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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
  • South Korea

    Korea's Earth observation satellite successfully put into orbit

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Korea's Earth observation satellite successfully put into orbit
  • Law & Crime

    N. Korea-born ex-lawmaker's son faces 5-year prison demand over crypto fraud

    2 MIN READBy Baek Byung-yeul
    N. Korea-born ex-lawmaker's son faces 5-year prison demand over crypto fraud
  • 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
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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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Defense

South Korea to pursue multifront nuclear submarine talks with US starting next year

South Korea will pursue multifront discussions next year with the United States on building its first nuclear-powered submarine, including talks on uranium enrichment and the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel, according to security officials Sunday. During National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac's latest visit to Washington, the two sides agreed to forge a separate bilateral agreement under Section 91 of the U.S. Atomic Energy Act, which authorizes the U.S. president to approve the transfer of nuclear materials for military use. "Rather than setting priorities, we will launch all of them at once," Wi was quoted as saying by Yonhap News Agency. "Talks on uranium enrichment, spent nuclear fuel reprocessing and nuclear-powered submarines will all be pursued simultaneously between South Korea and the United States starting early next year." The two countries have reached a shared understanding on the need for follow-up consultations to implement agreements reached at the summit level, he said, adding that substantive, sector-specific talks will begin in earnest next year. During his two-day t

Dec 21, 2025By Lee Hyo-jin
South Korea to pursue multifront nuclear submarine talks with US starting next year
Society

Decade of safety lapses leaves Korea facing record number of public emergencies

Korea grappled with its most turbulent year in terms of public safety crises in a decade, with a government report released Sunday detailing 39 major incidents nationwide in 2024. The grim milestone underscores a 10-year high in the frequency of large-scale emergencies caused by people and systemic failures. The disasters caused 250 deaths, injured 967 people and left 16 missing, bringing the total number of casualties to 1,233. Property damage reached 131.09 billion won ($88.5 million), the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said in its annual disaster yearbook. Social disasters are defined as incidents requiring a national or local government response, including fires, structural collapses, explosions, crowd crushes, aviation accidents, disruptions to critical infrastructure and the spread of infectious diseases. The frequency of large-scale accidents rose roughly 22 percent from 32 cases in 2023. Despite the rise in incidents, the number of deaths dropped sharply from 2023, declining by 3,215. Authorities attributed the decrease largely to the easing of the COVID-19 pandemic, which s

Dec 21, 2025By Kim Hyun-bin
Decade of safety lapses leaves Korea facing record number of public emergencies
Society

Record influx of medical tourists delivers $2.47 bil. economic windfall for Korea

For Natsagdorj Namuun, a 30-year-old freelance model from Mongolia, the imagined Korea of her youth was a neon-hued daydream of K-pop, defined by the synchronized glitz of Wonder Girls and Girls’ Generation. But for her and her peers today, the country is no longer just a distant stage for pop idols, but a place they associate with personal reinvention. “I had rhinoplasty and breast surgery in Seoul in 2022,” she told The Korea Times. “I can’t give an exact figure, but I spent at least several million won on the procedures. Five or six of my friends also came to Korea for cosmetic surgery.” About 1.17 million foreign patients visited Korea last year, the highest total since Seoul began promoting medical tourism in 2009, underscoring the industry’s growing economic significance. The impact extends beyond hospitals. A recent study found that foreign patients are also emerging as significant consumers, with about 920,000 visitors spending a combined 3.66 trillion won ($2.47 billion) in Korea last year. The Korea Health Industry Development Institute released a report last week

Dec 21, 2025By Park Ung
Record influx of medical tourists delivers $2.47 bil. economic windfall for Korea
Policy & Trends

Online finals at Korean universities again marred by cheating

Mass cheating in online exams has resurfaced during finals at Korean universities, exposing institutions’ incomplete preparedness and ongoing struggles to establish effective online test controls and guidelines for students' artificial intelligence (AI) use. According to Seoul National University, Sunday, the results of a final exam for a general education course offered by its College of Natural Sciences were invalidated after signs of cheating were detected among nearly half of the 36 students enrolled. The course was an online distance-learning class designed for students on leave for mandatory military service, with both lectures and exams conducted remotely. To prevent misconduct, the exam system was set to record activity whenever test-takers opened any windows other than the exam screen. A subsequent review by a teaching assistant later found such logs for nearly half of the students, leading the university to invalidate the exam results. However, it has been difficult to conclusively establish misconduct because the logs do not indicate which screens were accessed. As a result,

Dec 21, 2025By Jung Da-hyun
Online finals at Korean universities again marred by cheating
  • Top universities react to AI cheating scandals, yet concrete disciplinary steps remain elusive
  • Cheating scandals at top universities prompt rethink of education in digital era
Global Community

Court upholds denial of naturalization to foreign national over criminal record

A Seoul court has upheld an earlier decision by the justice ministry to deny naturalization to a foreign national over his past criminal record. According to legal sources Sunday, the Seoul Administrative Court dismissed a lawsuit filed by the foreigner, who had sought to overturn the ministry's rejection of his naturalization application. The applicant, whose nationality was not disclosed, had applied for a South Korean passport after marrying a South Korean citizen. After the couple divorced, the legal basis for his application changed, and the ministry rejected the request, citing his criminal record. The ministry ruled that the person failed to meet the "good conduct" requirement under the Nationality Act. The foreigner was once referred to juvenile protection proceedings for aggravated theft and was also fined for driving without a license. The person argued that despite his record, the justice ministry was too harsh in denying his naturalization application. However, the administrative court said he was a repeat offender over an extended period and his offenses could not be conside

Dec 21, 2025By Yonhap
Court upholds denial of naturalization to foreign national over criminal record
Environment & Animals

Korea aims to cut carbon emissions at int'l airports by 10% by 2030

Korea aims to cut carbon emissions at its international airports by 10 percent by 2030 while expanding the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), a government report showed Sunday. Under the blueprint for the 2026-2030 period, set by the transport, environment and industry ministries, carbon emissions at Korea's international airports are projected to reach 29.8 million tons in 2030, up 28 percent from 23.3 million tons recorded this year. The government aims to reduce the projected amount by 10 percent, or 2.87 million tons. The report said the reduction can be achieved by using SAF, shorter standby time during takeoff and landing, and improved efficiency in airport operations. In line with the efforts, international aircraft taking off from Korea will be required to use SAF for at least 1 percent of their fuel, and the share will be raised to between 3 percent and 5 percent after 2030. Korea will come up with measures to ease the financial burden on air carriers, considering that SAF prices are around three times higher than those of conventional jet fuel, including partially assisting

Dec 21, 2025By Yonhap
Korea aims to cut carbon emissions at int'l airports by 10% by 2030
Society

Pope Leo XIV names new auxiliary bishop at Suwon diocese

Pope Leo XIV has appointed Rev. Jermanus Kwak Jin-sang as an auxiliary bishop of the Suwon Diocese in South Korea, the Apostolic Nunciature to Seoul said Saturday. Kwak, 61, was ordained as a Catholic priest in February 1993 after graduating from the College of Theology at the Catholic University of Korea. He began his pastoral ministry as an assistant priest at a parish in the Suwon diocese. He later earned a master's degree in practical theology and a doctorate in systematic theology from the Catholic University of Paris. With the latest appointment, the number of active Catholic bishops in South Korea has risen to 42, including three archbishops, 21 bishops and 18 emeritus bishops. Established in 1963, the Suwon Diocese is one of the 16 dioceses of the Catholic Church in the country.

Dec 20, 2025By Yonhap
Pope Leo XIV names new auxiliary bishop at Suwon diocese
South Korea

Faker shares thoughts about video game industry in talks with PM

Prime Minister Kim Min-seok met e-sports star Faker this week to discuss the latest developments and trends of the country's video game industry, his office said Saturday. The meeting took place Thursday in an interview format, with Kim asking the professional League of Legends (LoL) player, whose real name is Lee Sang-hyeok, about the industry and e-sports. "When I first became a professional gamer, there was a lack of awareness and policy (on video games), but it has now significantly improved," Faker said. "The video game industry is changing into one of South Korea's key industries." However, he noted that while South Korea has dominated e-sports globally, the country's games have not enjoyed that level of success. "Instead of games that give inspiration, there are increasingly more formulaic games or cash grab games (in South Korea)," he said, voicing hopes for games to serve as an inspiration for people, rather than being played to simply pass time. When asked about his team's recent sixth LoL World Championship title, which marked an unprecedented third consecutive win, Faker said

Dec 20, 2025By Yonhap
Faker shares thoughts about video game industry in talks with PM
Law & Crime

Ex-President Yoon grilled in special counsel investigation into his wife's bribery allegations

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol on Saturday underwent more than eight hours of questioning by a special counsel team over corruption allegations linked to his wife and former first lady Kim Keon Hee. It marked the jailed former president's first appearance before special counsel Min Joong-ki's team, which launched in July to investigate corruption and other allegations surrounding Kim. Yoon is accused of being an accomplice to his wife when she allegedly received opinion polls worth 270 million won (US$183,000) for free from a self-proclaimed power broker and when she allegedly accepted a painting worth 140 million won from a former prosecutor. He is also suspected of violating the Public Official Election Act for allegedly speaking a falsehood about his wife during a 2021 debate when he was a presidential candidate. Min's team is also looking into whether Yoon was involved in Kim's alleged acceptance of luxury gifts from others, including Lee Bae-yong, former head of the National Education Commission, in exchange for favors. Yoon denied all allegations against him, his lawyers said. When a

Dec 20, 2025By Yonhap
Ex-President Yoon grilled in special counsel investigation into his wife's bribery allegations
Politics

Seoul to appoint Korean Peninsula peace envoy

The Ministry of Unification said Friday that it is moving to appoint a special envoy for peace on the Korean Peninsula, as the Lee Jae Myung administration seeks new diplomatic channels to revive dialogue with North Korea amid prolonged tensions. The plan was outlined during the ministry’s policy briefing to the president, where officials said the envoy would be tasked with engaging key countries and international partners to explain Seoul’s peace initiatives and explore ways to restart talks. This reflects the government’s intention to play a more proactive role as a direct stakeholder in efforts to ease inter-Korean tensions. Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said South Korea should play a more active role in shaping discussions on the Korean Peninsula, emphasizing that Seoul must not remain on the sidelines of diplomacy concerning its own future. “The Korean Peninsula issue is ultimately our own problem, and we need to strengthen our role as a direct party in pushing the process forward,” he said during the briefing. He added that the proposed peace envoy would help to

Dec 19, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
Seoul to appoint Korean Peninsula peace envoy
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