South Korea - The Korea Times

Digital scavenger hunt aims to draw hikers to Namsan Park

Lace up for a May to remember: Yongsan District is turning the slopes of Namsan Park — the forested mountain that divides the capital’s historic core from the Han River — into a monthlong scavenger hunt. Starting Tuesday, the district’s “Walking Stamp Tour Challenge” invites hikers to track their progress along trails with sweeping views of the old city walls to the north and the skyline of Yongsan District to the south. The “Springtime Namsan Walk” challenge will run from May 1 to 31. Participants can use the Walk On app to collect digital stamps at 10 designated locations across Namsan Park. The stamp sites include Namsan Library, Waryongmyo Shrine, Jamdubong Observatory, Hanyangdoseong Fortress Observatory, N Seoul Tower, Pildong Rest Area, the rest area in front of Namsan Seoul Tower Hanbok Culture Experience Center, Namsan Outdoor Botanical Garden rest area, the entrance to the meditation garden known as Sesaek-ui Gongwon (translated as the Park of Three Colors) and the National Theater of Korea. To participate, users download the WalkON app, select the Namsan Park S

Apr 15, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan

Digital scavenger hunt aims to draw hikers to Namsan Park

New early-morning Seoul bus route links residential northeast to major southern hub

Seoul is expanding its autonomous bus network with a new early-morning route connecting the residential Sanggye district in the northeast to the Express Bus Terminal south of the Han River, the city government said Tuesday. The service is designed to provide a predawn transit link for commuters before regular subway operations begin. The A148 bus route is scheduled to begin service at 3:30 a.m. Thursday, providing a new transit link across the city. The 22.1-kilometer line will connect residential neighborhoods in the northeast to commercial hubs south of the Han River, with stops at Mia Sageori and Gyeongdong Market before crossing into the Apgujeong district. Operating as an express service, the bus will pick up and drop off passengers only at 41 high-demand stops along the existing No. 148 corridor, allowing riders to reach their destinations roughly 15 minutes faster than the regular route. The route also extends service to the Sanggye Station-Suyu Station segment in northeastern Seoul not covered by the standard No. 148 line. The A148 uses a Hyundai’s Elec City 31-seat electric bu

Apr 15, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan

New early-morning Seoul bus route links residential northeast to major southern hub

American YouTuber Johnny Somali sentenced to 6 months in prison for offenses in Korea

The Seoul Western District Court sentenced American YouTuber Johnny Somali to six months in prison and 20 days of detention on Wednesday for a series of disruptive and offensive acts committed in Korea. The court also barred him from working at institutions involving children, adolescents and people with disabilities for five years. Somali, who had been free throughout the trial, was taken into custody in the courtroom following the ruling over concerns that he is a flight risk. The 24-year-old, whose legal name is Ramsey Khalid Ismael, was convicted of charges including obstruction of business and distribution of false sexual video content and had drawn widespread public anger for provocative and demeaning behavior. In February, prosecutors sought a three-year prison sentence and a 150,000 won ($101) fine for Somali, who was indicted for interfering with business by blasting music and spilling cup noodle broth at a convenience store in Mapo District, Seoul, in October 2024. That same month, he confronted pedestrians with a bag of foul-smelling fish and disrupted people on buses and sub

Apr 15, 2026By Park Ung

American YouTuber Johnny Somali sentenced to 6 months in prison for offenses in Korea

Middle East crisis deals blow to Seoul's small manufacturers

When the United States and Israel attacked Iran in late February, Jeong In-sun, who works at a small plastics manufacturer in central Seoul's Euljiro area, did not immediately realize that the war would reach her workshop. “The outer casings of clocks are made from plastic injection pellets, and since the Middle East crisis started, the prices of those materials have more than doubled,” the 60-year-old told The Korea Times Monday. Jeong's case illustrates how Korea's small manufacturers have taken a direct hit as the Middle East conflict chokes shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting supplies of key materials and driving up costs across the board. Tensions in the Middle East see no signs of easing despite a two-week ceasefire agreement, with a peace deal seeming elusive for now. “If this situation continues, we may have to suspend operations for the foreseeable future,” Jeong said. The crisis has placed small manufacturers like Jeong in a dilemma: Should they raise the prices of their products? Jeong said it is not a straightforward choice. “If we double our pri

Apr 15, 2026By Park Ung

Middle East crisis deals blow to Seoul's small manufacturers

'Rejected 15 times': Pet owners struggle to find housing in Korea

Kang, 42, who cares for Duk-bae, a 1-year-old cat, said she and her spouse were rejected 15 times over three weeks while trying to find a new rental home. Some landlords flatly refused tenants with pets. Others demanded higher rent if animals were involved. When one real estate agent heard that Kang also had two other 5-year-old cats, the response was immediate: “That’s too many. Do you really need to keep that many animals?” It was not as though the couple were searching for a tiny one-room apartment, nor did they have children. They were prepared to pay more than 1 million won (about $670) in monthly rent. Kang, worried that any compromise in the home’s conditions could make one of the cats ill, poured enormous effort into finding a suitable place. By the time she finally did, she was so exhausted that she spent days sick in bed. In Korea, owning a pet is no longer something that draws surprise. More than 15 percent of all households, or about 3.13 million, now have a pet. But pet owners say the reality of raising one remains far from easy. Housing emerged as an immediate diffic

Apr 15, 2026By Hankookilbo

'Rejected 15 times': Pet owners struggle to find housing in Korea

Gwanghwamun Square monument to honor Korean War allies faces questions over timing, procedure

A row of white construction fences now cuts through the center of Gwanghwamun Square, covered with renderings of stone columns and the pledge, “We will not forget the sacrifice of 22 countries that fought for liberal democracy.” Behind the fences and “authorized personnel only” signs, workers are racing to finish a new monument that the Seoul Metropolitan Government says will honor the country’s Korean War allies — even as critics question whether the project has been pushed through heedlessly in one of the city’s most symbolic public spaces. The “Garden of Gratitude,” under construction near the statue of King Sejong, will feature a series of tall stone structures representing each of the 22 nations that dispatched combat troops or medical units under the U.N. flag during the 1950–53 conflict. City officials say the site, inspired by the ceremonial “present arms” rifle salute, is meant to become a signature landmark where Koreans and international visitors can pause to remember allied sacrifices and South Korea’s transformation from a war-torn nation to one of

Apr 14, 2026By Jung Min-ho

Gwanghwamun Square monument to honor Korean War allies faces questions over timing, procedure

‘Reality is even worse’: Comedy sketch on kindergarten teachers sparks real-life outcry in Korea

A parody video by comedian Lee Soo-ji meant to satirize demanding parents has taken an unexpected turn, triggering a wave of real-life testimonies from teachers and igniting debate over working conditions in early childhood education. The video, uploaded to Lee’s YouTube channel on April 7, portrays a fictional kindergarten teacher enduring relentless demands from so-called “overbearing parents.” But what began as comedy quickly blurred into reality as current and former teachers flooded the comment section with personal stories of abuse, harassment and burnout. As of Tuesday, the clip has surpassed 4.5 million views and is nearing 5 million, with more than 20,000 comments — many of them far from lighthearted. Instead of laughter, viewers wrote, “I watched this crying” and “Reality is even worse,” as teachers shared experiences that closely mirrored — and in some cases exceeded — the scenes in the video. One commenter said she was a childcare teacher who quit after seven years due to conflicts with parents. “I endured it because I loved the children, but after being

Apr 14, 2026By Xportsnews

‘Reality is even worse’: Comedy sketch on kindergarten teachers sparks real-life outcry in Korea

InterviewFrom 4-week exchange to Hyundai Engineering: Malaysian GKS scholar's 7 years in Korea

The advice was simple: "Don't be mediocre, strive for excellence." That's the advice Tan Shin-hong received during a four-week university program in Korea and it was enough to change his plans entirely. The Malaysian engineer had arrived with a return ticket and a career in his home country in mind. Years later, he is graduate of the Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) program, a master's degree holder from Jeonbuk National University and a manager in the plant design management team at Hyundai Engineering — still in Korea and planning to stay. He recalled being introduced to both Korean culture and the country’s advanced technology and research environment during a one-month program at Kyung Hee University’s campus in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province. The experience sparked his interest in further studies. “While participating in the program, I became interested in learning more, which led me to pursue a master’s degree in Korea after completing my undergraduate studies,” Tan said in a recent interview with The Korea Times. His connection to Korea dates back to his sophomore year, when h

Apr 14, 2026By Jung Da-hyun

From 4-week exchange to Hyundai Engineering: Malaysian GKS scholar's 7 years in Korea

Korea bans hoarding medical syringes amid supply disruption woes

The government said Monday it will ban stockpiling medical syringes and needles starting Tuesday amid woes over supply disruption. Under the measure, manufacturers of medical syringes and needles are banned from stockpiling the products exceeding 150 percent of their monthly sales recorded last year for five days. Also, they are prohibited from selling the products exceeding 110 percent of their monthly sales posted last year. The steps came as concerns have risen over supply disruption as the U.S.-Iran war has caused prices of petrochemicals to soar.

Apr 13, 2026By Yonhap

Korea bans hoarding medical syringes amid supply disruption woes

Labor adjudicator says 'yellow envelope law' is about dialogue, not direct hiring

Korea’s top labor adjudicator has clarified that the new “yellow envelope law” is designed to compel parent companies and subcontracted workers to engage in dialogue, not to automatically guarantee or require higher wages or direct employment. Park Su-ken, chairperson of the National Labor Relations Commission, made the clarification on Monday as fresh data show a rapid rise in disputes over whether large companies qualify as “employers” for workers formally hired by subcontractors. “It only grants them the status to sit down and talk. It does not mean they must raise wages or directly hire the workers,” Park told reporters. “Many companies seem to be refusing to engage because they worry, once employer status is recognized, they will be dragged into liability for illegal dispatch, demands for wage hikes or direct employment — but those fears are misplaced.” Data compiled by the commission and the Ministry of Employment and Labor showed that, as of Friday, subcontractor unions at 1,012 workplaces, representing about 147,000 workers, have demanded talks with 372 princ

Apr 13, 2026By Jung Min-ho

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