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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
  • Law & Crime

    Sri Lankan workers who rescued Korean pilot win permanent residency

    2 MIN READBy Lee Kyung-min
    Sri Lankan workers who rescued Korean pilot win permanent residency
  • Law & Crime

    Prosecutors raid home of late President Roh's wife over alleged slush fund

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Prosecutors raid home of late President Roh's wife over alleged slush fund
  • South Korea

    Korea passes landmark law to supercharge $11.4 bil. cosmetics industry

    2 MIN READBy Jhoo Dong-chan
    Korea passes landmark law to supercharge $11.4 bil. cosmetics industry
  • Society

    Ex-pilot gets life sentence for killing former airline colleague

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Ex-pilot gets life sentence for killing former airline colleague
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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

Temperatures soar to record 42.5 C in southeast

Temperatures soared to a record high of 42.5 C in the southeastern city of Yangsan on Sunday, as a scorching heat wave continues to grip Korea, the state weather agency said. The mercury reached 42 C in Yangsan, about 310 kilometers southeast of Seoul, at 1:16 p.m. and further rose to 42.5 C at 1:26 p.m., according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). It marked the highest reading since modern weather observations began on the Korean Peninsula in 1904, based on records from the KMA's 97 long-term observation stations. The timing of the temperature rising above 40 C in Yangsan has been occurring earlier each day, as heat continues to accumulate, raising concerns the temperature could even surpass 43 C. Sunday marked the fifth straight day temperatures exceeded 40 C in the southeastern city. Temperatures had also risen to 40.2 C in Gyeongju, about 240 kilometers southeast of Seoul, as of 1:55 p.m., marking the first time the mercury rose above 40 C in the city this year. It was the highest temperature reported in eight years after the mercury hit 39.8 C in 2018. The government is

Aug 2, 2026By Yonhap
Temperatures soar to record 42.5 C in southeast
Society

No. of Koreans involved in overseas drag trafficking triples in 2 yrs: lawmaker

The number of Koreans who received consular support over their involvement in drug smuggling crimes overseas jumped around threefold in the past two years, a lawmaker said Sunday. A total of 47 Korean nationals were cited for their involvement in illegal substance-related crimes last year, up from 16 in 2023 and 23 in 2024, according to data from Rep. Kim Joon-hwan of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea(DPK). The original data was provided by the foreign ministry. The increase was largely attributed to the number of Koreans who were caught while attempting to deliver drugs from Southeast Asian nations to countries in Europe. By age, those in their 30s accounted for nearly half of the total, followed by those in their 40s and 20s. There were also five people in their 70s and two people in their 80s. By country, 11 received consular support in Cambodia, followed by 10 in Thailand and nine in Japan. Those who received such support in Laos reached eight, followed by seven in China and Vietnam, respectively, and six in Britain and Turkey, each, according to the data. The DPK lawmaker called f

Aug 2, 2026By Yonhap
No. of Koreans involved in overseas drag trafficking triples in 2 yrs: lawmaker
Politics

Lee heads to Frankfurt after wrapping up Argentina visit

BUENOS AIRES — President Lee Jae Myung departed for Frankfurt on Saturday after wrapping up his visit to Argentina. In Buenos Aires the previous day, Lee held a summit with his Argentine counterpart, President Javier Milei, during which the two leaders agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation on critical minerals, including by pursuing joint projects across the entire lithium value chain. They also agreed to enhance cooperation on Korea's imports of Argentine crude oil beginning next year while pledging to work toward the prompt resumption of negotiations on a free trade agreement between Korea and the South American trade bloc Mercosur. Lee will make a brief stop in Frankfurt on Sunday, where he is scheduled to meet with members of the Korean community before returning to Seoul.

Aug 2, 2026By Yonhap
Lee heads to Frankfurt after wrapping up Argentina visit
Health

Turned away in Europe, father finds 2nd chance in Korea through sons' gift

Mohamed El Kettani was running out of time. Suffering from severe liver failure and an aggressive form of liver cancer that had invaded his portal vein, the 64-year-old Moroccan industrialist had been turned away by top medical centers in Europe. French doctors concluded that a deceased-donor transplant was no longer an option and removed him from the waiting list. Faced with a fatal prognosis, his sons refused to accept the verdict. Omar El Kettani, a 30-year-old cardiac surgeon practicing in France, teamed up with his older brother, Hicham, 33, to comb through medical literature from leading transplant institutes across the globe. Their search led to an unexpected destination: Asan Medical Center in Seoul. In May, after a 10,000-kilometer journey from Morocco, three operating rooms lit up simultaneously at the Seoul hospital. In a grueling 17-hour procedure, a surgical team harvested portions of both sons' livers and transplanted them into their father. The rare, high-stakes, dual living-donor operation gave El Kettani a second chance at life. "Father, you have to come to Korea with us,

Aug 2, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Turned away in Europe, father finds 2nd chance in Korea through sons' gift
Society

More Koreans abandon traditional funeral halls to focus on grief

The funeral that Ryu Jae-jun, 57, held for his father on June 23 broke entirely from Korean tradition. His family dispensed with a formal funeral hall — a traditional three-day reception and catering space where bereaved relatives host a continuous stream of visitors — and omitted the customary receiving line. Rather than contact a prepaid funeral service or a commercial funeral home, Ryu called the Catholic church his family attended. He scheduled a funeral Mass and brought his father’s body to the church. Instead of dressing the deceased in a traditional burial shroud, the family dressed him in his favorite everyday clothes, while family members wore suits instead of traditional mourning robes. About 200 acquaintances attended the Mass, held three days after the death, and the family declined all cash gifts traditionally offered to the bereaved. "Because we did not receive mourners, I was able to organize my father's belongings during the funeral period and fully reflect on his life and our memories together," Ryu said. His mother's funeral, held the previous year, heavily influ

Aug 2, 2026By Hankookilbo
More Koreans abandon traditional funeral halls to focus on grief
Environment & Animals

Temperatures rise above 40 C for 4th straight day in southeast to set new record

Temperatures surpassed 40 degrees Celsius in the southeastern city of Yangsan for the fourth straight day to set a new record of 41.6 degrees Celsius as a scorching heat wave continued to grip the nation, the state weather agency said Saturday. The mercury reached 41.6 degrees Celsius in Yangsan, about 310 kilometers southeast of Seoul, at 2:08 p.m., according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). On the previous day, the city's temperature climbed to 41.4 degrees Celsius, marking the highest reading since modern weather observations began on the Korean Peninsula in 1904, based on records from the KMA's 97 long-term observation stations. If the temperature in Yangsan reaches 42 degrees Celsius, it will mark the highest temperature ever recorded under the country's modern weather observation system, even including automatic weather stations. Only three temperatures higher than Friday's 41.4 degrees Celsius in Yangsan have been recorded in observation history, including 41.9 degrees Celsius in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, on Aug. 1, 2018, which is not among the 97 sites operated

Aug 1, 2026By Yonhap
Temperatures rise above 40 C for 4th straight day in southeast to set new record
Law & Crime

Korea's drug problem? Woman crawls on all fours after alleged meth use

A woman in her 20s has been booked by police in Korea after allegedly taking methamphetamine and displaying erratic behavior in a busy downtown area, including crawling on all fours, screaming and rolling on the ground. According to the Suwon Paldal Police Station on Friday, officers responded to reports of a woman behaving strangely near Rodeo Street outside Suwon Station in Gyeonggi Province at around 9:20 a.m. Wednesday. Police conducted a preliminary drug test at the scene, and the woman tested positive for methamphetamine. During questioning, she also admitted to using the drug, according to police. Witnesses said the woman's behavior had drawn alarm from passersby. She was seen shouting loudly, repeatedly jumping in place and charging toward homeless people who were drinking on the street. She also rolled on the ground and crawled along the pavement on all fours, behavior that prompted residents to report the incident to police. Authorities said they first transferred the woman to her family because of concerns about her physical and mental condition before arranging for her to be p

Aug 1, 2026By Hankookilbo
Korea's drug problem? Woman crawls on all fours after alleged meth use
Society

62% of young Koreans expect country to be worse off in 20 years

One in four people among both the general public and young adults view real estate and housing instability as the most serious problem facing the Korean economy and society today. More than six out of 10 young people predicted that Korea’s economic and social conditions would worsen over the next 20 years compared with the present. The Ministry of Planning and Budget released the results of a survey containing these findings during a Future Strategy Advisory Council meeting chaired by Minister Park Hong-geun in central Seoul July 29. The ministry conducted a web-based survey from June 23 for one week, targeting 1,000 members of the general public aged 19 or older and 500 young adults aged 19 to 34. According to the results, 25.7 percent of the general public identified real estate and housing insecurity as the country’s most serious economic and social problem. Among young respondents, 27.8 percent also cited housing as the biggest problem. The two groups differed, however, on what caused them the most anxiety. Among the general public, the largest share, 24 percent, cited the burde

Aug 1, 2026By Hankookilbo
62% of young Koreans expect country to be worse off in 20 years
Society

Free meal center near Seoul Station shows another side of Seoul

Outside a free meal distribution center near Seoul Station, a fight broke out during a recent afternoon. "You just cut in line," accused one elderly man. The other man, similarly aged, denied the accusation, claiming he was there first. Then, without warning, fists flew and the squabble turned into a brawl. Those standing nearby, however, barely seemed concerned. They were more preoccupied with making sure the backpacks they had placed on the pavement were not mixed up or pushed aside. Each one marked its owner’s place in line to receive a free meal. Here, a volunteer group called Truly Good Friends hands out 200 meals. Competition for the meals, distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, is fierce, in part because the food is unusually generous: grilled short rib patties, stir-fried kimchi, Korean chive pancakes and purple rice. The trail of backpacks already stretched to the end of the street, even though the meal service was still three hours away. Here, cutting in line is treated as practically a felony. When an elderly woman tried to slip into the line, she was immediately m

Aug 1, 2026By Hankookilbo
Free meal center near Seoul Station shows another side of Seoul
Campus

Sejong University professor wins best paper award at international tourism conference

Ahn Young-joo, a professor in the College of Hospitality and Tourism at Sejong University, won an award for best paper at the sixth International Conference on Responsible Tourism and Hospitality, held in Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia, from July 7-11. The university said Ahn analyzed online reviews written by tourists who visited Bukchon Hanok Village in central Seoul to examine changes in their tourism experiences and assess the effectiveness of policies addressing overtourism. The study was recognized for its originality and academic contributions. It found that the policies introduced to mitigate overtourism affected tourists’ perceptions and experiences. The university noted that the research was particularly commended for its use of big data to assess the effectiveness of sustainable tourism policies. “I sought to objectively assess the sustainability of tourist destinations and the effectiveness of tourism policies using data that captures tourists’ actual experiences,” said Ahn. She added, “I will continue to conduct research on responsible tourism using digital data and propos

Jul 31, 2026By Park Yoon-bae
Sejong University professor wins best paper award at international tourism conference
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