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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.

How much can a courier earn in Korea, the ‘delivery republic?’

How much money can you really make delivering packages in Korea? For one young man, the answer is life-changing. A 26-year-old delivery worker in Korea has stunned viewers by revealing that he saved nearly 300 million won ($220,000) in just six years — solely through delivering packages. On the Wednesday episode of the tvN talk show “You Quiz on the Block,” Jung Sang-bin, dubbed the “delivery god,” shared how he went from an entry-level courier to one of the top 1 percent in his industry before turning 30. Jung said he started his career at 20 after responding to a delivery company’s recruitment ad. “My first month’s salary was 1.9 million won. At that time, it was a fixed salary,” he said. However, after moving to another company, he switched to a per-delivery payment system — a change that motivated him to push himself further. “I studied the most efficient delivery routes and memorized every building address in my area. Just by looking at the waybill, I know the exact order of deliveries,” Jung said, explaining how he maximized his earnings. His hard work paid o

Oct 2, 2025By Xportsnews
How much can a courier earn in Korea, the ‘delivery republic?’

Online sellers criticized for promoting Chinese attire as hanbok ahead of Chuseok

Controversy is growing in Korea after it emerged that several online retailers have been marketing Chinese traditional garments, known as hanfu, as “Chinese-style hanbok” ahead of the Chuseok holiday. The issue came to light after professor Seo Kyoung-duk of Sungshin Women’s University voiced concerns on social media, revealing that searches for “hanbok” on major platforms yield numerous products marked as “Chinese-style hanbok” and related items. Seo said the mislabeling conflates Korean hanbok with Chinese hanfu, denouncing it as “absurd” and an affront to Korea’s cultural heritage. Angry online users quickly joined the conversation, asserting their criticism was not about banning sales of Chinese garments, but about demanding clear distinction between hanbok and hanfu in product listings. “The two garments carry distinct traditions and have significant differences, and must be labeled accurately,” one observer argued. Hanbok and hanfu, while both Asian traditional clothing, originate from different historical and cultural contexts and are distinct in style. Hanbo

Oct 2, 2025By Lee Hae-rin
Online sellers criticized for promoting Chinese attire as hanbok ahead of Chuseok

Patient gets over 6,000 ADHD pills as lax prescribing puts teens at risk

A single patient was found to have received more than 6,000 pills of medication for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in the first half of this year, with some cases showing prescriptions of more than 1,000 pills at once, according to government data. Rep. Baek Jong-heon of the People Power Party, citing figures submitted by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and the National Health Insurance Service on Wednesday, said the patient obtained 6,120 pills through 25 prescriptions at two hospitals in Bupyeong District, Incheon. Over a span of five years and six months beginning in 2021, the patient received a total of 33,976 pills. Other individuals were found to have visited multiple hospitals to obtain large quantities of ADHD medications. One person received 2,210 pills through 18 prescriptions from five medical institutions in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province, while another acquired 3,315 pills from three hospitals in central Seoul. Hospitals with unusually high prescription rates were also identified. A clinic in Seoul’s Gangnam District dispensed 841,582 pills through 8,790

Oct 2, 2025By Hankookilbo
Patient gets over 6,000 ADHD pills as lax prescribing puts teens at risk

112 online gov't services restored after data center fire

A total of 112 online government services have been restored in the wake of an outage caused by last week's fire at the state data management agency, the government said Thursday. As of 12 p.m., the restoration rate stood at 17.3 percent after 112 of the 647 services affected by Friday's fire at the National Information Resources Service (NIRS) in Daejeon, about 140 kilometers south of Seoul, were brought back online, it said. Interior Minister Yun Ho-jung said the government will go all-out to recover the services throughout the extended Chuseok holiday that begins Friday. "We are gravely aware that the current restoration rate falls short of the people's expectations," he said during a meeting of the government's Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters. "The government has taken steps to dispatch civilian experts and research agency personnel to the site (of the fire) in order to fully mobilize personnel and funds and accelerate the restoration rate." Vice Interior Minister Kim Min-jae said officials were focusing on speeding up restoration efforts by replacing the uni

Oct 2, 2025By Yonhap
112 online gov't services restored after data center fire

As knife attacks rise, police weigh heavy burden of deadly force

In February, two police officers in Gwangju responded to a report from two women who said a stranger had trailed them and watched as they punched in the security code to open the door to their residence. When confronted by the officers, the suspect drew a 30-centimeter knife and lunged toward them. One officer discharged a stun gun but missed. Police then opened fire — marking the first and only use of live ammunition by law enforcement in Korea between January and August of this year. In a country largely spared from gun violence, knife attacks are occurring with increasing frequency — and earlier this year, a murder involving a homemade firearm shocked the public. Yet despite the rising threats, police remain hesitant to use live ammunition in the field, according to law enforcement officials and public safety experts. Police use of live ammunition in Korea is governed by stringent regulations that often mandate a warning shot and require the use of “minimum force,” aiming for “the least injurious area.” These rules contribute to a deep reluctance among police to use live

Oct 2, 2025By Park Ung
As knife attacks rise, police weigh heavy burden of deadly force

FACT CHECK No evidence that visa-free Chinese tourists pose criminal or health risks

As Korea reopened visa-free entry for Chinese tour groups last weekend, conspiracy theories and alarmist claims began circulating online, warning that criminals and infectious diseases would enter the country. However, officials and experts stress these assertions are exaggerated or simply false. The government is permitting groups of three or more Chinese nationals, organized by licensed travel agencies, to enter the country without visas and stay for up to 15 days until June 30 next year. The authorities expect the program to attract around 1 million additional visitors, on top of the 4.6 million Chinese tourists who visited last year. The measure coincides with China’s National Day and mid-Autumn holidays, when inbound demand traditionally surges. Criminal screening in place Rumors spread following a fire on Sept. 26 at the National Information Resources Service facility in Daejeon, which disrupted some online government platforms. Critics claimed that the outage prevented the authorities from screening high-risk travelers, allowing “criminals to flood into Korea.” However, the

Oct 2, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
[FACT CHECK] No evidence that visa-free Chinese tourists pose criminal or health risks

Anti-China rallies increase in Korea amid visa-free tourism policy

An increasing number of anti-China rallies are being held in areas of Seoul such as the shopping district of Myeong-dong and neighborhoods with large Chinese immigrant populations, especially after the nation began a new visa-free entry policy for Chinese tour groups. Over the past months, protesters aligned with conservative civic groups — mostly right-wing supporters of former President Yoon Suk Yeol — have staged demonstrations. Some participants even showed aggressive behavior, tearing down banners depicting the Chinese ambassador’s face, shouting slogans such as “China Out” and confronting foreign tourists with hostile remarks. Demonstrators have also linked their grievances to various alleged crimes by Chinese nationals, intensifying the wave of animosity. According to data released by Rep. Chung Choon-saeng of the minor Rebuilding Korea Party on Wednesday, the number of anti-China rallies in Seoul’s Myeong-dong area — where the Chinese Embassy is located — was 20 in 2022, 15 in 2023 and 13 in 2024. But the number has surged to 65 this year, including those reporte

Oct 1, 2025By Lee Hae-rin
Anti-China rallies increase in Korea amid visa-free tourism policy

98 online gov't services restored after data center fire

A total of 98 online government services have been restored in the wake of an outage caused by last week's fire at the state data management agency, the government said Wednesday. As of 8 a.m., the restoration rate stood at 15.1 percent after 98 out of 647 services affected by Friday's fire at the National Information Resources Service (NIRS) in Daejeon, about 140 kilometers south of Seoul, were brought back online, it said. The restored services included 21 out of 36 "Grade 1" services, or those considered essential based on their impact and number of users. Meanwhile, a situation room, led by Vice Interior Minister Kim Min-jae, to monitor the progress in restoration efforts has been installed at the NIRS. A police investigation is under way into the cause of the fire, which began after a lithium-ion battery exploded in a server room on the fifth floor of the NIRS and was completely extinguished Saturday.

Oct 1, 2025By Yonhap
98 online gov't services restored after data center fire

Unionized workers at airports nationwide launch strike

Unionized workers at 15 airports nationwide, including the nation's main Incheon International Airport, launched an indefinite strike Wednesday, raising concerns of possible disruptions to air travel ahead of the Chuseok holiday period. The general strike began at 6 a.m. at airports across the country, involving unions representing about 15,000 airport workers, including those in charge of runway repairs, firefighting and electrical maintenance. The unionized workers have demanded improved working conditions, such as more relaxed work shifts, vowing to strike until their demands are met as the nation will head into a weeklong holiday period Friday for the Chuseok fall harvest festival. Rallies are scheduled to take place at Gimpo International Airport in western Seoul and Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, later in the day. The unionized workers staged a one-day strike outlining their demands last month.

Oct 1, 2025By Yonhap
Unionized workers at airports nationwide launch strike

Air Busan sparks backlash with video reinforcing gender stereotypes

Low-cost carrier Air Busan is facing criticism after posting a video featuring its first-ever all-male cabin crew since the airline’s founding in 2007. While the video was intended to highlight the male cabin crew’s novelty, its title and content drew criticism for reinforcing gender stereotypes in the airline industry. The video, uploaded to Air Busan’s official channel on Sept. 28, was originally titled “Uploading the dullest flight of the year.” It showed a group of male attendants greeting passengers and providing in-flight services. In the video, male crew members were asked about the absence of their female colleagues. One replied: “No matter how hard we try to be cheerful, we can’t match the kindness and brightness of our female colleagues. As a result, passengers’ expressions don’t look as good.” The remarks and the video’s portrayal of the cabin crew triggered immediate backlash. Many viewers argued that calling the flight “dull” suggested that women were essential to create a pleasant atmosphere, perpetuating the stereotype that women are inherently wa

Sep 30, 2025By Youn Ye-jin
Air Busan sparks backlash with video reinforcing gender stereotypes
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