South Korea - The Korea Times

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

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

Busan to open temple stays, retreat centers to BTS fans at budget prices

Busan is rolling out public support measures ahead of the BTS world tour in the southeastern port city in June, bracing for an influx of international visitors and looking to boost its profile as a tourist destination. Busan Metropolitan Government said Monday it will hold an interdepartmental meeting next week ahead of the concerts, focusing on accommodation price gouging and related issues. Scheduled for June 12 and 13, the K-pop group's Busan concerts are drawing high fan anticipation, especially as the second day marks the group's debut anniversary and the city is the hometown of members Jimin and Jung Kook. Accommodation prices surged early, according to a January survey by the Korea Fair Trade Commission and the Korea Consumer Agency. The survey — based on rates from 135 properties, including 52 hotels, 39 motels and 44 vacation rentals listed on major booking platforms — found that the average one-night rate for the concert weekend was 433,999 won ($291), 2.4 times higher than the weekends before and after. To ease pressure on accommodation, the city will house around 400 for

Apr 13, 2026By Park Ung

Busan to open temple stays, retreat centers to BTS fans at budget prices

Jinju's Seungsan nominated for UN Best Tourism Villages program

The village of Seungsan in Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province, has been nominated for Best Tourism Villages, a UN Tourism program, Sunday. A total of six villages nationwide were selected as candidates this year, with Seungsan Village the only entry from South Gyeongsang Province. Launched in 2021, the Best Tourism Villages initiative aims to promote the role of tourism in rural development by helping address depopulation and regional imbalances while identifying sustainable growth models. Candidate villages are evaluated based on criteria including cultural and natural resources, heritage preservation and utilization, as well as economic, social and environmental sustainability. The village has strong historical and cultural significance, with the founders of several of Korea's influential conglomerates and companies coming from the area, earning it a reputation as a “hub of K-entrepreneurship.” Tourism infrastructure combining hands-on experience programs with high-quality accommodations is believed to have contributed to the village’s strong evaluation in the selection process. Key

Apr 12, 2026By Jung Da-hyun

Jinju's Seungsan nominated for UN Best Tourism Villages program

Aging candidate pool in superintendent race raises concerns over lack of younger leadership

With the June 3 local elections nearing, the superintendent race is drawing concern for its aging candidate pool, with most contenders aged 60 or older. A total of 75 candidates had registered for superintendent races nationwide as of Friday, with an average age of 63. By age group, those in their 60s accounted for the majority with 53 candidates, or 70.7 percent, followed by 16 candidates in their 50s at 21.3 percent, and six in their 70s at 8 percent. The youngest candidates are two contenders in the Sejong superintendent race, both aged 50, while the oldest candidate, running in Daegu, is 74. In Daegu, Daejeon, Ulsan and South Chungcheong Province, the average age of superintendent candidates exceeded 65 — the typical threshold for senior citizen status. Among them, Daegu recorded the highest average at 68. In South Chungcheong Province, two candidates in their 70s have registered. All regions nationwide except Busan, Sejong and Jeju saw average candidate ages in the 60s. Compared with other local elections, including races for mayors and governors, the aging candidate pool is more p

Apr 12, 2026By Jung Da-hyun

Aging candidate pool in superintendent race raises concerns over lack of younger leadership

2 firefighters killed in cold storage warehouse fire

A fire broke out at a cold storage warehouse in a southwestern county Sunday, leaving two firefighters dead as the blaze intensified during rescue operations, authorities said. The fire started at around 8:25 a.m. at a fisheries processing company's warehouse in the county of Wando, South Jeolla Province, prompting authorities to mobilize more than 100 firefighters. It was extinguished after about three hours, according to the Wando Fire Station. Two firefighters became trapped inside the warehouse and were later found dead, it noted. According to fire authorities, the blaze is believed to have started while workers were using a torch to remove paint from the building as part of floor-leveling and repaving work. A fishery company official inhaled smoke and was sent to a nearby hospital, but was not in life-threatening condition. Lee Min-seok, chief of the Wando Fire Station, said the two firefighters were unable to escape after reentering the site to extinguish residual flames following the initial operation. "Oil mist presumed to have been floating near the ceiling exploded," Lee said at

Apr 12, 2026By Yonhap

2 firefighters killed in cold storage warehouse fire

'Yellow envelope law' at 1 month: bargaining expands, but not to 'thousands'

One month after South Korea's revised labor law took effect, early rulings suggest the worst-case scenarios from business groups have not materialized. Employers said the "yellow envelope law" — a pro-labor act limiting damages against strikers — could force companies to bargain with hundreds or even thousands of subcontractor unions and invite interference in core management decisions. However, the first rulings have shown a limited scope. Labor authorities have recognized employer status more broadly for principal contractors, while restricting bargaining to a limited number of units and confining recognized issues largely to working conditions. The law marked its first month Friday. It expanded the definition of employer to include firms that substantially control working conditions even if they do not directly hire the workers. Labor relation commissions nationwide started ruling on subcontractor unions' bargaining demands, often recognizing prime contractors as the "real employer" of subcontracted workers. Business groups said this could lead to endless demands, but the governm

Apr 11, 2026By Hankookilbo

'Yellow envelope law' at 1 month: bargaining expands, but not to 'thousands'

Historian to lead Independence Hall of Korea in South Chungcheong Province

The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs announced Friday that President Lee Jae Myung has appointed Kim Hee-gon, head of the National Memorial of the Korean Provisional Government, as the 14th president of the Independence Hall of Korea, effective Monday. Kim is widely regarded as an expert in the history of Korea’s independence movement from Japanese colonial rule (1910-1945). He previously served as a professor in the history department at Andong National University (now Gyeongguk National University). He has also held several key positions, including head of the Korea Independence Movement History Research Institute at the Independence Hall of Korea, director of the Andong Independence Movement Memorial Hall and president of the Korean Association for Modern and Contemporary History, and is a member of the National Institute of Korean History. Since April 2022, he has served as the inaugural head of the National Memorial of the Korean Provisional Government. He earned his bachelor’s degree in history from Kyungpook National University and obtained both his master’s and do

Apr 10, 2026By Hankookilbo

Historian to lead Independence Hall of Korea in South Chungcheong Province

Rights body urges Air Force Academy to discipline those behind hazing

Some instructors at the Republic of Korea Air Force Academy abused cadet candidates during basic training, including forcing them to eat large amounts of food, a state human rights watchdog found. The findings reflect persistent hazing across Korea's military, spanning service branches and enlisted soldiers alike. The National Human Rights Commission of Korea on Thursday said it recommended the academy's superintendent discipline those responsible for the abuse and that the Air Force Chief of Staff conduct an inspection of the institution. In February, a former cadet candidate who quit over alleged abuse filed a complaint, saying instructors hit his injured knees and back and made demeaning remarks about his parents. He also alleged being forced to quickly down 1.5 liters of a beverage and a large pastry, and denied meals twice when he failed. To verify the claims, the commission surveyed 79 cadet candidates, finding that 25 percent reported forced eating, 46 percent had witnessed or experienced meal deprivation and 39 percent said they had suffered human rights violations. Other accounts

Apr 10, 2026By Park Ung

Rights body urges Air Force Academy to discipline those behind hazing

Mockery of independence activists sparks concerns ahead of Provisional Government anniversary

Social media posts mocking Korean independence activists have gone viral, sparking widespread outrage over artificial intelligence (AI)-generated content being used to mock historical figures. The backlash came on the occasion of Saturday's 107th anniversary of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, founded in Shanghai in 1919 to lead the resistance against 1910-45 Japanese colonial rule. In one clip on TikTok, a train bearing the face of Ahn Jung-geun fills with foul gas as passengers writhe in agony. Ahn assassinated Japan's Resident-General Ito Hirobumi in 1909, an act that directly precipitated Japan's full annexation of the 1392-1910 Joseon Dynasty the following year. In another clip, Ahn is depicted passing gas with enough force to launch himself into space. Other denigrating content beyond the AI-generated videos has also emerged. One video displays a photo of Yu Gwan-sun, a teenage activist who led independence rallies against Japanese rule and died in prison at 17, alongside a caption calling her “someone who stirred people up and lived well on her own.” Anoth