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  • Society

    Behind bars in Cheonan, foreign inmate weighs past and future

    CHEONAN, South Chungcheong Province — Joe, identified by a pseudonym, is serving an 18-month sentence at Cheonan Correctional Institution, Korea's only prison tasked with handling foreign inmates. His name, age and nationality are being withheld at his request. “I caused a car accident while out with friends and entered prison last August,” Joe told The Korea Times. “I'm very sorry to my parents and the victim, who suffered great pain and harm because of me.” Inside the prison, his days follow a strict routine. He wakes up at 6 a.m., prepares for inspection, eats breakfast and waits for the next inspection. He spends his time studying English and religion, drawing and writing letters to friends. “At first it was hard to adjust, but the correctional officers helped a lot, so I haven't had any difficulties. I'm also adjusting to the culture here. Before coming to prison, I was too busy working to pick much up, but now I've been attending a prison program called 'Good Morning Korea,' learning about Korean culture.” Culture is one thing, but sharing a cell with strangers is ano

    2 MIN READBy Park Ung
    Behind bars in Cheonan, foreign inmate weighs past and future
  • Defense

    S. Korea-US combined exercise to conclude ahead of schedule after Trump order

    2 MIN READBy Yonhap
    S. Korea-US combined exercise to conclude ahead of schedule after Trump order
  • Society

    WEEKENDER Inside Korea's only prison tasked with handling foreign inmates

    4 MIN READBy Park Ung
    [WEEKENDER] Inside Korea's only prison tasked with handling foreign inmates
  • Society

    After 14 years with foreign inmates, correctional officer says crime has no nationality

    4 MIN READBy Park Ung
    After 14 years with foreign inmates, correctional officer says crime has no nationality
  • South Korea

    Lee meets SK chairman for possible discussion on chip projects: sources

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Lee meets SK chairman for possible discussion on chip projects: sources
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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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Society

Disabled activists' protest temporarily disrupts Yongsan Station

A disability rights advocacy group staged a surprise "subway-riding" protest at two subway stations in Seoul on Monday, temporarily disrupting operations at one of the stations. The protest by members of the Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination began at Yongsan Station on Subway Line 1 and Hyehwa Station on Subway Line 4 at 8 a.m., calling for increased government spending for people with disabilities and their mobility rights in next year's budget. During the protest, wheelchair-bound activists repeatedly boarded and disembarked from trains or deliberately took a long time to board. Train operator KORAIL responded to the protest by having northbound trains bound for downtown Seoul pass through Yongsan Station without stopping for about two hours from 8:10 a.m. to 10:06 a.m., inconveniencing commuters. Operations at Hyehwa Station returned to normal after all activists left the station by train at around 9 a.m. The activists threatened to stage similar protests at Hyehwa Station every Monday through Aug. 24. They staged a protest at Noryangjin Station on Subway Line 1 in southern

Aug 10, 2026By Yonhap
Disabled activists' protest temporarily disrupts Yongsan Station
Politics

Lee urges earliest possible implementation of AI-related investment projects

The government plans to enact a special law this year to designate special zones for investment projects related to artificial intelligence (AI), the presidential chief of staff said Monday, as Seoul seeks to accelerate their implementation. Presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik unveiled the plan at a press briefing following a meeting presided over by President Lee Jae Myung to assess progress on the projects. The Lee administration announced the "three megaprojects" in late June that outlined plans for large-scale investments in a semiconductor production cluster, physical AI and AI data centers in regional areas. Under the chip cluster project alone, the two leading chipmakers — Samsung Electronics and SK hynix — have pledged to invest a combined 800 trillion won ($564.9 billion), marking the single-largest investment plan to date in the southwestern city of Gwangju and the surrounding Honam area. The initiative also includes large-scale investments in Chungcheong Province and the southeastern Yeongnam region. Through the envisioned special law on megaproject zones, the govern

Aug 10, 2026By Yonhap
Lee urges earliest possible implementation of AI-related investment projects
Politics

Gaps found between final voter count, on-site tallies from local elections: data

Discrepancies have been found between final voter figures and on-site tallies from the June 3 local elections, data acquired by a lawmaker showed Monday, amid a widening probe into irregularities surrounding the elections. The discrepancies were found in 1,971 neighborhoods out of the total 3,558 across the nation for the local elections, according to the National Election Commission (NEC) data submitted to Rep. Chung Choon-saeng of the minor Rebuilding Korea Party. The NEC data indicated that discrepancies of at least 100 people were reported in 29 neighborhoods, including in Seoul, the southeastern port city of Busan and Gyeonggi Province that surrounds the capital. In light of the latest discrepancies, investigators are looking into the possibility whether election officials manipulated data even after voting ended. Under the current system, polling station workers manually check the number of voters on election day, which is then reported to the election watchdog. Once voting ends, the final turnout is determined by the number of cast votes. According to the NEC data, a polling statio

Aug 10, 2026By Yonhap
Gaps found between final voter count, on-site tallies from local elections: data
Society

Summer heat can't cool tourists' hanbok enthusiasm

Giosue, a 29-year-old Italian tourist, felt the fabric of his rented hanbok, Korea's traditional dress, clinging to his skin on a Sunday afternoon. Even with the temperature close to 30 degrees Celsius, the discomfort did not deter him from wearing the elegant outfit he'd selected. “It sticks to you and it's getting more hot,” Giosue told The Korea Times. “But I think it's worth it. It's fun and kind of a special experience.” The weekend brought cooler weather after Seoul's heat wave peaked Friday, when temperatures topped 40 degrees. Still, Sunday's highest perceived temperature in Seoul reached 32.4 degrees Celsius by 3 p.m. On Sunday, nearly all Koreans around Gyeongbok Palace wore short sleeves and shorts. But the palace and the streets around it were still filled with hanbok-clad international tourists, drawn by the chance to experience something distinctly Korean. Wearing hanbok was high on the list for Liz, 29, from Monterrey, Mexico, who arrived in Korea a day earlier. “It's very interesting how Koreans wear hanbok because of the culture. It's symbolic and amazing, so I

Aug 10, 2026By Park Ung
Summer heat can't cool tourists' hanbok enthusiasm
Global Community

Busan's international creative community grows together

What does it mean to feel rooted in a place that isn't where you were born? It is a question South African poet Manthipe Moila explores throughout "Rootbound," her debut poetry collection examining identity, belonging, migration and home. On Aug. 15, those same ideas will extend beyond the pages of her book as three of Busan's independent creative organizations, Liquid Arts Network, Book'd Events and Dububiji come together for an afternoon and evening celebrating literature, conversation, music and visual art. The day's events revolve around Moila's poetry. Rather than separating the author from the work, Moila has spoken openly about how closely the collection reflects her own experiences. "I drew directly from my experiences when writing, as I wanted to feel anchored in my writing," she said. "The Korean language is also something that I am grappling with. It's difficult ... but I love the language." The afternoon begins at 3 p.m. with an intimate readers' gathering hosted by Book'd Events inside Dububiji's community space. More conversation than lecture, the event invites participants t

Aug 10, 2026By Spencer Waters
Busan's international creative community grows together
Global Community

Itaewon's Lit Lounge prepares to break curfew with 'Pajama Party!'

Pete Grella and John Everett started making crowds laugh 16 years ago, when they both were living in Hong Kong. After Everett moved here last year, Grella decided to hop on a plane to Korea to reunite "P" and "J." The initials from their first names combine to make "PJ" which often stands for "pajamas." That's how they came up with the name for their improv show, throwing their first "Pajama Party!" in 2017. "We settled on Pajama Party! since that sounds fun!" Grella told The Korea Times, pointing out that they included the exclamation mark in the name to raise the fun level. "Basically, it's just a silly name that is meant to sound fun and full of energy. And that is what we hope to achieve in our shows ... fun, high energy and maybe a little silly." He added that they even wore pajamas for a while when performing. "If you look closely at the photos of us wearing those black suits, those were actually a special type of clothes called 'suitjamas' that a comedian friend of mine in Bangkok used to sell," he said. Pajama Party! has performed in shows and festivals across Asia, including in

Aug 10, 2026By Jon Dunbar
Itaewon's Lit Lounge prepares to break curfew with 'Pajama Party!'
Law & Crime

Police search Yeouido Hangang Park after bomb threat

Police are conducting a search at Yeouido Hangang Park in southern Seoul after a post online claimed that an explosive device had been planted in the area, sources said Sunday. According to the Seoul Seongbuk Police Station, law enforcement received a report around 2:25 a.m. that a threatening post was written on a platform operated by a local broadcaster. The writer claimed people at the park will be hurt unless authorities send 10 million won ($7,103) by wire payment, sources appraised of the situation said. Currently, summer festival events are taking place at nine different parks along the river. Police dispatched special units to the park premises to conduct search operations, while at the same time officers are tracking down the writer of the threatening message.

Aug 9, 2026By Yonhap
Police search Yeouido Hangang Park after bomb threat
Politics

Ex-PM wins Gangwon, Daegu-North Gyeongsang primaries in ruling party's leadership election

Former Prime Minister Kim Min-seok won the ruling Democratic Party of Korea's (DPK) primaries in Gangwon Province and Daegu-North Gyeongsang Province on Sunday, although the party's leadership race remains close. Kim garnered a combined 48.54 percent of the votes from the two regions, beating Jung Chung-rae, who is seeking a second consecutive term as DPK leader, with 44.4 percent. Song Young-gil, a former DPK leader, came in third with 7.06 percent. Kim's Sunday victory adds to his wins in Jeju Island and Incheon the previous day, allowing him to retain his lead in the leadership race ahead of the party congress on Aug. 17, where the new leader will be elected. The race remains close in cumulative votes between Kim and Jung, who have garnered 46.01 percent and 44.53 percent, respectively, about halfway through the primaries.

Aug 9, 2026By Yonhap
Ex-PM wins Gangwon, Daegu-North Gyeongsang primaries in ruling party's leadership election
Environment & Animals

Gov't calls for better protection for vulnerable workers amid heat wave

The government on Sunday called for better protection for vulnerable outdoor workers and livestock amid the ongoing heat wave, even with the most serious alerts being lifted nationwide. In a meeting attended by relevant ministries and regional authorities, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters reviewed emergency protocols to counter extreme heat. The headquarters urged all interagency response units to focus on safeguarding high-risk populations, such as migrant workers and elderly farmers. Earlier in the day, Kim Kwang-yong, chief of the headquarters, visited the county of Yesan, some 100 kilometers south of Seoul, to inspect working conditions for foreign seasonal farmers and check heat impact on livestock, following heat-related fatalities involving foreign workers in Haenam, South Jeolla Province, and Hongseong, South Chungcheong Province. Since foreign workers face language barriers that leave them in safety blind spots, Kim asked farm owners to provide sufficient water, shade and rest for their workers. Officials distributed heat stroke prevention manuals tran

Aug 9, 2026By Yonhap
Gov't calls for better protection for vulnerable workers amid heat wave
Politics

President rushes to review policies amid growing backlash from young Koreans

President Lee Jae Myung is pushing to revise policies that are criticized for going against the interests of young Koreans, as his approval rating among this demographic remains the lowest of any age group. The disputed measures span multiple sectors, including a tax overhaul plan concerning individual savings accounts (ISAs), which angered people in their 20s and 30s by stripping away existing benefits. The measures also include 22 marriage-related policies, which have been nicknamed the "marriage penalty" for disadvantaging newlyweds and new parents. The president referred to those in their 20s and 30s as “a vulnerable group” during a meeting with senior presidential secretaries, Thursday, asking them to reorganize relevant policies by considering young people's conditions, including education, employment, income, asset building, housing and marital status. The announcement came amid polls showing that Lee's disapproval rating among those in their 20s and 30s is higher compared to other age groups. A Media Tomato survey, commissioned by News Tomato and conducted from Aug. 3 to 4, sh

Aug 9, 2026By Yi Whan-woo
President rushes to review policies amid growing backlash from young Koreans
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