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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.

Gov't to revert med school quota to pre-increase level of 3,058

The government has decided to return the nation's medical school enrollment quota for 2026 to the pre-increase level of 3,058 two years ago and will officially announce the decision later this week, informed officials said Wednesday. Education Minister Lee Ju-ho plans to hold a news conference at the Seoul Government Complex Thursday afternoon to announce the number of medical school admissions for 2026, they said, adding the quota will be reverted to 3,058, which is the same as the year 2024 and before. It is equivalent to the figure before the government put forward a plan to increase medical school admissions by 2,000 a year ago to address a chronic shortage of doctors. The 2025 medical school enrollment quota was hiked to 5,058 under the government policy. The government has promised to revert to the pre-increase quota level if all medical students return to schools by the end of March after a yearlong class boycott. Even after the deadline, however, many students still continue their protests by refusing to attend classes.

Apr 16, 2025By Yonhap
Gov't to revert med school quota to pre-increase level of 3,058

Body of missing crewman found 66 days after fishing boat sinking

The body of a missing crew member aboard a fishing vessel that sank in February was found Wednesday, the Coast Guard said. The body belonged to one of the five crew members who went missing after their 139-ton vessel sank in waters near Yeosu, 316 kilometers south of Seoul, on Feb. 9, though it has yet to be identified, according to the Yeosu Coast Guard. Rescue divers made the discovery in the steering room of the vessel 82.8 meters underwater. The Coast Guard plan to recover the body and transfer it to a local hospital. Eight Koreans, three Vietnamese, and three Indonesians were aboard the ship at the time of the sinking. Four were rescued and five died, while five others remained missing.

Apr 16, 2025By Yonhap
Body of missing crewman found 66 days after fishing boat sinking

YouTuber Tzuyang walks out of police questioning over stalking case against Hoverlab's Kim Se-ui

Popular YouTuber Tzuyang, whose real name is Park Jung-won, walked out of a police station just 30 minutes after arriving for questioning over a case she filed against far-right YouTuber Kim Se-ui, head of the channel Hoverlab, also known as Garo Sero Research Institute. Tzuyang, a mukbang (eating show) star with more than 11.8 million followers, appeared at Gangnam Police Station in Seoul at 9 a.m. Wednesday as the complainant but left around 9:30 a.m., refusing to proceed with the investigation. Her attorney Kim Tae-yeon said the police “showed no signs of considering Tzuyang a victim” and failed to provide the necessary protections. “We confirmed again today that they had no intention of treating her as a victim, so we decided to halt the investigation and will consider cooperating again if necessary,” Kim said. Kim criticized the police and raised concerns about the fairness of the investigation. “The police failed to provide any of the usual updates related to supplementary investigation requests. This makes it hard not to question whether the process is truly fair,” sh

Apr 16, 2025By KTimes
YouTuber Tzuyang walks out of police questioning over stalking case against Hoverlab's Kim Se-ui

Search enters 6th day for missing worker at collapsed subway construction site

Search efforts continued for a sixth day Wednesday to find a worker missing in the collapse of a subway construction site in the city of Gwangmyeong. The construction site for the Sinansan Line collapsed Friday, causing a section of the road above ground to cave in and damaging several buildings. Rescue workers have been working almost around the clock to find the 50-something worker who is the only person still missing in the accident. As of Wednesday morning, workers had dug 21 meters into the ground, with the total depth of the construction site being 34.5 meters, according to the Gyeonggi Fire Service. They also removed some 300 tons of soil and sand overnight after creating a passage to the bottom of the underground tunnel and driving in a small excavator. Firefighters said they searched the interior several times with the help of four rescue dogs, but failed to find any signs of the missing. The fire service plans to mobilize 73 personnel, 26 pieces of equipment and four rescue dogs for rescue operations Wednesday. Other agencies, including the police, the Gwangmyeong municipal govern

Apr 16, 2025By Yonhap
Search enters 6th day for missing worker at collapsed subway construction site

UNESCO Global Geoparks, Danyang, scenic coastal area and Mount Paektu, shine as natural treasures

South Korea's natural beauty received global recognition with the addition of two new UNESCO Global Geoparks — the picturesque Danyang region in the central part of Korea and the scenic coastal area of North Gyeongsang Province in the southeast — along with a third designation recognizing Mount Paektu on the North Korea-China border. These iconic locations join South Korea's existing geological treasures, including Jeju's volcanic wonders, Cheongsong's deep gorges, Mount Mudeung's unique rock formations, the Hantan River's basalt cliffs and the vast tidal flats of the West Sea. The sites were officially designated as UNESCO Global Geoparks last week during the 221st session of UNESCO's Executive Board meeting in Paris. The recognition further strengthens South Korea’s reputation as a land of rich geological diversity with a commitment to sustainable development. The additions give Korea a total of seven UNESCO Global Geoparks. To earn this status, UNESCO requires sites to demonstrate geological heritage of international value, proper management and a commitment to sustainable loca

Apr 16, 2025By Park Ung
UNESCO Global Geoparks, Danyang, scenic coastal area and Mount Paektu, shine as natural treasures
  • Jeju April 3 Uprising archive added to UNESCO Memory of the World register

Seoul Queer Culture Festival seeks new venue for record turnout in June

This year’s Seoul Queer Culture Festival (SQCF), set for June 14 in downtown Seoul, is searching for a new venue as it moves on from its past location of Seoul Plaza due to the growing number of attendees, organizers said Tuesday. “We have all cherished those glorious times when the festival took place in Seoul Plaza,” Yang Sun-woo, chairperson of the SQCF organizing committee, said during a press conference in Seoul. “But the event has grown to accommodate over 150,000 participants each year, and considering the safety concerns of the square, we will not be returning to that location.” The committee has not applied for the use of the square this year and is instead searching for an alternative venue. "All we know for sure so far is that it will take place in the city center," she said, explaining that the celebrations will continue to seek visibility, as they traditionally have, rather than being held in a remote park or stadium, as some have suggested. The SQCF launched in 2000 with around 50 participants in the Daehangno area of northeastern Seoul. It grew over the years, ev

Apr 15, 2025By Lee Hae-rin
Seoul Queer Culture Festival seeks new venue for record turnout in June

Civic groups urge Naver to ban online sales of whale meat

Civic groups on Tuesday urged tech giant Naver to stop the sale of whale meat on its platform, condemning the company's negligence in the distribution of meat from protected species. Eight groups, including the Korea Federation for Environmental Movements (KFEM), marine conservation groups Hotpink Dolphins and Sea Shepherd Korea and Korea Animal Rights Advocates (KARA), held a press conference outside the company’s headquarters in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. They noted despite all whale species, including minke whales, being prohibited from being intentionally hunted in Korea, whale meat is still being sold on the platform. Under Korean law, sellers are required to present a whale processing certificate to prove the meat was obtained legally, such as from whales accidentally caught in fishing nets, and not through illegal hunting. The groups said around 42 whale meat products are listed on the platform, with price comparison and Smart Store services that allow users to directly purchase minke whale meat using Naver Pay. When the groups approached the sellers to request their certificat

Apr 15, 2025By Lee Gyu-lee
Civic groups urge Naver to ban online sales of whale meat

Deepfakes emerge as threat to presidential election

A viral clip on X shows former President Yoon Suk Yeol pulling a wig off Han Dong-hoon, exposing the bald head of the former People Power Party (PPP) leader. The video of Han, who is running in the snap presidential election, has already garnered 1.4 million views and over 2,300 reposts. Another TikTok clip portrays conservative presidential hopefuls Lee Jun-seok, Hong Joon-pyo and Ahn Cheol-soo fleeing in panic, their faces comically distorted. But there’s a twist: None of it is real. The videos are the products of deepfake technology. As the June 3 election approaches, AI-generated deepfakes are emerging as a serious threat to electoral integrity, raising concerns about disinformation and igniting debate over where to draw the line between political satire and fake news. On Friday, the election campaign team for Rep. Lee Jae-myung, the leading presidential contender from the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), said it received a tip about an attempt to produce and circulate a deepfake video targeting the candidate. “The tip claims the video is staged to show Lee angrily scolding his wif

Apr 15, 2025By Park Ung
Deepfakes emerge as threat to presidential election
  • AI, deepfake technology fuel surge in digital sex crimes in Korea
  • Police to develop deepfake detection system

$7 bread buffet sparks backlash over food waste

A viral 9,900 won ($7) all-you-can-eat bread buffet at Tous Les Jours is drawing criticism for encouraging food waste, with videos showing piles of half-eaten pastries left behind by customers. While the concept has drawn massive crowds and early-morning lines, calls are growing for the bakery chain to implement stricter rules. Operated by CJ Foodville, the premium Tous Les Jours stores in Gangnam and Apgujeong currently offer the “Green Plate” buffet, which allows guests to enjoy unlimited bread for one hour. The buffet includes dozens of pastry types and one complimentary drink. The low price and novelty have made the buffet a sensation online, with YouTube videos capturing scenes of customers lining up as early as 6 a.m. YouTuber BreadTube, who has over 140,000 subscribers, shared a video on March 30 showing a long queue outside the Gangnam store. “It opens at 8 a.m., but the line starts forming by 7. If you come then, it’s already too late,” she said. Another food vlogger reported arriving at 7:05 a.m. but was not seated until 11 a.m. But alongside the hype, criticism is mou

Apr 15, 2025By KTimes
$7 bread buffet sparks backlash over food waste

Search for missing worker at collapsed subway construction site continues for 5th day

Rescue workers continued their search for a fifth day Tuesday to find a worker missing in the collapse of a subway construction site in the city of Gwangmyeong. The construction site for the Sinansan Line collapsed Friday, causing a section of the road above ground to cave in and damaging several buildings. All but one worker in his 50s were found safe or rescued. The search for the missing person continued overnight with 95 personnel and 31 pieces of equipment, including four fire trucks fitted with smoke extraction devices and lamps, according to the Gyeonggi Fire Service. Seven rescue workers climbed down into the construction site to search the interior but found no signs of the missing worker, officials said. Rescue workers also cleared wreckage 20 to 30 meters underground and from a container where the missing person was last spotted, but failed to find him. The container is said to be filled with soil and sand, making it difficult for authorities to search the interior. "We need to secure a safe entry so that we can place at least a small-sized crane at the bottom of the underground

Apr 15, 2025By Yonhap
Search for missing worker at collapsed subway construction site continues for 5th day
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