South Korea - The Korea Times

National Assembly passes bill to switch AI-driven textbooks into 'education materials'

The National Assembly on Monday passed a bill that classifies artificial intelligence (AI)-generated educational resources as "education materials" rather than official textbooks, rolling back the previous administration's plan to introduce AI digital textbooks nationwide. With the passage of the revision to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, AI-generated materials will be used as optional supplementary tools rather than mandatory textbooks. Lawmakers of the main opposition People Power Party have denounced the revision as a setback for classroom innovation, arguing that it deprives underprivileged students of education opportunities. The introduction of AI digital textbooks was one of the flagship initiatives of former President Yoon Suk Yeol but was met with resistance from teachers and concerns that such textbooks could excessively increase screen time for the students, potentially hinder their literacy skills and cause budget constraints. The revision earlier passed the Assembly under the Yoon administration but was scrapped after a presidential veto. It will take effect imme

Aug 4, 2025By Yonhap

National Assembly passes bill to switch AI-driven textbooks into 'education materials'

Korea Environment Corp.’s water exploration program unites families

The Korea Environment Corp. successfully hosted a hands-on summer program, “Let’s Play with Water! Cluster Water Exploration Team,” on Thursday and Friday bringing together employees of resident companies and their families for a two-day educational and recreational experience. Designed to foster community among resident companies and improve employee welfare, the program took place during summer vacation to accommodate families with young children. A total of 31 participants — mostly families with elementary school-aged children or younger — joined the event. On the first day, participants toured the promotional exhibition hall, engaged in a hands-on water pollution education session and visited several eco- and science-focused attractions, including an environmental promotion center, the Daegu National Science Museum and a local traditional market. The second day featured a visit to a wetlands ecological center, followed by a sightseeing cruise along the Nakdong River aboard a ferry, where participants explored key water-related landmarks in the area and learned about the ri

Aug 4, 2025By Kim Hyun-bin

Korea Environment Corp.’s water exploration program unites families

Workplace bullying spurs surge in trauma counseling

Cases of workplace bullying are on the rise in Korea, and the number of employees reporting psychological trauma has reached record levels, recent government data shows. The Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency (KOSHA) said Sunday that its network of occupational trauma centers conducted 16,607 counseling sessions between 2022 and 2024, with annual figures rising sharply each year. In 2023, there were 6,757 consultations — a 56.4 percent increase from 2022 and a 22.2 percent jump compared to 2023. The centers, first established in Daegu in 2018 and now expanded to 23 locations nationwide, offer free psychological support to workers experiencing trauma caused by serious industrial accidents, co-worker suicides, workplace bullying, or sexual harassment or violence. Work-related accidents, including serious industrial injuries, were the most common reason for trauma counseling in 2023, accounting for 3,214 sessions — nearly half of the annual total. Consultations related to bullying and sexual harassment followed closely at 2,311 cases, nearly double the 1,156 recorded in 2022. G

Aug 4, 2025By Kim Hyun-bin

Workplace bullying spurs surge in trauma counseling

Pope expresses hope to meet young Catholics in Seoul at World Youth Day 2027

Pope Leo XIV has said he hopes to meet faithful Catholic youths in person at the next World Youth Day (WYD), which will be held from Aug. 3-8 in Seoul two years from now, the Archdiocese of Seoul said Monday. The pontiff confirmed the dates and announced his plan to attend the upcoming event in his closing message at the Jubilee for Young People in Rome on Sunday (local time). He celebrated Mass at Tor Vergata for around 1 million young people from 146 countries, including a contingent of 1,400 South Korean worshipers. "After this jubilee, the 'pilgrimage of hope' of young people continues and will take us to Asia," he said. "I renew the invitation that Pope Francis extended in Lisbon two years ago," referring to the 2023 WYD in Portugal. "You, young pilgrims of hope, will be witnesses of this to the ends of the Earth! I look forward to seeing you in Seoul: Let us continue to dream together and to hope together," he said. The 2027 event will mark the first time the global event is held in South Korea and only the second time it has been hosted in Asia, following the 1995 gathering in Man

Aug 4, 2025By Yonhap

Pope expresses hope to meet young Catholics in Seoul at World Youth Day 2027

Heavy rains expected to soak Korea this week

Days of scorching heat have given way to heavy downpours, with torrential rain forecast across most of the country throughout this week, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said Sunday. The weather agency reported that rainfall, which began Sunday evening across much of the country, is expected to deliver between 80 and 150 millimeters of precipitation in Gwangju, Busan, Ulsan, South Jeolla Province and South Gyeongsang Province through Tuesday. During the same period, the cities of Seoul, Daejeon and Sejong, along with Gyeonggi Province, South Chungcheong Province and North Jeolla Province, are forecast to receive between 50 and 100 millimeters of rainfall. Some parts of Gyeonggi Province and South Chungcheong Province could see up to 150 millimeters of rain, while more than 250 millimeters are expected along the southern coast and Jeju Island. The rainfall may let up by Tuesday morning, the KMA said, but heavy showers are expected to return on Wednesday, continuing through Thursday in southern regions. The weather agency urged residents near rivers and streams to stay alert, w

Aug 4, 2025By Lee Hyo-jin

Heavy rains expected to soak Korea this week

3 injured in cosmetic material factory explosion in southern city of Yeongcheon

Three employees were injured, one of them seriously, and another was reported missing after a cosmetic material factory in the southeastern city of Yeongcheon exploded and caught fire Sunday, firefighters said. Firefighters received a report at around 12:42 p.m. that a chemical factory producing materials for cosmetics had exploded and caused a fire at an industrial complex in Yeongcheon, about 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul. Among the 13 employees who were working at the factory, the incident left one employee seriously injured and two others with relatively minor injuries, according to police. One employee was reported missing. A search operation is under way, as fire authorities put out the main flames at 6:13 p.m. Firefighters initially had difficulty entering the factory due to intense flames and toxic smoke, prompting authorities to mobilize firefighting helicopters to lead efforts to extinguish the blaze. The factory produces chemicals, including hydrogen peroxide, used in cosmetics. Following the explosion, a convenience store about 300 meters away had its windows shattered, wh

Aug 3, 2025By Yonhap

3 injured in cosmetic material factory explosion in southern city of Yeongcheon

Daily maximum power demand hits record high in July amid extreme heat wave

Korea's average daily maximum power demand hit a record high last month as the country endured one of the most severe summer heat waves on record, data showed Sunday. The country's peak power demand in July averaged 85 gigawatts, up 5.6 percent from a year earlier, according to the Korea Power Exchange. The reading marked the highest level for any July since 1993, when the government began compiling relevant data. The monthly high was recorded in August 2024, when the figure came to 87.8 GW. The record in July was driven by increased electricity consumption for air conditioning, as the heat wave persisted throughout the month. According to the state weather agency, the number of days with daily high temperatures reaching 33 degrees Celcius or higher totaled 15 days last month, more than four times the July average of 3.4 days over the past 53 years, since record-keeping began in 1973. Tropical nights, where nighttime temperatures stayed above 25 degrees, persisted for a total of 23 days in July, the longest stretch since 1973. The government expects peak electricity demand this summer to r

Aug 3, 2025By Yonhap

Daily maximum power demand hits record high in July amid extreme heat wave

Cheong Wa Dae closed to public for maintenance ahead of Lee’s return to historic presidential office

Cheong Wa Dae, Korea’s historic presidential compound commonly known as the Blue House, officially closed its doors to the public on Friday, as preparations begin for President Lee Jae Myung’s planned return to the site later this year. The Cheong Wa Dae Foundation, responsible for public operations of the compound under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, announced that all tours and public entry have been fully suspended starting Friday to allow for comprehensive security and safety inspections, as well as facility maintenance. The closure follows more than three years of public access, which saw the landmark transformed from the nation’s seat of power into a Seoul tourist destination. Cheong Wa Dae first opened to the public in May 2022 under former President Yoon Suk Yeol, drawing 8.52 million visitors in the period since. At the time, Yoon’s transition committee had ambitious expectations for visitor numbers and economic impact, estimating that the opening of Cheong Wa Dae would generate an economic ripple effect of approximately 200 billion won ($142.9 million) ann

Aug 1, 2025By Lee Hae-rin

Cheong Wa Dae closed to public for maintenance ahead of Lee’s return to historic presidential office

Online shopping up 1.8% in June on demand for food services

Online shopping sales in Korea went up 1.8 percent from a year earlier in June, mainly driven by rising demand for food products and relevant services, data showed Friday. The value of online shopping transactions stood at 21.89 trillion won ($15.64 billion) in June, up 379 billion won from a year earlier, according to the data from Statistics Korea. The growth was led by a sharp increase in demand for food services, which jumped 12.9 percent on-year to 3.43 trillion won. Online sales of food and beverages surged 11 percent on-year to 3.18 trillion won, the data showed. But transactions for e-coupon services plummeted 52.2 percent to 458.2 billion won. Purchases made through smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices increased 4.6 percent on-year to 17.33 trillion won. Mobile gadget-based shopping accounted for 77.8 percent of the total online sales in June, up 2.1 percentage points from a year earlier, the data showed.

Aug 1, 2025By Yonhap

Online shopping up 1.8% in June on demand for food services

Guro phone shops under investigation over alleged illegal passport registrations

Police have launched a full-scale inspection of mobile phone retailers across Seoul’s Guro District following online allegations that some stores advertize phone service activations using fake or unauthorized passports. According to Guro Police Station on Thursday, officers began on-site checks and intelligence gathering at all telecom outlets in the district on July 28. If any illegal activity is uncovered, police said they plan to escalate the investigation. The controversy began with a YouTube video uploaded July 24 by the channel Workdol, featuring Tsuki of K-pop girl group Billlie on a patrol experience with local officers in Garibong-dong. In the footage, a shop was seen displaying a sign in Chinese offering mobile phone activations using “illegal passports.” The video drew backlash online, with viewers criticizing what appeared to be open promotion of illegal services. The channel later clarified that the store had been reported to the relevant authorities. Police visited the store in question but found no immediate evidence of criminal activity beyond the signage. “No ill

Aug 1, 2025By Hankookilbo

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