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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

    Cheong Wa Dae says N. Korea's derogatory remarks unhelpful to building mutual trust

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Cheong Wa Dae says N. Korea's derogatory remarks unhelpful to building mutual trust
  • Education

    Kookmin University design students win grand prize at Korea AI Content Festival

    2 MIN READBy Park Yoon-bae
    Kookmin University design students win grand prize at Korea AI Content Festival
  • Law & Crime

    Sri Lankan workers who rescued Korean pilot win residency

    2 MIN READBy Lee Kyung-min
    Sri Lankan workers who rescued Korean pilot win 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
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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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South Korea

Crackdown targets unruly behavior along Cheonggye Stream

Cheonggye Stream, the scenic 5-mile urban waterway snaking through downtown Seoul, has long served as a tranquil refuge where locals and tourists cool their feet on hot summer days. Lately, however, the public landmark has witnessed a string of jarring incidents, from visitors using the pristine waters as an open-air bathtub to opportunistic trespassers diving in to scoop up coins tossed into wishing wells. Fed up with unruly behavior, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Thursday a sweeping crackdown on etiquette violations, pledging dedicated patrol guards and legal reforms to fine offenders on the spot. Under the new plan, city authorities are stationing permanent security guards at high-friction hotspots, including the Palseokdam wishing pool and the Gosanja Bridge area. These monitors join a floating team of 40 safety officers from the Seoul Facilities Corp., who regularly patrol the 8.12-kilometer waterway to instantly halt unauthorized activities like bathing, swimming, smoking, drinking and vandalism. Beyond physical enforcement, city officials are adding enforceable lega

Jul 30, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Crackdown targets unruly behavior along Cheonggye Stream
Campus

Sungkyunkwan University co-hosts int'l forum to discuss role of universities in AI era

Sungkyunkwan University and the University of Toronto hosted the 2026 Seoul Forum on AI and University on Monday to discuss the role of universities in the age of artificial intelligence (AI). During the forum held at Sungkyunkwan University’s Seoul campus, participants discussed fundamental questions raised by the widespread adoption of generative AI, particularly the role and mission of universities in education, research and society. Rather than treating AI merely as a technological tool, the forum explored fundamental questions about the kinds of work humans will undertake and the identities they will forge in the AI era. Participants explored the unique role of universities and sought to redefine the future of higher education and the role of the humanities. Myaeng Sung-hyon, professor emeritus in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, argued in a keynote speech that universities must fundamentally rethink their traditional models of education and research. “In an era when human intellectual labor is no longer

Jul 30, 2026By Park Yoon-bae
Sungkyunkwan University co-hosts int'l forum to discuss role of universities in AI era
Law & Crime

Spot the fake: Korea launches pop-up crusade against counterfeit K-beauty brands

Seongsu-dong, a trendy neighborhood in eastern Seoul famed for its converted warehouses and hipster cafes, turned into an unlikely battleground against global intellectual property theft on Thursday. Outside a flagship store for beauty giant Olive Young, government officials, consumer advocates and scholars gathered to launch a public campaign called K-Brand Guardian Angels. As the global obsession with Korean pop culture — from K-pop and television dramas to skincare and cuisine — continues to skyrocket, so does an insidious shadow market. Fake cushion compacts, knockoff serums and copycat store signs mimicking famous Korean brands have proliferated in overseas markets and online marketplaces. To tackle the surge of counterfeit goods, the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) hosted an interactive pop-up event in the bustling shopping district. The initiative aims to transform everyday consumers into front-line defenders of national trademarks. Passersby were invited to test their skills at side-by-side exhibitions comparing genuine cosmetics with sophisticated fakes. Visitors

Jul 30, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Spot the fake: Korea launches pop-up crusade against counterfeit K-beauty brands
Politics

Lee's approval rating falls to 53%: poll

President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating has dipped to the lowest level since his inauguration, a poll showed Thursday. In a National Barometer Survey (NBS) conducted from Monday to Wednesday, the positive assessment of Lee's performance came to 53 percent, down 2 percentage points from the previous poll conducted two weeks earlier. The pollster said the figure marked Lee's lowest approval rating in an NBS poll since the second week of June 2025, shortly after he took office. Disapproval of his performance rose 3 percentage points to 37 percent. On real estate policies, 56 percent of the respondents said the current administration was doing a poor job, while 33 percent gave positive assessments. The same poll showed that support for the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) gained 2 percentage points to 40 percent from the previous survey, while that of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) lost 1 percentage point to 21 percent. By age, positive assessment of the DPK was higher than that for the PPP across all age brackets. The survey was conducted by pollsters Embrain Public, Ksta

Jul 30, 2026By Yonhap
Lee's approval rating falls to 53%: poll
Law & Crime

Man booked over alleged gun threat at temple in Jinju

Police said Thursday they have booked a man suspected of threatening a visitor at a local temple with a replica firearm in Jinju, a city located some 280 kilometers southeast of Seoul, the previous day. The man in his 50s fled the scene in his car immediately after the incident and led police officers on a roughly 50-kilometer pursuit, according to Jinju Police Station. While fleeing, the suspect hit another visitor with his car as the visitor tried to block his path. Officers blocked his escape route and fired two blank rounds and four live rounds to stop the vehicle. They then smashed the driver's side window with a baton and subdued the suspect with a Taser. Police said they plan to investigate the exact circumstances of the incident and file for an arrest warrant for the suspect.

Jul 30, 2026By Yonhap
Man booked over alleged gun threat at temple in Jinju
South Korea

Seoul's transit pass to be replaced by nationwide K-pass system Sept. 1

Seoul will roll out "Everyone's Card," a localized version of the national K-pass transit rebate program, on Sept. 1, timed to the discontinuation of the city's unlimited Climate Card pass at the end of August. The Seoul Metropolitan Government, in partnership with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's Metropolitan Transport Commission, said Thursday that Seoul is expanding its region-specific K-Pass perks. Following similar moves by Gyeonggi Province, Incheon, Busan, Sejong, Gwangju, South Gyeongsang Province and Ulsan, Seoul becomes the eighth local government to enhance the card's benefits — most notably by extending the youth discount eligibility from ages 19–34 to ages 19–39. K-pass, unlike the flat-fee Climate Card, refunds a percentage of monthly transit spending — 20 percent for general users and 30 percent for youth — or a set amount once spending passes 62,000 won ($42) for general users or 55,000 won for youth, whichever benefits the rider more. Discounts for veterans and bike-share users are planned later. Riders already registered for the card will h

Jul 30, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Seoul's transit pass to be replaced by nationwide K-pass system Sept. 1
Defense

Military to inspect front-line Army corps after post found operating without live ammunition

The military plans to inspect front-line Army corps based around Seoul and in border areas after one of the units was found to have been conducting guard duties without live ammunition loaded, officials said Thursday. Criticism is growing after the 1st Corps, responsible for the western front, has instructed its soldiers to use unloaded K6 heavy machine guns while on guard duty and to leave live ammunition next to the firearms. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), which oversees all operations along the border with North Korea, has said it was not aware that the unit had altered its policy and that it will thoroughly address the matter. The Chosun Ilbo daily reported Thursday that the same corps has also used unloaded K4 automatic grenade launchers, a 40-millimeter heavy firearm designed to attack enemy troops and light armored vehicles at ranges of up to 1,500 m. The corps commander reportedly issued the directive at his own discretion, apparently to prevent accidental discharges, as such incidents involving loaded machine guns often occurred at front-line posts. The Army's Ground Operations

Jul 30, 2026By Yonhap
Military to inspect front-line Army corps after post found operating without live ammunition
Politics

DPK introduces bill scrapping prosecution's direct investigative rights at plenary session

The ruling Democratic Party of (DPK) on Thursday proposed a bill at a parliamentary plenary meeting that would strip the prosecution of its direct investigative powers, prompting the main opposition party to launch a filibuster. After the amendment to the Criminal Procedure Act was brought before the session, lawmakers of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) began the filibuster in an attempt to block the bill. If approved, the revision would strip the prosecution of its authority to conduct direct investigations, including supplementary investigations. The DP has been pushing ahead with prosecution reform legislation that calls for dismantling the prosecution and creating two new agencies, each tasked with handling investigations and indictments. A special counsel bill to look into ballot shortages that marred the June 3 local elections was approved in a 226-2 vote during the session. The special counsel team will be given as many as 90 days for the inquiry, which can be extended twice by 30 days each. The team will investigate allegations of the National Election Commission's poo

Jul 30, 2026By Yonhap
DPK introduces bill scrapping prosecution's direct investigative rights at plenary session
Politics

Lee arrives in Santiago for summit with President Kast

SANTIAGO — President Lee Jae Myung arrived in Santiago on Wednesday for a summit with President Jose Antonio Kast on ways to enhance bilateral ties. Chile is the second stop on Lee's ongoing three-nation South America tour, which included a summit with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Brasilia and will also take Lee to Argentina later this week. In Santiago, Lee will meet with members of the Korean community in Chile later Wednesday before holding a summit with Kast the following day.

Jul 30, 2026By Yonhap
Lee arrives in Santiago for summit with President Kast
Education

'Teach You a Lesson' in real life? Gyeonggi's plan to run new teacher protection unit

The Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education is moving to turn the hit Netflix drama “Teach You a Lesson” into something closer to real life — but without the violence. The office said Wednesday that it has launched a task force dedicated to building a new teacher protection system that aims to support teachers from the moment a malicious complaint arises until a case is resolved. More than 1,800 people applied for the part-time positions designed to protect the rights of teachers — far exceeding the recruitment target of 50. “We see this as a reflection of how much public concern over teacher rights has increased,” a senior official working on that initiative told The Korea Times. “Compared with the past, nationwide awareness that teacher authority must be protected has apparently risen, and the number of applicants embodies that will.” The unexpectedly strong response has led the office to consider doubling the first intake to around 100 officers, and possibly higher, according to officials. After interviews, those selected will work as “teacher rights protection offic

Jul 30, 2026By Jung Min-ho
'Teach You a Lesson' in real life? Gyeonggi's plan to run new teacher protection unit
  • Activist calls for school police as alternative to ‘Teach You a Lesson’ agents
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