South Korea - The Korea Times

One Korean adoptee’s long road from reunion to reckoning

Unlike the majority of Korean adoptees sent overseas at a young age, Nik Chang Hoon had the opportunity to reunite with his birth mother. Nik was born in Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province, in July 1987. His birth parents met at a young age, struggled to afford items like baby formula and fought often. A few weeks after relinquishing Nik, his birth mother tried to take him back with a wad of cash. The adoption agency turned her away. A white family in the U.S. adopted Nik on Sept. 8, 1988, a date which would become a special occasion for his adoptive family, who celebrated it like a birthday or anniversary. According to Nik, his birth mother says the day she relinquished Nik is the worst day of her life, and his adoptive mother says the day she adopted Nik is the happiest day of her life. Nik grew up in Hugo, Minnesota, surrounded by a suburban landscape of strip malls and endless rows of corn. After graduating in 2009 from Saint John’s University — which seemed too small of a world, populated by students from familiar zip codes — Nik moved to Korea through the Fulbright Program. Whil

Feb 28, 2026By Chrissy Park

One Korean adoptee’s long road from reunion to reckoning

More than 300 adoptees file complaints in Korea's renewed adoption probe

More than 300 overseas adoptees submitted complaints to Korea's truth-seeking body Thursday, marking the first wave of petitions in the renewed state probe into alleged misconduct in the nation's decades-long intercountry adoption program. As the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) reopened its headquarters in Seoul's Jung District at 9 a.m., adoptees stepped forward as the first petitioners of the commission's third term. Stacks of documents — including adoption records and applications from 311 adoptees — totaling roughly 50,000 pages were delivered in boxes and submitted to the commission. The TRC, an independent state body mandated to investigate historical injustices, is set to revisit alleged misconduct in Korea's overseas adoption system, which sent roughly 200,000 babies and children abroad, mostly to Western countries, between the 1960s and 1980s. For decades, adoptees and advocacy groups have argued that the government failed to adequately regulate adoption agencies and safeguard the rights of children, allowing abuses to occur with little oversight. Thursday's launch

Feb 26, 2026By Lee Hyo-jin

More than 300 adoptees file complaints in Korea's renewed adoption probe

New music and skate shop Spin and Grind opens in Seoul's Sinchon

Spin and Grind, a new music and skate shop, pulled off the loudest, hardest soft open in the history of soft opens in western Seoul's Sinchon area on Feb. 15. Following a vinyl record fair organized by Record Threat, four bands played the heaviest music that could be heard anywhere in Korea that night. Tables and racks were moved aside and drums were brought in, transforming the tiny second-floor store temporarily into a hardcore punk venue. Desecrate, a hardcore band from Montreal, headlined the show for the final stop on their Asia tour, joined by local acts Palecistus, Second Damage and Cutt Deep. "The space is very small for a band performance, but I thought it would be possible," said Victor Ha, the shop owner. "One of my favorite shelves was damaged, but as the first hardcore show in the new space, I couldn’t have asked for more — it was completely satisfying." Only 20 tickets were available, and those who didn't get one either had to go home or stand out front. Counting musicians, up to about 40 people crammed into the small space. Between the racks of LPs, skateboard decks a

Feb 25, 2026By Jon Dunbar

New music and skate shop Spin and Grind opens in Seoul's Sinchon

Foreign residents feel less rooted in Seoul: survey

Foreign residents in Seoul feel less rooted in their local communities than they did a year ago, even as their overall satisfaction with life in the capital city has improved, according to a new survey. The 2025 Seoul Survey, released Wednesday by the city government, found that the sense of belonging among foreign residents declined across every indicator measured on a 10-point scale, where 10 signifies “strongly agree” and 0 “not at all.” Asked whether neighbors help one another “in times of difficulty,” foreign residents gave an average score of 4.11, down from 4.54 a year earlier. The number of registered foreign residents in Seoul was estimated at around 260,000 last year. The latest Seoul Survey, conducted among 2,500 foreign residents aged 20 and over who have lived in Korea for more than 91 days and currently reside in the city, found that other measures of neighborhood connection remained similarly low. On average, foreign residents marked 4.05 for whether neighbors tend to know one another. They gave 3.90 for whether people discuss local issues and 3.81 for whether

Feb 25, 2026By Jung Min-ho

Foreign residents feel less rooted in Seoul: survey

Korea unveils measures to root out price gouging targeting tourists

The government unveiled Wednesday a series of measures aimed at rooting out overcharging and price gouging practices across the hospitality and tourism sectors, in an effort to strengthen Korea's tourism industry. The measures were announced during an expanded national tourism strategy meeting held at the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae and chaired by President Lee Jae Myung, with the attendance of officials from relevant ministries. Under the proposed measures, the government will revise legislation to require private lodging service providers, including those who offer accommodations specifically to foreign tourists, to display their prices and comply with price-related regulations. It will also strengthen legal punishments against restaurants and accommodation businesses that do not reveal their rates or overcharge their customers, the government said. Additionally, a new regulation to penalize accommodation businesses that unilaterally cancel bookings will be created, as well as compensation standards for customers. In the area of transportation, the government will introduce new ru

Feb 25, 2026By Yonhap

Korea unveils measures to root out price gouging targeting tourists

Gamers find common ground, community at LoLMeetupKorea

People from all corners of the world gathered in Seoul in early February for a feast worthy of the upcoming Lunar Near Year: Two tables were laden with ubiquitous Korean fare like dumplings and fried chicken, homemade comfort food from abroad like shepherd’s pie, garlic bread and tres leches cake, as well as all manner of snacks, and even some libations in the form of Jell-O shots. This was the scene at the Valentine’s Day Platonic Potluck hosted by LoLMeetupKorea (LoLMK), a community of English-speaking gamers who play on Riot Games’ Korean League of Legends (LoL) server. The timing of the event meant international residents could enjoy a festive gathering ahead of the holidays, even far away from home. The food offerings were as diverse as the group members, ranging from Korean Americans who want to stay connected with English-speaking culture to international students and workers searching for gaming buddies, and even soldiers stationed in Korea. LoLMK was founded at least 14 years ago and is currently helmed by owner/leader Eric Hwang and Phil Chung. Chung, the deputy leader,

Feb 25, 2026By Emerald Gao

Gamers find common ground, community at LoLMeetupKorea

RESTAURANT OF THE WEEK Guatemala's shucos redefine the hot dog

When it comes to Latin American food, Mexican restaurants tend to dominate the spotlight, with many well-known taco spots across the city. However, Central American cuisine has yet to fully establish itself in Korea — and that is exactly why Shucos feels so exciting. Guatemala, the most populous country in Central America, has now joined Seoul’s diverse culinary landscape through this small but vibrant restaurant dedicated to one of its most beloved street foods, the shuco. A taste of Guatemala with a view Located next to Mount Nam in central Seoul’s multicultural Haebangchon neighborhood, Shucos is perfectly situated where the city meets nature, much like Guatemala itself. As soon as I stepped inside, I was greeted by a warm and rustic atmosphere, the space filled with Spanish music. The restaurant spans four floors, each with its own unique design yet maintaining a cohesive feel. Whether you prefer a quiet corner, a lively table by the window or a rooftop view, the thoughtfully arranged seating, window-facing chairs and cozy sofas create intimate spaces throughout. The outdoor sea

Feb 25, 2026By Kim Sur-hyun

[RESTAURANT OF THE WEEK] Guatemala's shucos redefine the hot dog

InterviewKorea’s ethnicity-based visa system widens divide among migrants

The government's recent decision to consolidate two visa categories for ethnic Koreans — merging the F-4 and H-2 visas — was framed by officials as a step toward greater equality. But critics argue that the change leaves intact a more fundamental hierarchy that discriminates based on ethnicity and country of origin. Eliminating the previous visa distinctions, which treated ethnic Koreans from China and the former Soviet states differently from those arriving from wealthier countries such as the United States, marked an important move against discrimination, said Yu So-jin of the University of Sheffield. Even so, the benefits of this long-term stay-and-work track remain reserved for coethnic migrants (of Korean descent) and are not extended to nonethnic migrants in Korea, underscoring the limits of the reform, she added. “On a fundamental level, this visa system is discriminatory against all other non-coethnic migrants who are subject to stricter rules. It also reflects that Korea’s immigration policies are more restrictive and less inclusive than many other comparable countries

Feb 24, 2026By Jung Min-ho

Korea’s ethnicity-based visa system widens divide among migrants

Playwright explores 'gay voice' with script reading

Seoul Players invites drama lovers to a rehearsed reading this weekend of "Acute Accent," a new play by written Rory Kelly, a British resident of Seoul. "Acute Accent" tells the story of Hig and Rob, a gay couple living in the U.K. Hig is English, working as a professor of linguistics, while Rob is an unemployed American actor. The day after they get engaged, their mothers both show up uninvited and a huge secret is revealed. Meanwhile, in flashbacks, we see a young Hig being sent to speech therapy because of his lisp. "Exploring themes of family, trauma and our relationships with our own voices, 'Acute Accent' is a modern drama with a lot of humor and pathos," Kelly told The Korea Times. "I was inspired to write the play because of the phenomenon of ‘gay voice’ and how many homosexual men hate the way they speak, even if they are proud of their identity. I was once told by a vocal coach that I had done irreparable damage to my vocal chords in pitching down my voice, trying to sound more typically masculine. On top of this, I wanted to explore family estrangement and how it can be o

Feb 23, 2026By Jon Dunbar

Playwright explores 'gay voice' with script reading

Korea’s international student population rises over 50% in 3 years

The number of foreign nationals holding student visas in Korea has surged by about 50 percent in just a few years, with universities and immigration data demonstrating the rapidly expanding presence of international students. According to the latest relevant data released by the Ministry of Justice, the total number of people on D-2 (degree-seeking) and D-4 (language training) visas reached 305,807 as of Jan. 31, up from 260,989 a year earlier. Given that the figure stood at 194,590 in January 2023, the number of such visa holders has risen by more than 50 percent — a trend that is reshaping campuses across the country. Vietnamese nationals account for the largest share, at 115,939 students or 37.9 percent, followed by 25.2 percent from China. They are followed by Uzbekistan with 6.6 percent, Mongolia with 6.2 percent, Nepal with 5.5 percent and Myanmar with 3.3 percent. Meanwhile, the number of students from countries such as the United States, Japan and various European states remains relatively small, though it is steadily growing. This trend is also observed in another measure tha

Feb 22, 2026By Jung Min-ho

Korea’s international student population rises over 50% in 3 years

Demographic decline puts dozens of universities at risk, experts warn

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