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CEO & Publisher: Oh Young-jinDigital News Email: webmaster@koreatimes.co.krTel: 02-724-2114Online newspaper registration No: 서울,아52844Date of registration: 2020.02.05Masthead: The Korea TimesCopyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.

Gyeongju residents welcome APEC dignitaries

GYEONGJU, North Gyeongsang Province — A day before this year’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju, the southeastern city buzzed with anticipation Sunday as it prepared to welcome guests from around the world. Starting Monday, this historic city will host a series of APEC events, starting with the Concluding Senior Officials’ Meeting, followed by the APEC Ministerial Meeting and the CEO Summit. The Economic Leaders’ Meeting, scheduled for Friday and Saturday, will bring together leaders from all 21 member economies, including U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The excitement surrounding the APEC events was evident as soon as visitors arrived at Gyeongju Station. Greeters dressed in hanbok, Korea’s traditional attire, welcomed visitors with cheongsachorong — red and blue traditional lanterns — as many paused to take photos with them. The moment felt special for Kim Hyoun-su, a first-year student at Dongguk University’s Gyeongju campus who works as a staff member for the APEC events. “I hope more foreign visitors come to

Oct 26, 2025By Park Ung
Gyeongju residents welcome APEC dignitaries

Security ramped up to highest level in Gyeongju ahead of APEC summit

Security in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, has been raised to the highest level as world leaders and top business figures converge on the city for the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. Key areas such as Gyeongju Station and the Bomun Tourist Complex, where the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting will be held and hotels accommodating world leaders are located, will be subject to enhanced security and defense operations. Police plan to enforce strict security protocols around the Bomun complex, deploying up to 18,500 officers daily, with support from police special operations armored vehicles and helicopters. A three-tier security system will be in place to protect major figures, with personnel and equipment positioned across inner, middle and outer perimeters surrounding each individual. At Gyeongju Station, one of the city’s busiest public facilities, police are preparing precautionary measures, as multiple civic groups have announced plans to hold rallies there. In addition, 1,800 military personnel will be dispatched for ground security and patrol operations aro

Oct 26, 2025By Jung Da-hyun
Security ramped up to highest level in Gyeongju ahead of APEC summit

State-of-the-art facilities await world leaders for APEC 2025

The ancient city of Gyeongju in North Gyeongsang Province is entering the final phase of preparations to host the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting from Oct. 31 to Nov. 1. The summit will gather top leaders and senior officials from 21 member economies, including U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, who are set to meet for the first time in more than six years. At the heart of the event stands the Gyeongju Hwabaek Convention Center (HICO), the official summit venue. The building has undergone a complete transformation to host the two-day event, emerging as a state-of-the-art conference facility equipped with advanced LED screens, immersive sound systems and a full-scale renovation of the full interior. Once a regional convention center, HICO has been redesigned to accommodate top-level diplomacy. Its VIP lounges, bilateral meeting rooms and simultaneous interpretation facilities have been fully refurbished. Every elevator and escalator was replaced for accessibility and safety. "We are on our final steps," said Park Jang-ho,

Oct 26, 2025By Lee Hae-rin
State-of-the-art facilities await world leaders for APEC 2025

Families of foreign victims of Itaewon crowd crush visit Korea

The bereaved families of 26 foreign victims in the tragic crowd accident in Seoul in 2022 will visit Korea this week to mark its third anniversary, the bereaved families group said Friday. The 26 foreign victims from 14 countries are among the 159 people killed during Halloween festivities in a narrow alley of Itaewon in central Seoul on Oct. 29, 2022. The group said 46 bereaved family members of 21 out of the 26 victims will be in Seoul for seven days at the official invitation of the Korean government. They are from 12 countries — Iran, Russia, the United States, Australia, China, Japan, France, Austria, Norway, Sri Lanka, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Most of the foreign families will enter Korea on Friday and begin their official schedule by visiting the site of the disaster near Exit 1 of Itaewon Station at 1 p.m. Saturday, the group said. They will also participate in the disaster's third anniversary memorial service and meet with Korean bereaved families, it added.

Oct 24, 2025By Yonhap
Families of foreign victims of Itaewon crowd crush visit Korea

Major protests planned against Trump, Xi in Gyeongju ahead of APEC summit

As the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit draws near, police and authorities in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, are now on high alert for protests targeting two of the most high-profile guests ― U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. With the leaders of the two largest economies in the world scheduled for a rare in-person meeting on Thursday, tensions have been mounting outside the official summit venues. So far, at least 13 organizations are planning to hold 16 separate rallies throughout the city during APEC week, with more activists anticipated to join as the event approaches, according to police on Friday. The International People’s Action Committee Against 2025 APEC, which consists of 35 left-leaning political parties and civic groups, plans to mobilize protestors from Seoul to Gyeongju in the coming week, voicing opposition to tariff threats from Trump. “The whole world is unable to respond to Trump’s ruthless tariff war and is being defeated one by one,” the committee said in statement at its launching ceremony last month. “We

Oct 24, 2025By Jung Min-ho
Major protests planned against Trump, Xi in Gyeongju ahead of APEC summit

Korean victim of Japan's forced labor dies at 108

Kim Han-soo, a Korean victim of Japan's wartime forced labor, died at the age of 108 earlier this week, an activist group said Friday. Kim, who was forced to work in a Nagasaki shipyard run by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for one year starting in August 1944, died Wednesday, according to the Center for Historical Truth and Justice. "Kim fought for the restoration of human rights and dignity against 'war crime companies,' including filing a lawsuit against Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for forced labor," the center said. Kim launched a compensation suit against the Japanese company in 2019, claiming he was forced to live like a dog or a pig during the forced labor. A district court rejected his suit, but an appellate court ruled in favor of him in June this year, ordering Mitsubishi to pay 100 million won (about $69,700) to Kim. The case is now pending before the Supreme Court.

Oct 24, 2025By Yonhap
Korean victim of Japan's forced labor dies at 108

InterviewKyung Hee University calls for global recognition of 'K-education'

K-pop and K-dramas have propelled Korea’s cultural exports to unprecedented global heights, turning “K-” into a powerful global brand. Beyond the spotlight, Kyung Hee University President Kim Jin-sang pointed out that K-education and K-research still struggle to earn the same recognition — not for lack of quality, but because their value remains overlooked. “Korean universities maintain world-class standards, but global recognition has yet to follow,” Kim said in an interview with The Korea Times. “This is where universities like Kyung Hee must step in and play a greater role.” Kim considers Korea’s cultural ascent to be deeply connected to its strong educational foundation. “Two factors made K-culture possible — the nation’s high level of education and its dynamic, fast-paced mindset,” he said. “With more than 70 percent of Koreans having attended higher education institutions, one of the highest rates in the world, it was natural that our cultural output would reach global standards.” Kim emphasized that Korea must now channel its cultural momentum into de

Oct 24, 2025By Jung Da-hyun
Kyung Hee University calls for global recognition of 'K-education'

Robot draws PM's portrait at APEC exhibition

Prime Minister Kim Min-seok poses for a robot drawing his portrait at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Exhibition Center in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Pronvince, Wednesday, as part of an inspection of venues for the international events. The APEC meetings are set to run in Gyeongju from Sunday through Nov. 1. Yonhap

Oct 23, 2025By Jung Da-hyunphoto
Robot draws PM's portrait at APEC exhibition

After year in limbo, gender ministry gets reboot

After more than a year without a minister, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family is returning to the spotlight with a broader mandate and a new leader. However, controversy persists over the creation of a department focused on discrimination against men and the transfer of women’s employment policies from the labor ministry, a move critics say could undermine efforts to promote women’s employment. The ministry faced a sustained existential threat under previous President Yoon Suk Yeol, who fulfilled his pledge to leave the top position vacant for an extended period in an effort to push for the ministry's eventual abolition. Newly appointed Gender Equality Minister Won Min-kyong pledged to rebuild public trust and renew the ministry’s mission during a press briefing Thursday, acknowledging deepening divides over gender and generation in Korean society. “Our ministry must now move beyond a period of vacancy toward a period of restoration,” Won said. “Restoration doesn’t just mean normalizing the organization — it means rebuilding trust in gender equality policies and t

Oct 23, 2025By Jung Da-hyun
After year in limbo, gender ministry gets reboot

APEC security mandates foreign visitor registration near Gyeongju

Short-term foreign visitors staying between Friday and next Saturday in areas near Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, the site of next week’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, must report to the government under heightened security measures. The Ministry of Justice said Tuesday that B-1, B-2, C-1, C-3 and C-4 visa holders staying at local accommodations in Busan, Daegu, Ulsan and the Gyeongsang provinces must present their passports or travel certificates to lodging providers. The providers must then report the guest’s nationality, date of birth, passport number and other information through the Korea Immigration Service website or its mobile app within 12 hours of check-in. Those who fail to comply — both foreign guests and lodging operators — may face fines of up to 500,000 won ($347). The measure is being implemented under the Anti-Terrorism Act, which requires these extra steps when the national alert level is raised to “caution” or higher. The status will be elevated from its current level to “caution” starting Friday, ahead of next week’s slate of

Oct 23, 2025By Park Ung
APEC security mandates foreign visitor registration near Gyeongju
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