my timesThe Korea Times

South Korea

PoliticsDefenseGlobal CommunityEnvironment & AnimalsLaw & CrimeHealthSocietyEducationOthers
  • Politics

    Soon-to-be PM Han carries high expectation for AI transformation

    Han Seong-sook, Korea’s soon-to-be prime minister, arrives at the post with high expectations that she will leverage her technological expertise to help accelerate the country's artificial intelligence (AI) transformation. The parliamentary confirmation hearing committee approved a report, Tuesday, clearing Han as qualified for the post, with the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) leading the approval after she was nominated on June 7. Han is now just one step away from officially taking office, with her appointment to be finalized once the National Assembly approves the confirmation motion at a plenary session. The process leading to Han’s likely appointment comes as President Lee Jae Myung pushes to position Korea among the world's top three AI powers, alongside the United States and China. The blueprint has become increasingly concrete since Lee outlined the vision last year, with initiatives such as the government's allocation of a record 9.9 trillion won ($6.3 billion) for AI this year and public-private plans to build four new semiconductor plants in southwestern Korea to m

    2 MIN READBy Yi Whan-woo
    Soon-to-be PM Han carries high expectation for AI transformation
  • Defense

    Defense minister backs push for unified military academy as fundamental reform for future

    2 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Defense minister backs push for unified military academy as fundamental reform for future
  • Law & Crime

    Outgoing North Chungcheong governor raided over bribery allegations

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Outgoing North Chungcheong governor raided over bribery allegations
  • Education

    Kookmin University student wins 2nd place at IBM Bob Hackathon

    2 MIN READBy Park Yoon-bae
    Kookmin University student wins 2nd place at IBM Bob Hackathon
  • Defense

    Ukrainian outlet's critique exposes gaps in Korea's counter-drone strategy

    3 MIN READBy Bahk Eun-ji
    Ukrainian outlet's critique exposes gaps in Korea's counter-drone strategy
Korea Times
About Us
Introduction
History
Contact Us
Products & Services
Subscribe
E-paper
RSS Service
Content Sales
Site Map
Policy
Code of Ethics
Ombudsman
Privacy Policy
Youth Protection Policy
Terms of Service
Copyright Policy
Family Site
Hankookilbo
Dongwha Group
FacebookXYoutubeInstagram
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.

Read more

Politics

Presidential Security Service holds elite training for UAE agents in long-standing cooperation

The Presidential Security Service (PSS) recently conducted a commissioned training in Seoul for presidential security agents from the United Arab Emirates, the agency said Wednesday. The elite training was part of efforts to enhance high-level cooperation between the two countries in military, security, counterterrorism and special operations since 2010. The program took place at the PSS training institute in western Seoul, where 10 UAE agents tasked with presidential protection underwent a four-week course from March 30 to April 24. The course was customized to reflect the UAE’s requirements while incorporating Korea’s advanced protective service capabilities, according to the PSS. The first two weeks focused on security theory and basic skills, while the final two weeks covered advanced protection techniques and scenario-based response training. “We hope this training will serve as an opportunity to further strengthen security cooperation between our two countries,” PSS chief Hwang In-kwon said, noting that the UAE has been a key partner of Korea, with the two sides formally est

Apr 29, 2026By Yi Whan-woo
Presidential Security Service holds elite training for UAE agents in long-standing cooperation
South Korea

Gov't identifies foreign trafficking victims, expands fast-track protections

Two foreign nationals were formally recognized as victims of human trafficking in Korea this week, in a case that underscores how labor and sexual exploitation continue to ensnare vulnerable migrants. The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family said Wednesday it confirmed a Vietnamese national and a Filipino national as victims following a review by its Trafficking in Persons Case Deliberation Committee held Tuesday. Under government guidelines, the two victims will receive support covering living expenses, medical care, employment assistance and legal aid. Authorities said both individuals entered Korea for study or employment but were subjected to exploitation after arrival. The Vietnamese victim, identified as A, arrived in June 2023 to enroll in a vocational school. Officials said the victim faced poor-quality instruction and was placed in field training that violated Ministry of Justice regulations, where wages were not paid. Sixteen other international students in the same program were previously recognized as victims last year. The Filipino victim, identified only as B, arrived in

Apr 29, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Gov't identifies foreign trafficking victims, expands fast-track protections
South Korea

Universities take lead in spreading K-culture abroad

Korea is turning to its universities to carry K-culture beyond familiar strongholds, launching a new initiative that sends Korean students overseas to stage events in regions without Korean cultural centers. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Wednesday it is working with the Korea Foundation for International Cultural Exchange to advance the Oullim Korea Culture Festival University Support Project. The program selects domestic universities through a competitive process and pairs them with overseas partners to host performances, exhibitions and seminars abroad. The effort is designed to broaden the reach of Korean cultural exports beyond K-pop and television dramas, incorporating academic exchange and locally tailored programming. Nine universities were chosen for this year’s initiative: Keimyung University, Far East University, Korea Nazarene University, Yonsei University, Chugye University for the Arts, Korea National University of Arts, Hansung University, Hanyang University and Kyonggi University. They will collaborate with partner institutions in countries such as Uz

Apr 29, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Universities take lead in spreading K-culture abroad
Law & Crime

Over 6,700 kids repeatedly reported for suspected abuse last year

Over 6,700 children were repeatedly reported to police for suspected abuse last year, a lawmaker said Wednesday, citing data from the Korean National Police Agency. The number of children reported two or more times in 2025 due to suspected child abuse totaled 6,795, according to the police data released by Rep. Suh Beom-soo of the main opposition People Power Party. The police revamped the Abuse Prevention Officer system in January last year and have since tracked repeated reports by victim child, not the reporter's phone number. The largest group — 4,362 children — was reported twice, followed by 1,306 reported three times and 490 reported four times. As many as 114 children were reported 10 or more times. Separate welfare ministry data shows 50,242 suspected child abuse reports in 2024 and 24,492 of them were confirmed as abuse cases after government investigations. Meanwhile, child abuse cases where suspected perpetrators are not referred to the prosecution increased from 1,233 in 2021 to 1,735 in 2022, 2,399 in 2023 and 2,854 in 2025, according to police data.

Apr 29, 2026By Yonhap
Over 6,700 kids repeatedly reported for suspected abuse last year
Campus

Kookmin University, GE Aerospace hold seminar to deepen industry-academia cooperation

Kookmin University is actively engaging in industry-academia collaboration to develop new technologies with businesses and research institutes. Last week, the university and GE Aerospace, a U.S. aircraft engine manufacturer, co-hosted a seminar to discuss ways of sharing research and development (R&D) trends and strengthening cooperation among corporations, universities and research institutes. The university said more than 20 professors, researchers and military officials participated in the “2026 KMU x GE Aerospace Technical Seminar,” held at its campus in northern Seoul on April 22. The university noted that it has maintained a close cooperative relationship with GE Aerospace since signing a memorandum of understanding on research collaboration related to unmanned aerial vehicle systems in 2018. From 2021 to 2024, the two sides carried out a joint project on the development of a quantum security-integrated avionics suite, building the foundation for collaborative research in the field. The seminar provided an opportunity for participants to share research experiences and the latest

Apr 29, 2026By Park Yoon-bae
Kookmin University, GE Aerospace hold seminar to deepen industry-academia cooperation
Campus

Kookmin University launches international design award in Milan

Kookmin University, one of Korea’s leading institutions in design education, co-hosted an international design award ceremony for the first time jointly with the Italian Association for Industrial Design (ADI) in Milan last week. The university said the inaugural Design Beyond East & West (DBEW) Award, held at the ADI Design Museum, served not only as an award ceremony, but also as a forum where students, educators and experts discussed the future of design. Kookmin announced that the Gold Prize was awarded to Baoyi Huang and professor David Buck from the University of Sheffield for their design work titled “Ecological Samsara — Soundscape Transformation of Parkwood Springs.” The Silver Prizes went to three teams from HTW Berlin University of Applied Sciences, Avantika University in India and L'École de design Nantes Atlantique in France. Kookmin University noted that the award is a global recognition reflecting the design values and aesthetics of Asian culture within the broader context of world design. Based on a new design paradigm that transcends the boundaries between East a

Apr 29, 2026By Park Yoon-bae
Kookmin University launches international design award in Milan
Society

Unionized cargo workers, BGF Logis reach tentative agreement after fatal truck accident

Unionized cargo workers said Wednesday they have reached a tentative agreement with BGF Logis, the logistics affiliate of the CU convenience store chain, following the death of a union member hit by a truck during a recent demonstration near a logistics center of the company. Last Monday, a 2.5-ton truck struck participants of a cargo worker rally near a CU convenience store logistics center in Jinju, about 290 kilometers southeast of Seoul, killing a union member in his 50s and injuring two others. The rally was staged to demand that BGF negotiate directly with unionized cargo truck drivers who are not directly employed by the company. Such a call followed the recent enactment of the so-called yellow envelope act that made prime contractors more accountable for subcontracted workers while restricting businesses from claiming damages from striking workers. The Korean Public Service and Transport Workers' Union said it reached the deal in a meeting with representatives from BGF Logis early Wednesday, with an official signing ceremony slated for 11 a.m. The union said blockades at major lo

Apr 29, 2026By Yonhap
Unionized cargo workers, BGF Logis reach tentative agreement after fatal truck accident
Law & Crime

Appeals court set to rule on ex-President Yoon's obstruction of justice case

An appeals court was set to rule Wednesday on former President Yoon Suk Yeol's trial on obstruction of justice and other charges stemming from his failed martial law bid, after a lower court sentenced him to five years in prison. The Seoul High Court was scheduled to hand down its verdict in a live-televised hearing at 3 p.m., following the ousted former president's January conviction for obstructing investigators from detaining him last year over his martial law declaration in late 2024. The lower court also found him guilty of violating the rights of his Cabinet members by calling only select members to a meeting to review his martial law plan, and creating and then discarding a false proclamation after the decree was lifted. The lower court had acquitted him of abuse of power charges for ordering the distribution of false press statements defending his declaration. Both Yoon and special counsel Cho Eun-suk's team appealed the ruling, with the special prosecutor demanding a 10-year sentence as they did at the lower court. The jailed former president has been standing a total of eight tr

Apr 29, 2026By Yonhap
Appeals court set to rule on ex-President Yoon's obstruction of justice case
Campus

Korea University bets on global brain network to tackle world’s toughest problems

Korea University is making an ambitious wager: that the world’s most complex crises can no longer be solved within borders, or even within disciplines, but only across them. As it marks its 120th anniversary, the university launched K-CLUB, short for Korea University Collaboration Hub, a transnational research network designed to connect leading scholars across fields and continents in real-time. The initiative reflects a broader institutional shift away from traditional academic structures toward what the university describes as a “Next Intelligence University,” in which human expertise, artificial intelligence and global research networks converge to confront what policymakers increasingly describe as the “polycrisis” of the 21st century. For much of the postwar era, international academic collaboration was anchored in what could be called the residency model, in which scholars physically relocated to foreign institutions for extended periods of teaching and research. Korea University argues that while this model once defined global scholarship, it is increasingly mismatche

Apr 29, 2026
Korea University bets on global brain network to tackle world’s toughest problems
Society

Lawyers, counselors grapple with what AI can and cannot replace

A Seoul-based lawyer surnamed Ha spends about 600,000 won ($410) a month on artificial intelligence (AI) subscriptions such as Claude and Korean legal platforms such as SuperLawyer and LBOX. Hiring a junior lawyer would cost him close to 100 million won a year, roughly 14 times as much. The math, he says, is no longer close. “Without AI, I’d probably have one more person in the office by now,” Ha told The Korea Times, adding that over the past two years, he has used large language models intensively for work. “I still need to review the quality of final drafts, but the need to hire new lawyers has definitely gone down.” Only a few years ago, Korean law firms routinely hired swarms of new law school graduates to plow through ruling precedents, check statutes and draft the first versions of briefs. Now, more managing partners reach for a subscription instead of a job posting, and the same calculation is playing out across other white-collar professions, from legal offices to counseling rooms, as AI forces a reckoning over what kind of work still requires a human. “I don’t re

Apr 29, 2026By Jung Min-ho
Lawyers, counselors grapple with what AI can and cannot replace
previous page
113114115116117
next page

Most Read in South Korea