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  • Law & Crime

    Q&A Korea's 'fake news' law is in force — what you need to know

    Korea’s revised Information and Communications Network Act, also dubbed the “fake news” law, came into force on Tuesday, reshaping how unlawful information is handled online. Under the new rules, “false or manipulated” information is defined as content whose whole or partial substance is untrue, or altered in a way that misleads audiences into believing it is factual. The revision also introduced a new category of illegal hate or discriminatory expression which covers posts that incite violence, discrimination or hatred against individuals or groups based on traits such as race, nationality or gender. Amid concerns over vague legal definitions and potential conflicts with constitutional free-speech protections, the state-run Korea Media and Communications Commission (KMCC) provided answers to frequently asked questions to address key issues. Q. What should I do if I suffer harm from false or manipulated information? A. Anyone who encounters information suspected of being false or manipulated can file a report with a large online service provider, including the location of the c

    3 MIN READBy Jung Min-ho
    [Q&A] Korea's 'fake news' law is in force — what you need to know
  • Others

    Gyeonggi Province launches generative AI portal to help immigrants

    2 MIN READBy Lee Kyung-min
    Gyeonggi Province launches generative AI portal to help immigrants
  • Society

    Seoul to transform gritty tech hub into lush green IT district

    2 MIN READBy Jhoo Dong-chan
    Seoul to transform gritty tech hub into lush green IT district
  • South Korea

    Labor side again lowers demand for hourly minimum wage hike for next year

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Labor side again lowers demand for hourly minimum wage hike for next year
  • South Korea

    Korea's Earth observation satellite launched from US base

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Korea's Earth observation satellite launched from US base
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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

Incheon to review discriminatory bridge toll after opening

Incheon’s new bridge toll exemption policy, which The Korea Times previously reported had drawn criticism for discriminating against foreign residents by excluding them under a city ordinance, has yet to prompt a substantive response from authorities or city council members. But as backlash has intensified around the discriminatory policy, some council members told The Korea Times that they see problems with it and are open to revising it. Set to open in January, the 4.68-kilometer bridge — which has yet to receive an official name — will connect Incheon International Airport, Korea’s main international gateway, to Incheon’s major business hub of Cheongna International City. Upon its opening, vehicles owned by residents registered at addresses in Incheon’s Yeongjong Island, Cheongna and the islands of Bukdo Township will qualify for unlimited toll exemptions ranging from 2,000 won for passenger cars to 4,400 won for large vehicles. The exemption will be expanded to all Incheon residents beginning in April. Foreign residents, however, are excluded from the applications that be

Dec 26, 2025By Park Ung
Incheon to review discriminatory bridge toll after opening
South Korea

Ex-vice land minister, 2 others indicted in presidential residence relocation case

A special counsel team on Friday indicted former Vice Land Minister Kim Oh-jin and a former presidential secretary, surnamed Hwang, on charges linked to favoritism allegations surrounding the 2022 relocation of the presidential residence. Kim and Hwang, placed under arrest on Dec. 17, are accused of involvement in helping 21 Gram, an interior design company without proper licensing, be improperly chosen for the presidential residence's relocation and renovation work, following former President Yoon Suk Yeol's election victory in March 2022. Special counsel Min Joong-ki's team suspects that the two officials abused their power to have a construction company lend its name to 21 Gram, which does not have a general construction license. The team also indicted Kim Tae-young, CEO of 21 Gram, without detention on fraud and other charges. The three are accused of embezzling 1.6 billion won ($1.1 million) from the government in connection with the residence relocation project. In addition, Hwang and the 21 Gram CEO were charged with refusing to submit documents and making false statements during

Dec 26, 2025By Yonhap
Ex-vice land minister, 2 others indicted in presidential residence relocation case
Politics

Ruling party to launch inter-Korean peace strategy committee

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) will launch an internal committee focused on inter-Korean peace to support the government's engagement efforts with North Korea, party chairman Rep. Jung Chung-rae said Friday. The liberal party leader said the move is intended to support the Lee Jae Myung administration's push for rapprochement with Pyongyang. "President Lee needs a variety of cards to normalize the South Korea-U.S. alliance and inter-Korean relations. The DPK will not hesitate to play a leverage role," Jung said at his first press conference since taking office in August. "To that end, we will establish a new strategy committee for peace on the Korean Peninsula within the party by inviting distinguished experts." The committee, to be launched in the near future, will be led by former Unification Ministers Chung Se-hyun and Lee Jae-jung, as well as former special adviser for security affairs Moon Chung-in. The three figures named to lead the committee are widely seen as representing the "autonomy-minded" camp within South Korea's foreign and security policy circles, in contrast

Dec 26, 2025By Lee Hyo-jin
Ruling party to launch inter-Korean peace strategy committee
Defense

Navy's 1,000-ton corvette to retire after 36 years in service

The Navy's 1,000-ton Gwangmyeong corvette is set to retire next week after 36 years in service protecting the nation's coastal area, the armed service said Friday. Ahead of the Pohang-class warship's official retirement Wednesday, the Navy held a ceremony marking its discharge earlier in the day at a naval base in Jinhae, some 310 kilometers southeast of Seoul, according to the Navy. Commissioned in 1990, the warship served as a core naval asset, equipped with 76 mm and 40 mm shells, anti-ship missiles and lightweight torpedoes. Notably, the corvette successfully tracked down a North Korean semi-submarine boat that had infiltrated waters off Yeosu, South Jeolla Province, for about seven hours before sinking it with naval gunfire in 1998. The Navy said it has deployed a 2,500-ton Incheon-class, 3,100-ton Daegu-class and the new 3,600-ton Chungnam-class frigates to safeguard their assigned waters to replace the outgoing warships.

Dec 26, 2025By Yonhap
Navy's 1,000-ton corvette to retire after 36 years in service
Politics

Lee commutes to presidential office for last time before returning to Cheong Wa Dae

President Lee Jae Myung commuted to the presidential office in Seoul's Yongsan district for the last time on Friday before next week's formal move back to Cheong Wa Dae, his office said. The office released photos of Lee heading into work as he prepared to host a luncheon with the families of police officers and firefighters who died in the line of duty. The presidential flag bearing two phoenixes will be lowered at the Yongsan office at midnight Sunday and raised at Cheong Wa Dae at the same time, according to the office. Lee's main workspace will be located in the Yeomin Building complex, where he will work closely with his top aides — including the chief of staff, policy chief and national security adviser — and other key staff. The main building, known for its iconic blue roof and located about 500 meters from the office complex, will mainly be used for formal occasions such as summits and credential ceremonies.

Dec 26, 2025By Yonhap
Lee commutes to presidential office for last time before returning to Cheong Wa Dae
South Korea

Ex-top security officials acquitted over alleged cover-up of 2020 border killing by N. Korea

Former top security officials from former President Moon Jae-in's administration were acquitted Friday on charges of involvement in an alleged cover-up of the 2020 murder of a South Korean fisheries official by North Korea. The Seoul Central District Court found former National Security Adviser Suh Hoon, former National Intelligence Service (NIS) Director Park Jie-won and former Defense Minister Suh-wook not guilty for allegedly trying to cover up the incident, citing a lack of evidence. Former Coast Guard Commissioner General Kim Hong-hee and former NIS chief secretary Noh Eun-chae were also acquitted. The case goes back to Sept. 22, 2020, when the fisheries official, Lee Dae-jun, was fatally shot by North Korean soldiers near the de facto maritime border in the Yellow Sea, a day after going missing while on board a fishery inspection ship. His body was burned by the North. At the time, the Moon administration said Lee had sought to defect to the North, but prosecutors have argued the announcement was driven by concerns the incident could worsen inter-Korean relations and that officials

Dec 26, 2025By Yonhap
Ex-top security officials acquitted over alleged cover-up of 2020 border killing by N. Korea
Defense

Gov't to tap seasoned N. Korea hands for new task force on inter-Korean dialogue

South Korea is formalizing preparations for potential inter-Korean dialogue, moving to establish a specialized task force of veteran negotiators despite North Korea’s continued silence. The Ministry of National Defense said Friday that the new task force will focus on maintaining “professionalism and continuity” in future military talks, including stalled discussions over the Military Demarcation Line (MDL). Defense officials also held a workshop with the Ministry of Unification at the Office of Inter-Korean Dialogue to bolster preparedness for potential talks with North Korea. "The ministry plans to form a preparatory task force centered on officials with prior experience to enhance the professionalism and continuity of inter-Korean military talks," the defense ministry said in a statement. The ministry also expressed hope that a communication channel aimed at easing military tensions between the two Koreas can be established soon. As part of efforts to reinforce institutional legitimacy, the ministry said it plans to revive its North Korea Policy Division, which is currently name

Dec 26, 2025By Lee Hyo-jin
Gov't to tap seasoned N. Korea hands for new task force on inter-Korean dialogue
Laughing through History

LAUGHING THROUGH HISTORY 22 ‘There’s No Dot in the Middle, So That Character Is 'Dae,' Not 'Tae'!’

The joke I’m translating today mixes a literary sensibility with an earthy and crude sense of humor. The setup is that three women are expected to celebrate their father-in-law’s upcoming birthday by miming the shapes of Chinese characters (also called sinographs, or “hanja” in Korean) with their bodies. Chinese characters were introduced to Korea by at least the second century B.C.E. and established as the writing system used for government, law and education during the Three Kingdoms Period (which lasted from the first century B.C.E. through the seventh century C.E.). Although the Korean writing system, Hangul, was developed and promulgated during the 15th century, it was limited in application and Chinese characters retained wider use and greater cultural cache until the 20th century. In this scene, each of the daughters-in-law has to choose a Chinese character to mime. The first makes the shape of the character “ho” (好), meaning “good” (an ideograph of a woman and child). The second makes the shape of the character “an” (安), meaning “peace,” by wearing a

Dec 26, 2025By G.S. Hand
[LAUGHING THROUGH HISTORY 22] ‘There’s No Dot in the Middle, So That Character Is 'Dae,' Not 'Tae'!’
Politics

Prosecutors seek 10-year sentence for Yoon over martial law declaration

A special prosecution team investigating former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s short-lived imposition of martial law late last year sought a 10-year prison sentence on Friday, accusing him of obstructing the execution of an arrest warrant and abusing his authority while in office. The sentencing request, made during closing arguments at the Seoul Central District Court, comes after a year of political turmoil triggered by Yoon’s ill-fated declaration of martial law last winter. It is the first of seven criminal cases involving the former president to reach the sentencing phase. The order — which deployed armed paratroopers to the National Assembly and stunned the international community — was short-lived, but it sparked a constitutional crisis that effectively paralyzed his administration and accelerated legal scrutiny by a special prosecutor that is now reaching its first critical juncture in court. Prosecutors are seeking five years in prison for the obstruction of official duties, three years for abuse of power, and two years for falsifying official documents and exercising them u

Dec 26, 2025By Kim Hyun-bin
Prosecutors seek 10-year sentence for Yoon over martial law declaration
Politics

Lee pays respects to sacrifices of fallen officers in line of duty

President Lee Jae Myung on Friday paid his respects to the sacrifices of fallen officers in the line of duty as he met their families. Lee held a luncheon meeting with families of police officers, firefighters, Coast Guard personnel and others who died while protecting the public during disasters and emergencies. "I've often heard that it is hard to find a country as safe as ours anywhere in the world, and that's thanks to the sweat and hard work of so many public officials," Lee said. "It is because of the noble dedication of those who rushed into raging flames and rough, surging waves that people are able to enjoy peaceful daily lives." Lee said sacrifices made while protecting people's lives and safety must be met with proper respect and compensation, calling it "the government's responsibility." "Our government will uphold the principle of providing special compensation for special sacrifices," he said. "I will make a country where dedication to the people is returned with price and honor to repay your sacrifices."

Dec 26, 2025By Yonhap
Lee pays respects to sacrifices of fallen officers in line of duty
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