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  • Society

    Behind bars in Cheonan, foreign inmate weighs past and future

    CHEONAN, South Chungcheong Province — Joe, identified by a pseudonym, is serving an 18-month sentence at Cheonan Correctional Institution, Korea's only prison tasked with handling foreign inmates. His name, age and nationality are being withheld at his request. “I caused a car accident while out with friends and entered prison last August,” Joe told The Korea Times. “I'm very sorry to my parents and the victim, who suffered great pain and harm because of me.” Inside the prison, his days follow a strict routine. He wakes up at 6 a.m., prepares for inspection, eats breakfast and waits for the next inspection. He spends his time studying English and religion, drawing and writing letters to friends. “At first it was hard to adjust, but the correctional officers helped a lot, so I haven't had any difficulties. I'm also adjusting to the culture here. Before coming to prison, I was too busy working to pick much up, but now I've been attending a prison program called 'Good Morning Korea,' learning about Korean culture.” Culture is one thing, but sharing a cell with strangers is ano

    2 MIN READBy Park Ung
    Behind bars in Cheonan, foreign inmate weighs past and future
  • Politics

    Lee to discuss pan-government drive to eradicate corruption

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Lee to discuss pan-government drive to eradicate corruption
  • Defense

    S. Korea-US combined exercise to conclude ahead of schedule after Trump order

    2 MIN READBy Yonhap
    S. Korea-US combined exercise to conclude ahead of schedule after Trump order
  • Society

    WEEKENDER Inside Korea's only prison tasked with handling foreign inmates

    4 MIN READBy Park Ung
    [WEEKENDER] Inside Korea's only prison tasked with handling foreign inmates
  • Society

    After 14 years with foreign inmates, correctional officer says crime has no nationality

    4 MIN READBy Park Ung
    After 14 years with foreign inmates, correctional officer says crime has no nationality
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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

Serious heat warning issued for Seoul for 1st time

The highest-level heat wave warning was issued for all of Seoul for the first time Tuesday, as continued scorching heat is expected to push the capital's daytime temperature to 38 C. The serious heat wave warning had been additionally issued for the northeastern and northwestern areas of Seoul as of 11 a.m., according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). With serious heat wave warnings already issued for Seoul's southeastern and southwestern areas the previous day, all of Seoul came under the warning, which was first introduced to the nation's heat wave advisory system on June 1. A serious heat wave warning is issued when the highest perceived temperature reaches 38 C or higher, or the maximum daily temperature reaches 39 C or higher, in an area where the highest perceived temperature is 35 C or higher for two or more consecutive days. In many parts of Gyeonggi Province, which surrounds Seoul, serious heat wave warnings had taken effect as of 11 a.m. Tuesday. They included Osan, Hanam, western Yeoju, Goyang, Anseong, southern Paju and Yongin, the KMA said. The highest-level h

Aug 4, 2026By Yonhap
Serious heat warning issued for Seoul for 1st time
Politics

Cabinet clears bill to strip prosecutors of investigative power

The government endorsed a revised bill that completely strips the prosecution of its direct investigative powers, including the authority to conduct supplementary investigations, during a Cabinet meeting chaired by President Lee Jae Myung Tuesday. The approval of the prosecution reform bill clears the way for a sweeping overhaul of Korea's criminal justice system following its passage by the National Assembly, Friday. The revised law, which will take effect on Oct. 2, will end more than seven decades of prosecutorial authority to both investigate and indict. Lee has supported abolishing the prosecution's supplementary investigative powers — the reform's main point of contention. The Cabinet meeting drew attention over whether the president would exercise his veto against the bill amid a dispute over allowing prosecutors to keep the authority to conduct supplementary investigations as a tool to verify evidence and address shortcomings in police investigations. Prosecutors will retain only the authority to indict and may only request judicial police officers to conduct supplementary inve

Aug 4, 2026By Yi Whan-woo
Cabinet clears bill to strip prosecutors of investigative power
Defense

Navy names 1st female commander for large amphibious transport ship

The Navy said Tuesday it has appointed a female officer for the first time to lead its large amphibious transport ship, reflecting a commitment to personnel selections based on merit rather than gender. Cpt. Bae Sun-young will command the 14,500-ton ROKS Dokdo amphibious transport ship, starting Wednesday, the Navy said in a release. Bae joined the Naval Academy in 1999, the year the institution began to recruit female cadets. She was commissioned in 2003. Bae has since taken on key roles in naval operations, serving as the commanding officer of the Chamsuri patrol boat and on the Wonsan minelayer ship. Most recently, Bae served in the Combined Force Maritime Component Command during this year's U.S.-RIMPAC multilateral maritime exercise, in which Korea was the first Asian nation to lead the maritime component. "It is an immense honor to assume this vital role, and I feel a heavy responsibility to command the vessel," Bae was quoted as saying. "Rather than focusing on the symbolism of being the first female commanding officer of a captain-rank warship, my priority will be to ensure the Dok

Aug 4, 2026By Yonhap
Navy names 1st female commander for large amphibious transport ship
Politics

What's left before Korea's prosecution reform takes effect

A bill stripping prosecutors of their power to conduct supplementary investigations has passed the National Assembly and Cabinet approval, shifting attention to the remaining steps before the overhaul takes effect, including promulgation, follow-up legislation and possible proceedings before the Constitutional Court. Opposition parties, including the People Power Party (PPP) and the Reform Party, called on President Lee Jae Myung to exercise his veto, but Lee said the situation did not rise to the level of overriding the legislature's authority. "Exercising a veto is not something that can be done simply because of a difference of opinion," Lee said. "According to the principle of separation of powers, one can only deny the other branch's authority if its exercise of power itself violates the separation of powers or the constitutional order. It is hard to see that the current situation has reached that point." Lee left open the possibility of further revisions, addressing concerns over a potential overreach of police power and vowing to closely monitor and swiftly correct any shortcomin

Aug 4, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji
What's left before Korea's prosecution reform takes effect
Global Community

16 French-speaking artists to open exhibitions in Busan, Seoul on Korea's rapidly changing landscape

A collective of French-speaking artists called Nuances is presenting a group exhibition in Busan from Thursday to Aug. 30, bringing together filmmakers, photographers and visual artists who examine how Korean cities and landscapes experience a continual cycle of demolition, redevelopment and transformation. The exhibition, titled “ARCHÉOLOGIE DU PRÉSENT” (Archaeology of the Present), seeks to create a new form of contemporary archaeology where today’s disappearing spaces become tomorrow’s memories. Drawing on the dual influence of French and Korean cultures, the collective offers a sensitive and original perspective on contemporary Korean society through the richness of its contrasts and its rapid transformations. The group includes mostly French artists, but its identity extends beyond nationality. Among the participating artists are a Belgian and two Korean artists who lived in France for many years and are fluent in French. Filmmaker Sebastien Simon, one of the organizers and participating artists, told The Korea Times that their group was formed after a French artist showc

Aug 4, 2026By Bereket Alemayehu
16 French-speaking artists to open exhibitions in Busan, Seoul on Korea's rapidly changing landscape
Society

Korean prison overcrowding pushes guards to 'breaking point'

Prison overcrowding across Korea remains unresolved, with correctional facilities operating at an average 126.4 percent of capacity in the first half of this year, the second-highest level since records began in 1991. A single correctional officer assigned to direct inmate supervision now manages more than 100 inmates in cell blocks. A steady increase in inmates requiring specialized care, including those with mental health conditions and narcotics offenders, has compounded the operational strain and pushed officers to their limit. The Ministry of Justice said Sunday the daily average inmate population at correctional institutions nationwide stood at 63,977 at the end of June, exceeding the official capacity of 50,614 by 13,363. The average occupancy rate reached 126.4 percent, already surpassing last year's average of 124.8 percent and marking the highest level since 2003, when it hit 132.9 percent. A breakdown of individual facilities reveals a starker reality. Out of 55 correctional institutions nationwide, only five operate below 100 percent capacity. More than 80 percent are overcr

Aug 3, 2026By Hankookilbo
Korean prison overcrowding pushes guards to 'breaking point'
South Korea

'Like a giant boiling cauldron': How Korea's hottest city is coping with unbearable heat wave

YANGSAN, South Gyeongsang Province — The streets of Yangsan, where Korea recorded its highest temperature ever at 42.5 degrees Celsius on Sunday, were nearly deserted except for delivery riders rushing between orders. Outside a restaurant in Jungbu-dong, a delivery rider in his 40s repeatedly shifted his feet while waiting to pick up food, unable to bear the heat radiating from the sun-scorched asphalt. As the heat wave drove a surge in food delivery orders, he was fully equipped with cooling arm sleeves, a cooling vest and a neck cooler, but sweat still poured down his face. Removing his helmet to wipe away sweat, he said, "It's so hot that I can't even stand still outside. The whole city feels like a giant boiling cauldron." Yangsan has been gripped by an unprecedented heat wave after shattering the nation's all-time temperature record. The city has been under the highest-level heat wave warning for nine consecutive days since July 25. Temperatures have exceeded 40 C for five straight days since Wednesday, peaking at 42.5 C at 1:26 p.m. Sunday, the highest temperature ever officially

Aug 3, 2026By Hankookilbo
'Like a giant boiling cauldron': How Korea's hottest city is coping with unbearable heat wave
Society

Korean workers bear brunt of heat wave

When a heat warning was issued across Seoul on Sunday, 50-year-old Lee stood gasping for air at a construction site in central Seoul. His attempt to cover his arms and neck with sun-protective sleeves proved futile against the scorching heat, and his work clothes were drenched in sweat. “It’s literally raining sweat here,” Lee said. “I’m soaked through to my underwear. But I’m dreading next week, which they say is going to be even worse.” Temperatures in Seoul peaked at 35 degrees Celsius that day. For construction workers surrounded by sun-baked concrete walls and steel frames, conditions were even more unbearable. A thermometer placed on an exterior wall read 39 degrees. Nearby construction sites in central Seoul offered similar scenes. Exhausted workers sat in the shade with bottles of ice water in their hands, but even those did little to fend off the heat. “We take a 10-minute break every hour, but there isn’t even a fan here, so all we can do is sit in the shade,” said Kim, 41. “I sweat so much that my clothes rub my skin raw wherever they touch.” But workers

Aug 3, 2026By Hankookilbo
Korean workers bear brunt of heat wave
South Korea

Police vow to enhance quality of investigations before sending cases to prosecution

The nation's top police investigator said Monday that the police will strive to improve the completeness of initial investigations before sending cases to the prosecution, as the National Assembly passed a bill last week to abolish the prosecution's direct and supplementary investigation powers. Hong Seok-ki, head of the National Office of Investigation (NOI) under the Korean National Police Agency, told reporters that he feels a heavy responsibility as the criminal justice system faces a critical turning point. Hong's remarks came after the Assembly approved a revision of the Criminal Procedure Act on Friday, stripping the prosecution of its authority to conduct direct investigations, including supplementary investigations. Prosecutors will instead be allowed to request judicial police officers to carry out supplementary investigations. "Article 195 of the revised Criminal Procedure Act clearly stipulates prosecutors and judicial police officers must cooperate with each other in investigations, prosecutions and the maintenance of public prosecutions," Hong said, adding he believes it i

Aug 3, 2026By Yonhap
Police vow to enhance quality of investigations before sending cases to prosecution
Society

Seoul faces highest heat alert for 1st time Tuesday

An intense heat wave gripping the Korean Peninsula is shifting westward, with the greater Seoul area bracing for conditions even hotter than in past weeks and authorities rolling out measures to protect vulnerable residents. A heat wave emergency warning, the highest alert level, will take effect at 11 a.m. Tuesday in southeastern and southwestern Seoul, Osan, Hanam and western Yeoju in Gyeonggi Province and Jangseong and northern Gokseong in South Jeolla Province, marking the first time the warning will have been issued in the greater Seoul area since the new alert system was introduced in June. The warning is issued when a region that has already had a perceived temperature of 35 degrees Celsius or higher for at least two consecutive days is expected to reach a perceived temperature of 38 degrees or higher, or an actual temperature of 39 degrees or higher, for at least one more day. It serves as a strong signal urging even healthy people to take extra precautions and halt outdoor work such as farming. As of 10 p.m. Monday, the day's highest temperature nationwide reached 41.2 degrees C

Aug 3, 2026By Park Ung
Seoul faces highest heat alert for 1st time Tuesday
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