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Playing Sherlock Holmes: Rise of escape rooms in South Korea

“Please place your hands on the shoulders of the person in front of you and close your eyes. Follow me carefully inside. Once I leave, the game will begin. If there’s an emergency, contact us immediately. Good luck escaping.” When the door shuts and I open my eyes, I find myself standing in what looks like a neighborhood alley. For the next 60 minutes, I am a detective tasked with identifying the culprit in a murder case. My first challenge is unlocking a cabinet that contains files on potential suspects. Scenes like this are common inside so-called “escape room cafes.” Despite the name, these venues do not sell beverages. Instead, they offer themed puzzle experiences in which participants solve clues to escape a locked space within a set time limit. Themes range from horror and fantasy to action, mystery and comedy. Participation typically costs about 20,000 won ($15) per hour. The games can be played alone or in groups, and their role-playing element — allowing participants to feel like protagonists in a drama — has fueled their popularity. That helps explain why reservat

Feb 14, 2026By Hankookilbo
Playing Sherlock Holmes: Rise of escape rooms in South Korea

Civil servant-turned-YouTube icon ‘Chungjuman’ steps down from city post

Kim Sun-tae, a star civil servant with the Chungju city government who rose to nationwide fame as the face of the city’s YouTube channel “Chung TV,” has submitted his resignation, city officials said on Friday. According to the city, Kim turned in his resignation to the human resources department and began extended leave immediately afterward. “The resignation has not yet been formally processed,” a city official said. “However, since he has expressed his intention to step down, the matter will be handled in due course.” Kim, widely known by his nickname "Chungjuman," gained popularity through his role in producing and appearing in the city’s promotional YouTube content. With his unique sense of humor and refreshing production style, he spearheaded a shift in how local governments communicate with the public, moving away from traditional press releases toward engaging, social media-driven storytelling. Residents and viewers began to associate the city with experimental digital content, rather than thinking of it simply a provincial town with a population just over 200,000

Feb 13, 2026By Lee Hae-rin
Civil servant-turned-YouTube icon ‘Chungjuman’ steps down from city post

Korea’s infamously difficult CSAT English section to get AI makeover

The notoriously difficult English section of Korea’s College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) is now heading for an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven overhaul, with officials saying that the reform begins with a simple diagnosis: The English used on the university entrance test is not the kind of English people actually use. The Ministry of Education announced earlier this week that it will build an AI-based system to generate English passages, with the goal of using them in mock exams for the 2028 academic year. Officials will also work to apply the technology to review CSAT questions. A senior ministry official who oversees the project acknowledged that recent CSATs included English passages using language that is “not actually used in real life.” “The reason is that we have been relying on overseas source texts, and those sources tend to be academic papers or convoluted scholarly books, which have drawn criticism (for being impractical),” the official told The Korea Times. He said the problem of CSAT English being impractical and unnatural is part of what the ministry is try

Feb 13, 2026By Jung Min-ho
Korea’s infamously difficult CSAT English section to get AI makeover

London Bagel Museum operator faces $555,000 penalty for labor law violations after worker's death

A labor ministry investigation has found that the operator of the popular bakery brand London Bagel Museum violated multiple labor laws, including excessive overtime, unpaid wages and workplace harassment, with authorities filing a criminal complaint against the head of the company. The Ministry of Employment and Labor said Friday it conducted a special inspection of 18 outlets run by LBM, the company behind London Bagel Museum and its affiliated brands, between October and January. The probe involved anonymous surveys and face-to-face interviews with workers to determine whether labor regulations had been violated. The ministry said LBM chief Kang Kwan-gu faces five charges, including violation of overtime limits, illegal penalty clauses and breaches of workplace safety rules. More than 60 additional violations, such as failure to issue pay statements, lack of health checkups and workplace bullying, resulted in administrative fines totaling 801 million won ($555,132). Authorities also ordered the company to pay 564 million won in unpaid wages, including overtime pay. The inspection foll

Feb 13, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji
London Bagel Museum operator faces $555,000 penalty for labor law violations after worker's death

Two men dead, one unconscious as Seoul police seek arrest warrant for suspect

Police on Wednesday sought an arrest warrant for a woman in her 20s after two men died and another was left unconscious after going to a motel with her. The Seoul Gangbuk Police Station said it applied for the warrant on suspicion of inflicting bodily injury resulting in death and violating narcotics control laws. The woman, identified only as A, was detained the previous day in Suyu-dong, Gangbuk District, on suspicion of giving a male victim a drink containing an unidentified substance at a motel. According to investigators, she entered the motel with the victim around 8:30 p.m. on Feb. 9 and left alone about two hours later. The following day, at approximately 5:40 p.m., a motel employee discovered the man lying dead on the bed and reported the case to authorities. No external injuries were found on the body, and beer cans were recovered at the scene. Investigators believe she used a similar method in two earlier incidents. Late last month, a man was found dead after staying at a motel with the woman. He had consumed a drink she provided before his death, investigators said. In mid-Dece

Feb 12, 2026By Hankookilbo
Two men dead, one unconscious as Seoul police seek arrest warrant for suspect

Gov't to extend fuel tax cut by another 2 months until April

Korea will extend its temporary fuel tax cut for an additional two months through the end of April in a bid to ease the financial burden on consumers amid ongoing volatility in global oil prices, the finance ministry said Thursday. Under the latest extension, the current tax reductions — 7 percent on gasoline and 10 percent on diesel and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) — will remain in place until April 30, according to the ministry. The latest decision took into account the uncertainty in domestic and international oil prices, and aims to alleviate fuel cost pressures on the public. Korea first introduced the fuel tax cut in November 2021 as a response to rising energy prices. The government has since extended the measure, adjusting the rates in accordance with changes in the global energy market. This latest move marks the 20th extension of the fuel tax relief program.

Feb 12, 2026By Yonhap
Gov't to extend fuel tax cut by another 2 months until April

AI expected to heavily cut jobs in sales, manufacturing over next decade

Korea’s latest 10-year employment outlook has delivered a stark message for workers: Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a distant threat, but a significant force reshaping which jobs will expand, which will vanish and what skills people will need to stay employed. According to a 2024-34 workforce projection released Thursday by the state-run Korea Employment Information Service (KEIS), employees in routine-based, easily automated roles will face the heaviest job losses over the next decade, as new technologies rapidly transform the structure of labor demand. Sales workers are projected to suffer the steepest losses, with employment in sales jobs expected to shrink by 268,000 over the next decade. Researchers tie this directly to the spread of online commerce and unmanned or self‑checkout systems. Machine operators and assemblers are next in line. Employment of these workers, who run equipment and production lines in factories, is projected to fall by around 180,000 jobs as companies roll out industrial robots, AI‑driven production control and fully fledged “smart factory

Feb 12, 2026By Jung Min-ho
AI expected to heavily cut jobs in sales, manufacturing over next decade

North Chungcheong Province makes all out effort to attract tourists, international students

North Chungcheong Provincial Office said it is rolling out a series of policies aimed at attracting more foreign visitors, including improved transportation access, and expanded shopping, tourism and incentive programs. Korea saw a record number of foreign visitors in 2025, with arrivals surpassing 18.7 million for the year, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Thanks to the nationwide rebound in inbound tourism, North Chungcheong Province also welcomed more than 100,000 visitors at the Cheongju International Airport last year, up about 40,000 from the previous year, reflecting its rapidly expanding inbound tourism potential. The province plans to establish and operate a demand-responsive transportation system linking major transport hubs such as Cheongju International Airport and Osong Station with key tourist sites across the province. The initiative is designed to improve mobility for foreign travelers and encourage visitors to explore destinations within North Chungcheong Province. The office said it will operate C-SQUARE, a travel lounge located at the Yongdu T

Feb 12, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
North Chungcheong Province makes all out effort to attract tourists, international students

Lee visits food bank to promote low-barrier welfare program

President Lee Jae Myung on Wednesday visited a regional food bank and voiced support for expanding a low-barrier welfare program designed to help people in urgent need. Lee toured a food support center, called "Just Dream," in Chungju, North Chungcheong Province, which offers basic food and daily necessities to people facing financial hardship without requiring income documentation or complex eligibility procedures. Lee said the initiative was intended to prevent vulnerable individuals from falling into severe hardship, including situations in which they might resort to minor offenses just to get by. "The idea is to make sure no one goes hungry or ends up going to prison for stealing eggs," he said, adding that support should not be limited based solely on a person's place of residence. During last week's Cabinet meeting, Lee called for further expansion of the program to better assist those in need by lowering barriers for individuals who might otherwise be excluded from welfare benefits due to procedural hurdles. According to Cheong Wa Dae, the pilot program is currently operating at 10

Feb 11, 2026By Yonhap
Lee visits food bank to promote low-barrier welfare program
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