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  • Environment & Animals

    Korea overhauls heat wave alert system for 1st time in 18 years

    Korea has overhauled its heat wave warning system for the first time in 18 years, introducing a new top-tier alert aimed at providing earlier warnings as increasingly extreme summer temperatures pose greater health risks. The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) activated the revised system on Wednesday, replacing the previous two-tier structure with a three-stage framework consisting of a heat wave advisory, heat wave warning and the newly created severe heat wave warning. Under the previous system, a heat wave advisory was issued when the perceived temperature was forecast to remain above 33 degrees Celsius for at least two consecutive days, while a warning required apparent temperatures of 35 degrees or higher for two days. The new highest-level alert, however, can be issued if the perceived temperature is expected to reach 38 degrees or if the actual air temperature reaches 39 degrees for just one day, allowing authorities to respond immediately without waiting for prolonged extreme heat. The KMA said the change reflects the growing threat posed by unprecedented heat waves, whic

    2 MIN READBy Anna J. Park
    Korea overhauls heat wave alert system for 1st time in 18 years
  • Politics

    Government eyes new fund to invest tax windfall from AI-driven chip boom

    2 MIN READBy Yi Whan-woo
    Government eyes new fund to invest tax windfall from AI-driven chip boom
  • South Korea

    Seoul City Hall to open new observatory with panoramic views to public

    2 MIN READBy Anna J. Park
    Seoul City Hall to open new observatory with panoramic views to public
  • South Korea

    S. Korea's yearly working hours fall by 32 hours last year but remain longer than OECD average

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    S. Korea's yearly working hours fall by 32 hours last year but remain longer than OECD average
  • South Korea

    Advanced AI uses 136.5 times more electricity than standard chatbots, study warns

    2 MIN READBy Lee Kyung-min
    Advanced AI uses 136.5 times more electricity than standard chatbots, study warns
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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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Education

Korea’s classroom phone ban faces 1st test as schools disagree over rules

A nationwide ban on students’ cellphone use in classrooms, mandated by law, will take effect in March with the start of the new school year, but varying enforcement rules across schools are already raising concerns about confusion. According to education officials Sunday, the Ministry of Education issued an administrative notice outlining proposed revisions to national guidelines governing student life and conduct in schools. The revision would allow school principals and teachers to issue warnings to students and restrict the use of smart devices, including cellphones, during class. Under the proposed changes, the use of such devices would be permitted only in limited circumstances, such as to assist students with disabilities or special educational needs, for educational purposes or in emergency situations. The revised bill would also allow schools, under their own rules, to collect and store students’ smart devices — effectively permitting administrators to ban not only their use but also their possession during the school day. The details on banning cellphone use during class we

Feb 1, 2026By Jung Da-hyun
Korea’s classroom phone ban faces 1st test as schools disagree over rules
Politics

Lee calls for wider public debate on sugar levy

President Lee Jae Myung on Sunday called for a candid and open public debate on his proposal to introduce a levy on sugar-laden foods and drinks, reiterating that the idea is intended to reduce sugar consumption and bolster public health care. Lee made the remarks in a social media post, days after he proposed the idea of imposing a sugar levy to help curb sugar intake and boost public health care funding, citing a similar levy on tobacco. "The more complex the issues we have — such as the (proposed) sugar levy, a real estate tax overhaul and institutional reforms to ease polarization, all of which concern the interests of many stakeholders — the more vital it is to have candid debate and public deliberation grounded in logic, facts and real cases," he said. He cited in his X post a news article on the World Health Organization's recommendations that countries should raise the price of sugar-loaded soft drinks and beverages by at least 50 percent. Lee emphasized that the sugar levy is for specific purposes to reduce excessive sugar consumption that can be harmful to public health and

Feb 1, 2026By Yonhap
Lee calls for wider public debate on sugar levy
Society

Jeju drew 2.24 mil. foreign tourists in 2025, 70% from China

More than 2.24 million foreign tourists visited Jeju Island last year, with Chinese travelers making up nearly 70 percent — underscoring the island’s continued reliance on visitors from China. According to the Jeju Tourism Association on Saturday, foreign tourists accounted for 16.2 percent of the island’s total 13.86 million visitors last year. The number was up 17.7 percent from 2024 but remained more than 1.3 million below the record 3.6 million set in 2016. Chinese tourists made up the largest share at 70.2 percent, followed by visitors from Taiwan, Japan, the United States, Hong Kong and Singapore. Visitors from Thailand totaled 10,532, the sharpest year-on-year increase at 349.7 percent, after Jeju Air resumed regular flights on the Bangkok route last year. The number of Chinese tourists rose 14.8 percent compared to 2024, easing concerns about a potential downturn in Jeju following last year’s nationwide rollout of a temporary visa-free program for Chinese tour groups. Jeju Island has long been a popular destination for Chinese tourists under a visa-free scheme that allows

Feb 1, 2026By Park Ung
Jeju drew 2.24 mil. foreign tourists in 2025, 70% from China
Global Community

Biggie's Sports Bar brings excitement back to HBC

Just in time for the Winter Olympics, there's a new sports bar in central Seoul's multicultural Haebangchon neighborhood. Biggie's Sports Bar opened late last year and is located in a corner of the former Woori Mart. It's just a little below street level, not quite a half-basement but what co-owners Yong and Sunny call a "1/3-basement." People passing by on the street get a welcoming view of the crowd inside and what is playing on a big screen on the far wall. The interior is a clean, simple rectangle, contrasting with many of the older spaces nearby, described by Korean American Yong as having "quirky layouts." Although the name Biggie's might at first give off a hip-hop vibe, Yong explained the truth behind it. "My nickname in high school was 'Big Head' because I had a big head," he said. "By college, half my friends called me Biggie and the other half Heddie — Heddie Murphy, Heddie Munster, etc." He left those names behind in the U.S., but that changed last summer when friends visiting from Philadelphia called him Biggie in front of his partner Sunny. "Sunny thought it was a fun nick

Feb 1, 2026By Jon Dunbar
Biggie's Sports Bar brings excitement back to HBC
South Korea

Lee berates far-right group under probe for insulting statues of girl representing victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery

President Lee Jae Myung decried Sunday a far-right civic group under investigation over insulting statues of a girl representing victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery, calling the group "beasts that must be isolated" from society. Lee made the remarks in a social media post after police launched an investigation into Citizens' Action for the Abolition of the Comfort Women Law and its leader for defaming the deceased and hurling insults, as well as violating laws related to assembly and demonstrations. The group is accused of hanging banners bearing insulting phrases outside some high school campuses in southern Seoul, where statues of a girl honoring the victims are erected, and holding unauthorized rallies near the schools late last year. The banners say, "Are they keeping a comfort women statue on campus to provide guidance into prostitution?" "No Koreans, much less no human being, should be capable of calling victims of wartime sexual slavery -- war crime victims -- prostitutes," Lee said in the post. "They were forcibly dragged to the battlefield, sexually assaulted multiple times

Feb 1, 2026By Yonhap
Lee berates far-right group under probe for insulting statues of girl representing victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery
Law & Crime

Coupang's interim chief questioned for 12 hours over data breach probe

The interim CEO of Coupang underwent 12 hours of intensive police questioning over allegations of destruction of evidence linked to a massive data breach at the e-commerce company. Harold Rogers emerged from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on Saturday at 2:22 am, declining to answer reporters' questions on whether he admitted to the charges or intended to leave the country. Rogers faces accusations of obstructing official investigations into the breach estimated to have affected nearly 33 million users. Coupang had independently announced that data from only 3,000 accounts had been leaked, a figure authorities dispute. Police, who suspect more than 30 million accounts were affected, are investigating the reliability of Coupang's internal probe. The government has criticized the company's findings as one-sided. Investigators focused on the company's handling of a laptop allegedly used in the hacking. Coupang recovered the device in China last month from a former employee responsible for the breach and submitted it to police. However, the company reportedly failed to disclose that it h

Jan 31, 2026By Yonhap
Coupang's interim chief questioned for 12 hours over data breach probe
Society

Korea bids farewell to ex-PM Lee Hae-chan

The funeral ceremony for former Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan was held Saturday with the attendance of top dignitaries, including President Lee Jae Myung. The late Lee died Sunday aged 73 while on a business trip to Vietnam after suffering cardiac arrest. His body was flown home Tuesday, beginning a five-day memorial period that saw large numbers of mourners paying tribute at an altar at Seoul National University Hospital in the capital. The funeral ceremony began at 9 a.m. at a conference hall on the National Assembly compound. President Lee, first lady Kim Hea Kyung, National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik and Prime Minister Kim Min-seok sat in the front row with the bereaved family. Others in attendance included ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) leader Jung Chung-rai, DPK floor leader Han Byung-do, Deputy Assembly Speaker Joo Ho-young, and the leaders of the minor Rebuilding Korea Party and the Progressive Party. Cho Jung-sik, a special adviser to the president for political affairs, gave remarks in his capacity as head of the funeral committee, describing the former prime minister a

Jan 31, 2026By Yonhap
Korea bids farewell to ex-PM Lee Hae-chan
Environment & Animals

First FMD case in 9 months confirmed in Incheon

The first case of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in nine months was confirmed at a cattle farm in Incheon on Saturday, authorities said. The case was reported in the county of Ganghwa, prompting authorities to raise the relevant warning level from "attention" to "serious" in Incheon and the nearby city of Gimpo, according to the government's central headquarters for FMD response. Quarantine and epidemiologic experts have been sent to the affected farm to help stop the spread of the disease, while 246 cows on the ranch will be culled in line with relevant procedures. FMD is an acute infectious viral disease that causes illness in cows, pigs, goats and other cloven-hoofed animals. It does not affect humans. The government said it has issued a 48-hour standstill order on workers and vehicles with access to farms and other livestock-related facilities in Incheon and Gyeonggi Province. Nearly 40 pieces of disinfectant equipment will be used to disinfect farms and nearby roads in Incheon and Gimpo. The FMD response team held a meeting later in the day to discuss the outbreak and appropriate quaran

Jan 31, 2026By Yonhap
First FMD case in 9 months confirmed in Incheon
Politics

InterviewSecurity expert urges Korea to lead middle-power coalition

The idea of cooperation among middle powers has circulated for years, often more in theory than in practice. But Moon Chung-in, a James Laney Distinguished Professor at Yonsei University, said the conversation is now entering a more urgent phase. Speaking in an interview with The Korea Times, Moon said the question is no longer whether such cooperation is desirable, but whether any country is willing to take the lead. He said Korea should consider playing a more proactive role in uniting middle powers, as the global order becomes increasingly shaped by rivalry between the great powers and transactional diplomacy, with major powers relying on tariffs, financial pressure and security leverage to pursue their national interests. “There has to be a leader who can bring middle powers together and push a middle-power coalition forward,” said Moon, a former foreign policy and national security adviser to President Moon Jae-in. Saying that middle powers are effectively “sandwiched” between the U.S. and China, he said this structural vulnerability is the reason why cooperation among them

Jan 31, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji
Security expert urges Korea to lead middle-power coalition
  • Foreign policy veteran explains why dialogue with N. Korea remains difficult
Society

How sexual intimacy varies across couples in the US, Korea and Japan

About one in four American couples does not have sex even once a month, according to a recent survey that sheds light on changing intimacy patterns across developed countries. The findings come from a poll conducted by U.S. research firm Talker Research and adult wellness brand LELO, which surveyed 2,000 adults in committed relationships. The results suggest that fatigue, stress and mismatched desire — rather than lack of affection — are the biggest obstacles to sexual intimacy. Respondents said the most common reason for infrequent sexual activity was fatigue, cited by 38 percent, followed by mismatched sex drives at 29 percent, health problems at 29 percent and work-related stress at 27 percent. On average, American couples reported having sex four times a month, with each encounter lasting about 18.6 minutes. Despite the relatively low frequency, satisfaction levels remained high. While 14 percent of respondents said they were completely dissatisfied with their sex lives, 71 percent said they were satisfied. The results suggest that many couples prioritize emotional connection an

Jan 31, 2026By Kormedi.com
How sexual intimacy varies across couples in the US, Korea and Japan
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