South Korea - The Korea Times

Security heightened in Gyeongju for APEC summit

GYEONGJU, North Gyeongsang Province — Security across Gyeongju has been tightened as Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) events begin, with a massive deployment of forces to protect visiting leaders and delegates, placing the city on one of the highest alert levels in its history. While the nationwide terrorism alert level was raised to “caution” last Friday, it was elevated further to “warning” in Gyeongju and nearby regions — Busan, Daegu, Ulsan and North and South Gyeongsang provinces — for Tuesday through Saturday. As leaders from the 21 member economies prepared to arrive, police in North Gyeongsang Province issued their highest-level security alert on Tuesday, allowing the mobilization of all available personnel. Up to 19,000 officers will be deployed across Gyeongju each day during the APEC meetings to keep the city secure. At the center of the heightened security is Bomun Tourist Complex, about a 15-minute drive from downtown Gyeongju. It houses Gyeongju Hwabaek International Convention Center (HICO), the main venue for the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting, as

Oct 28, 2025By Park Ung

Security heightened in Gyeongju for APEC summit

Fathers account for nearly 37% of parental leave users

The number of workers receiving parental leave benefits rose 37 percent to 141,909 in the first nine months of 2025, reflecting the impact of policy reforms and cultural changes in parenting. According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor on Tuesday, 52,279 men took parental leave between January and September, making up 36.8 percent of all users ― up from 32.1 percent during the same period last year and reflecting a rise in fathers’ participation. This trend suggests growing acceptance of men taking a more engaged role in parenting and evolving societal attitudes toward fathers' roles in child care, officials said. The increase in men claiming parental leave is driven in part by key policy changes, including a raise in the monthly parental allowance from a maximum of 1.5 million won ($1,050) to 2.5 million won. There was also an extension of the maximum leave period, from one year to up to 18 months, as long as both parents take at least three months of leave. Other reforms that contributed to the trend include the elimination of a policy from the previous system, under which 25

Oct 28, 2025By Jung Min-ho

Fathers account for nearly 37% of parental leave users

London Bagel Museum employee dies after working 80 hours a week

A man in his 20s working for one of Korea's most popular bakery cafes, London Bagel Museum, died in July after working nearly 80 hours a week, the minor progressive Justice Party said. The death, which has raised questions about overwork, came 14 months after the employee joined the company in May 2024. The Justice Party stated Monday the employee had arrived at work at 9 a.m. and left around midnight the day before he died. Five days before his death he worked 21 hours in a single day. "Chronic overwork combined with acute overwork may have led to his death," the party said in a statement. The worker's employment contract contained 14 hours of overtime per week, violating the 52-hour workweek limit, according to the party. The Justice Party said the bereaved family applied for the death to be classified as resulting from work, but LBM, the company running the bakery cafe, has refused to provide data on the employee's working hours, stating that “the work records confirmed by the company differ from the family’s claims.” London Bagel Museum opened its first store in Anguk-dong in cen

Oct 28, 2025By Kim Bo-eun

London Bagel Museum employee dies after working 80 hours a week

Hospital ordered to pay $430,000 for child’s disability after C-section refusal

A court has ordered a hospital to pay more than 600 million won ($430,000) in damages to a couple and their son, who was born with disabilities after doctors refused to perform a cesarean section despite a prolonged and difficult labor. The ruling said the hospital was responsible for forcing a natural birth that led to the child’s permanent injury, a decision legal experts say is rare in both the size of compensation and recognition of medical negligence. The Suwon High Court, presided over by Judge Lee Soo-young, ruled on Sept. 19 that the hospital must pay 620 million won to the parents and their son, along with interest. Including accrued interest since the birth, the compensation amounts to roughly 1.01 billion won as of Monday. According to court records, the woman gave birth to her son at an obstetrics clinic in Gyeonggi Province in January 2016 after 11 hours of induced labor. Despite the couple’s repeated requests for a C-section, the hospital insisted on proceeding with a natural delivery. The boy was later diagnosed with cerebral palsy in March 2017 and now suffers from ph

Oct 28, 2025By Hankookilbo

Hospital ordered to pay $430,000 for child’s disability after C-section refusal

Korea reports highly pathogenic bird flu case at wild geese farm

Korea reported a highly pathogenic avian influenza (AI) case at a wild geese farm in the country's southwest, authorities said Monday. The case was discovered at a small wild geese farm in Gwangju, last Tuesday, prompting authorities to raise the alert level and take quarantine measures, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said. The ministry said it has raised the AI crisis alert from "caution" to "severe," activating local livestock disease control centers in all municipalities. Under the "severe" alert, frequent inspections at poultry farms will take place, and restrictions will apply to the period for mass stocking and shipment at broiler and duck farms. Gatherings or events involving personnel working at livestock and poultry farms will be banned. An early epidemiological investigation at the affected farm has found that it violated operation regulations, including unregistered livestock operations and failure to regularly disinfect facilities, the ministry said.

Oct 27, 2025By Yonhap

Korea reports highly pathogenic bird flu case at wild geese farm

Meet the volunteers keeping Gyeongju’s APEC summit running smoothly

GYEONGJU, North Gyeongsang Province — With the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) events now underway, Gyeongju is alive with heightened security and the diplomatic pageantry that accompanies such gatherings — from heads of state to a swelling international press corps. Yet beyond the visible layers of police and protocol, Korea’s second APEC meeting in two decades owes its success to a dedicated local team — 310 volunteers quietly managing the event’s operations. They assist thousands of foreign visitors as they arrive at the airport, and also provide support with transportation, lodging, and on-site operations. In July, 254 volunteers were selected from a pool of 1,069 applicants nationwide, with additional support from students at Dongguk University’s Gyeongju campus and other international participants. On Monday, the volunteers were stationed throughout the city, quickly forming the essential on-the-ground support network needed to guide thousands of delegates. “My job is to provide transportation support at Gyeongju Intercity Bus Terminal, helping visitors find

Oct 27, 2025By Park Ung

Meet the volunteers keeping Gyeongju’s APEC summit running smoothly

Hangang Bus to resume operations after safety overhaul

After a monthlong suspension prompted by safety concerns, the Hangang Bus ferry service will resume operations Saturday, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said Monday. The relaunch comes after the city government subjected its fleet to intensified no-passenger trial runs intended to stabilize performance, collect more data and allow for crew retraining following a rudder failure that forced an emergency return 10 minutes after departure on Sept. 26. During the inspection, transit authorities worked to enhance the safety and reliability of the river bus. Officials say this trial period also allowed the city government to build contingency plans for adverse weather and technical emergencies — challenges that had triggered service interruptions and frustrated ferry users previously. When the service resumes, the Hangang Bus will run more frequently and with additional backup vessels. The revised schedule begins at 9 a.m., two hours earlier than before, and continues until 9:37 p.m. with departures every 90 minutes, totaling 16 trips per day. To avoid cancellations, which plagued the initi

Oct 27, 2025By Jung Min-ho

Hangang Bus to resume operations after safety overhaul

Gyeongju warns of scam promising free G-Dragon concert at APEC summit

The city of Gyeongju has urged the public to exercise caution after false social media posts circulated online claiming that K-pop star G-Dragon would give a free concert at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. City officials said Monday that several online communities and blogs had circulated posts about supposed concerts such as “G-Dragon’s Cheomseongdae Performance” and the “Hwangseong Park Concert,” describing them as completely unfounded. They added that there are no official performance plans involving the singer during the APEC summit, which runs through Saturday. These fake posts are based on online rumors claiming that G-Dragon would host a free concert on Friday near Cheomseongdae Observatory in Donggung Palace as part of a cultural event commemorating the summit. The posts also included links claiming users could “preregister” for the event, but clicking the links led to pages requesting personal information. Authorities suspect the scheme may be a form of smishing fraud. To curb misinformation, the city has been sharing verified details with loca

Oct 27, 2025By Lee Hae-rin

Gyeongju warns of scam promising free G-Dragon concert at APEC summit

Key venues revealed for pope's WYD 2027 visit to Seoul

Organizers for World Youth Day (WYD) 2027 said Monday the Seoul World Cup Stadium, Gwanghwamun Square, Olympic Park and Yeouido Han River Park are among the key venues being considered for the global event in Seoul, which Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to attend. At a press briefing on the basic plan for the Aug. 3-8 event, the organizing committee, led by Archbishop of Seoul Archdiocese Peter Chung Soon-taick, said the Seoul World Cup Stadium is being considered for the Aug. 3 Opening Mass, which will officially commence WYD and showcase Korean history and culture. Pope Leo XIV will arrive in early August, with his official welcoming ceremony potentially at Gwanghwamun Square in the city center, featuring a car parade, a march and cultural performances. The pontiff is expected to offer a message for the youth "to take courage amid the flames of war and the immense challenges of climate crisis and economic inequality, as they wander through spiritual isolation and social disconnection," Chung said. The pope is also said to be interested in talking to North Korean youth through the event, acco

Oct 27, 2025By Yonhap

Key venues revealed for pope's WYD 2027 visit to Seoul

APEC summit transforms Gyeongju into global diplomacy hub

Gyeongju, the historic capital of the ancient Silla Kingdom, is rapidly becoming a focal point of global diplomacy as host of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, which began Monday. The weeklong event will temporarily shift the world’s attention to this ancient Korean city in North Gyeongsang Province, using its deep historical backdrop for critical discussions on the future of Asia-Pacific trade and security. Officials are operating under a mandate to ensure flawless execution for the high-stakes gathering. As a visible measure of this commitment, Pohang Gyeongju Airport, a regional gateway, has been temporarily repurposed as the exclusive hub for visiting corporate leaders. The city itself is being carefully managed and promoted as a unique convergence point, where the demands of 21st-century technology are set against the backdrop of millennia-old Korean culture, providing a distinctive setting for the world’s economic leaders. Delegates participating in the Concluding Senior Officials’ Meeting, scheduled Monday and Tuesday at Sono Calm and Commodore Hotel, bega

Oct 27, 2025By Kim Hyun-bin

Society

Society

Security heightened in Gyeongju for APEC summit

Fathers account for nearly 37% of parental leave users

London Bagel Museum employee dies after working 80 hours a week

Hospital ordered to pay $430,000 for child’s disability after C-section refusal

Korea reports highly pathogenic bird flu case at wild geese farm

Meet the volunteers keeping Gyeongju’s APEC summit running smoothly

Hangang Bus to resume operations after safety overhaul

Gyeongju warns of scam promising free G-Dragon concert at APEC summit

Key venues revealed for pope's WYD 2027 visit to Seoul

APEC summit transforms Gyeongju into global diplomacy hub

Most Read in South Korea