South Korea - The Korea Times

Courier health vs. consumer convenience at center of midnight delivery dispute

In Korea, where delivery apps have become indispensable, nighttime service are now a routine part of everyday life. Just a click in the evening can bring groceries or other daily items to your doorstep early in the morning. Behind this convenient lifestyle are delivery people who work at night. Concern over increasing health risks and worsening labor conditions from their long overnight shifts has led a courier union to propose restricting deliveries between midnight and 5 a.m. The move has reignited debate over how to balance couriers’ health with their right to work overnight, and with consumer expectations for near-instant delivery. The proposal came from the couriers' union under the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), one of the country’s two major umbrella labor groups, at last month’s meeting of the courier social dialogue council — a forum launched in September by the ruling Democratic Party of Korea to address labor conditions in the delivery industry. This council had previously met twice in 2021, when parcel volumes surged during the COVID-19 pandemic and over

Nov 6, 2025By Park Ung

Courier health vs. consumer convenience at center of midnight delivery dispute

Cybersecurity workforce remains flat in 2024 despite rise in data breaches

The number of cybersecurity experts in South Korea remained nearly unchanged last year from a year earlier, despite a recent rise in data breaches across industries, government data showed Thursday. According to data released by the Ministry of Science and ICT, 66,300 people were employed at companies related to information protection in 2024, up 10 percent from a year earlier. Of them, 24,000 were engaged in the cybersecurity sector, up just 0.2 percent from the previous year. The number of experts in physical protection, covering human, facility and information security against theft or damage, rose 16.6 percent on-year to 42,000 last year. The data also showed that the number of information protection companies increased 4.2 percent to 1,780 in 2024, including 876 cybersecurity firms. Revenues from the information protection industry totaled 18.6 trillion won ($12.9 billion) last year, up 10.5 percent from a year earlier. Exports of information protection solutions reached 1.9 trillion won last year, up 11.4 percent on-year. Concerns over cybersecurity recently escalated following a seri

Nov 6, 2025By Yonhap

Cybersecurity workforce remains flat in 2024 despite rise in data breaches

Multicultural marriages hit post-pandemic high; births rise for 1st time in 12 years

The number of multicultural marriages in Korea last year reached its highest level since before the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Data and Statistics said Thursday. The number of births from multicultural parents also rose by more than 1,000 from a year earlier, marking the first increase in 12 years. The ministry attributed the growth to a rebound in demand for international marriages that had been subdued during the pandemic, along with the government’s strengthened family support measures, which appear to have benefited multicultural families. The number of multicultural marriages stood at 21,450 last year, up 1,019, or 5 percent, from the previous year. The figure had been on a steady rise since 2016 and reached 24,721 in 2019, before dropping sharply to 16,177 in 2020 following the outbreak of COVID-19. It fell further to 13,916 in 2021 but has since been recovering gradually, surpassing 20,000 in 2023. “The increase likely stems from a resurgence in international marriage demand that had been suppressed during the pandemic, coupled with greater stability in the residency st

Nov 6, 2025By Jun Ji-hye

Multicultural marriages hit post-pandemic high; births rise for 1st time in 12 years

Supreme Court OKs ordinance allowing development projects outside cultural preservation sites in Seoul

The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled in favor of a controversial legal ordinance that allows development projects outside cultural preservation sites in Seoul. The ruling confirmed the validity of a revised ordinance passed by the Seoul Metropolitan Council in September 2023 to allow construction 100 meters beyond the outer limits of national heritage sites. The culture minister had brought the case to court, arguing the ordinance should be nullified as the council passed it without following a requirement in the law to consult the head of the state Korea Heritage Service before making a revision. The top court ruled, however, that the law does not require the council to hold consultations before passing an ordinance governing construction outside of preservation sites.

Nov 6, 2025By Yonhap

Supreme Court OKs ordinance allowing development projects outside cultural preservation sites in Seoul

Bill to ban English kindergartens gains traction with bipartisan support

A legislative bill aimed at restricting English education for young children is gaining traction, as both liberal and conservative education authorities unite to address growing worries over excessive academic pressure heaped upon preschoolers. According to the office of Rep. Kang Kyung-sook of the minor liberal Rebuilding Korea Party, who is leading the legislative effort, passage of the bill appears likely amid rising support from superintendents of education offices across the country. “We are viewing the possibility of passing this bill positively,” an aide to Kang told The Korea Times. “At first, we received a huge number of protest calls, but now, not so much … We are actively working to build consensus among education superintendents, as we continue to push for it.” Under the bill, all cram school programs in English and other school subjects would be completely prohibited for children under 36 months. For older children not yet enrolled in school, instruction is restricted to no more than 40 minutes per day. If passed, the law would apply to all types of English educati

Nov 5, 2025By Jung Min-ho

Bill to ban English kindergartens gains traction with bipartisan support

Police investigate hiring of Yoo Seung-min’s daughter at Incheon National University

Police are investigating allegations of preferential treatment in the hiring of Yoo Dam, 31, the daughter of former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min, as a professor at Incheon National University. The Yeonsu Police Station in Incheon said Tuesday that it had received a complaint accusing university President Lee In-jae, members of the personnel office, hiring committee and records management team of violating the Public Records Management Act. The complaint claims that the university failed to properly preserve recruitment documents related to Yoo’s hiring, which should have been permanently archived under institutional guidelines. The complainant also called for a probe to determine whether all application records for faculty positions were destroyed. Yoo was appointed as a full-time professor in the Department of International Trade within the College of Global Economics and Politics for the second semester of the 2025 academic year. During a parliamentary audit on Oct. 28, Rep. Jin Sun-mi of the Democratic Party of Korea questioned Yoo’s appointment, saying there had been “many objections

Nov 5, 2025By Hankookilbo

Police investigate hiring of Yoo Seung-min’s daughter at Incheon National University

ContributionInfluence of K-culture in attracting international students

Over the past two decades, the global rise of K-culture, spanning K-pop, drama, film, fashion and digital media has reshaped not only entertainment industries but also the geography of learning itself. Korea's cultural appeal now serves as a compelling gateway to higher education, drawing international students who arrive to earn degrees, but also immerse themselves in the ecosystem that nurtured their favorite artists, stories and digital innovations. This educational current reflects a crucial shift, from "brand Korea" to "learn Korea." The storytelling sensibilities that constitute the core appeal of Korean dramas, such as emotional authenticity, collective resilience and global-local hybridity, are also critical components in Korea’s educational landscape. For international students, Seoul has transformed from an exotic destination into an immersive classroom, where learners wield agency to creatively constellate media industries, technological innovation and entrepreneurial energy. Within Korea University's halls, this metamorphosis reveals itself through the very dreams that our

Nov 5, 2025By Shin Hae-rin

Influence of K-culture in attracting international students

Hwangnam bread sees surge in demand and imitation after APEC summit

Demand for Gyeongju’s famed Hwangnam bread has surged following last week’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in the historic city, prompting the brand on Tuesday to warn against resellers inflating prices and vendors passing off imitations as the original. First made in 1939, the thin, hand-pressed pastry filled with sweet red bean paste — named for a local neighborhood — is a signature specialty of Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province. Last week, President Lee Jae Myung presented freshly baked Hwangnam bread to Chinese President Xi Jinping, with the message that he hoped Xi would “enjoy the taste of Gyeongju.” At the APEC summit, Xi told Lee that he had enjoyed the bread, according to presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung. Lee later sent an additional 200 boxes to the Chinese delegation and instructed Foreign Minister Cho Hyun to present Hwangnam bread to the other APEC member delegations as well. The bread has quickly seen a surge in demand, leading to shortages and a rise in reselling and imitation products. “Recently, we have seen Hwangnam bread being resol

Nov 5, 2025By Park Ung

Hwangnam bread sees surge in demand and imitation after APEC summit

Seoul City, heritage agency clash over 140-meter-tall building near Jongmyo Shrine

A plan by the Seoul Metropolitan Government to allow the construction of a 142-meter building opposite Jongmyo Shrine — the royal Confucian shrine where ancestral rites for Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) kings are still held — has drawn opposition from the Korea Heritage Service, which warned that the project could diminish the site’s historical value. Built in 1395, Jongmyo enshrines the spirit tablets (tablets inscribed with the names of the deceased) of 49 Joseon kings and queens. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1995 and is recognized as the oldest and most intact Confucian royal ancestral shrine, with its original spatial layout fully preserved. The city government last week raised allowable building heights in Sewoon District 4, with Jongmyo Shrine to the north and Cheonggye Stream to the south. Under the new plan, limits will increase from 55 meters to 98.7 meters at the north end of the property and from 71.9 meters to 141.9 meters at the south end. Located about 180 meters from the shrine's front gate, the district has been marked for redevelopment since 2004

Nov 4, 2025By Park Ung

Seoul City, heritage agency clash over 140-meter-tall building near Jongmyo Shrine

‘World’s highest IQ holder’ Kim Young-hoon says he is seeking asylum in US

Kim Young-hoon, a 36-year-old Korean man who claims to hold the world’s highest IQ of 276, has announced that he is seeking asylum in the United States, citing political and religious persecution in Korea. Kim posted a 95-second video on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Thursday, saying in English, “As a Christian and as the world’s highest IQ record holder, I am applying for asylum in the United States.” He said he could no longer stay in Korea because it is "ruled by a pro-North Korean leftist government that suppresses biblical truth, silences Christian voices and betrays the very freedom our ancestors fought to protect.” He continued, “Today, the Korean government punishes patriots and glorifies communists. Truth has become a crime, and faith has become a target. I will not bow to the evil. That's why I seek refuge in America, where faith is not persecuted but protected.” In another post, Kim wrote in English that the "South Korean government has become pro-North Korea. "That's why I am the 1st South Korean to apply for asylum under President Trump due to political an

Nov 4, 2025By Hankookilbo

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