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1 in 20 Koreans shows low social interaction

One in 20 Koreans has limited social interaction with others, a government analysis shows, offering a rare data-based look at how weaker personal networks are reflected in work, mobility and spending patterns. The Ministry of Data and Statistics released a report Monday on living conditions among four groups of social and policy interest: older adults ages 65 and older, young adults ages 19 to 34, the low-interaction group and people 18 and older with no loan or credit card history over the past three years. The low-interaction group was defined as mobile phone users who contacted fewer than 20 distinct people and made fewer than 500 outgoing calls and text messages a month. This placed them in the bottom 15 percent for the former and the bottom 10 percent for the latter as of the first quarter of this year. The ministry combined the government’s 2023 population data with first-quarter data this year on daily activity from SK Telecom, Shinhan Card, Korea Credit Bureau and SK Broadband to analyze economic and social activity. It said the report is the first such analysis to closely exam

Dec 30, 2025By Park Ung
1 in 20 Koreans shows low social interaction

Hanyang University launches Shandong Alumni Association to expand global student network

Hanyang University held the inaugural ceremony of its Shandong International Alumni Association in Qingdao on Dec. 20, bringing together alums from China’s Shandong region as part of its broader effort to expand its global international student network, the university said Monday. The Shandong association marks the university’s fourth international alum group, following the launch of associations in Shanghai in 2023, Beijing in 2024 and Malaysia in November this year. The university noted that the launch of the Shandong chapter reflects its continued efforts to build and strengthen international student alum communities across overseas regions. Around 90 people attended the ceremony, including local alums, university officials and the head of the Korean alum association. Zhang Yafei, a member of the class of 2011 who earned a master’s degree in cultural contents studies, was appointed the inaugural president of the Shandong association. Si Xiaoyu, a 2021 graduate with a master’s degree in management information systems, was appointed auditor. Presidents of the previously establish

Dec 30, 2025By Jung Da-hyun
Hanyang University launches Shandong Alumni Association to expand global student network

InterviewKorea looks beyond employment to retain international startup founders

Employment has long been seen as the primary pathway for international students seeking to settle in Korea. The Ministry of SMEs and Startups, however, is advancing a parallel strategy centered on entrepreneurship, targeting global startup personnel — including foreign students — to encourage long-term settlement. “The initiative aims to attract top global startup talent to establish businesses in Korea, integrate them into the domestic economy and ultimately enhance the global competitiveness of the country’s startup ecosystem,” said Oh Ji-young, director of the Global Startup Division at the SMEs ministry in a written interview with The Korea Times. A flagship policy driving the ministry’s efforts to attract foreign founders is the K-Startup Grand Challenge. Launched in 2016, the program promotes Korea’s startup ecosystem globally through an international competition that seeks to identify promising overseas startups and encourage them to establish operations in the country. Selected teams receive a package of settlement support, including assistance with visas and corpor

Dec 30, 2025By Jung Da-hyun
Korea looks beyond employment to retain international startup founders

Ex-first lady used status for gifts, influenced appointments: special counsel

A special prosecutor team that investigated Kim Keon Hee, the wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, announced its final findings Monday after a 180-day probe. The findings addressed allegations raised both before and during Yoon’s presidency and included additional details uncovered by the probe. The special prosecutor team said in their report that Kim exploited her status as the president’s spouse to receive expensive gifts and intervene broadly in personnel and candidate nominations, undermining Korea’s public systems. “It was clearly established that Kim played a leading role from the early stages of the former president’s entry into politics and continued to do so after his election,” assistant special counsel Oh Jeong-hee said, calling their relationship “a political collective.” Launched in July, the team led by Min Joong-ki, former chief judge of the Seoul Central District Court, investigated 16 charges against Kim, including stock price manipulation and bribery linked to the Unification Church. Earlier this month, prosecutors sought a 15-year prison sentence an

Dec 29, 2025By Park Ung
Ex-first lady used status for gifts, influenced appointments: special counsel

Solemn memorial marks Jeju Air tragedy on first anniversary

Bereaved family members and government officials gathered Monday for a solemn memorial ceremony marking the first anniversary of the deadly plane crash in the country's southwest that claimed 179 lives, with many still seeking closure that remains elusive. More than 1,200 people, including grieving families, government officials and lawmakers, attended the memorial to pay tribute to the victims of the Jeju Air plane crash at Muan International Airport on Dec. 29 last year. The passenger plane from Bangkok attempted a belly landing without its landing gear after a bird strike, overshot the runway and slammed into a concrete embankment at the airport. The crash sparked an immediate explosion, killing all but two crew members. The accident, one of the deadliest aviation disasters in the country's history, prompted a full-scale investigation into the cause of the crash, but the victims' families have voiced dissatisfaction with the government-led probe, arguing that it seeks to pin the blame solely on the deceased pilot. Before the ceremony began, sirens sounded for one minute starting at 9:

Dec 29, 2025By Yonhap
Solemn memorial marks Jeju Air tragedy on first anniversary

Slow-aging guru’s wellness brand unravels amid authorship issues, sexual abuse dispute

Once hailed as the doctor who taught Koreans how to grow old slowly, Jung Hee-won is watching his "slow aging" brand fall apart. Allegations of stalking, sexual coercion and claims that he took credit for a former employee’s work have triggered corporate boycotts, the loss of prestigious public roles and a broader reckoning over power, gender and credibility in Korea’s latest wellness industry. From slow-aging guru to policy insider Jung, 41, rose to fame as a geriatrician at Seoul Asan Medical Center, turning complex data on frailty and chronic disease into a simple promise: slow aging. A graduate of Seoul National University College of Medicine, he built his authority treating and studying older patients as Korea grappled with rapid population aging and a growing national focus on healthy longevity. He packaged this philosophy as "slow aging," framing it as the opposite of "accelerated aging," and turned it into social media content and bestselling books offering practical routines on diet, exercise and daily routines for people in their 30s to 50s. Television and radio amplified hi

Dec 29, 2025By Lee Hae-rin
Slow-aging guru’s wellness brand unravels amid authorship issues, sexual abuse dispute

5 family members found dead at 2 apartments in Gyeongsan

Five family members were found dead at two different apartments in the southeastern city of Gyeongsan on Sunday, police said. The five were identified as a man in his 40s and his wife, son and parents, according to the Gyeongsan Police Station, which responded to a call from an acquaintance of the deceased man. The bodies were discovered at 11:15 a.m., with only the man's father found dead at his own apartment, apart from where the other four were found. The acquaintance told police he had received a text message from the man expressing despair about his situation and asking that he help sort out unfinished business. No notes or signs of foul play were found, police said, adding an autopsy is scheduled to be performed on the bodies to determine the exact cause of death. Signs that the man had taken his own life were reportedly evident at the scene.

Dec 28, 2025By Yonhap
5 family members found dead at 2 apartments in Gyeongsan

Over 4,000 schools shut down nationwide as student numbers plunge

More than 4,000 elementary, middle and high schools across Korea have shut their doors as the country’s student population shrinks, new data shows. According to the Ministry of Education’s latest figures, revealed on Sunday by Rep. Jin Sun-mee of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, since 1980, 4,008 schools under 17 regional education offices nationwide have closed as of March this year. During the period, the number of enrolled students decreased from 9.9 million to 5.07 million. Elementary schools account for the majority of closures, with 3,674 shut down permanently, compared with 264 middle schools and 70 high schools. Over the past five years alone, 158 schools have closed, and an additional 107 schools are projected to shut down over the next five years. Korea’s birthrate ― the lowest in the world with the total fertility rate remaining below 0.8 ― is the chief reason behind this contraction. The pace of closures also suggests that enrollment decline is expected to accelerate in provincial regions rather than in the capital area. The largest number of closures are in No

Dec 28, 2025By Jung Min-ho
Over 4,000 schools shut down nationwide as student numbers plunge

Nearly 4 in 10 older adults in Korea live below poverty line: Report

Nearly 4 in 10 Koreans aged 66 and older are living below the relative poverty line, highlighting deepening economic insecurity for many in the country’s aging population, a government report showed Friday. According to Social Trends Korea 2025, released by Statistics Korea’s National Statistical Research Institute, 39.7 percent of people aged 66 or older live on incomes below 50 percent of the national median. This is the highest rate among OECD member countries and nearly three times the OECD average of 14.8 percent. The report found that poverty is most severe among those aged 75 and older, who face a “dual crisis” of income insecurity and deteriorating health. While labor force participation among seniors has increased, many remain trapped in low-wage jobs. People aged 60 and older accounted for 69 percent of workers employed fewer than 36 hours a week. Although the poverty rate for households headed by those 65 or older fell from 42.4 percent in 2016 to 36.1 percent in 2023, the study noted that people aged 75 and above benefit less from public income transfers such as the

Dec 26, 2025By Kim Hyun-bin
Nearly 4 in 10 older adults in Korea live below poverty line: Report

New guidelines on 'Yellow Envelope Law' rekindle dispute between labor, business

Sharp differences have emerged between business groups and labor unions following the government’s release of new guidelines on the so-called “Yellow Envelope Law,” a measure intended to protect striking workers from crippling liability lawsuits. Historically symbolized by the yellow envelopes of cash donations used to support penalized workers, the revised law has drawn warnings from business leaders that it could embolden unions and disrupt operations. The Ministry of Employment and Labor announced the new guidelines on Friday, ahead of its implementation on March 10 next year. It clarifies that subcontracted workers are entitled to collective bargaining rights with a main contractor if the contractor exercises structural control over their working hours or work methods. Labor groups have criticized the guidelines for imposing stricter standards that reduce the liability of main contractors, while business associations warned that vague criteria could sow confusion on the ground and heighten uncertainties for management. The law is a landmark revision that expands the definition

Dec 26, 2025By Jung Da-hyun
New guidelines on 'Yellow Envelope Law' rekindle dispute between labor, business
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