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  • 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

    2 MIN READBy Bahk Eun-ji
    Army chief calls drones 'personal weapon' of future soldiers
  • Society

    Warehouse-style pharmacies pressure neighborhood drugstores

    4 MIN READBy Hankookilbo
    Warehouse-style pharmacies pressure neighborhood drugstores
  • South Korea

    Korea to send special envoy to Kuwait, Iraq, Bahrain amid Middle East crisis

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Korea to send special envoy to Kuwait, Iraq, Bahrain amid Middle East crisis
  • Law & Crime

    Special counsel challenges appeals court ruling on ex-President Yoon's obstruction of justice case

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Special counsel challenges appeals court ruling on ex-President Yoon's obstruction of justice case
  • Politics

    'Treat voters like insects': Busan by-election candidate faces backlash over 'hand-wiping' video

    2 MIN READBy Hankookilbo
    'Treat voters like insects': Busan by-election candidate faces backlash over 'hand-wiping' video
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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.

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K-universities

Nobel laureates join Korea University as distinguished professors

Korea University appointed the 2025 Nobel laureates in chemistry — Omar Yaghi of the University of California, Berkeley, and Susumu Kitagawa of Kyoto University — as distinguished professors at the KU-KIST Graduate School of Converging Science and Technology. The move marks a significant push in the university’s effort to establish itself as a global center for interdisciplinary research targeting pressing challenges in energy, environmental sustainability and biotechnology. Yaghi and Kitagawa, widely regarded as pioneers in the field of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), were awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in chemistry for defining and expanding the field’s scientific foundations. According to the university, the two professors had already agreed to join the Crimson Project — an international research initiative focused on addressing critical global research priorities — and accepted appointments as distinguished professors before the Nobel Prize announcement. Their win on Oct. 8 has injected momentum into the initiative, positioning the Crimson Project for an accelerated phase

Dec 11, 2025By Jung Da-hyun
Nobel laureates join Korea University as distinguished professors
Society

2 killed, 2 trapped after collapse at library construction site in Gwangju

Two workers were confirmed dead and two others remained missing after a steel structure collapsed at a library construction site in the southwestern city of Gwangju on Thursday, with firefighters continuing search and rescue operations through the night. Search operations were ongoing to locate the missing workers believed to be trapped under twisted steel and concrete debris amid low visibility and fears of further collapse. Two large cranes were being used to stabilize concrete structures and steel columns, while rescuers deployed thermographic cameras and other detection devices to search through the debris. The accident was reported at 1:58 p.m., with four workers trapped under the collapsed steel structure at the construction site in Gwangju, about 300 kilometers south of Seoul. Firefighters pulled out a 47-year-old worker, who was taken to a hospital in cardiac arrest but later pronounced dead. A second worker was located earlier in the day and recovered at 8:13 p.m., but was pronounced dead at the site. The four victims were identified as technicians affiliated with a subcontractor

Dec 11, 2025By Yonhap
2 killed, 2 trapped after collapse at library construction site in Gwangju
Health

Which is better health booster: More exercise or more sleep?

Click here for more articles by Kormedi.com. When time is tight and you must choose between getting enough sleep or fitting in exercise, which is the smarter health choice? While many people sacrifice sleep to work out, new research suggests that prioritizing rest may ultimately be the more powerful long-term strategy. According to scientists, a good night’s sleep provides the energy and motivation needed to exercise effectively the next day. An international research team that included Flinders University in Australia analyzed data from more than 70,000 people worldwide. The team found that sufficient sleep significantly increased physical activity the following day, while exercise did not produce a similarly strong improvement in sleep quality. The findings were published recently in the journal Communications Medicine. Importantly, the researchers said that sleep “quality” — the depth and continuity of sleep — had a greater influence on next-day activity than sleep “quantity,” or total hours in bed. For example, people with a sleep efficiency of 94 percent, meaning they s

Dec 11, 2025By Kormedi.com
Which is better health booster: More exercise or more sleep?
Defense

US military to retake control of all Osan Air Base gate access from Korea

The U.S. Air Force in Korea is set to take measures to tighten security by retaking control of access to a gate at Osan Air Base, currently shared with the Korean military, officials said Thursday. The move comes after the U.S. military lodged a complaint over a special counsel team's search and seizure at the air base in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, in July as part of its investigation into former President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed martial law bid. Currently, the U.S. side controls access to two of three gates that are in use at the air base, which also stations key facilities operated by the Korean Air Force, such as the Air Force Operations Command and the Air Force Master Control and Reporting Center. Once the tighter security measure goes into effect next month, Korean military personnel would need U.S.-approved defense identification cards to access the remaining gate at the air base. The South's military now can access it with identification cards issued by the Korean government. The U.S. 51st Fighter Wing confirmed that base access requirements have been "updated" to ensure secur

Dec 11, 2025By Yonhap
US military to retake control of all Osan Air Base gate access from Korea
South Korea

Top court confirms additional 5-year term for sex abuse ring leader on top of 42-year sentence

The Supreme Court on Thursday confirmed a five-year prison term for Cho Ju-bin, the mastermind of a notorious online sex blackmail ring, for sexually assaulting a minor, adding to his 42-year sentence for distributing sexually exploitative materials involving minors. The top court upheld a lower court ruling that convicted the 29-year-old of sexually exploiting and raping a minor in 2019, rejecting Cho's appeal and bringing his total sentence to 47 years. The ruling comes after the court confirmed Cho's 42-year conviction in October 2021 on charges of organizing a criminal ring, blackmailing dozens of minor and adult victims into filming sexually exploitative content, and distributing them to members of a pay-to-view Telegram chat room, called Baksabang. Cho committed his online sexual offenses from May 2019 to February 2020 before his arrest in March 2020. A string of sexual exploitation cases centered on group chat rooms, including Baksabang, drew nationwide outcry at the time, prompting the government to announce tough measures against digital sex crimes.

Dec 11, 2025By Yonhap
Top court confirms additional 5-year term for sex abuse ring leader on top of 42-year sentence
Politics

Lee accepts resignation of oceans minister over allegations of receiving money from Unification Church

President Lee Jae Myung on Thursday accepted the resignation of Oceans Minister Chun Jae-soo, hours after Chun offered to step down over allegations he received money from the Unification Church. Chun's resignation was approved, the presidential office said in a press notice, making him the first minister to leave the Cabinet since Lee took office in June. Earlier in the day, Chun tendered his resignation amid allegations that he took bribes from the Unification Church, but strongly denied them as "completely groundless." On Wednesday, Lee called for a stern investigation into whether any politicians were involved in illegal acts with religious groups, apparently targeting those suspected of receiving illicit political funds from the Unification Church. Chun has been named by a former Unification Church official as one of several ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK)-affiliated people who took money and other gifts from the church during the administration of former President Moon Jae-in. Yun Young-ho, former head of the church's global headquarters, told a special counsel team in August

Dec 11, 2025By Yonhap
Lee accepts resignation of oceans minister over allegations of receiving money from Unification Church
Health

Why actor Kim You-jung’s straight shoulder line draws attention — and whether yoga really helps

Click here for more articles by Kormedi.com. Actor Kim You-jung is drawing admiration online for her smooth, straight shoulder line — prompting questions about whether her long-term yoga practice plays a role. Kim recently posted photos of herself in a red dress on social media, showing her walking a red carpet with her shoulders fully exposed. Additional photos also highlighted her straight, elongated shoulder shape, sparking praise from fans. Kim is known to have practiced yoga for about 10 years. But can yoga really help someone achieve straighter shoulders? Why yoga can improve posture Yoga is often thought of as a gentle workout, but experts say it can strengthen deep stabilizing muscles and help correct posture. The downward-facing dog pose, a staple of most yoga routines, helps align the spine while stretching the hamstrings and improving blood circulation. Tree pose enhances balance and body awareness and can strengthen the lower body, which also improves hip support and posture. It can help open the chest and upper back, reducing the rounded shoulders commonly seen in people who

Dec 11, 2025By Kormedi.com
Why actor Kim You-jung’s straight shoulder line draws attention — and whether yoga really helps
South Korea

Marine to introduce 1st high-speed combat boat

The Marine Corps was set to hold a ceremony on Thursday to launch its first high-speed combat boat, in a move expected to bolster its maneuverability and survivability when deployed. The 18-meter-long vessel, fitted with a remote-controlled weapon station, can move much faster in shallow waters and is partially bulletproof, compared with existing rigid inflatable boats, according to the armed service. The boat was named the Marlin, after the ocean fish known for its speed and spear-like upper jaw, to symbolize the new vessel's role, it added. The boat is set to be delivered to the Marine Corps in December next year and will be deployed after operational procedures.

Dec 11, 2025By Yonhap
Marine to introduce 1st high-speed combat boat
Defense

Navy hosts Canadian submariner aboard 3,000-ton submarine amid export bid

The Navy invited a Canadian submariner aboard its 3,000-ton submarine during recent maritime drills, officials said Thursday, as Korea seeks to win a major deal to supply submarines to Canada. The Canadian submariner joined Korean troops on the ROKS Ahn Mu for a six-day exercise that concluded Wednesday as part of the Silent Shark drills, a combined anti-submarine warfare exercise jointly held by Korea and the United States near Guam, according to the Navy. It marked the first time a foreign submariner boarded Korea's homegrown 3,000-ton submarine, while submariners from overseas have trained alongside Korean service members on smaller 1,200-ton and 1,800-ton submarines during multinational drills. The latest move came as Korea seeks to win the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project, under which Ottawa plans to acquire up to 12 submarines for the Royal Canadian Navy to upgrade its submarine fleet, with an aim to receive the first new vessel by no later than 2035. Korean defense firm Hanwha Ocean was shortlisted as one of the two "qualified suppliers," or preferred bidders, along with Germany'

Dec 11, 2025By Yonhap
Navy hosts Canadian submariner aboard 3,000-ton submarine amid export bid
Politics

Unification minister denies news report of receiving money from Unification Church

Unification Minister Chung Dong-young on Thursday dismissed a news report that he received illegal money from the Unification Church as "false," saying he met a church official currently on trial only once and had no further contact. A news report said the previous day that Chung, a lawmaker with the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), was among several former and current DPK lawmakers who had allegedly received money and gifts from Yun Young-ho, a former high-ranking Unification Church official. Issuing his response to the press, Chung rejected the report as a "groundless false rumor," saying he had only met Yun once. Chung said he visited the church's headquarters in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province, at the suggestion of a friend during a group trip to the nearby region in 2021, when he was not a lawmaker. He met Yun for tea once at that time but had no contact with him since, Chung said. As for Unification Church leader Han Hak-ja, Chung also said he has never met her. The minister said he took pride in the fact that his name has never been involved in money-related cases during his 30-y

Dec 11, 2025By Yonhap
Unification minister denies news report of receiving money from Unification Church
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