style online publication Ddanzi Ilbo into one of the country's most recognizable political commentators, building a loyal following through podcasts, radio and YouTube. His political clout is reflected in his close ties to the liberal camp's most influential figures, many of whom he has regularly featured on his programs, including former President Moon Jae-in, former ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) Chairman Jung Chung-rae and former presidential secretary for AI policy and future planning Ha Jung-woo. His political prominence became even more apparent after the June 3 local elections, when a newly coined term referring to influential figures associated with the DPK gained traction online against the backdrop of the party's internal factional divide. Kim is grouped with four other prominent liberal figures in the acronym "Moon-Cho-Teol-Rae-Rhyu." The

Jul 16, 2026By Yi Whan-woo

Politics

Modest minimum wage hike reflects president's pragmatic approach to labor policy

Next year's minimum wage, set with a modest increase, is reinforcing the view that President Lee Jae Myung's administration is pursuing a pragmatic economic agenda that balances the interests of workers and employers, according to analysts, Wednesday. The hourly minimum wage for 2027 was set at 10,700 won ($7.10) on Tuesday, up 380 won, or 3.7 percent, from this year's 10,320 won. The latest adjustment follows this year's 2.9 percent raise, bringing the average annual growth rate during the Lee administration's first two years in office to 3.3 percent. The figure represents the second-lowest average annual rise among all governments since the minimum wage system was introduced, trailing only former President Yoon Suk Yeol's administration, which posted a record-low average of 3.1 percent. "The data suggest that, despite its progressive roots, the Lee administration is placing equal weight on the interests of workers and businesses rather than tilting decisively toward organized labor,” said Jung Ho-chul of the Citizens’ Coalition for Economic Justice (CCEJ), a civic activist group. Ju

Jul 15, 2026By Yi Whan-woo

Modest minimum wage hike reflects president's pragmatic approach to labor policy

South Korea

Seoul mayor denied chance to speak on housing at 1st Cabinet meeting since reelection

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon was denied an opportunity to publicly address housing policy at Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting, his first in-person encounter with President Lee Jae Myung since beginning his fifth term as mayor of the Korean capital. This marked Oh's first Cabinet meeting in 11 months, since August 2025, and his first since he was reelected in the closely contested June 3 local elections. The encounter drew attention as the mayor and the president have diverging views on housing policy, with Oh expected to present his views directly to Lee. Lee, who resumed chairing the weekly Cabinet meeting after returning from the NATO summit in Turkey and a state visit to Mongolia, congratulated Oh on his reelection and gave him the floor before the live broadcast open session moved behind closed doors. Prime Minister Han Seong-sook had presided over last week's meeting — the first since newly elected local government officials took office on July 1 — in the president's absence. As an attending official rather than a Cabinet member, Oh could speak only when given the floor by the president or

Jul 14, 2026By Yi Whan-woo

Seoul mayor denied chance to speak on housing at 1st Cabinet meeting since reelection

Politics

Ex-ruling party chair Jung declares bid for 2nd term

Former ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) Chairman Jung Chung-rae formally declared his bid for the party leadership on Monday, pledging to stand by President Lee Jae Myung amid speculation about friction in their relationship. The new leadership will be elected at the DPK's national convention on Aug. 17. "As I have done so far, I will remain at the president’s side to the very end as part of a united team speaking with one voice alongside the party, the government and the presidential office," Jung said during a press conference at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul. Jung said he had spent the past year "holding high the banner of bold reform" as party chairman and pledged to become "an even stronger reform-minded leader" if reelected. In particular, Jung pledged to complete prosecutorial reform, one of the president's key pledges, describing it as one of the DPK's signature policy initiatives. The former DPK chair asserted that he will not seek reelection for personal political ambitions, including a future presidential run. Jung, who has led the party since August 2025, is s

Jul 13, 2026By Yi Whan-woo

Ex-ruling party chair Jung declares bid for 2nd term

Foreign Affairs

REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK A firsthand look at 'Mongtan New City'

ULAANBAATAR — The daily commute between the press corps’ hotel and the press center was an unexpected hurdle during President Lee Jae Myung’s state visit to Mongolia from Thursday to Saturday. Although the distance was about 2 kilometers — a 10-minute shuttle bus ride under normal conditions — morning traffic jams in Ulaanbaatar, coupled with the shuttle’s once-an-hour service often forced reporters to make the roughly 30-minute walk instead. Yet what began as a hurdle provided an opportunity to experience firsthand the so-called “Mongtan New City” — a portmanteau of Mongolia and Dongtan, a satellite town near Seoul that rapidly filled with convenience stores, cafes, bakeries and restaurants after its development in the 2000s. The nickname has become shorthand for the districts of Ulaanbaatar where Korean lifestyle and culture have become woven into everyday life. Likewise, the 2-kilometer stretch between the lodging and the press center was lined with familiar Korean brands, including the convenience store chains CU and GS25, as well as coffee chains such as Mega Coff

Jul 11, 2026By Yi Whan-woo

[REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK] A firsthand look at 'Mongtan New City'

Foreign Affairs

PHOTO President attends Mongolia's traditional festival as guest of honor

President Lee Jae Myung tries a traditonal Mongolian bow as he attends Naadam, Mongolia's traditional festival and largest national celebration commemorating the country's spirit of freedom and independence, in Ulaanbaatar, Saturday. Lee attended the event as a guest of honor on the last day of his three-day state visit to Mongolia. Yonhap

Jul 11, 2026By Yi Whan-woo

Yi Whan-woo

Read more

President to lock in mineral supply chains in South America trip

$950 bil. chip partnerships reinforce Korea's place in global AI supply chain

Paichai High School's suspension over 'Tank Day' chant reduced to 1 month

1st-term Cheongju council member under police probe over alleged sex crimes involving minor

Kim Ou-joon, bearded YouTuber who moves and shakes Korea's liberal politics

Modest minimum wage hike reflects president's pragmatic approach to labor policy

Seoul mayor denied chance to speak on housing at 1st Cabinet meeting since reelection

Ex-ruling party chair Jung declares bid for 2nd term

REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK A firsthand look at 'Mongtan New City'

PHOTO President attends Mongolia's traditional festival as guest of honor

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