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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.

Chinese-led real estate shopping triggers debate

As the share of land and housing purchases by foreigners continues to grow in Korea, debate is resurfacing over whether regulations should be tightened, especially amid concerns of market disruption and discrimination against locals. While some government officials are pushing for legal reforms based on the principle of reciprocity, others caution that any regulatory move must follow a thorough assessment of market impact. According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on Monday, the Seoul Metropolitan Government recently sent an official request to the ministry urging it to formalize reciprocity provisions in real estate-related laws such as the Real Estate Transaction Reporting Act. This followed an order from Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon to promptly propose countermeasures regarding foreign land and housing purchases. Reciprocity, in this context, refers to the idea that if a country restricts or prohibits real estate purchases by Korean citizens, then Korea should impose similar restrictions on citizens from that country. Currently, no real estate law in Korea includes suc

Jun 10, 2025By Hankookilbo
Chinese-led real estate shopping triggers debate

Man throws tteokbokki at shop worker over portion complaint

A man is under police investigation after throwing tteokbokki (a spicy Korean rice cake dish) at a restaurant employee because he was dissatisfied with the portion size. According to a report by JTBC’s “Crime Chief” on Monday, the incident took place on Saturday at a tteokbokki restaurant in Geumcheon District, Seoul. The restaurant owner told the broadcaster that she had received an order via a food delivery app at 6:01 p.m. and prepared the food accordingly. Around 6:30 p.m., the customer called to complain that only seven pieces of rice cake were included and that the overall quantity was too small. The owner responded by offering a refund and explained that the restaurant pre-portions its ingredients, making it unlikely that the order was undersized. However, the man declined the refund and asked if the owner was at the store. When told that only the owner’s mother was present at the time, he said, “Then your mother will have to suffer,” before hanging up. The man later appeared at the restaurant and, when the owner’s mother offered to either refund or remake the food, h

Jun 10, 2025By Hankookilbo
Man throws tteokbokki at shop worker over portion complaint

Matchmaking program leads to first wedding in Gimhae

A couple set to tie the knot this Saturday say they probably would not have met if it weren't for Gimhae Mayor Hong Tae-yong. The couple who met at a matchmaking event hosted by the South Gyeongsang Province city last year may be the first to marry there — but they are unlikely to be the last, as such government-backed matchmaking programs gain traction nationwide. “I am happy and grateful to have found a good spouse to spend the rest of my life with,” the soon-to-be husband, surnamed Kim, said. “I hope ‘Gimhae Solo’ will continue to remain as a platform for many young men and women to find love.” A growing number of municipal governments across Korea are turning to matchmaking programs like Gimhae’s to address the country’s record-low birth rate, hoping that encouraging marriage will eventually lead to more births. Initially met with public skepticism and criticism over the use of taxpayer money, these initiatives are now gaining broader acceptance. Rather than scaling back, many local officials are expanding such efforts, pointing to growing participation and early si

Jun 10, 2025By Jung Min-ho
Matchmaking program leads to first wedding in Gimhae

North Korean defector who stole village bus to return North receives suspended sentence

A North Korean defector who attempted to return to the North by stealing a village bus due to extreme financial hardship has received a suspended prison sentence. The man said he had never gone hungry for more than a day in the North, but in the South, he went a week without eating and felt he would die without money. According to the Uijeongbu District Court’s Goyang branch on Monday, the court sentenced the man to two years in prison with three years of probation and a two-year suspension of certain civil rights. He had been detained and charged with violating the National Security Act and the Military Base and Installation Protection Act. He was accused of stealing a village bus from a garage in Munsan-eup, Paju, Gyeonggi Province, around 1 a.m. on Oct. 1 last year. He drove 4.5 kilometers to the southern checkpoint of the Unification Bridge, where he crashed through a barricade, entered a military zone, and continued another 900 meters before being stopped and apprehended by South Korean soldiers at the northern checkpoint. Originally from Hyesan, Ryanggang Province in North Korea,

Jun 10, 2025By Hankookilbo
North Korean defector who stole village bus to return North receives suspended sentence

Fire extinguished at Jogye Temple building, no injuries

Firefighters on Tuesday extinguished a blaze that broke out at a building inside the Jogye Temple compound in central Seoul, with no casualties reported, officials said. The blaze was put out at 11:57 a.m. about an hour and a half after it began at the international conference hall on the second floor of the Korean Buddhism History and Culture Memorial Hall next to the temple. About 300 people were evacuated, while 142 personnel and 35 fire vehicles were deployed to fight the fire. The blaze was extinguished before it could spread to the temple and the nearby Central Buddhist Museum, home to various cultural artifacts. Of the 33 artifacts on display at the museum, authorities moved eight pieces to an art storage space at the National Palace Museum of Korea due to concerns of possible damage. Fire authorities are investigating the cause of the blaze based on eyewitness accounts of the fire starting from sparks from a ceiling air conditioner.

Jun 10, 2025By Yonhap
Fire extinguished at Jogye Temple building, no injuries

Korea's biggest food exhibition kicks off to promote exports

Korea's largest food expo kicked off Tuesday for a four-day run, with many participating food companies seeking to boost exports of their products amid the global popularity of Korean cuisine. Seoul Food 2025 is scheduled to run through Friday at the KINTEX exhibition center in Goyang, just northwest of Seoul, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. This year's event features a record 1,639 food companies from 45 countries showcasing their products to some 300 buyers from around the world. In the event, Korean companies plan to explore opportunities to export some $250 million worth of food products to the United States and Southeast Asian countries, where K-food continues to gain high popularity, according to the ministry. "K-food has now firmly established itself as one of Korea's major export items," said Park Jung-sung, deputy minister for trade and investment at the ministry, adding the government will actively support exports by Korean food manufacturers. Earlier this year, the Seoul government announced an annual target of $14 billion in food exports for 2025.

Jun 10, 2025By Yonhap
Korea's biggest food exhibition kicks off to promote exports

Former national swimmer under fire for calling Gwangju uprising a ‘riot’

Former national swimmer Cho Hee-yeon, 41, a 1998 Asian Games gold medalist, is facing intense backlash after publicly referring to the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement as a “riot.” Though she has since issued two apologies, her tone and repeated justifications have drawn criticism for lacking sincerity and accountability. The controversy began on June 7 when Cho commented on a post on social media platform Threads, saying, “What I always say… May 18 was a riot! A riot filled with rebellious spirit! And now they want to include it in the Constitution? Sigh.” The original post she replied to also pushed conspiracy theories about North Korean involvement and labeled pro-democracy protesters as violent looters. Public reaction was swift. Many online users accused Cho of crossing a line. In response, she doubled down in another post titled “Mind Your Own Business,” writing, “Who decides what’s crossing the line? You? That’s your judgment, not mine,” and added, “This won’t affect my life at all, so don’t pick a fight. There are Olympic medalists who’ve said

Jun 10, 2025By Hankookilbo
Former national swimmer under fire for calling Gwangju uprising a ‘riot’

Man in 20s booked for assaulting taxi driver over presidential vote question

A man in his 20s has been booked by police in Busan for allegedly assaulting a taxi driver after asking who he voted for in the June 3 presidential election. The Gangseo Police Station in Busan said on Tuesday that the suspect, identified as A, is under investigation for attacking a taxi driver in his 40s. The incident occurred around 5:40 a.m. the previous day in Daejeo-dong, Gangseo District. A is accused of knocking the driver to the ground and striking him in the head with his knee and a mobile phone, causing injury. He was intoxicated at the time and also verbally abused the driver and shook the front seat while inside the taxi, interfering with his driving. According to KNN, a Busan-based media outlet, the altercation began when A boarded the taxi and abruptly asked, “Who did you vote for in the presidential election?” When the driver responded, “I don’t know much about politics,” the suspect began swearing and shaking the front seat. Even after the driver exited the vehicle and called police, A continued the assault on the road. Police are continuing their investigation i

Jun 10, 2025By Hankookilbo
Man in 20s booked for assaulting taxi driver over presidential vote question

Seoul’s diplomatic shift expected to fuel China tourism surge

Under the new Lee Jae-myung administration, which advocates pragmatic diplomacy centered on national interests, Korea is expected to see a rise in tourism exchanges with China, driven by an anticipated strengthening of ties between the two countries, industry insiders said Monday. During his campaign, Lee described China as “an important trading partner” and a country that “influences the security of the Korean Peninsula,” pledging to “stably manage the Korea-China relationship, which has deteriorated to its lowest point since the previous administration.” In a TV debate, he said, “We should not neglect relations with China and Russia. There is no need to unnecessarily antagonize them like now.” His remarks come after ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol prioritized closer ties with the United States while cooling relations with Beijing over the past several years. During that period, the number of Chinese tourists to South Korea nearly halved, dropping to 4.6 million in 2024 from prepandemic numbers of 8 million. This sharp decline dealt a significant blow to China-dependent

Jun 10, 2025By Lee Hae-rin
Seoul’s diplomatic shift expected to fuel China tourism surge

Reports of sexual harassment in workplace inch down; online abuse rises

Sexual harassment reported in workplaces slightly declined, but sexual harassment that took place online increased due to a rise in remote work, a government survey showed Monday. According to the triennial survey conducted by the gender ministry, 4.3 percent of workers said last year they had experienced sexual harassment at least once in the past three years. It marked a 0.5 percentage point decline compared to the latest survey in 2021, and a significant drop compared to the 8.1 percent recorded in 2018. By gender, 6.1 percent of female workers said they experienced sexual harassment, while 3 percent of male workers reported sexual harassment. The survey was conducted by 16,338 people from 857 public institutions and 1,828 private companies last year. While reports of sexual harassment in private companies decreased from 4.3 percent in 2021 to 2.9 percent last year, public institutions saw the numbers rebound from 7.4 percent to 11.1 percent in the same period. Previously, the number of such reports filed at public institutions had plummeted in 2021 due to strict social distancing rules

Jun 9, 2025By Yonhap
Reports of sexual harassment in workplace inch down; online abuse rises
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