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CEO & Publisher: Oh Young-jinDigital News Email: webmaster@koreatimes.co.krTel: 02-724-2114Online newspaper registration No: 서울,아52844Date of registration: 2020.02.05Masthead: The Korea TimesCopyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.

PM orders swift, safe evacuations in response to wildfire

Prime Minister Kim Min-seok on Thursday ordered local authorities to ensure the swift and safe evacuation of residents after a wildfire broke out in Inje, Gangwon Province. After being briefed on the situation, Kim instructed municipalities to mobilize all necessary administrative resources to support the evacuation of residents in affected areas. He also ordered the Korea Forest Service to work with the provincial government, the fire agency and the defense ministry to secure required response equipment, focus on early containment and prevent the blaze from spreading to nearby regions. Kim called on local authorities to ensure that evacuation shelters and emergency relief supplies are sufficiently prepared to minimize inconvenience for evacuees. The wildfire broke out at around 5:29 p.m. on a hillside in Inje, 132 kilometers east of Seoul, according to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. Authorities have built firebreaks along the ridge where the wildfire is spreading in an effort to halt its advance. With nightfall making helicopter deployment impossible, authorities plan to dispat

Nov 20, 2025By Yonhap
PM orders swift, safe evacuations in response to wildfire

Outsmarted by AI? Video backlash exposes teachers' rising anxiety

The Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education came under fire after a promotional video for its AI learning platform portrayed teachers as inferior to artificial intelligence (AI), triggering an outcry among educators and reigniting a broader discussion about human oversight in a rapidly evolving technological landscape. The two-minute video, posted on social media on Nov. 14, was meant to raise awareness of “Hi-Learning,” a pilot system introduced this semester for “future-oriented education.” It allows AI to grade student answers in subjects like Korean, social studies and science. In the video, a bewildered teacher struggles to answer a student’s question about an exam result, only for “Hi-Learning AI” to jump in with quick, insightful explanations. When the student asks for further details, the teacher looks helplessly at the AI, which promptly gives an answer. In another scene, the teacher tries to reassure the student by saying, “If you work harder, you will get a good result.” But the AI interrupts by saying, “Those are empty words. Your pupils are trembling and

Nov 20, 2025By Jung Min-ho
Outsmarted by AI? Video backlash exposes teachers' rising anxiety
  • Does English proficiency still matter despite rise of AI translation?
  • Will AI replace human translators?

Labor minister voices need to pass bill to raise retirement age by year-end

Labor Minister Kim Young-hoon called for legislative efforts Thursday to raise the statutory age of retirement by the end of this year, while emphasizing that both companies and labor groups should reach a compromise amid the nation's rapidly aging population. Speaking to reporters at the government complex in the central city of Sejong, Kim emphasized that extending the retirement age is "a path that must be taken," while acknowledging challenges in narrowing differences between the two sides. "Raising the legal retirement age could lead to clashes when it comes to jobs at large companies and public institutions, which are strongly favored by the youth," he said. "If the retirement age is extended in these areas, companies will have no choice but to cut back on hiring the youth, so we need to find a middle ground where both generations can coexist." Labor groups have been pushing for the legislation to be passed within this year, citing the rapidly aging population and financial burden on retirees during the five-year gap before national pension benefits begin at 65. Business groups, ho

Nov 20, 2025By Yonhap
Labor minister voices need to pass bill to raise retirement age by year-end

Up to 6 faint from gas inhalation at POSCO's Pohang Steelworks

Up to six people fainted after inhaling what appeared to be toxic gas at POSCO's Pohang Steelworks on Thursday, officials said. The accident occurred around 1:30 p.m. at the steelworks in Pohang, 262 kilometers southeast of Seoul, while two contracted cleaners and a POSCO employee were removing sludge outside a plant, they said. Firefighters and police said the three were found in cardiac arrest after inhaling the gas. They were taken to nearby hospitals and remain unconscious, with some requiring respiratory support. Three POSCO in-house firefighters were also exposed to the gas while attempting to rescue the victims, but their conditions were not life-threatening, officials added. Authorities cited carbon monoxide poisoning as a possible cause. Police said it could take time to determine the full circumstances of the incident, as only a limited number of personnel equipped with protective gear can access the site due to lingering gas. "It's taking time to determine the exact outline of the accident and extent of damage," a police official said, adding that investigators would also look i

Nov 20, 2025By Yonhap
Up to 6 faint from gas inhalation at POSCO's Pohang Steelworks

Why elite Seoul apartment complexes are launching their own matchmaking clubs

Matchmaking services named after ultra-luxury apartment complexes in southern Seoul are emerging, reflecting a growing trend in which a person’s address functions as a kind of social credential. At Helio City in Songpa and Raemian One Bailey in Seocho, resident-driven marriage networks have formalized into full companies — drawing both interest and criticism over what many are calling a deepening form of class-based dating. According to industry officials, a matchmaking company named “Helio Marriage Information” officially opened in June inside the commercial area of Helio City, one of Seoul’s most recognizable high-end developments. The company, founded by a real estate agent with three decades of experience in Songpa District, attracted around 200 members within three months — about two-thirds of them Helio City residents, with the rest living in nearby complexes. Helio City, which welcomed its first residents in 2018, is one of the largest apartment complexes in the country, boasting 9,510 households and strong transportation access. A unit measuring 84 square meters set

Nov 20, 2025By Hankookilbo
Why elite Seoul apartment complexes are launching their own matchmaking clubs

1 in 5 married women experience career breaks in 2025, marking lowest level

One in five married women with children experienced career interruptions this year, government data showed Thursday, marking the lowest level largely due to change in social perception and improved work–life balance policies. The number of married women aged 15 to 54 living with children under the age of 18 who left the workforce had stood at 885,000 as of April, down 85,000 from a year earlier, according to data from the Ministry of Data and Statistics. The ratio of married women who experienced career breaks came to 21.3 percent, down 1.4 percentage points from a year earlier, the lowest level since relevant data was first compiled in 2014. The ministry attributed the decline to rising economic participation among women and various government policies supporting childbirth and child care. However, the ministry noted that career interruptions were more common among married women with more children and among those with younger children. By the age of the child, the number of women with children aged six or younger came to 461,000, compared with 133,000 for those with children aged 13 to

Nov 20, 2025By Yonhap
1 in 5 married women experience career breaks in 2025, marking lowest level

Crew members detained over phone use prior to ferry accident

The Coast Guard on Thursday detained the first mate and the helmsman of a passenger ferry that ran aground off the southwestern coast, leading to the rescue of all 267 people aboard. The first mate, in his 40s, and the helmsman, an Indonesian national in his 40s, were apprehended on charges of causing injury by gross negligence after both were found to have neglected their duties before the accident Wednesday. None of the passengers were seriously injured, but some were taken to hospitals after complaining of mild pains or nervous breakdowns. According to investigators, the first mate was looking at his phone as the 26,546-ton Queen Jenuvia II approached the uninhabited islet of Jok near Jangsan Island off the coast of Sinan, South Jeolla Province, at around 8 p.m. Wednesday. The ferry should have turned some 1,600 meters away from the islet, but by the time the first mate realized, the vessel was already within 100 meters of Jok. The first mate initially faulted the steering gear but later told investigators that he missed the turning point while reading the news. Investigators also found

Nov 20, 2025By Yonhap
Crew members detained over phone use prior to ferry accident

Non-regular school workers launch relay strike nationwide

Non-regular school workers, mostly cafeteria cooks and after-school day care service assistants, said Thursday they will go on a one-day general strike in each region over the next two weeks after wage negotiations with the education authorities fell through. The National School Non-regular Workers Solidarity Council, which represents about 94,000 members affiliated with several occupational unions, said its one-day general walkout is set to be staged in Seoul, Incheon, Gangwon, Sejong and the central province of North Chungcheong on Thursday. The council has held collective wage negotiations with the education authorities since August but decided to launch the strike after failing to reach an agreement. It said the strike will last one day in each region until early next month. On Friday, non-regular workers in Gwangju, the southwestern provinces of Jeolla and Jeju will walk off the job. Council members in Gyeonggi Province, Daejeon and the central province of South Chungcheong will go on strike on Dec. 4 and those in Busan, Daegu, Ulsan and the southeastern provinces of South Gyeongsan

Nov 20, 2025By Yonhap
Non-regular school workers launch relay strike nationwide

Man dies after falling from 20th floor balcony while shaking out blanket

A man in his 20s died after falling from a high-rise apartment balcony while shaking out a blanket, police said Wednesday. According to police and fire authorities, at around 1 p.m. on Nov. 18, a resident in the Onam area of Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, reported finding a man lying unconscious in the flower bed of an apartment complex. He was discovered with severe injuries across his body and in cardiac arrest. Emergency responders rushed him to a nearby hospital, but he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. Authorities found a blanket on the ground near the scene and believe the man, who lived on the 20th floor of the building, likely fell while shaking it out on his balcony. Police are investigating the exact circumstances of the accident. Fatal falls during blanket shaking from high-rise balconies occur repeatedly each year in Korea. In 2021, a woman in her 60s died after falling from the 13th floor of an apartment building in North Chungcheong Province while shaking out her bedding. Safety specialists warn that residents should always check whether their balcony railing reaches

Nov 20, 2025By Hankookilbo
Man dies after falling from 20th floor balcony while shaking out blanket

Ferry enters port after all 267 aboard rescued in accident

A passenger ferry that ran aground off the southwestern coast arrived at a port Thursday after all 267 people aboard were safely rescued, the Coast Guard said. The 26,546-ton Queen Jenuvia II was carrying 246 passengers and 21 crew members when it ran aground on the uninhabited islet of Jok near Jangsan Island off the coast of Sinan, 366 kilometers south of Seoul, at 8:17 p.m. Wednesday. All the passengers were brought to shore within some three hours, but the crew members stayed behind to help bring the vessel to port. The ferry was dislodged by towing and sailed into a nearby port in the southwestern city of Mokpo at 5:44 a.m., some nine hours after the accident. No holes or leaks were found in the ship, enabling it to sail on its own. The Coast Guard said it presumes the accident was caused by human error on the part of the captain or navigator and plans to conduct an investigation using surveillance camera footage and data recorders. None of the passengers were reported to be seriously injured, though some were taken to hospitals after complaining of mild pains or nervous breakdowns.

Nov 20, 2025By Yonhap
Ferry enters port after all 267 aboard rescued in accident
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