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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.

1 in 12 Seoul rush-hour subway passengers are seniors riding free

One in every 12 passengers riding the Seoul subway during rush hours is a senior entitled to free rides, Seoul Metro data revealed on Wednesday. The statistics highlight a mounting structural deficit for the urban transit system and the figure comes as President Lee Jae Myung ordered a review of rush-hour restrictions for the decades-old policy. Seoul Metro data showed that more than 85 million riders aged 65 or older boarded subway Lines 1 to 8 free of charge during rush hours last year. This figure represents 8.3 percent of around 1 billion rush-hour passengers recorded over the same period. A detailed breakdown of rush hours showed the highest proportion of senior passengers rode between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m., accounting for 9.7 percent of all riders during that hour. This was followed by 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 8.5 percent, 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. at 7.9 percent, and 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at 7.7 percent. Across the full day, the highest concentration of senior riders occurred before 6 a.m., making up 31.1 percent of all passengers during that early window. The second-highest period fell between 11 a.m.

Mar 26, 2026By Hankookilbo
1 in 12 Seoul rush-hour subway passengers are seniors riding free

Trash bags nearly sold out: Panic buying sends sales up 200%

Sales of trash bags has tripled while the purchase of food waste bags has doubled as fears spread that naphtha, a key raw material used to make plastic products, could run short due to oil supply disruptions deriving from the more than month-long Iran conflict. According to convenience store chain CU on Wednesday, sales of food waste bags from Sunday through Tuesday rose 153.3 percent from a week earlier. Sales of trash bags jumped 216.4 percent over the same period. GS25 also reported increases, with food waste bag sales up 182.7 percent and trash bag sales up 234.5 percent. Combined sales at 7-Eleven and Emart24 rose 169 percent and 177 percent, respectively. Signs of hoarding of plastic products began to emerge mid-March. The timing coincided with growing concerns across the petrochemical industry that disruptions tied to a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz would affect oil supplies and, in turn, the supply of naphtha. Demand for food waste bags and standard trash bags remained largely unchanged at most convenience stores earlier in the month, but sales began rising at a double-digit p

Mar 26, 2026By Hankookilbo
Trash bags nearly sold out: Panic buying sends sales up 200%

AMCHAM questions Incheon bridge toll exemption policy that excludes foreign residents

The American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM) raised concerns Thursday over the toll exemption policy of the newly opened Cheongna Sky Bridge in Incheon, which excludes foreign residents. In a statement, the chamber warned that unfair and inconsistent policy measures across several similar cases may weigh on Incheon's ability to maintain a competitive business environment and attract foreign residents. The controversy, first reported by The Korea Times last December, has prompted questions about the use of nationality — rather than residency or economic contribution — to determine access to public benefits in the Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ), one of Korea's most globally engaged business hubs. Opened in January, the 4.68-kilometer bridge links Incheon International Airport, Korea's main international gateway, with Cheongna International City, a major business hub. Vehicles registered to residents of Yeongjong Island, Cheongna and the islands of Bukdo Township qualify for unlimited toll exemptions, and starting next month, the policy will be expanded to all Incheon resident

Mar 26, 2026By Park Ung
AMCHAM questions Incheon bridge toll exemption policy that excludes foreign residents

'No soju, Americano please': Young Koreans are drinking less, and bars are feeling it

"I hardly drink at all — one or two glasses of beer at most." Kim Min-ha, a 21-year-old sophomore at Sookmyung Women’s University, recently headed to a cafe with fellow club members after a meet-up. They each ordered one of the newly released drinks and chatted for a while before parting ways. On the rare occasions that they do go out for beer, only a few actually order alcohol. Kim said the gatherings usually start at 6 p.m. and end around 8 or 9 p.m. Kim’s experience reflects the growing spread of moderate drinking and abstinence culture among young Koreans. Gatherings that do not involve alcohol — usually centered on dinner, cafes or karaoke rather than bars — are becoming more common, and the shift is also changing the face of evening streets in university districts. An increasing number of college students say they no longer see much point in drinking. Lee Ye-chan, 25, said alcohol tastes unpleasant to him and only leaves him feeling bloated. "So I just order a zero-sugar cola, even at a bar," he said. Park Ye-ka, 21, said she also avoids alcohol because it affects her condi

Mar 26, 2026By Hankookilbo
'No soju, Americano please': Young Koreans are drinking less, and bars are feeling it

Lawmakers prod Korean, Japanese governments for action on Chosei Coal Mine excavation, repatriation projects

UBE, Japan — An inflatable raft returned to the beach at Tokonami in Ube City’s Nishikiwa Village at approximately 3:20 p.m. on Feb. 6. Yoshitaka Isaji climbed out with a blue plastic container in his hands, a sign to the waiting crowd that remains had been brought up. Isaji and two fellow divers had descended into the murky, cold waters to continue their search for remains belonging to 183 victims of the Chosei Coal Mine, a human-caused flooding accident that happened 84 years earlier. The divers recovered a second skull with teeth attached following their landmark discovery of a first skull in August 2025. Additional remains were confirmed to be present in the same area. A group of bereaved family members had traveled from Korea to participate in an annual memorial and witness the dive, an opportunity they had missed the first time. Among them was Choe Geum-seok, the only child of a Korean victim among those gathered. The identity of the skull remained unknown, yet when she was brought face to face with it, the mere possibility that it might belong to her father, Choe Tae-yong,

Mar 26, 2026By Jack Greenberg
Lawmakers prod Korean, Japanese governments for action on Chosei Coal Mine excavation, repatriation projects

Korean universities climb in engineering, arts in QS subject rankings

Korean universities showed particular strength in engineering and technology as well as arts and humanities, where most Korean institutions recorded gains in the rankings by subject released Wednesday by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), a British company widely known for its global university rankings. In engineering and technology, 16 out of 17 Korean schools on the list rose in the rankings, while in arts and humanities, 9 of 11 improved, reflecting concentrated competitiveness in select disciplines. At the institutional level, Seoul National University led the gains, rising in 11 subject areas, including modern languages, where it climbed to 14th from 19th, and engineering and technology, where it moved up to 24th. It also advanced to 28th in electrical and electronic engineering and ranked first in Korea in 45 subjects overall. Korea University recorded the second-highest number of improvements, with gains in 10 subject areas, including a rise to 29th in modern languages and notable jumps in broad fields such as natural sciences and arts and humanities. Modern languages stood out as a key

Mar 25, 2026By Jung Da-hyun
Korean universities climb in engineering, arts in QS subject rankings

Experts warn of 'bubble' population targets in noncapital regions

Korea’s local governments have collectively overestimated their future populations by more than 6 million people, creating what researchers call “bubble” population targets that drive wasteful infrastructure spending. Ahead of the June 3 local elections, experts gathered Wednesday for a seminar on the country’s demographic crisis and called on politicians and policymakers to abandon “inflated growth assumptions” and redesign their policies around realistic population data. During the event, think tank Korean Peninsula Population Institute for Future unveiled a nationwide analysis of population figures embedded in municipalities’ plans. The research found that 119 of them — 96 percent of the sample — had overestimated their future population. The average gap between planned and actual figures was 21.9 percent, it found. While the actual resident registration count stood at 39.7 million, the combined planned population reached 46.16 million, leaving roughly 6.46 million “extra” people on paper. “That’s because those population figures serve as a baseline for plann

Mar 25, 2026By Jung Min-ho
Experts warn of 'bubble' population targets in noncapital regions

1 in 5 babies born in Seoul conceived through fertility support

After three years of failed attempts and an infertility diagnosis, a couple in their 40s from western Seoul's Gangseo District faced mounting medical bills and emotional strain. With city subsidies easing the burden, they pushed through 19 rounds of in vitro fertilization over nearly four years and finally brought home a baby boy last December. Their story illustrates the growing reach of Seoul's fertility support program, which contributed to around 20 percent of the 46,401 babies born in the city last year. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Wednesday that 9,234 babies were born through fertility support in 2025, a 31.8 percent increase from the year before. The city funded 66,906 fertility procedures — up 24 percent from 2024 — for 26,283 individuals. Recipients in their 30s accounted for the largest share at 63.5 percent, followed by those 40 and older at 35 percent. While central government guidelines cap subsidized procedures by type, Seoul's program does not. Under Ministry of Health and Welfare rules, couples may receive up to 25 procedures per birth, with no more than 2

Mar 25, 2026By Park Ung
1 in 5 babies born in Seoul conceived through fertility support

Population mobility falls 11.5% in February amid holiday season: data

The number of South Koreans relocating to new homes fell 11.5 percent from a year ago in February due mainly to an aging and shrinking population, coupled with the Lunar New Year holiday that reduced moving activity, data showed Wednesday. Around 615,000 people changed residences in February, down by 80,000 from a year earlier, according to the data from the Ministry of Data and Statistics. The number of movers has been on a long-term downward trend amid the country's aging and shrinking population. In the short term, the figure is also influenced by housing transactions and the supply of newly completed apartments. The agency also said the number of movers declined further due to the extended Lunar New Year holiday during the month. The population mobility rate, which refers to the percentage of people relocating per 100 residents, fell 2 percentage points on-year to 15.7 percent, the data showed.

Mar 25, 2026By Yonhap
Population mobility falls 11.5% in February amid holiday season: data

Koreans may lose free access to World Cup 2026 as broadcast talks deadlock

With roughly 80 days until the FIFA World Cup 2026 kicks off across Canada, Mexico and the United States, talks between cable channel JTBC and Korea's three major terrestrial broadcasters remain deadlocked, raising fears that millions of Koreans could be shut out of free-to-air coverage, as they were during the recent 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. In a statement Monday, the sole domestic rights holder JTBC made a final proposal to split the remaining broadcast fees — after deducting digital resale revenue — with JTBC absorbing 50 percent and KBS, MBC and SBS each covering roughly 16.7 percent. The company also urged the three broadcasters to finalize resale negotiations by month's end, citing logistical deadlines such as commentary booth installation at host venues. In 2024, JTBC secured exclusive rights to broadcast the 2026 and 2030 men's World Cups and the 2027 Women's World Cup in Korea — paying $125 million for the 2026 tournament alone — then sought to resell them to terrestrial broadcasters. The three networks, however, contend that JTBC broke with industry practic

Mar 25, 2026By Park Ung
Koreans may lose free access to World Cup 2026 as broadcast talks deadlock
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