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From memes to gun rights: Rooftop Koreans return as LA erupts

On April 30, 1992 — the second day of rioting in Los Angeles — David Joo, the manager of Western Gun Shop, received a frantic call from Richard Park, a jewelry store owner down the street. “David, we’re having a gunfight here. So can you just come over and help us?” Park said. In an interview with the YouTube channel A&E, Joo recalled that they had already called the police. When he arrived, he spotted a Los Angeles Police Department vehicle nearby with three or four officers and assumed they were safe. That mistake nearly got him killed. As soon as the shooting began, the officers fled. Moments later, heavily armed looters crossed the street and opened fire. A bullet flew past Joo’s face — and he didn’t hesitate to shoot back. “In retrospect, it was a dangerous moment, and I was scared. But, you know, even though you’re scared, you don’t have much option. You have to fight,” Joo recalled. “Korean people were very frustrated. Koreatown was damaged and destroyed.” Thirty-three years later, the Korean immigrants who armed themselves during the 1992 Los Angeles rio

Jun 12, 2025By Park Ung
From memes to gun rights: Rooftop Koreans return as LA erupts

$11,000 tuition and toddler tests: Korean English preschools spark concern

Children as young as four are taking level tests to gain entry into increasingly expensive English immersion academies, as the cost of early childhood English education surges across Seoul and Gyeonggi Province. A new survey by Rep. Kang Kyung-sook of the Rebuilding Korea Party and the civic group "World Without Worries About Private Education" reveals that monthly tuition at English kindergartens — a term for English-language academies catering to preschoolers — now ranges from 1.2 to 1.3 million won ($1,090). The steep rise in fees is adding to the financial burden of parents, with some now paying more than university-level tuition. The study, released Tuesday, analyzed 999 English kindergartens operating on at least a half-day schedule in Seoul and five high-demand regions in Gyeonggi Province: Goyang, Anyang, Seongnam, Yongin and Hwaseong. Data was compiled using official academy registrations from the Seoul and Gyeonggi education offices as well as public education portals, with the survey conducted from May 7 to 30. The most striking trend is the rapid increase in fees. In the

Jun 11, 2025By Hankookilbo
$11,000 tuition and toddler tests: Korean English preschools spark concern

Monsoon season to arrive early in Jeju, marking third-quickest start on record

Summer’s defining deluge is set to arrive unusually early on Jeju Island this week, with the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) announcing Wednesday that monsoon season is expected to begin Thursday. It will mark only the third time since 1973 that the island — typically the first in the country to be hit by the seasonal rains — has seen such an early onset. A monsoon season declaration by the KMA signals high humidity and the likelihood of frequent rainfall in the region. The season has arrived earlier than usual in Jeju only twice before — on June 10 in both 2011 and 2020. This year’s onset is also about a week ahead of the average start date of June 19. A northward-moving stationary front along the edge of the Pacific high pressure system and moisture from Typhoon Wutip — the season’s first, currently forming near the Philippines — is expected to trigger the start of this year's monsoon season on Jeju Island. The typhoon was observed developing 610 kilometers west of Manila on Tuesday morning. While the storm is unlikely to have a direct impact on Korea, the hot

Jun 11, 2025By Jung Da-hyun
Monsoon season to arrive early in Jeju, marking third-quickest start on record

Korean merchants in LA fear collapse after aggressive ICE raids

LOS ANGELES — A wave of immigration raids in Los Angeles’s Fashion District, commonly known as "The Santee Alley" or "Java Market," has sparked anxiety and economic disruption among Korean American merchants, with many shuttering their stores in fear of further crackdowns. On June 6, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducted coordinated raids across the district, detaining more than 40 undocumented immigrants, including over 20 workers at a Korean-owned wholesale clothing business. The raids also extended to nearby locations such as a Home Depot, prompting protests throughout the city and raising concerns within the immigrant business community. "There’s barely a soul on the streets. Some stores haven’t reopened since the weekend," said Yoon, a 62-year-old Korean American merchant who has run a women's fashion store in the area for 30 years. "We’re scared they’ll raid us again." ICE appears to have focused its enforcement efforts on the Fashion District, where many garment businesses depend on Hispanic labor, some of whom are believed to be undocumented. Mer

Jun 11, 2025By Hankookilbo
Korean merchants in LA fear collapse after aggressive ICE raids

Korea’s homeless population falls 15%, but ages and clusters in Seoul area

The number of homeless individuals in Korea has declined by more than 15 percent over the past three years, but the population has grown older and become increasingly concentrated in the greater Seoul area, according to a government survey released Tuesday. The Ministry of Health and Welfare’s 2024 report found that 1,349 people were living on the streets nationwide last year, down 15.4 percent from 1,595 in 2021. The population of individuals experiencing homelessness and precarious housing situations has seen an 11.6 percent decline over the past three years, now standing at 12,725. This total encompasses 6,659 individuals housed in shelters and various care facilities, alongside 4,717 residents of "jjokbang," a category of small, low-cost rooms. Data further reveals a pronounced gender disparity, with men accounting for 77.6 percent of this vulnerable population. Despite the overall decline, the survey revealed a growing concentration of homeless individuals in urban areas. About three out of four homeless individuals — 75.7 percent — were found in the Seoul metropolitan area, e

Jun 11, 2025By Lee Hae-rin
Korea’s homeless population falls 15%, but ages and clusters in Seoul area

Labor demands 14.7% increase in next year's minimum wage

The labor circle demanded Wednesday that next year's minimum wage be set at 11,500 won ($8.43) per hour, an increase of 14.7 percent from this year's 10,030 won. The hourly minimum wage requested by the labor circle translates into a monthly wage of 2.4 million won, if calculated on the basis of 209 working hours per month or 40 hours per week. The minimum wage demand was made public by labor representatives and civic groups in a news conference in Seoul, as the Minimum Wage Commission, a trilateral panel composed of nine representatives each from labor, management and the general public, kicked off its discussions in April to raise the national minimum hourly wage for 2026. The labor sector also said the minimum wage should be expanded to apply to non-regular workers and platform workers. The management circle has yet to announce its minimum wage demand. South Korea raised the minimum hourly wage by 1.7 percent to 10,030 won for this year, marking the second-smallest recorded increase. The labor sector had demanded 12,600 won last year.

Jun 11, 2025By Yonhap
Labor demands 14.7% increase in next year's minimum wage

Korea considers fishing licenses for hobbyist anglers

Kim Dong-young, 28, took up fishing three years ago during a challenging period while fulfilling alternative military service, encouraged by a friend who said the hobby would bring him peace of mind. “It really helped. Just looking out over the ocean or a river makes me feel better,” Kim told The Korea Times. “Although I haven’t been able to go as often lately, I used to make it out to the West Sea once or twice a month.” But that simple pleasure may soon require a license. The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries on Monday announced plans to introduce a recreational fishing license to better manage fishery resources and ease longstanding tensions with commercial fishers — a proposal floated since the 2000s but repeatedly stalled due to strong opposition from anglers. According to the ministry, approximately 4,000 recreational fishing boats operated nationwide as of last year, with some 5 million annual users. The total number of recreational anglers in Korea is estimated at 7.2 million. Countries such as Germany, Canada and the United States require fishing licenses. These system

Jun 11, 2025By Park Ung
Korea considers fishing licenses for hobbyist anglers

Cabinet approves budget for presidential office relocation

The Cabinet on Tuesday earmarked 25.9 billion won ($19 million) in state funds to relocate the presidential office to the former compound of Cheong Wa Dae, the presidential office said. President Lee Jae-myung approved the relocation plan in a Cabinet meeting earlier in the day, and the amount is roughly 69 percent of the budget spent to move the presidential office to Yongsan in central Seoul under the former administration, according to presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung. The presidential compound was relocated to the headquarters of the defense ministry in Yongsan a few months after former President Yoon Suk Yeol assumed office in May 2022. The old presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae, located on a secluded hilltop compound in central Seoul, has since been opened to the public for sightseeing visits. "To ensure a smooth return to Cheong Wa Dae and a better sightseeing environment for visitors, the operation schedule for Cheong Wa Dae tours will be adjusted," Kang said. "The return to Cheong Wa Dae will be conducted in phases on weekends and holidays." In a separate notice, the Cheo

Jun 10, 2025By Yonhap
Cabinet approves budget for presidential office relocation

Korea to partially resume poultry imports from Brazil amid bird flu outbreak

Korea will resume imports of poultry and related products from regions in Brazil unaffected by a recent outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), the agriculture ministry said Tuesday, amid possible supply shortage concerns. The decision comes amid growing concerns over potential domestic supply shortages following the suspension of imports from the South American country, which accounts for more than 80 percent of South Korea's chicken imports. The ministry said it has agreed on terms of imports of poultry with the Brazilian authorities. Seoul imposed a ban on poultry imports from Brazil in mid-May, following the country's official notification to the World Organization for Animal Health of an HPAI outbreak at a breeder farm in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul. Brazil is the world's largest exporter of chicken. Last year, Korea imported 158,000 tons of chicken from Brazil, which accounted for 86 percent of the total import of 183,600 tons. The chicken from Brazil also made up for some 20 percent of domestic demand totaling 791,000 tons.

Jun 10, 2025By Yonhap
Korea to partially resume poultry imports from Brazil amid bird flu outbreak
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