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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

Coupang’s delivery empire built on social trust faces reckoning after data breach

Coupang’s rise in Korea’s online retail market was built not just on technology and speed, but on a culture of social trust, in which valuables left out in public are rarely stolen. Now, as the company, often described as "Korea’s Amazon," faces a major data breach and growing public backlash, it is accused of exploiting that communal trust while underinvesting in data security to protect its margins. In most Korean cities, it’s common to see smartphones and laptops left unattended on café tables, or products displayed outside stores for hours without anyone touching them. Parcels are often left unattended at doorsteps for hours, even days or weeks. That social trust became the foundation of Coupang’s contactless delivery model during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. In dense clusters of urban apartments, with few restrictions on night work and a society comfortable with sharing front-door access codes with delivery workers, the company was able to promise express and dawn delivery services for groceries and daily necessities by 7 a.m., often for orders placed with just a few

Dec 25, 2025By Lee Hae-rin
Coupang’s delivery empire built on social trust faces reckoning after data breach
Health

Korea reports 3 new bird flu cases at poultry farms

Korea reported new cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza at three poultry farms Wednesday, bringing the total number of cases this season to 21. The cases were found at a chicken farm in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province, a duck farm in Gochang, Norht Jeolla Province, and another duck farm in Naju, South Jeolla Province, according to the Central Disaster Management Headquarters. Authorities have restricted entry to the farms, and begun culling animals and investigating the outbreaks. They have also ordered a temporary standstill order on farms and farming vehicles in the affected areas. Inspections will take place at duck farms affiliated with the two affected duck farms as well as all duck farms in North Jeolla Province. Agriculture ministry officials will also be dispatched to Anseong and Cheonan, South Chungcheon Province, where there is a high possibility of additional cases.

Dec 24, 2025By Yonhap
Korea reports 3 new bird flu cases at poultry farms
Law & Crime

Police search Bulgari Korea over Unification Church's alleged watch gift to ex-oceans minister

Police on Wednesday raided the Korean headquarters of Italian luxury brand Bulgari as part of an investigation into allegations that the Unification Church gifted a Bulgari watch to former Oceans Minister Chun Jae-soo. The raid took place at Bulgari Korea's office in southern Seoul, with investigators seeking to seize records of purchases made by the church's officials and track the whereabouts of the watch Chun allegedly received in 2018. Chun is accused of receiving the luxury watch worth over 10 million won ($6,900) from a former church official, who is also implicated in other bribery cases, including one involving former first lady Kim Keon Hee. The former minister, who has been booked on charges of accepting a bribe, has strongly rejected the allegations, denying ever receiving illegal gifts from the church. Police searched Chun's residence and office last week but failed to find the luxury watch. Chun, a lawmaker of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, resigned as oceans minister earlier this month soon after the allegations surfaced.

Dec 24, 2025By Yonhap
Police search Bulgari Korea over Unification Church's alleged watch gift to ex-oceans minister
Health

Turning up heat may be costing you sleep in winter

As winter cold intensifies, many people respond by cranking up indoor heating. But sleep specialists warn that excessive warmth can be one of the biggest obstacles to a good night’s sleep, as it interferes with the body’s natural temperature regulation. When room temperatures rise too high, peripheral blood vessels dilate excessively, preventing internal heat from being released. As a result, the body’s core temperature remains elevated, making it harder to fall asleep. Core body temperature refers to the temperature maintained by vital internal organs such as the heart, lungs and liver. For healthy sleep, core temperature needs to drop by about 0.5 to 1 degree Celsius before bedtime. This cooling process also promotes the release of melatonin, the hormone that induces sleep. Overheating suppresses this natural decline, delaying the onset of sleep. Experts recommend keeping indoor temperatures between 18 and 22 degrees Celsius, with humidity levels maintained at 40 to 60 percent. Sohn Yeo-ju, a professor of family medicine at Ewha Womans University Seoul Hospital, said, “When in

Dec 24, 2025By Hankookilbo
Turning up heat may be costing you sleep in winter
Law & Crime

FTC probes 3 major sanitary pad manufacturers over possible price rigging

The antitrust watchdog has launched an investigation into three major manufacturers of sanitary pads, industry sources said Wednesday, following remarks by President Lee Jae Myung over high prices. The Fair Trade Commission sent investigators to the headquarters of Yuhan-Kimberly, LG Unicharm and Cleanwrap starting Tuesday to examine their pricing practices, the sources said. During a policy briefing last week, Lee instructed officials to "look into the matter," saying sanitary pad prices in Korea are unusually high compared with those in other countries.

Dec 24, 2025By Yonhap
FTC probes 3 major sanitary pad manufacturers over possible price rigging
Health

Diet pill controversy highlights hidden risks behind celebrity weight loss

Click here for more articles by Kormedi.com. A growing controversy over alleged illegal medical services has put comedian Park Na-rae and popular "mukbang" eating program YouTuber Short_mouth_sun at the center of a public debate over so-called “diet injections” and appetite suppressants known as the “butterfly pill.” The two celebrities are under police investigation after being accused of receiving unlicensed medical services from an “injection aunt,” identified as A. As scrutiny intensified, attention has shifted to diet pills allegedly provided by A, which some suspect to be phentermine, a controlled appetite suppressant drug. According to a report by entertainment outlet Dispatch on Dec. 18, A discussed the medication in KakaoTalk messages with Park’s manager, saying, “Short_mouth_sun takes it three times a day, and up to four times on days she eats heavily.” Based on images of the pills and pharmaceutical information released by Dispatch, the drug is suspected to be phentermine, nicknamed because of its distinct shape resembling a butterfly. Phentermine is regulate

Dec 24, 2025By Kormedi.com
Diet pill controversy highlights hidden risks behind celebrity weight loss
Law & Crime

Special counsel indicts ex-President Yoon for not paying opinion polls

A special counsel team indicted former President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday on charges of receiving dozens of opinion poll results for free in violation of the Political Funds Act. Special counsel Min Joong-ki's team announced the indictment in a notice to the press, saying it also indicted Myung Tae-kyun, a self-proclaimed power broker, on charges of providing the opinion polls to Yoon. Yoon and his wife, Kim Keon Hee, have been accused of receiving the results of 58 opinion polls worth 270 million won ($186,000) between June 2021 and March 2022, when Yoon won the presidential election. Kim has already been indicted on the same charge and is set to receive the court's verdict on Jan. 28. The special counsel team had investigated suspicions that the free opinion polls were in exchange for the presidential couple's help with securing candidate nominations for the June 2022 parliamentary by-elections. Those allegations were not listed in the indictment and will likely be transferred to the police for further investigation if a conclusion is not reached by the end of the team's term Sunday.

Dec 24, 2025By Yonhap
Special counsel indicts ex-President Yoon for not paying opinion polls
Health

Lee apologizes to victims of toxic humidifier disinfectants

President Lee Jae Myung on Wednesday apologized to victims of toxic humidifier disinfectants blamed for deaths and diseases involving thousands of people, saying the government will define the case as a "social disaster." In 2011, sales of such toxic sterilizers were suspended as health authorities announced they could cause lung diseases. A special law was enacted in 2017 to compensate victims, and 5,942 people were formally recognized as victims as of last month. "It was too late," Lee said in a Facebook posting, adding he "conveys condolences and consolation to the victims and their families." In 2017, then President Moon Jae-in apologized to the victims, but Lee's apology came as the government announced comprehensive measures to compensate and support the victims earlier in the day. Last year, a court recognized the state's liability to compensate humidifier disinfectant victims or their bereaved families for the first time. The case gained attention after four pregnant women died of lung disease for unknown reasons in 2011. "It is hard to fathom how unjust and devastating it must hav

Dec 24, 2025By Yonhap
Lee apologizes to victims of toxic humidifier disinfectants
Policy & Trends

Vietnam replaces China as largest source of int'l students at Korean universities

Korea’s international student population reached a record 300,000 this summer as universities looked overseas to offset domestic shortages. Long dominated by students from China, foreign enrollment is now diversifying, according to recent data presented during the Korean Association of Foreign Student Administrators (KAFSA) winter conference, where officials from nearly 200 universities gathered to discuss shifting trends. In its place, a growing influx from Southeast Asia is reshaping the landscape, reflecting broader changes in regional economic ties and the expanding reach of Korean soft power. The most striking increase has come from Vietnam. Since 2017, enrollment from the country has surged, overtaking China this year as the largest source of international students. According to data from the Ministry of Justice, the number of international students staying in Korea reached a record high of 305,329 as of August. Although enrollment figures from the Ministry of Education showed 253,000 international students as of April, residency and visa data suggest the government has effective

Dec 24, 2025By Jung Da-hyun
Vietnam replaces China as largest source of int'l students at Korean universities
Politics

Presidential office to be formally renamed Cheong Wa Dae on Monday

The presidential office said Wednesday it will be formally renamed Cheong Wa Dae early next week, with the relocation of the office to the historic compound nearing completion. The presidential flag bearing two phoenixes at the current office in the defense ministry complex in Yongsan, central Seoul, will be lowered at midnight Sunday and raised at Cheong Wa Dae at the same time, the office said in a press notice. The move will mark the official return of the presidential office Monday, occurring about three years and seven months after former President Yoon Suk Yeol relocated it to the defense ministry complex. For now, President Lee Jae Myung will continue commuting from his residence in Hannam-dong as renovation and inspection work on the official residence at Cheong Wa Dae is still under way to repair damage from when the complex was opened to the public under the previous administration. "Relocating the official residence to Cheong Wa Dae is not yet possible due to ongoing renovation work," a senior presidential official said. "The presidential residence is likely to be ready in the

Dec 24, 2025By Yonhap
Presidential office to be formally renamed Cheong Wa Dae on Monday
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