Lifestyle - The Korea Times

Cardinal You hopes President Lee Jae Myung will meet Pope Leo XIV this year

Cardinal Lazzaro You Heung-sik, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Clergy at the Vatican, shared his special ties with the newly elected Pope Leo XIV and expressed hope that President Lee Jae Myung can visit the Vatican within the year for a meeting with the pontiff. “Before he became Pope, we lived on different floors of the same apartment building in the Vatican, so we often ran into each other,” You said during a press conference at Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea in Seoul, Thursday. “I’d joke about whether my footsteps were too loud and we’d laugh together.” The cardinal said the new Pope has visited Korea multiple times and has a high level of understanding of the country’s history and current affairs. “I have already conveyed to President Lee my hope that he visits the Vatican this year,” You said. “Pope Leo XIV has shown great interest in Korea and I believe he can contribute meaningfully to peace on the Korean Peninsula and dialogue between North Korea and the U.S.” The cardinal confirmed that he personally delivered two letters from President Lee — one

Jul 3, 2025By Baek Byung-yeul

Cardinal You hopes President Lee Jae Myung will meet Pope Leo XIV this year

InterviewRev. Lee takes Pentecostal leadership with vision for global growth, Asian hub

Lee Young-hoon, senior pastor of Yoido Full Gospel Church, unveiled an ambitious vision for the Pentecostal World Fellowship (PWF) following his unanimous election as secretary-general. He aims to increase the global number of Pentecostal adherents to reach 1 billion by 2033, planning to achieve the goal through robust next-generation leadership training and stronger solidarity with Asian churches, positioning the region as a central hub for the global Holy Spirit movement. On June 3, Rev. Lee was named secretary-general of the PWF. Established in Switzerland in 1947, the PWF is the world’s largest Pentecostal church alliance, representing around 700 million members across more than 150 countries. The organization holds a World Pentecostal Conference every five years as a platform for leaders to exchange insights and forge common stances on missions and global issues. Rev. Lee views his new role as a continuation of his decades-long dedication to the mission of the late Rev. Cho Yong-gi, founder of Yoido Full Gospel Church, also known as David Yonggi Cho. "I believe this election is a

Jul 3, 2025By Baek Byung-yeul

Rev. Lee takes Pentecostal leadership with vision for global growth, Asian hub

Detective who cracked vicious 1990s Korean murder ring dies at 76

Ko Byung-cheon, the detective who led the arrest of a seven-member gang behind a string of brutal murders that shocked Korea in the early 1990s, died last month. He was 76. The cause and location of his death were not disclosed. Born in 1949 in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, Ko began his police career in 1976. He rose to national prominence in 1994 for leading the arrest of the Jijon gang, whose crimes included murder, cannibalism and the construction of a private incinerator to dispose of victims’ bodies. One of the most gruesome criminal cases in modern Korean history traces back to July 1993, when a group of men who met through gambling formed a gang led by ringleader Kim Gi-hwan. The gang members were mostly young men in their early 20s, raised in poverty and with little access to formal education. Their crimes were fueled by a deep resentment toward society — particularly its wealthy elite. The gang devised a set of rules that reflected their animosity toward the wealthy, adopting slogans such as “Curse the rich” and “Extort 1 billion won” — roughly $1.76 million today.

Jul 3, 2025By Park Ung

Detective who cracked vicious 1990s Korean murder ring dies at 76

Ex-KBO manager Lee Kwang-hwan dies at 77

Lee Kwang-hwan, who managed the LG Twins to the 1994 Korean Series title with a revolutionary use of his pitching staff, died Wednesday at age 77. Lee had been receiving treatment for lung issues on the southern island of Jeju in recent weeks. Lee managed four franchises for 11 seasons total in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), including two stints with the Twins. In 1994, he led the Seoul-based club to their second Korean Series championship. Lee was also the inaugural manager of the Woori (currently Kiwoom) Heroes in 2008, after they had taken the place of the cash-strapped Hyundai Unicorns. Lee lasted just one season there and it ended up being his final KBO managerial job. Lee had 608 wins as manager, the 11th-highest total in league history. After serving as a hitting coach for the OB (currently Doosan) Bears from 1982 to 1985, Lee received coaching training overseas, first with the Saitama Seibu Lions in 1986 and then with the St. Louis Cardinals in Major League Baseball in 1987. He returned to Korea to begin his managerial career with the Bears in 1989. Lee is largely credited

Jul 2, 2025By Yonhap

Ex-KBO manager Lee Kwang-hwan dies at 77

Will Oasis face boycott? Liam Gallagher’s slur draws backlash in Korea, Japan

Liam Gallagher of the legendary British rock band Oasis, is facing backlash for a racially insensitive remark that angered many fans in Korea and beyond. On Tuesday, Gallagher posted the word “Chingchong” on X, formerly Twitter. The term is widely recognized as a racial slur originating from a mockery of East Asian accents, and is considered offensive toward people of Chinese, Korean, Japanese and other East Asian backgrounds. When a fan responded by warning him not to use the phrase, Gallagher replied, “Why.” Another fan commented he might be about to “offend his own fans." "Are you joking? Your fans will be upset,” to which he responded, “Chill out Birdy,” appearing to dismiss the concern. Despite continuing to argue with fans online, Gallagher eventually deleted the post. However, he initially showed little indication of understanding the severity of the issue. Following the deletion, he posted a short apology, writing, “Sorry if I offended anyone with my tweet before it wasn’t intentional you know I love you all and I do not discriminate. Peace and love.” The cont

Jul 2, 2025By Xportsnews

Will Oasis face boycott? Liam Gallagher’s slur draws backlash in Korea, Japan

Economic Essay Contest Dear Mirfayz: Result of my search for better financial system in Korea

These days, more and more people around us are going on overseas trips. But when they start preparing for the trip, they often face unexpected problems. One of the biggest issues is money. How much cash should they bring from Korea? Can they use their Korean card abroad? If so, how much are the fees? Even though it’s just a short trip, there are many things to think about. Of course, opening a local bank account in another country is nearly impossible. We often feel burdened by minor financial inconveniences during short trips abroad. So how much more complicated and challenging must it be for foreigners who have to manage their finances while living in Korea for an extended period? To show what kind of problems they face, I want to share the real story of my friend Mirfayz. He’s a student from Uzbekistan, and we became friends in a liberal arts class. One day, he sent me a text message in a panic. “20,000 won disappeared from my account to a bank I don’t know. I think I’ve been hacked. What should I do?” He also sent me a screenshot. It showed that the money had been trans

Jul 2, 2025By Kim Tae-young

[Economic Essay Contest] Dear Mirfayz: Result of my search for better financial system in Korea

Economic Essay Contest Digital divide is now know-how gap

As Korea becomes a “super-aged” society, its biggest financial risk isn’t inflation or cybercrime — it’s the growing divide between those who can navigate digital banking and those who can’t. Nearly all older adults own smartphones, but access is not the problem. As digital theorist Howard Rheingold put it, “Soon the digital divide will not be between the haves and the have-nots. It will be between the know-hows and the non-know-hows.” In a country rushing ahead with cashless payments, AI-driven apps and fintech platforms, the real challenge isn’t technology itself but about making it usable for everyone. So if financial institutions want to maintain the trust of their older customers, they must rethink how digital banking is built and who it’s built for. Digital banking is deeply integrated in Korean society, but for many older adults, it remains intimidating and difficult to use. A few reasons include confusing layouts, strange terminology, physical impairments and a fear of fraud — to which older adults are the most vulnerable. Even apps that offer “senior mode

Jul 2, 2025By Beata Viktoria Silfvernagel

[Economic Essay Contest] Digital divide is now know-how gap

Economic Essay Contest Smiles at airport, walls at bank. It’s time to break them down

Last semester, I joined my university’s language exchange program and got to know a French student learning Korean. Although he spoke Korean quite well, he always ran into trouble with one thing: banking. “All the apps are in Korean, so I can’t understand anything. Even in person, I struggle to follow what the staff are saying.” His words reminded me of my own experience as an exchange student in Sweden. Faced with an unfamiliar automated phone system, I was overwhelmed and unsure what to do. That’s when it hit me — digital exclusion isn’t just an issue for the elderly; it’s a daily struggle for many foreigners. In fact, the number of foreign residents in Korea has jumped from 490,000 in 2000 to 2.65 million in 2024, according to statistics from the Ministry of Justice. They’re no longer just visitors — they’ve become members of our society. Still, they often face three key obstacles when trying to access basic financial services: language barriers, difficulties in verifying identity, and a lack of credit history. So how can we break down these three barriers and m

Jul 2, 2025By Choi Yeong-ju

[Economic Essay Contest] Smiles at airport, walls at bank. It’s time to break them down

Economic Essay Contest Bridging borders in banking: Foreigner’s perspective in AI era

As a Ghanaian student studying AI and Big Data at Woosong University, arriving in Korea was a dream come true. Everything from the vibrant cities to the advanced technology felt like a new world. But my first visit to a bank brought me back down to earth. I stood at the counter, papers in hand, trying to understand forms written entirely in Korean. The teller smiled politely but spoke quickly. I left empty-handed, confused, and slightly discouraged. That moment stayed with me. If Korea is globally known for its digital innovation, why do foreign residents still face such basic barriers to financial access? The answer, I’ve learned, lies not in a lack of technology but in how it’s used. And this is where AI comes in. Language, for one, is an obvious but powerful barrier. While some banks offer limited English options, they rarely go far enough. That’s why Shinhan Bank’s “Banking for Everyone” AI-powered translation kiosk amazed me. It turns spoken Korean into real-time multilingual text like English, Chinese, and Vietnamese breaking the wall between staff and foreign customer

Jul 2, 2025By Marwuko Felix

[Economic Essay Contest] Bridging borders in banking: Foreigner’s perspective in AI era

Economic Essay Contest Face over interface: How smarter branches can reconnect with aging customers

The notion that older adults are simply slow to embrace digital banking misses an important point. After helping my grandmother use a banking app, only to see her return to the branch the next week, I realized her behavior reflected preference more than incapability. For many seniors, avoiding mobile banking isn’t just about technical barriers; it’s a deliberate decision shaped by comfort, trust, and a desire for personal interaction. As financial institutions accelerate their digital shift and reduce physical branches, these customers risk exclusion. In a rapidly aging society, banks must revisit their approach — not to reverse digitalization, but to pair it with smarter, more accessible offline options grounded in the everyday lives of older adults. To understand the growing disconnect between digital services and older users, it’s important to move beyond the narrative of “falling behind.” Though some seniors struggle with digital tools, they often prefer clarity and security over speed or convenience. Faced with confusing interfaces, login errors, and the risk of mistak

Jul 2, 2025By Lee Jae-hyeong

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