my timesThe Korea Times

South Korea

PoliticsDefenseGlobal CommunityEnvironment & AnimalsLaw & CrimeHealthSocietyEducationOthers
  • Society

    Murder suspect's father evades charges, fueling debate over Korea's family evidence-tampering exemption

    The father of Jang Yoon-gi, a suspect in the murder of a high school girl, allegedly destroyed evidence in the case, renewing debate over Korea's criminal code exemption shielding family members from evidence-tampering charges. Last month, prosecutors indicted Jang, 23, on charges of stabbing and killing the girl in Gwangju in May after following her with intent to rape. He was also indicted on charges of attacking another student with a knife when they tried to intervene. Investigators later found that Jang's father, an active-duty police officer, had disposed of items from his son's residence, including several mobile phones and a sex doll whose chest and neck areas showed concentrated damage. The father was not indicted, however. Under current law, destroying evidence in another person's criminal case carries penalties of up to five years in prison or a fine of up to 7 million won ($4,530), but relatives or family members living with the offender are exempt. Lee Yung-hyeock, a professor of police science at Konkuk University, said the exemption exists in Korea because of questions whe

    2 MIN READBy Park Ung
    Murder suspect's father evades charges, fueling debate over Korea's family evidence-tampering exemption
  • Society

    Korean couples ditch luxury wedding halls for $19 public venues

    3 MIN READBy Hankookilbo
    Korean couples ditch luxury wedding halls for $19 public venues
  • Law & Crime

    Bill targets deportation of drug, phishing offenders

    2 MIN READBy Jung Min-ho
    Bill targets deportation of drug, phishing offenders
  • Environment & Animals

    'Noseprints' to bring lost dogs home

    2 MIN READBy Jhoo Dong-chan
    'Noseprints' to bring lost dogs home
  • Global Community

    Grand Ole Opry's Mama Kim reflects on 50 years doing business in Itaewon

    5 MIN READBy Matt VanVolkenburg
    Grand Ole Opry's Mama Kim reflects on 50 years doing business in Itaewon
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

Society

1 in 3 young Koreans who leave Seoul return within 2 years, report finds

About 1 in 3 young Koreans who move to regions outside the capital return to the Seoul metropolitan area in less than two years, underscoring the persistent struggle of regional cities to hold onto young residents. According to a report by the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics & Trade, released Wednesday, 34.9 percent of young people who moved away from the Seoul metropolitan area to regions outside the capital eventually returned, with an average stay outside the capital region of just 1.6 years. Of all young people who migrated between the two regions, 42.7 percent moved from non-capital areas to the Seoul metropolitan area and settled there — the highest share of any migration pattern. By contrast, only 21.3 percent made the reverse move and remained outside the capital region. The findings are based on data tracking the migration of about 1.45 million individuals aged 19 to 34 from 2016 to 2022. Economic opportunity was the primary pull factor. In a separate survey of 800 respondents last year, work or business ranked as the top reason for leaving their home regions, at 45 p

Mar 18, 2026By Park Ung
1 in 3 young Koreans who leave Seoul return within 2 years, report finds
Defense

Defense chief inspects Freedom Shield drills at military bunker

Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back on Wednesday visited an underground bunker of the Capital Defense Command to inspect military readiness amid ongoing key springtime drills between the South Korean and U.S. militaries, his office said. Ahn urged troops to maintain a robust joint defense posture through "intensive" and "practical" training during his visit to the basement bunker on the 10th day of the 11-day Freedom Shield (FS) exercise, the defense ministry said. Citing the escalating conflict in the Middle East following U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran last month, Ahn underscored the importance of "high-intensity" military training, saying the intensity of training directly translates into "combat capabilities." Ahn also visited a joint air defense operations center, where he urged troops to make the utmost efforts to carry out the exercise's remaining field drills, which will continue into next week after FS concludes Thursday. This year's FS drills were centered on preparing for a conditions-based wartime operational control (OPCON) transfer from Washington to Seoul. The current Lee Jae Myun

Mar 18, 2026By Yonhap
Defense chief inspects Freedom Shield drills at military bunker
BTS Arirang

Police to set up crowd control zone for 100,000 people during BTS concert

Police said Wednesday they will set up a crowd control zone with a capacity of 100,000 people around the stage where K-pop group BTS will perform in central Seoul this weekend. The zone will be set up so that no more than one person occupies every square meter, as safety is of paramount importance during the concert set to begin at 8 p.m. Saturday at Gwanghwamun Square, an official at the Seoul Metropolitan Police told reporters. Police expect around 260,000 people to gather in the area stretching from the square to Sungnye Gate, the largest number since the 2002 World Cup, when up to 250,000 people cheered in the streets. Random checkpoints will be conducted on the day, with 72 teams of riot police and 35 teams of detectives deployed to the area. Audience members entering the crowd control zone will be required to walk through metal detectors and undergo searches for hazardous materials. "We decided to create the safest conditions possible given the nature of the event that can be attended by anyone in an open downtown area, and memories of the Itaewon tragedy," the official said, referr

Mar 18, 2026By Yonhap
Police to set up crowd control zone for 100,000 people during BTS concert
Defense

Korea's Hormuz deployment, if decided, could take up to 3 months

Should Korea decide to send a mine countermeasure vessel to the Strait of Hormuz, just reaching the area could take three months or longer, military officials said, highlighting the operational challenges facing any potential naval deployment. Officials familiar with the matter said that even if a decision is made, the timeline and preparation for getting assets into position would be shaped not only by the challenges of transit, but also by the difficulties of moving vessels through a high-risk environment. While some have raised the possibility of redirecting the Cheonghae Unit — currently operating in the Gulf of Aden — to the Hormuz mission, the unit is not equipped with the mine-sweeping helicopters needed to safely operate in a mine-threat environment. Deploying a dedicated mine countermeasure vessel or an Aegis destroyer from a Korean port would therefore require a separate deployment process. “One thing is sending a vessel, but once you factor in mine-clearing operations in the area, the situation becomes far more complicated,” a defense ministry official said. Another of

Mar 18, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji
Korea's Hormuz deployment, if decided, could take up to 3 months
Politics

Korea launches public-private committee to set up US investment management agency

The government on Wednesday launched a committee tasked with establishing a state agency to manage investment projects in the United States under a bilateral strategic investment agreement, the finance ministry said. As a follow-up to a special bill tied to Seoul's $350 billion investment pledge to Washington, the government plans to establish a public corporation responsible for the creation, management and operation of the investment fund. The establishment committee, chaired by First Vice Finance Minister Lee Hyoung-il, consists of seven members, including four from the private sector, the Ministry of Finance and Economy said. The initiative comes as the special law is set to take effect three months after its promulgation. The National Assembly passed the bill last week. Lee said the committee will ensure that all necessary preparations and procedures are carried out without disruption so the agency can be launched in line with the law's implementation on June 18.

Mar 18, 2026By Yonhap
Korea launches public-private committee to set up US investment management agency
Politics

President dismisses geopolitical fears as exaggerated, sets sights on 'Korea premium'

President Lee Jae Myung hosted a meeting on capital market reforms, Wednesday, arguing that geopolitical fears stemming from the divided Korean Peninsula are exaggerated and have long suppressed the value of Seoul stocks, suggesting that fixing the problem could turn the chronic "Korea discount" into a "Korea premium." “The geopolitical risk arising from the division of the Korean Peninsula is more exaggerated than people think and even politically exploited, becoming a recurring problem,” the president said during the meeting at Cheong Wa Dae, held under the slogan “A capital market strong in crisis and trusted by the people.” While acknowledging that risks must be addressed, Lee sought to reassure markets by noting that South Korea's spending exceeds North Korea's by more than 1.4 times and that its economic power — the foundation of national defense — is "overwhelmingly ahead, to the point where it's hard to compare." “I believe that, depending on what we do, the country doesn’t have to suffer from the ‘Korea discount.’ It is entirely possible to move beyond fair

Mar 18, 2026By Yi Whan-woo
President dismisses geopolitical fears as exaggerated, sets sights on 'Korea premium'
Defense

Korea secures 24 mil. barrels of oil from UAE: presidential aide

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has pledged to treat Korea as its top priority for crude oil exports, President Lee Jae Myung's top aide said Wednesday, announcing that a total of 24 million barrels have been secured from the Gulf country as Tehran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz threatens to squeeze Seoul's energy supply. "The UAE promised that Korea is the 'No. 1 priority' in supplying crude oil and we agreed that Korea could buy oil anytime through the UAE," presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik said at a briefing. In addition to 6 million barrels of crude oil under a previous agreement, the UAE promised this time that an additional 18 million barrels would be shipped to Korea. Roughly 6 million barrels will be shipped by three UAE cargo ships, while six Korean vessels will transport the remainder. Kang added that Seoul and Abu Dhabi plan to sign a memorandum of understanding on the oil supply chain in the near future. The announcement follows a rapid diplomatic push by Kang, who flew to the UAE Sunday for a four-day trip, serving as Lee's special envoy for strategic economic c

Mar 18, 2026By Park Ji-won
Korea secures 24 mil. barrels of oil from UAE: presidential aide
Global Community

Korea moves to raise minimum salary for foreign workers to protect Korean wages

Korea is moving to introduce what would function as a higher minimum wage floor for many foreign workers, by writing “reasonable” wage requirements for migrants directly into visa and stay conditions. Responding to inquiries from The Korea Times about this new immigration policy, revealed earlier this month, the Ministry of Justice said the goal is to protect the wage levels of Koreans by pushing up wage levels for foreign workers in certain visa categories. “The purpose of setting wage requirements for foreign workers, as in countries such as the United States and Britain, is to prevent declines in Korean workers’ wages and guard against violations of their working conditions,” a ministry official said in a recent statement. Under the 2030 Immigration Policy Future Strategy, the ministry plans to embed these wage thresholds in immigration rules, so that employers will have to meet or exceed them if they want to hire or keep foreign workers on visas such as E-7-1 or E-7-3. This comes after President Lee Jae Myung publicly questioned whether a growth model built on low‑paid mi

Mar 18, 2026By Jung Min-ho
Korea moves to raise minimum salary for foreign workers to protect Korean wages
BTS Arirang

BTS' world tour projected to unleash economic boom surpassing Taylor Swift's impact

K-pop supergroup BTS is returning from a nearly four-year hiatus with an 82-show world tour that analysts project will generate massive economic activity, establishing an economic engine expected to surpass the financial impact of Taylor Swift's recent global tour. The Korea Culture and Tourism Institute estimates the upcoming 34-city tour will yield 1.2 trillion won ($840 million) per show. The Guardian reported that economists anticipate the North American leg alone will generate tens of trillions of won, significantly exceeding Taylor Swift's 60-date North American tour, which generated about 7 trillion won. Global media outlets are actively reporting on the comeback. The New York Times covered Korean fans rushing to internet cafes for tickets, while CNN broadcast its crew's attempts to book seats. "BTS is not just a regular K-pop group. They are really the engine of the industry itself," Berklee College of Music professor Ray Seol told CNN. The local economy is already feeling the "BTSnomics" effect ahead of Friday's release of the group's fifth studio album, "Arirang." Five-star ho

Mar 18, 2026By Hankookilbo
BTS' world tour projected to unleash economic boom surpassing Taylor Swift's impact
Campus

Handong Univ. achieves 1st Korean win at int'l moot court competition

A team from the International Law School at Handong University won the 24th Red Cross International Humanitarian Law Moot Competition Saturday in Hong Kong — the first time a Korean team has taken the top prize since the competition began in 2003. The competition, jointly organized by the International Committee of the Red Cross and national Red Cross societies, is widely regarded as the region’s leading moot court in international humanitarian law. It brings together regional champions and invited law schools to argue complex legal questions drawn from simulated armed conflict scenarios. This year’s problem addressed contemporary issues in international humanitarian law, including the use of starvation as a method of warfare, forced conscription and the civilian toll of nuclear weapons. Participants were required to analyze and argue cases in English, applying the Geneva Conventions, customary international law, rules of engagement and principles of international criminal responsibility in written briefs and oral arguments modeled on proceedings before international courts. The Han

Mar 18, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Handong Univ. achieves 1st Korean win at int'l moot court competition
previous page
191192193194195
next page

Most Read in South Korea