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Korea Heritage Service eyes National Treasure status for 10 Joseon-era Buddhist structures

The Korea Heritage Service moved Thursday to expand its roster of National Treasures, turning attention to a category of religious architecture long overshadowed by grander temple halls and stone pagodas. The central government agency responsible for protecting, managing and promoting the nation’s cultural heritage announced that it will seek official treasure designation for 10 Buddhist structures dating largely from the 17th to 19th centuries, including six subsidiary worship halls and four monks’ residential quarters. The proposal begins a 30-day public review period before a final decision. The buildings, scattered across the country from Gyeonggi Province to South Jeolla Province, offer a rare architectural record of how Korean temples functioned not only as places of devotion, but also as centers of daily life, scholarship and refuge. Among the sites nominated is Geungnakjeon Hall at Hyeondeung Temple in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province, believed to have been rebuilt in 1765 after a fire. Officials said surviving timber members and inscriptions discovered during restoration helped

Apr 30, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Korea Heritage Service eyes National Treasure status for 10 Joseon-era Buddhist structures
South Korea

Korea seeks to boost K-food exports with global certification drive

Korea is stepping up its push to expand K-food exports, rolling out a nationwide campaign to help companies navigate tightening global food regulations. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources' Korean Agency for Technology and Standards joined the Ministry of Finance and Economy's Export Plus Task Force to host a briefing in Seoul earlier this week aimed at demystifying overseas certification systems. Held at the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency's IKP center, the event brought together exporters, regulators and certification experts to address what officials describe as mounting technical barriers in key markets. The session focused on major certification frameworks, including Global Food Safety Initiative standards, halal certification and evolving European rules on novel foods and food contact materials. Officials said stricter safety and environmental regulations abroad are reshaping market access requirements for Korean exporters. Particular attention was given to certifications increasingly required by global retailers, as well as labeling standards tied to consumer pre

Apr 30, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Korea seeks to boost K-food exports with global certification drive
Society

Seoul goes green, planting 167 gardens across its urban landscape

Seoul will host a large-scale international garden festival beginning Friday, showcasing hundreds of themed gardens across the city, organizers said Thursday. The “Seoul International Garden Show” will run for 180 days through Oct. 27, presenting a total of 167 gardens. The exhibition area will span about 90,000 square meters, making it one of the largest garden-themed events held in the capital. The event is designed to transform urban spaces into green cultural venues where visitors can experience a wide range of garden styles, from artistic installations to nature-based landscapes. Organizers aim to promote environmental awareness and provide residents with accessible leisure and relaxation spaces within the city. The festival will feature a variety of programs and displays intended to appeal to families and younger audiences, offering opportunities to explore nature and gardening. It is also expected to contribute to Seoul’s efforts to expand green infrastructure and enhance the urban environment. City officials said the long-running event reflects a growing emphasis on sustain

Apr 30, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Seoul goes green, planting 167 gardens across its urban landscape
South Korea

Top court upholds guilty verdicts for 18 people in courthouse riot related to Yoon's martial law bid

The Supreme Court on Thursday confirmed guilty verdicts for 18 people for their participation in a courthouse riot in January last year over a court decision to keep former President Yoon Suk Yeol in custody over his failed martial law bid. The top court upheld lower rulings that handed out prison sentences or suspended terms to 17 individuals indicted on trespassing and other charges in connection with the riot at the Seoul Western District Court in the early hours of Jan. 19, 2025. It also maintained a 2 million-won ($1,346) fine for documentary filmmaker Jung Yoon-suk on trespassing charges, despite his claims that he merely entered the premises to record the event. The riot was sparked by the court's decision to extend Yoon's detention over his short-lived imposition of martial law the previous month. Yoon's supporters, who had been holding a rally outside the court, broke into its compound, smashing windows and damaging court property. One of the defendants was sentenced to four years in prison for assaulting a police officer and breaking a glass door with a steel bar, while another

Apr 30, 2026By Yonhap
Top court upholds guilty verdicts for 18 people in courthouse riot related to Yoon's martial law bid
Law & Crime

Seoul recruits volunteer dog patrol teams to monitor safety in residential areas

The Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Autonomous Police Commission is recruiting new members for its volunteer “pet dog patrol” program, which pairs routine dog walks with neighborhood safety monitoring. Applications are open through May 20 to dog owners residing in Seoul, with selected teams to serve from June through December after completing required training. Returning teams from last year — 1,109 in total — began patrol activities on April 20. Launched in 2022 with 64 teams, the program has expanded significantly. By 2025, 1,529 teams conducted 83,345 patrols across the city. During those patrols, participants filed 153 emergency reports to police, including cases involving intoxicated individuals and minor traffic incidents, and submitted 1,703 civic complaints through the city’s 120 hotline, such as reports of broken streetlights and damaged sidewalks. Applicants can register through the commission’s website. The selection process consists of two stages. The first is a document screening that reviews applicants’ motivation and whether their pets are officially regis

Apr 30, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Seoul recruits volunteer dog patrol teams to monitor safety in residential areas
South Korea

Cultural institutions tap power of art to heal national fractures

Museums in Korea are being asked to do more than display relics behind the glass this May. They are being enlisted to help mend a fractured society. Beginning Friday, more than 300 museums and art institutions across the country will take part in the 2026 Museum and Gallery Week, a nationwide cultural festival organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Running through May 31, the event adopts this year’s theme from the International Council of Museums: “Museums Uniting a Divided World.” The slogan reflects an increasingly common expectation that museums should serve not only as custodians of the past, but also as civic spaces where communities can confront conflict, grief and difference. In Korea, where regional divides, generational tensions and political polarization have sharpened in recent years, officials say museums can offer a quieter kind of public square. The festival will unfold through three major programs. One, called “Museum × Meet,” highlights 50 signature objects from institutions nationwide under the theme “Firsts, and Beginnings.” The selecti

Apr 30, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Cultural institutions tap power of art to heal national fractures
Defense

USFK troop drawdown not under discussion between S. Korea, US: defense ministry

South Korea and the United States are not discussing drawing down the 28,500-strong U.S. forces stationed in Korea, a Seoul defense ministry official said Thursday, after U.S. President Donald Trump said his administration is weighing a possible reduction of American troops in Germany. Trump said in a social media post that the U.S. is "studying and reviewing" the possible reduction of troops in Germany, with the decision possibly to be made "over the next short period of time." The remarks followed a Wall Street Journal report that Washington is considering punishing some of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies for turning down his calls for naval assistance to help secure the Strait of Hormuz in light of the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict. "There have been no discussions at all between South Korea and the United States on the reduction of the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK)," a ministry official said. "The primary mission of the USFK is to maintain a robust combined defense posture with the South Korean military to deter and respond to North Korean aggression and provocations," th

Apr 30, 2026By Yonhap
USFK troop drawdown not under discussion between S. Korea, US: defense ministry
Society

2 migrant workers arrested for allegedly using handmade air guns to hunt pigeons for food

Police said Wednesday they arrested two migrant workers in Iksan, North Jeolla Province, on suspicion of manufacturing illegal air guns and using them to hunt pigeons. One of them was identified only as a Thai man in his 30s. According to Iksan Police Station, the two are accused of violating the Act on the Safety Management of Guns, Swords, Explosives, etc., by allegedly manufacturing imitation firearms and engaging in illegal hunting. The case began on March 16, when a resident in Iksan filed a police report after hearing what sounded like gunshots, prompting officers to respond to the scene. When police arrived, they found an abandoned car, four imitation firearms and 20 iron pellets. Police later identified the suspects through interviews with local residents and launched a search. The two men were arrested separately at an apple farm in Cheongsong County, North Gyeongsang Province, and at another farm in Buyeo County, South Chungcheong Province. Investigators said the suspects used handmade air guns in a bamboo grove to hunt pigeons for food. The two had entered Korea legally, but w

Apr 30, 2026By Hankookilbo
2 migrant workers arrested for allegedly using handmade air guns to hunt pigeons for food
South Korea

2 killed, 6 injured in apartment fire in Uiwang

UIWANG — A fire broke out at an apartment in Uiwang, just south of Seoul, on Thursday, killing two people and injuring six others, officials said. The blaze began at about 10:30 a.m. on the 14th floor of the 20-story building, with firefighters completely putting out the blaze about two hours later. A man in his 60s died after plunging from the flat where the fire began, while his wife in her 50s was found dead inside their home. Authorities have discovered a suspected suicide note at the site. The fire also left six people with minor injuries, such as smoke inhalation. Police and fire authorities plan to investigate the exact cause of the fire and the couple's death.

Apr 30, 2026By Yonhap
2 killed, 6 injured in apartment fire in Uiwang
Defense

Army chief calls drones 'personal weapon' of future soldiers

The chief of staff of the Army described drones as a "personal weapon" that every soldier will be expected to operate, outlining an ambitious plan to embed unmanned systems across all combat units as the military adapts to a shrinking troop pool and shifting battlefield conditions. Speaking at a policy briefing Wednesday with defense reporters at Gyeryongdae in Gyeryong, South Chungcheong Province, Gen. Kim Gyu-ha placed drone deployment at the center of the Army's evolving force structure. “Drones should be seen as a personal weapon,” Kim said. “They are no longer limited to a single function, but can be used for surveillance, strike missions and sustained support, depending on how they are equipped and operated.” The remarks came as the Army detailed its plans to expand the use of training-purpose commercial drones across units. Officials said around 10,000 such drones will be introduced this year, with the number expected to rise to some 50,000 by 2029 — a level that would allow roughly one drone to be assigned per squad. Military officials stressed that the initiative is par

Apr 30, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji
Army chief calls drones 'personal weapon' of future soldiers
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