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Overseas campuses embrace AI while Korean universities clamp down

Cheating scandals involving artificial intelligence (AI) have continued to emerge at Korea’s top universities, prompting the government to move toward establishing the country’s first ethics framework for student use of the technology. Beyond Korea, however, universities are embracing a different approach to AI, highlighting calls for a broader shift in how the country’s higher education system responds to the AI era. “AI use has become impossible to fully restrict,” said Lim Woo-young, an economics professor at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). He explained that the overall campus climate at HKUST is broadly supportive of AI use, with the university encouraging students to engage with the technology rather than banning it outright. At HKUST, the university does not impose a single, institution-wide mandate on how faculty should handle AI in their courses. Instead, individual professors are expected to establish clear standards on AI use and communicate them explicitly to students, including by outlining those guidelines in course syllabi. When generative AI

Jan 13, 2026By Jung Da-hyun
Overseas campuses embrace AI while Korean universities clamp down

New Assembly takes up anti-discrimination bill, reigniting equality debate

Korea has seen the formal introduction of a comprehensive anti-discrimination bill at the 22nd National Assembly, reviving a long-stalled debate over equal rights and hate speech. The move follows the scrapping of multiple similar bills in previous Assemblies and comes amid growing pressure from international bodies to address the country’s legislative vacuum. Korea remains one of only two OECD member nations, alongside Japan, that has yet to enact a comprehensive anti-discrimination law. Rep. Son Sol of the left-leaning Progressive Party said Monday that she had submitted the bill, describing it as “the top priority voiced by the public” for sweeping social reforms. Son emphasized that the issue has been debated since the Kim Dae-jung administration (1998-2003) and can no longer be postponed, urging the Assembly “not to be swayed by baseless distortions and agitation about this law.” For decades, the primary hurdle to such legislation has been fierce opposition from conservative Protestant groups, who argue that the law would lead to “reverse discrimination” and infringe u

Jan 13, 2026By Lee Hae-rin
New Assembly takes up anti-discrimination bill, reigniting equality debate

Koreans say children bring happiness, but 92% cite financial burden as deterrent

Young people in Korea are more likely than their peers in Germany, Japan, France and Sweden to agree that having children would bring great joy, but they also express far stronger concerns about the economic burden of childbirth, a study found. The findings, drawn from a survey of 2,500 adults aged 20 to 49 in each of the five countries, were published in a report titled “A Study on International Cases of Population Policies” by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs on Sunday. Among respondents who were not married, Korea recorded the highest intention to marry at 52.9 percent, followed by Sweden at 50.2 percent, Germany at 46.5 percent, France at 38.2 percent and Japan at 32 percent. When all respondents were asked about their intention to have children, however, the ranking shifted. Sweden topped the list at 43.2 percent, followed by France at 38.8 percent, Germany at 38.6 percent, Korea at 31.2 percent and Japan at 20.3 percent. Among those who expressed an intention to have children, Korea recorded the lowest average planned number at 1.74. Germany and Sweden tied for

Jan 12, 2026By Hankookilbo
Koreans say children bring happiness, but 92% cite financial burden as deterrent

Older Incheon bridges grant toll breaks to foreign residents, but newest does not

Incheon’s toll exemption policy for a new bridge has come under renewed scrutiny after The Korea Times reported that foreign residents were excluded under a city ordinance, despite two older bridges connecting the same areas offering toll exemptions. Critics say the policy runs counter to established local precedent, raising questions about fairness and administrative consistency, with different standards being applied to bridges within the same city. Yeongjong Island, home to Incheon International Airport, is connected to the mainland by three bridges: Incheon Grand Bridge, Yeongjong Grand Bridge and a 4.68-kilometer bridge that opened last week and has yet to receive an official name. Under the new bridge’s toll policy, vehicles owned by residents registered at addresses on Yeongjong Island, in Cheongna International City or the islands of Bukdo Township qualify for unlimited toll exemptions, ranging from 2,000 won ($1.36) for passenger cars to 4,400 won for large vehicles. The exemptions will be expanded to all Incheon residents in April. Foreign residents, however, are not eligib

Jan 12, 2026By Park Ung
Older Incheon bridges grant toll breaks to foreign residents, but newest does not

4 in 10 Seoul women returning to work after career breaks face lower pay, longer job searches than men

Women in Seoul who return to work after career breaks for pregnancy, childbirth, or caregiving face a steep “motherhood penalty,” as they are more likely than men to start new jobs with lower pay and after a longer job search, a report showed Sunday. According to a report released by the Seoul Foundation of Women & Family, 42.5 percent of women who took a career break and later found a new job saw their wages fall compared with their previous positions. In contrast, only 25 percent of men in the same situation reported earning less. The analysis is based on a survey of 2,754 employed Seoul residents aged 19 to 64. The time it took to find employment was equally stark. Women spent an average of 48.4 months securing a new job after a care-related break, more than double the 20.4 months recorded for men. Researchers noted that these breaks result in long-term career interruptions for women, cementing gender gaps in both pay and job stability. A notable finding in the report is the perceived improvement in work-life balance. While 32.2 percent of women said their work-life balance improv

Jan 12, 2026By Lee Hae-rin
4 in 10 Seoul women returning to work after career breaks face lower pay, longer job searches than men

ExclusiveUNESCO raises censorship concerns over Korea’s ‘anti-fake news’ law

UNESCO has expressed concerns over Korea’s “anti-fake news” law, warning that efforts to fight disinformation must not come at the expense of freedom of the press or encourage censorship. In a statement recently sent in response to a Korea Times inquiry about the controversial law, UNESCO stressed that journalism needs to be “free, independent and pluralistic” and that “journalists must be able to work without fear of reprisals.” UNESCO is the primary U.N. agency with a specific mandate to foster freedom of expression, press freedom and the safety of journalists, viewing these causes as crucial for democracy and human rights. “UNESCO is concerned by the recent trend of growing self-censorship worldwide,” a spokesperson said, noting the sharp increases in media self-censorship in the Asia-Pacific region. “UNESCO stands ready to work with its member states to ensure that policies aimed at addressing mis- or disinformation are aligned with international standards on freedom of expression, including Article 19 of the human rights declaration,” the spokesperson said. Arti

Jan 11, 2026By Jung Min-ho
UNESCO raises censorship concerns over Korea’s ‘anti-fake news’ law

World-renowned ice fishing festival kicks off in Hwacheon

A world-famous annual ice fishing festival kicked off Saturday in a remote mountain town in the northeastern province of Gangwon, offering weeks of ice fishing and seasonal activities. The 2026 Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival will run through Feb. 1 in Hwacheon, just 25 kilometers south of the inter-Korean border and about 90 km northeast of Seoul. "Sancheoneo" is a species of trout known to live only in very clean fresh water. Visitors from all over the nation arrived at the 300,000-square-meter festival ground — roughly the size of around 40 football pitches — from early morning. "(We) will do our best to ensure safety and so that the Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival can become a winter festival enjoyed by everyone around the world beyond the Republic of Korea," Hwacheon Gov. Choi Moon-soon said at the opening ceremony. This year's festival is expected to attract more than 100,000 foreign visitors, turning Hwacheon, with a population of 22,370, into a global wintertime festival city. Launched in 2003, the event was chosen as the nation's best festival by the culture ministry in 2010

Jan 10, 2026By Yonhap
World-renowned ice fishing festival kicks off in Hwacheon

Lego bouquets at Korea’s biggest TV awards spark backlash from flower farmers

A feel-good, eco-friendly twist at a major Korean TV awards show has unexpectedly turned into a heated controversy. After comedian Yoo Jae-suk accepted his grand prize holding a Lego bouquet instead of real flowers, South Korea’s flower industry erupted in protest, warning that the move could hurt already struggling farmers and florists. The Korea Florist Association said the decision to replace traditional fresh bouquets with toy flowers at broadcast awards ceremonies “adds another wound” to growers and small shop owners who are battling weak consumer demand and rising costs. The group said that using plastic or toy bouquets on such high-profile stages risks making real flowers appear “inefficient or disposable,” even though millions of people rely on flower sales for their livelihoods. “More than 20,000 small flower shops and countless flower farms depend directly on fresh flower consumption,” the association said. “At a time when the government is promoting flower use through the Flower Industry Promotion Act, seeing a major broadcaster turn to toy bouquets sends the

Jan 10, 2026By Xportsnews
Lego bouquets at Korea’s biggest TV awards spark backlash from flower farmers

5 killed in highway accidents in North Gyeongsang Province

Five people were killed Saturday in multiple accidents on a highway in the southeastern province of North Gyeongsang, suspected to have been caused by black ice, the authorities said. One of the accidents happened at 6:20 a.m. near an interchange in the Sangju section of the Seosan-Yeongdeok Expressway, when a truck tumbled off the road after ramming into a guardrail while trying to avoid a vehicle that had stopped. The truck driver was killed. Other accidents reported in the area include a sedan crash that killed all four people on board. Police are investigating whether the accident was connected to another pileup reported in the area involving a trailer vehicle. In another accident, a sports utility vehicle burst into flames after colliding with a truck and crashing into a guardrail near the interchange at 6:35 a.m. As of 11 a.m., the death toll stood at five with multiple people injured. Police believe more than 20 vehicles were involved in the accidents. Due to the accidents, traffic on parts of the highway was temporarily restricted. The authorities are investigating the crashes and

Jan 10, 2026By Yonhap
5 killed in highway accidents in North Gyeongsang Province

Safety or loss of mobility? Older drivers urged to surrender licenses

A taxi driver in his late 70s plowed onto a sidewalk near Jonggak Station in Seoul on Jan. 2, killing one person and injuring 14 others. While a police investigation is underway, the crash has reignited debate over whether drivers aged 65 and older should surrender their licenses. Amid a rise in traffic accidents involving older drivers, local governments nationwide are promoting programs that encourage seniors to surrender their licenses. Concerns over livelihoods and possible limits on mobility, however, have kept the surrender rate just above 2 percent. Critics call for more realistic measures, such as strengthening competency tests for older drivers and mandating devices that prevent pedal misapplication. Traffic accidents involving older drivers are rising sharply. According to the Traffic Accident Analysis System of the Korea Road Traffic Authority on Wednesday, accidents caused by drivers aged 65 and older increased 36.4 percent, from 31,072 cases in 2020 to 42,369 cases in 2024. Over the same period, total traffic accidents fell from 209,654 to 196,349. By contrast, the share o

Jan 9, 2026By Hankookilbo
Safety or loss of mobility? Older drivers urged to surrender licenses
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