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History lecturer named honorary ambassador of Overseas Koreans Agency

Choi Tae-sung, a prominent lecturer on Korean history, has been appointed the first honorary ambassador of the Overseas Koreans Agency, a government body that supports members of the global Korean diaspora. The agency said Tuesday that Choi, 53, will help advance its mission of providing administrative services to Koreans living abroad, safeguarding their rights and strengthening their ties to the homeland. The Overseas Koreans Agency is a government body established last year to succeed the Overseas Koreans Foundation. With an expanded mandate, the agency now provides comprehensive administrative services, advocates for the rights of 7.5 million Koreans living abroad and works to deepen their connections to Korea. This is the first time the agency has appointed an honorary ambassador since being founded in June 2024 under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “As an instructor, Choi has played a big role in teaching the history of Korean immigration to other countries and their contributions to their home country through fun and entertaining lectures,” the agency said in a statement. Choi

Jun 11, 2025By Jung Min-ho
History lecturer named honorary ambassador of Overseas Koreans Agency

‘Take responsibility’: Actress Kim Bu-seon blames President Lee Jae-myung for her downfall

Actress Kim Bu-seon has publicly called on President Lee Jae-myung to take responsibility for her situation and help her return to acting. “Mr. Lee Jae-myung, take responsibility. You deceived me, and now I’m left with nothing. I’ve been completely ruined and unemployed. Help me return as an actress," Kim said in a video posted to her YouTube channel on Saturday. She continued, “No matter how I think about it, I didn’t do anything wrong. The only fault I had was believing in and liking you. So, return me and my daughter to our rightful place as actors. That’s what a real man and a parent would do. You’re a parent too, aren’t you?” Kim then added, “I heard your son is getting married. Should I show up with just 200 won? The ‘Gaeddals’ [a nickname for die-hard pro-Lee Democratic Party of Korea supporters] send me 18 won donations. They falsely accuse others without evidence. I’ve been having all kinds of thoughts alone.” She also made critical remarks about Lee’s son. “President Lee Jae-myung’s son’s gambling addiction is as serious as a drug addiction.

Jun 10, 2025By Xportsnews
‘Take responsibility’: Actress Kim Bu-seon blames President Lee Jae-myung for her downfall

As president eyes return, Cheong Wa Dae hosts what may be its last tourists

When Ryu Si-won, a retired man in his 60s, learned on Wednesday that Lee Jae-myung had been elected president, his first thought was to visit Cheong Wa Dae — the former presidential compound that housed 12 leaders over the past 74 years. Cheong Wa Dae is commonly known in English as the Blue House in a nod to its distinctive tiled roof. Lee has said he plans to return the presidential office there. “I wasn’t planning to come here today,” Ryu told The Korea Times. "But after Lee was elected, I checked yesterday to see if on-site registration was possible and came. I figured this might be my last chance to see it.” He recalled that in his younger days, he had only made it as far as the front gate — never once stepping inside until now. “Seeing it in person, it feels modest. You can really see the influence of traditional Korean hanok architecture,” Ryu said. “I’m not sure if it’s possible to do both at the same time, but I hope the president returns here and that it still remains open to the public.” On Thursday, Cheong Wa Dae bustled with tourists — many, like Ryu

Jun 10, 2025By Park Ung
As president eyes return, Cheong Wa Dae hosts what may be its last tourists

Cheonan emerges as hot spot for Korean culture

The Cheonan K-Culture Expo 2025 with MyK FESTA has wrapped up after welcoming tens of thousands of visitors. Held at the Independence Hall of Korea in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, the five-day event ran from Wednesday through Sunday under the theme of “Global K-Culture in Full Bloom,” offering a dynamic combination of music, fashion, food, beauty and education. According to a Cheonan City official on Monday, the festival was the largest ever, and attracted more than 350,000 visitors from both home and abroad. It was the third year the expo was held since its launch in 2023. For the event’s opening ceremony on Wednesday, high-profile pop stars such as Sung Si-kyung, Lee Mu-jin, H1-Key and BEATPELLA HOUSE performed at the venue’s main stage with some 10,000 spectators. “The expo boosts the country’s status as a global powerhouse in culture,” South Chungcheong Province Governor Kim Tae-heum said during the opening ceremony. Culture, Sports and Tourism Vice Minister Yong Ho-seong and Independence Hall of Korea President Kim Hyoung-suk also joined the first day’s headli

Jun 9, 2025By Jhoo Dong-chan
Cheonan emerges as hot spot for Korean culture

Yoido Full Gospel Church pastor appointed secretary general of Pentecostal World Fellowship

Lee Young-hoon, senior pastor of Yoido Full Gospel Church, was appointed the secretary general of the Pentecostal World Fellowship (PWF), the world’s largest association of Pentecostal churches. The PWF, established in Zurich in 1947, represents about 700 million believers across more than 150 countries. The appointment highlights the growing influence of Asian and Korean churches in the global Pentecostal movement, the Seoul-based church said. Pastor Lee was unanimously elected at a presbytery meeting of the PWF held in Helsinki, Finland, June 3, and his appointment was formally announced during the closing session of the 27th Pentecostal World Conference (PWC) on June 6, witnessed by Pentecostal leaders from around the globe. His term as secretary general is three years. The PWC, held every five years, serves as a crucial platform for Pentecostal leaders worldwide to connect, exchange ideas and forge common stances on missionary directions and global issues. The secretary general position is one of the highest leadership roles within the PWF, overseeing the organization, finances an

Jun 8, 2025By Baek Byung-yeul
Yoido Full Gospel Church pastor appointed secretary general of Pentecostal World Fellowship

Cheonan K-Culture Expo in full swing with thousands of visitors

CHEONAN — The Cheonan K-Culture Expo 2025 with MyK FESTA is in full swing with thousands of visitors as it celebrates the global attention to Korean culture. Held at the Independence Hall of Korea in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, it is a five-day event running from Wednesday through Sunday under the theme of “Global K-Culture in Full Bloom,” offering a dynamic combination of music, fashion, food, beauty and education. Attracting tens of thousands of visitors, the opening ceremony was a major highlight, featuring high-profile performances by pop stars such as Sung Si-kyung, Lee Mu-jin, H1-Key and BEATPELLA HOUSE. “The expo boasts the country’s status as a global powerhouse in culture,” South Chungcheong Province Governor Kim Tae-heum said during the opening ceremony for the event, Wednesday. For this year’s event, the city has decided to expand its previous five exhibition halls to seven. All the exhibition halls feature AI, AR, interactive content and extended reality (XR) to strengthen visitors’ experience in immersion. They showcase digital content related to foo

Jun 6, 2025By Jhoo Dong-chan
Cheonan K-Culture Expo in full swing with thousands of visitors

Father Noel O'Neill, advocate for disabled in Korea, dies at 93

Father Noel O’Neill, an Irish Catholic priest who transformed care for people with intellectual disabilities in Korea by establishing the country’s first community-based living facilities, has died. He was 93. According to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Gwangju, O’Neill died of blood cancer Sunday in his home country of Ireland. He had returned there last July after concluding 67 years of pastoral and volunteer service in Korea. After studying theology in Ireland and being ordained, O’Neill came to Korea in 1957, dedicating himself to missionary and social welfare work. He began his pastoral service in 1958 as an assistant priest at Jangseong Parish in South Jeolla Province, later serving as parish priest in several regions, including Seoul, Jeju and Gwangju. O’Neill was one of the first to introduce the concept of community-based living facilities in Korea, laying the foundation for people with intellectual disabilities to live independently within their communities rather than in institutions. The first group home began in 1981 in Gwangju, where he lived with one woman wit

Jun 5, 2025By Park Ung
Father Noel O'Neill, advocate for disabled in Korea, dies at 93

Pianist Lim Yun-chan donates 100 mil. won to support pediatric patients

Renowned Korean pianist Lim Yun-chan and his management agency, Moc Production, donated 100 million won ($72,500) to Seoul’s Catholic Medical Center to help support the treatment of pediatric patients. The Catholic Medical Center, which is affiliated with the Catholic University of Korea, said earlier this week that the donation was made at Lim’s request and is intended to be used entirely for the treatment of pediatric patients. In accordance with Lim’s wishes, the hospital has established the "J.S. Bach Fund," named after the composer whose piece Lim performed. The fund will be dedicated to supporting the treatment of critically ill children. The donation came from the proceeds of Lim’s sold-out solo recital series in Korea, held March 23-25 at the Aram Nuri Arts Center in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, north of Seoul. Lee Hwa-sung, president of the Catholic Medical Center, expressed gratitude for the donation. "We hope this donation will provide support to children and families who face obstacles to receiving proper treatment in difficult circumstances. We will ensure that the fund

Jun 4, 2025By Anna J. Park
Pianist Lim Yun-chan donates 100 mil. won to support pediatric patients

Egyptian twin sisters reflect on 11 years of sharing Korea with world

For Salwa Elzeny Mostafa, and her twin sister Esraa, the fascination with Korea began with K-dramas and K-pop — just like many fans around the world. But their decision 11 years ago to become Honorary Reporters for Korea.net, a promotional website run by the Korean government, brought their experience and understanding of Korea to a whole new level. Now, they are among the longest-serving members of the program. “Our journey with Korean culture began over 20 years ago. Our love for Korea started in middle school, when we first watched Korean dramas like ‘Winter Sonata’ (2002) and ‘Boys Over Flowers’ (2009), and listened to K-pop groups like Girls’ Generation, T-ARA, SS501, Super Junior and CNBLUE on Egyptian TV,” Salwa told The Korea Times during a recent Zoom interview. After graduating university, the twins joined Korea.net's Facebook page, called “Korea Clickers,” where they discovered the Honorary Reporter program. Launched 15 years ago by the Korean government, the program produces a variety of content on Korea in 10 languages, some of which is published on Kore

Jun 4, 2025By Kim Se-jeong
Egyptian twin sisters reflect on 11 years of sharing Korea with world
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