POLL APEC summit expected to elevate diplomacy, culture, but public awareness lowKorea’s role as host of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit has stirred a range of public expectations, reflecting both optimism on national prestige and concerns over awareness. A recent survey commissioned by The Korea Times shows that citizens see the international gathering as a prime opportunity to bolster the nation’s global standing, especially in diplomacy and culture, although people differ in how they interpret its significance by political affiliation. However, despite the summit’s high profile, many Koreans remain only vaguely familiar with its purpose and significance, highlighting a gap between public optimism and awareness. Anticipating diplomatic, cultural gains The survey, conducted Thursday and Friday via phone with 1,004 randomly selected participants aged 18 and older nationwide, found that the most common expectation was a significant boost to Korea’s diplomatic profile on the global stage, accounting for 25 percent of responses. With APEC meetings bringing together political and business leaders from major economies across the Asia Pacific regOct 27, 2025By Lee Gyu-lee
Trade minister calls for Georgia governor's support to address visa issuesTrade Minister Yeo Han-koo called on visiting Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp on Thursday to support Korean firms based there and drum up support to address visa issues for them and workers. In a meeting with Kemp earlier in the day, Yeo asked the Georgia governor to make efforts to prevent further incidents similar to the September immigration raid. Kemp also said his state will support Korean firms' stable operations and their investment. Last month, more than 300 Korean workers were arrested and detained in a U.S. immigration raid in Georgia in early September. The workers were released after a week following negotiations between Seoul and Washington. In response, the two sides agreed to set up a working group dialogue and install a visa desk at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul solely for Korean businesses.Oct 23, 2025By Yonhap
Chinese personnel spotted on structure in disputed waters near Korean PeninsulaEscalating a long-simmering maritime dispute, Chinese personnel have for the first time been identified on a contentious offshore structure built by Beijing in the West Sea’s Provisional Measures Zone (PMZ) — an overlapping area of the two nations’ exclusive economic zones. The revelation, disclosed Wednesday by a Korean lawmaker, swiftly prompted calls in Seoul for the government to take countervailing measures against what was described as an increasingly assertive move by China. Rep. Yi Byeong-jin of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) disclosed recent photographs of the Chinese installation ahead of a parliamentary audit of the Coast Guard. According to Yi, the photos show five individuals on the structure known as Sunlan No. 2, installed last year. Two people are visible on the upper deck, two are on the mid-left section, and one wearing a diving suit appears to be maintaining oxygen tanks near the waterline, he said. Tensions in the Provisional Measures Zone have mounted as China intensifies its “gray zone” tactics in the area, including the construction of new strOct 22, 2025By Lee Hae-rin
Southeast Asia's scam industry threatens stability of Indo-Pacific regionThe remains of a Korean university student, identified only by his surname Park for privacy reasons, were returned to Korea on Tuesday, more than two months after he was found dead near a criminal compound in the Bokor Mountain area of Cambodia. Local police said Park had been brutally tortured which ultimately led to cardiac arrest. Korean forensic experts who traveled to Cambodia on Monday conducted an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death. Witnesses reported that Park’s body showed extensive bruising, indicating severe physical abuse prior to his death. He was cremated following the autopsy. Park had left Korea on July 17, telling his parents he would attend an exhibition in Cambodia. Shortly after his arrival, his family lost contact with him. News of his death surfaced nearly a month after his departure, sending shockwaves through Korea. Park’s death has sparked widespread outrage. Survivors of similar experiences at criminal compounds in Cambodia have been sharing harrowing testimonies online, exposing the systemic abuse occurring in these locations. Their stories gainOct 22, 2025By Kang Hyun-kyung
Presidential office urges swift repatriation of Koreans from Cambodia amid surging abuse casesNational Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac on Monday stressed the need to swiftly repatriate South Koreans from Cambodia amid a rise in job scams and illegal detentions targeting nationals, the presidential office said. Wi made the remarks while presiding over the inaugural meeting of a pangovernment task force established to devise countermeasures amid public outcry and safety concerns, especially following the torture and death of a South Korean college student in the Southeast Asian country in August. "Wi said that the immediate return of citizens in danger must be prioritized on humanitarian grounds, urging the authorities to respond without delay, while legal action against any criminal activities committed by detained individuals is to be expected," presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung told a press briefing. "He also instructed officials to consider a phased repatriation, if necessary. To prevent further harm, the government is reviewing the option of dispatching investigative personnel to Cambodia to coordinate with local authorities for investigation and to assess the situation regOct 13, 2025By Yonhap
Number of overseas Koreans missing or out of contact rises over past 5 yearsThe number of overseas South Koreans who remained missing or out of contact has steadily increased over the past five years, foreign ministry data showed Sunday. A total of 52 South Koreans were unaccounted for after going missing or losing contact between 2020 and 2024, according to the data obtained by the office of Rep. Hong Kee-won of the ruling Democratic Party. The figures rose from just two in 2020 to six in 2021, three in 2022, 18 in 2023 and 23 last year. Of them, 47 were in Asia-Pacific regions, three in the Americas and two in Europe. The ministry told Hong's office that it is taking measures to address the issue, including maintaining communication with investigative authorities in the host countries. Hong described the disappearances of overseas Koreans as critical accidents affecting public safety and urged the ministry to develop measures to minimize such incidents.Oct 5, 2025By Yonhap
Ieodo Int'l Seminar discusses strategies to counter maritime security threats in East AsiaJEJU ISLAND — Leading experts on maritime law and sea disputes convened on Korea’s southern resort island of Jeju last week to explore new strategies for resolving escalating territorial conflicts across East Asia. At the ninth edition of the Ieodo International Seminar, held between Sept. 25 and 27, experts and scholars underscored Ieodo’s evolving role. Once regarded as a regional symbol, the submerged reef located off the southwest coast of Jeju Island now stands at the center of international maritime interest, requiring global engagement with Korea’s aim to maintain peace and stability throughout the region. This year’s seminar, themed “New Strategic Responses to Maritime Security Threats in East Asia,” gathered a diverse group of academics from Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, Japan and the Philippines, each lending expertise to urgent debates about maritime challenges in East Asia. “Today, Ieodo has grown beyond being a subject of academic interest or a regional symbol; it has become a maritime space that draws the attention of the international community,” Koh Choong-suSep 30, 2025By Lee Hae-rin
China’s West Sea encroachments demand stronger Korean NavyBUSAN — Eighty stun grenades, dropped from a P-8A Poseidon multi-mission maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft, lit up the cloudy skies over Busan on Thursday. The dramatic aerial bursts wowed hundreds of spectators watching the air show from aboard the 4,900-ton amphibious ship Ilchulbong. The number of grenades, also known as flash-bangs, symbolized the 80th anniversary of the Republic of Korea (ROK) Navy, celebrated with a grand fleet review in the southeastern port city. Out at sea, another display of power unfolded as 31 naval vessels paraded in formation, led by the 8,100-ton Aegis destroyer Jeongjo the Great. From the deck of Ilchulbong, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Kang Dong-gil saluted each passing warship as its crew returned the gesture. “A naval event of this scale would have been unimaginable 80 years ago,” said Capt. Oh Se-sung, a senior public affairs official of the ROK Navy headquarters. “At that time, Korea had virtually no naval infrastructure. The ROK Navy was built from nothing.” Established in 1945 after Korea’s liberation from 36 years of JapaneSep 29, 2025By Kang Hyun-kyung
Science minister discusses strengthening of research ties with US tech institutionsScience Minister Bae Kyung-hoon has held meetings with leading U.S. technology institutions to discuss expanding bilateral cooperation in cutting-edge sectors, his office said Wednesday. The meetings were held on the sidelines of Bae's visit to New York, as he accompanied President Lee Jae Myung at the 80th U.N. General Assembly. Bae visited IBM's New York-based research center to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for South Korean research institutions and the U.S. company to promote exchanges on quantum computing infrastructure and foster experts in the field. The minister also visited Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), operated by the U.S. Department of Energy, to discuss potential cooperation on the Electron-Ion Collider (EIC) project. "As it is crucial to cooperate with the United States, the leading player in the quantum science technology sector, the visit to the U.S. had some progress as we established mutually beneficial cooperative ties among IBM and South Korea's research institutes," Bae said in a release. "Starting with the EIC project with BNL, which has been innovaSep 24, 2025By Yonhap
Korean, Iranian FMs seek bilateral talks in New YorkThe foreign ministers of South Korea and Iran held talks over phone Friday and agreed to push for a meeting in New York next week to discuss bilateral ties, Seoul's foreign ministry said. Foreign Minister Cho Hyun held his first phone talks with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, and discussed the planned vote by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on a resolution aimed at reimposing economic sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Cho said South Korea, as the chair of the UNSC this month, has been carrying out procedures in line with the council's resolutions, while expressing hope that all parties concerned will continue efforts toward a diplomatic solution to the issue, the ministry said. The ministry added the two sides agreed to push for a bilateral meeting in New York during the U.N. General Assembly High-level Week next week.Sep 19, 2025By Yonhap
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