South Korea - The Korea Times

Lee suggests adjusting basic pension payments for low-income seniors

President Lee Jae Myung on Monday floated the idea of adjusting basic pension payments for elderly people in proportion to their income level. Lee made the remarks in a post on the social media platform X, sharing a link to a news story about the government's plan to gradually ease the reduction in basic pension payments for couples aged 65 or older when both spouses receive the benefit. The adjustment is expected to begin next year, starting with low-income households. "A married couple growing old together should not face disadvantages," Lee wrote on X. "I have heard that there are even cases in which people opt for sham divorces to avoid reductions in their basic pension payments." Citing Korea's high suicide rate among the elderly, Lee said poverty remains one of the most serious challenges facing older adults and suggested it may be time to review the current pension structure. "If we want to reduce elderly poverty that can even drive people to take their own lives, we need to revise the current basic pension system," he said.

Mar 16, 2026By Yonhap

Lee suggests adjusting basic pension payments for low-income seniors

Foreign voting rights debate resurfaces ahead of June 3 local elections

With the June 3 local elections approaching, debate has resurfaced over voting rights for foreign residents as Korea’s foreign population continues to grow. It has been two decades since the government allowed certain long-term foreign residents to vote in local elections, but critics argue that the current rules violate the principles of reciprocity and international fairness. The government first granted voting rights to foreign permanent residents in local elections in 2006 during the Roh Moo-hyun administration. At that time, the number of eligible foreign voters stood at just 6,726, but the figure has grown steadily — rising to 12,878 in 2010, 48,428 in 2014, 106,205 in 2018 and 127,623 in 2022. Under the current Public Official Election Act, foreign residents who have obtained permanent residency are allowed to vote in elections for local government leaders and local council members after three years of holding an F-5 visa. According to the Ministry of Justice, Korea had more than 1.6 million registered foreign residents as of December last year, including 220,788 permanent resi

Mar 15, 2026By Jung Da-hyun

Foreign voting rights debate resurfaces ahead of June 3 local elections

Middle-aged Koreans report highest stress levels, shifting from younger groups

People in their 40s recorded the highest levels of stress in daily life among adults, marking a shift away from younger generations as economic pressures and workplace competition weigh more heavily on middle-aged Koreans. This generational shift reflects a broader socioeconomic reality, as the anxieties of midlife — compounded by stagnant wages and rising household debt — have eclipsed the pressures once felt mainly by younger Koreans entering the workforce. According to 2024 data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on Sunday, from an annual survey of about 10,000 people, 25.9 percent of respondents age 19 and older said they feel “very much” or “much” stress in daily life — a level similar to the 25.5 percent recorded in 2014. Among age groups, people in their 40s recorded the highest stress rate at 35.1 percent — more than eight percentage points higher than in 2014. Those in their 30s followed at 34.7 percent, while adults ages 19 to 29 recorded 30.3 percent. In the 2014 survey, people in their 30s had reported the highest stress level at 34 percent,

Mar 15, 2026By Park Ung

Middle-aged Koreans report highest stress levels, shifting from younger groups

BTS concert security concerns block rooftop access at 31 buildings

Authorities will restrict access to 31 buildings near Gwanghwamun Square before a full-group comeback concert by BTS on March 21, seeking to prevent unauthorized rooftop viewing and possible safety hazards. With crowds of up to 260,000 expected on the day of the concert, the restrictions reflect police plans for strict security amid safety concerns over the massive gathering and heightened global security concerns, including the possibility of a terror attack linked to intensifying tensions in the Middle East. According to Korean media reports Sunday, the Seoul Metropolitan Government and police designated 31 buildings near Gwanghwamun Square as priority monitoring sites and are coordinating safety measures with building managers. Last week, police reportedly asked managers of six buildings directly adjacent to the square to close front entrances the day of the concert and allow access only through rear entrances to prevent spectators from bypassing the area’s 31 official access points and reaching the concert site without authorization. The Seoul Metropolitan Government has also calle

Mar 15, 2026By Park Ung

BTS concert security concerns block rooftop access at 31 buildings

2 seriously injured in building fire in central Seoul

Two people sustained serious injuries in a fire that broke out at a seven-story building in central Seoul on Saturday, while eight others suffered minor injuries. The fire broke out at what was reported to be a guest house on the third floor of the building in Seoul's central Jung district at 6:10 p.m., according to firefighting authorities. Two people were taken to hospitals with serious injuries, while eight others were treated at the scene for minor injuries, authorities said. Firefighters were working to contain the fire. The district office advised people to avoid the area due to massive smoke, while several sections of nearby roads were closed to traffic. Interior Minister Yun Ho-jung instructed officials to mobilize all available personnel and equipment to combat the fire.

Mar 14, 2026By Yonhap

2 seriously injured in building fire in central Seoul

Hyundai workers, residents in Ulsan fear impact of robots' arrival at US factories

“We weren’t even shaken during COVID. It somehow just passed us by,” said Joo Jung-hee, an 80-year-old restaurant owner. “That’s because of the factory workers.” Running a small restaurant in Ulsan, a city whose economy revolves around six major Hyundai Motor factories, Joo has rarely worried about sales. Even with pain-relief patches on hands darkened by age spots, she still smiles at the sight of customers streaming in each day, metimes swallowing a handful of painkillers before returning to work. Inside the modest 82-square-meter restaurant, ten steel tables fill quickly at lunchtime. Factory workers tired of cafeteria food come for Joo’s pollack stew or ft tofu up, and the place turns into mething like a neighborhood living room. Over the years serving out food, she now knows when the next seasonal promotion is. Restaurants nearby have changed owners several times in the past year alone. But Joo has held on to her spot, which sits directly across from the factory gates for three decades. For her, Ulsan was the city that made it possible to raise three sons. She arrived

Mar 14, 2026By Hankookilbo

Hyundai workers, residents in Ulsan fear impact of robots' arrival at US factories

Korea to invest $5.8 bil. in semiconductor, AI, battery technologies

The government will invest about 8.6 trillion won ($5.77 billion) this year to accelerate development across various fields, including semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI), shipbuilding, energy and batteries, as it moves to strengthen Korea’s technological sovereignty and respond to intensifying global competition. The Ministry of Science and ICT announced Friday that the joint public-private Special Committee on the National Strategic Technology approved the 2026 implementation plan, mobilizing 23 ministries to coordinate research funding, policy tools and financial support. The plan is part of the government’s five-year national strategy for strategic technologies from 2024 through 2028, aimed at securing critical capabilities that are considered essential to national security and industrial growth. As part of the plan, the government has ramped up national strategic technology research and development (R&D) spending by 30 percent from last year to 8.6 trillion won in 2026. The fund will support coordinated government programs covering 513 designated technologies, which th

Mar 13, 2026By Lee Gyu-lee

Korea to invest $5.8 bil. in semiconductor, AI, battery technologies

Ex-station chief’s testimony at Itaewon disaster hearing sparks fury from bereaved families

The former Itaewon Station chief said during an investigative hearing Friday that she would still not have ordered trains to skip Itaewon Station on the night of the 2022 Halloween crowd crush, drawing fury from bereaved families who accused her of abetting the disaster that killed 159 people. On the second day of fact-finding hearings by the National Commission for the Investigation of the Oct. 29 Itaewon Disaster in Seoul, questioning centered on Song Eun-young’s decision not to request trains skip Itaewon Station that night as well as Yongsan District Office’s failure to address illegal structures near the narrow alley where the crowd crush happened. Asked whether she would make the same choice again under identical circumstances, Song replied, “Yes, that’s right,” prompting strong reactions from families in the audience. Some yelled, “If you stay in the post, people will die again,” and “What have you done for three years?” as the hearing briefly grew chaotic. Song, who now holds a different post with Seoul Metro, defended her decision by arguing station staff had

Mar 13, 2026By Lee Hae-rin

Ex-station chief’s testimony at Itaewon disaster hearing sparks fury from bereaved families

Lawmaker targets English cram lessons for toddlers after level test ban

A lawmaker who led this week’s ban on English level tests for preschoolers is now vowing to push a far more sweeping proposal that would sharply curb academic lessons for children at so-called “English kindergartens” and other private institutes in Korea. On Thursday, the National Assembly approved an amendment to the Private Teaching Institutes and Extracurricular Lessons Act in order to ban level tests used by private institutes to screen or rank preschool students for their programs. This law will come into force six months after passage. Only low‑pressure diagnostic checks will be allowed after a child is enrolled, and only with prior parental consent, using observation‑style activities intended to support learning rather than rank children. Detailed standards for these diagnostics will be set later by enforcement ordinances. A senior aide in the office of Rep. Kang Kyung-sook of the minor liberal Rebuilding Korea Party, who led the legislation effort, welcomed the passage but stressed that it represents only “half” of the lawmaker’s early-childhood agenda. “The oth

Mar 13, 2026By Jung Min-ho

Lawmaker targets English cram lessons for toddlers after level test ban

Police to deploy maximum security for BTS comeback show amid terror concerns

Police said Friday that they will deploy maximum security measures for K-pop group BTS’ concert at Gwanghwamun Square on March 21, citing the possibility of a terror attack amid intensifying tensions in the Middle East and worsening global security conditions. In a press release, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said it will mobilize all resources to counter terrorism risks in and around the venue near City Hall in central Seoul, with over 200,000 fans expected to crowd the area for the concert. It also pledged a tough response to hoax threats. “If a bomb threat is reported on the day of the event, it could cause major disruptions,” the police said. “Anyone who causes delays or wastes police resources by making bomb threats will be subject to arrest and a full investigation until they are apprehended.” Police buses and water-filled barricades will be placed on surrounding roads to block access to the venue as part of the safety measures. Metal detectors will also be set up at 30 entrance points. Police asked visitors to pack light, saying that screening procedures could cau