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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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Society

44% of foreign residents in Korea report discrimination, yet remain happier than locals: survey

More than four out of 10 foreign residents in Korea say they have experienced discrimination, most commonly based on their country of origin, yet nearly eight in 10 of them did not raise complaints, largely because they believed doing so would not lead to change, a new survey found. Despite these experiences, a majority of foreign residents reported relatively high levels of happiness and life satisfaction in Korea — higher than those of Korean nationals. The findings were released Tuesday by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as part of the 2025 Survey on Korean Attitudes and Values, conducted by KSTAT Research. The nationwide survey, which polled 6,180 respondents, was the ninth edition of the study, which was first launched in 1996 and has been conducted every three years since 2013. This year’s survey expanded its scope by including teenagers for the first time and conducting a separate survey of foreign residents who have lived in Korea for more than two years, aiming to capture a broader picture of social perceptions in Korea. According to the findings, 43.7 percent of

Dec 23, 2025By Pyo Kyung-min
44% of foreign residents in Korea report discrimination, yet remain happier than locals: survey
Defense

Trump wants Hanwha to build US frigates at Philadelphia shipyard

When U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled plans to build new frigates for the U.S. Navy and specifically mentioned Korea’s Hanwha, the moment stood out as more than a passing mention to a foreign defense contractor. By explicitly naming the Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean, Trump seemed to signal a preferred partner in his broader push to revitalize the American shipbuilding industry — a move that has reshaped perceptions of the competitive race between Korean shipbuilders under the so-called MASGA initiative, short for “Make American Shipbuilding Great Again.” The remarks have been widely interpreted as tipping the scales in favor of Hanwha over HD Hyundai, two Korean shipbuilding heavyweights often described by industry insiders as twin pillars of Korea’s naval construction sector. While both companies have been considered potential partners for the U.S. Navy, Trump’s emphasis on Hanwha suggests that the contest is being judged not only on technical sophistication, but also on which company best aligns with the administration’s political and industrial priorities. Trump’

Dec 23, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
Trump wants Hanwha to build US frigates at Philadelphia shipyard
Society

Seoul City's new income model offers ‘Stepping Stone’ out of poverty

Seoul’s Stepping Stone Income program is being promoted as a more effective alternative to Korea’s primary social safety net, the Basic Livelihood scheme, with new evidence suggesting that it helps low-income households move off public benefits while improving living standards, work incentives and community participation. At Tuesday’s international forum on the initiative, Mayor Oh Se-hoon and leading scholars said the three-year policy experiment offers a practical blueprint for overhauling social safety nets in the age of artificial intelligence (AI) and increasingly precarious work. According to Lee Jung-min, an economics professor who led the research on the program’s effects at Seoul National University, the share of beneficiary households that exited from receiving benefits in the program's third year rose by 1.1 percentage points compared with its second year. Meanwhile, the proportion of households whose labor income increased climbed by 2.8 percentage points, while spending on basic goods and nutrition indicators also improved. Launched in 2022 and concluded in June, St

Dec 23, 2025By Jung Min-ho
Seoul City's new income model offers ‘Stepping Stone’ out of poverty
Society

Union files complaint against Coupang founder over worker's death

The National Courier Workers' Union filed a complaint with the police against Coupang founder Kim Bom-suk on Tuesday, accusing the e-commerce giant of attempting to cover up an industrial accident. In the complaint submitted to the Korean National Police Agency, the union claimed that Kim instigated destruction of evidence and violated the Occupational Safety and Health Act in connection with the death of a worker. The complaint was cosigned by a labor group fighting for countermeasures to protect delivery workers from overwork. "Delivery worker Jang Deok-jun died from overwork at a Coupang logistics center in 2020. But Coupang and Kim systematically downplayed and covered up the incident and destroyed evidence, rather than admitting responsibility," the union said in a statement. The two groups said they also filed a complaint against Coupang Fulfillment Services, a Coupang logistics affiliate, on charges of negligent homicide and violation of the occupational safety law, calling for a thorough investigation in accordance with the law and common sense.

Dec 23, 2025By Yonhap
Union files complaint against Coupang founder over worker's death
Law & Crime

Court holds arrest extension hearing for ex-President Yoon

A court hearing was held Tuesday on whether to extend the arrest of former President Yoon Suk Yeol over charges related to his failed imposition of martial law. The Seoul Central District Court held the hearing to determine whether Yoon should be held further on charges of aiding the enemy and power abuse in connection with his alleged drone deployment to North Korea in October last year. Yoon, who has been held in custody since July on charges of obstructing justice by blocking his detention by investigators in January, is currently set to be released after his six-month arrest expires Jan. 18. Special counsel Cho Eun-suk's team requested an extension of his arrest last month while additionally indicting him over the alleged drone operation, which it claimed was aimed at inciting the North's retaliation and using it as a pretext for the martial law declaration in December last year. The hearing was held behind closed doors. In the event an extension is granted, Yoon could be jailed for up to six more months. A verdict on the obstruction of justice charge is set to be delivered Jan. 16. A s

Dec 23, 2025By Yonhap
Court holds arrest extension hearing for ex-President Yoon
South Korea

Lee pledges support for Busan to become major maritime hub after relocation of oceans ministry

President Lee Jae Myung pledged Tuesday support to develop the southeastern port city of Busan into a major maritime and logistics hub following the relocation of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries to the city. Lee made the remarks during a Cabinet meeting at the ministry's new building in Busan, about 450 kilometers southeast of Seoul. "The relocation of the oceans ministry will be an important opportunity for balanced regional development and a new leap forward for Busan," Lee said. He added that the government would provide full fiscal and administrative support to help Busan grow into a leading industrial and logistics hub not only for South Korea, but for Northeast Asia as well. To that end, Lee said the government plans to expand port facilities, promote high value-added services, and support the growth of regional industries, with the goal of positioning Busan and the broader southeastern region as a hub for the development of Arctic shipping routes. The relocation came after former Oceans Minister Chun Jae-soo resigned earlier this month over allegations that he received illegal

Dec 23, 2025By Yonhap
Lee pledges support for Busan to become major maritime hub after relocation of oceans ministry
Law & Crime

Special prosecutors raid Coupang affiliate over unpaid severance pay

A special counsel team raided a subsidiary of e-commerce giant Coupang on Tuesday, launching a compulsory investigation into allegations of unpaid severance pay for employees and senior prosecutors' intervention in favor of the management. Special counsel Ann Gweon-seob sent prosecutors and investigators to the office of Coupang Fulfillment Services, a logistics subsidiary of Coupang, in the southern Seoul district of Songpa in the morning to secure data related to the payment of severance pay. The company is suspected of changing its employment rules in May 2023 to the disadvantage of its employees and failing to pay their severance pay. A search and seizure warrant obtained by the special counsel team reportedly lists the company as a suspect violating the Act on the Guarantee of Employees' Retirement Benefits. Earlier in January, the Bucheon branch office of the labor ministry sent the case to the prosecution with a recommendation for indictment. But the Incheon District Prosecutors Office's Bucheon branch decided not to indict the company in April. In October, prosecutor Moon Ji-seok

Dec 23, 2025By Yonhap
Special prosecutors raid Coupang affiliate over unpaid severance pay
Politics

Lawmakers pass bill to create special insurrection tribunals

The National Assembly on Tuesday passed a contentious bill to create specialized tribunals to handle insurrection-related cases, a step widely seen as aimed at managing legal proceedings tied to former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law declaration in late 2024. The measure was driven by the majority-holding Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), despite fierce opposition from the conservative People Power Party (PPP). The bill, known as the Special Act on Criminal Procedures for Insurrection, Foreign Aggression, and Rebellion, calls for the establishment of at least two dedicated judicial panels at both the Seoul Central District Court and the Seoul High Court. Each panel, composed of three judges, will hear only insurrection-related cases, including those connected to the martial law declaration. The bill cleared the plenary session in a revised form after lawmakers removed provisions that had raised constitutional concerns, most notably a clause establishing a judge recommendation committee. Under the updated law, judges’ councils at the two courts will first set standards for form

Dec 23, 2025By Anna J. Park
Lawmakers pass bill to create special insurrection tribunals
Education

Education minister casts classrooms as answer to AI upheaval, balanced national development

With classrooms emptying in provincial towns and employers warning of widening skills shortages, Education Minister Choi Kyo-jin said at a briefing Monday that Korea’s education system had become a frontline response to the country’s deeper national and regional structural problems. These include demographic decline and the hollowing out of areas beyond the capital. While the ministry identified priorities like fostering democratic citizenship and bolstering regional universities, it made no reference to policies concerning international students. At a briefing marking his first 100 days in office, Choi said Korea as a whole — and its regions in particular — was entering a period of profound change and crisis. “The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the type of talent society demands, while the crisis of regional depopulation is calling for a fundamentally new role for education policy,” he said. “Even amid these changes, what must not be forgotten is the core of education. Above all, it is essential to provide education that enables students to

Dec 23, 2025By Jung Da-hyun
Education minister casts classrooms as answer to AI upheaval, balanced national development
Defense

KF-21 fighters to be fitted with ground attack capabilities starting 2027

Korea's homegrown KF-21 fighter jets under development will be fitted with air-to-ground capabilities starting in 2027, ahead of schedule, the state arms procurement agency said Tuesday. The plan comes as authorities plan to spend around 700 billion won ($472 million) to conduct a series of tests involving 10 different types of air-to-ground weapons until the end of 2028, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA). The plan is expected to secure ground attack capabilities for the homegrown fighter jet around 1 1/2 years earlier than planned, in a move strengthening the Air Force's strength and positively affecting potential exports, DAPA said. Korea launched the KF-21 development program in 2015 to acquire a homegrown supersonic fighter to replace the Air Force's aging fleet of U.S.-made jets, including the F-5. The first production model of the indigenous fighter jet entered final assembly in May.

Dec 23, 2025By Yonhap
KF-21 fighters to be fitted with ground attack capabilities starting 2027
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