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  • Society

    Police officers' decadeslong community ties fuel calls for wider rotation

    About 17,000 police officers have worked at the same station for more than 10 years, amid a government push to expand its police rotation policy over concerns about local cronyism. According to data submitted by the National Police Agency to Rep. Lee Sang-sik of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, 5,209 senior inspectors, 8,697 inspectors, 3,211 assistant inspectors and 13 senior patrol officers had worked at the same station for over 10 years as of this month. At the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, 8.4 percent of 31,302 officers at the rank of senior inspector or below had worked at the same station for over 10 years. The Jeonbuk Provincial Police Agency in North Jeolla Province posted 23.8 percent of 5,136 officers, and the Chungbuk Provincial Police Agency in North Chungcheong Province posted 21.7 percent of 3,954 officers. Senior inspectors and inspectors, the two ranks that lead frontline operations, made up 18 percent and 24.2 percent of their ranks nationwide, giving officers local familiarity that aids community policing but could also breed collusion between officers and lo

    2 MIN READBy Park Ung
    Police officers' decadeslong community ties fuel calls for wider rotation
  • Society

    Korean men drinking less, women 30 and up drinking more

    2 MIN READBy Park Ung
    Korean men drinking less, women 30 and up drinking more
  • Politics

    PPP launches disciplinary process for 3 lawmakers

    2 MIN READBy Yonhap
    PPP launches disciplinary process for 3 lawmakers
  • Law & Crime

    Special counsel seeks 7-year prison term for ex-spy chief in perjury appellate trial

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Special counsel seeks 7-year prison term for ex-spy chief in perjury appellate trial
  • Education

    6 universities recognized for supporting int'l student jobs, startups

    2 MIN READBy Park Ung
    6 universities recognized for supporting int'l student jobs, startups
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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

Seoul to allow use of foreign credit cards on buses, subway by 2030

Foreign visitors to Seoul will soon be able to ride the city’s buses and subways using credit cards issued overseas, eliminating the need to buy or recharge separate transit cards. The city aims to fully implement this plan by 2030 to better accommodate international visitors. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Thursday it will roll out an open-loop payment system based on the Europay, Mastercard and Visa (EMV) standard, allowing more international passengers to pay fares with their credit cards. Foreign tourists in Korea must now buy transit cards to use public transportation because their credit cards don’t work with Korea’s PayOn system. “The number of foreign tourists visiting Korea has been rising since the COVID-19 pandemic, reaching 16.36 million in 2024 and expected to top 20 million this year,” the city said. “But many still have to use cash to recharge transit cards, as foreign credit cards aren’t accepted — a major inconvenience for travelers.” By the end of this year, the city plans to allow the use of foreign credit cards to buy and recharge transit car

Oct 17, 2025By Park Ung
Seoul to allow use of foreign credit cards on buses, subway by 2030
Defense

Indonesia's renewed ties with Pyongyang stir worries over KF-21 technology leaks

Indonesia's renewed diplomatic engagement with North Korea has raised concerns in Seoul over the possible breach of sensitive technology related to the KF-21, a cutting-edge fighter jet jointly developed with the Southeast Asian nation. South Korean officials maintain that KF-21 data is protected under existing nondisclosure agreements with Jakarta. Still, critics point to Indonesia's record on the joint project, including payment delays and leak scandals, which have undermined its credibility. According to Indonesian media reports, Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono earlier this month met with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui in Pyongyang, marking the first visit to North Korea by an Indonesian top diplomat since 2013. The meeting coincided with a military parade on Oct. 10 celebrating the 80th anniversary of the Workers' Party of Korea. During the visit, the two countries renewed a memorandum of understanding establishing a mechanism for bilateral consultations, aimed at expanding cooperation across the political, socio-cultural, technical and sports sectors. Details of the

Oct 17, 2025By Lee Hyo-jin
Indonesia's renewed ties with Pyongyang stir worries over KF-21 technology leaks
APEC 2025

Korea steps up transport plans for 20,000 APEC delegates, participants

With the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, just over 10 days away, Korean authorities are stepping up comprehensive transport measures to accommodate an estimated 20,000 participants, including national delegates and business leaders. The government is conducting intensive inspections of transportation plans designed to minimize potential disruptions during the summit period. The primary routes under review include those connecting Gimhae International Airport to the Bomun tourist complex in Gyeongju, as well as routes linking Incheon International Airport to Gyeongju Station via KTX high-speed trains. About 20,000 people will require transportation during the summit week, according to the government and the North Gyeongsang Provincial Government on Friday. To ensure smooth travel, Korea Railroad Corp. (KORAIL) has launched a dedicated reservation website for APEC participants and will increase the number of KTX stops at Gyeongju Station from four stops per day to 10. From Oct. 27 to Nov. 2, KTX trains that normally

Oct 17, 2025By Jung Da-hyun
Korea steps up transport plans for 20,000 APEC delegates, participants
Others

‘Breast cancer awareness or celebrity gala?’ W Korea charity event faces backlash

A breast cancer awareness charity event hosted by fashion magazine W Korea has sparked online criticism for focusing more on celebrity appearances than on its stated cause. The event, held on Wednesday at the Four Seasons Hotel in central Seoul, marked the 20th anniversary of W Korea’s annual “Love Your W” campaign, launched to promote early detection and awareness of breast cancer. However, this year’s star-studded guest list — which included BTS’ V, aespa’s Karina and IVE’s Jang Wonyoung — has drawn accusations that the event has turned into a publicity-driven fashion party rather than a meaningful charity initiative. On Thursday, various posts on online communities and social media platforms criticized the magazine for holding what many described as a “celebrity friendship party disguised as a breast cancer campaign.” One user wrote, “What does drinking and posing for photos have to do with breast cancer awareness?” Another commented, “It’s nothing more than an idol networking event using a breast cancer campaign as a marketing label.” W Korea, the Kor

Oct 17, 2025By Hankookilbo
‘Breast cancer awareness or celebrity gala?’ W Korea charity event faces backlash
Law & Crime

Cambodian hotel under US sanctions remains open as tourism, crime coexist in Sihanoukville

SIHANOUKVILLE, Cambodia — On the night of Oct. 15, the five-star Jin Bei Palace Hotel in downtown Sihanoukville, Cambodia, was brightly lit and bustling with activity. The seven-story building, featuring more than 200 luxury rooms and a large casino, was packed with Chinese-speaking guests as luxury cars pulled up in front, one after another. The hotel belongs to Prince Group, which was placed under sweeping sanctions by the United States and the United Kingdom the same day. The two governments said that the conglomerate operates at least 10 scam networks in Cambodia and has engaged in large-scale human trafficking and torture. The sanctions targeted 117 affiliates of the group and its Chinese-born, chairman Chen Zhi, 38, along with the group’s casino and hotel subsidiary, Jin Bei Group. The hotel continued to operate. When this reporter revisited the next morning and asked whether it remained open despite the sanctions, an employee said, “I don’t know anything about that,” before quickly ushering the reporter outside. While the hotel appeared normal on the surface, locals sa

Oct 17, 2025By Hankookilbo
Cambodian hotel under US sanctions remains open as tourism, crime coexist in Sihanoukville
Law & Crime

Lee orders crackdown on ads promoting illegal jobs in Southeast Asia

President Lee Jae Myung directed authorities Friday to launch an immediate crackdown on illegal online recruitment scams involving Southeast Asian countries, after a recent human trafficking scandal in Cambodia. Lee instructed the Korea Media and Communications Commission, the Korea Communications Standards Commission and the National Police Agency to urgently delete such ads, presidential secretary for public relations and communication Lee Kyu-yeon said during a briefing at the presidential office in Yongsan. “The president made this decision amid concerns that, as the crackdown intensifies in Cambodia, those running illegal job recruitment schemes may shift their operations to other Southeast Asian nations,” the secretary said. Authorities will closely monitor websites and social media platforms where illegal recruitment ads are posted and share their findings with major online platforms, including portal operators, Lee added. The government has also formed an interagency task force to coordinate its response and launched a joint consultative body involving Naver, Kakao and Google

Oct 17, 2025By Kim Hyun-bin
Lee orders crackdown on ads promoting illegal jobs in Southeast Asia
Law & Crime

‘It’s practically a prison city’: Inside Sihanoukville’s largest scam compound

SIHANOUKVILLE, Cambodia — Rows of gray buildings with thick iron bars line the streets of Sihanoukville, about 250 kilometers southwest of Phnom Penh. Near the city’s Chinatown stands Cambodia’s largest so-called “yuanqu” — a slang term in Chinese criminal circles describing a “scam compound.” Inside these complexes, online crimes such as voice phishing and romance scams are part of daily life. Young people from Korea and other countries are kidnapped or lured by Chinese-run syndicates, then stripped of their passports and phones and forced to commit fraud. Iron bars sealed the lower floors, apparently to stop captives from jumping off balconies in an attempt to escape. Surrounded by 3- to 4-meter-high concrete walls topped with barbed wire and even shards of broken glass, the compound looked more like a high-security prison than an apartment block. Closed-circuit cameras were installed on nearly every corner. Armed guards kept watch over the area. When this reporter stepped out of the car to take pictures, one glared in warning. There was only one entry gate, where each

Oct 17, 2025By Hankookilbo
‘It’s practically a prison city’: Inside Sihanoukville’s largest scam compound
Law & Crime

As scam sites empty in Cambodia, Korean activist says this week is ‘last golden hour’ for rescues

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — When the door opened, the smell of stale cigarettes filled the air. Each small room, no more than a few square meters, contained two or three bunk beds. Clothes and blankets lay scattered across the dusty floors — signs of people who had fled in haste. On Oct. 16, when this reporter visited the Taizi compound in southern Cambodia’s Takeo Province with a joint government response team, the site was eerily silent. Located about 40 kilometers south of Phnom Penh, the complex was run by the Prince Group, which was sanctioned by the United States and the United Kingdom the previous day for large-scale fraud and human trafficking. Once known as one of Cambodia’s largest “yuanqu,” or scam compound, it now stood deserted. The site consisted of 11 four-story buildings with approximately 120 rooms, each estimated to house four to six people. By rough calculation, the compound could have accommodated more than 5,000 workers, including Koreans and other foreign nationals who had been held captive and forced into online fraud schemes. Now, only dust and trash rema

Oct 17, 2025By Hankookilbo
As scam sites empty in Cambodia, Korean activist says this week is ‘last golden hour’ for rescues
Defense

Korea's major defense exhibition kicks off with record number of participating firms

Korea's international defense exhibition kicked off Friday with a record number of companies expected to showcase advanced military technologies. The Seoul International Aerospace & Defense Exhibition (ADEX) 2025, which will run through next Friday, opened at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, south of Seoul. The second segment of the event will take place at KINTEX in Goyang, just northwest of Seoul, starting Monday. ADEX is Korea's largest aerospace and defense trade exhibition, designed to boost export opportunities for domestic defense products and promote technology exchanges with global manufacturers. This year, a record 600 companies from 35 countries are expected to showcase advanced military hardware and technologies at the exhibition, according to organizers. In 2023, some 550 companies participated in the biennial event. The indoor exhibition space at KINTEX has been expanded 58 percent this year, compared with the 2023 event, and will house around 2,900 booths. An exhibition area dedicated to displaying new technologies was established for the first time, showcasing a replica of a re

Oct 17, 2025By Yonhap
Korea's major defense exhibition kicks off with record number of participating firms
Society

National Museum tops 5 mil. annual visitors, a first in 80 years

The National Museum of Korea said Friday that its annual attendance surpassed 5 million for the first time in its 80-year history. The museum recorded 5,016,382 visitors from Jan. 1 through Wednesday, up 69.7 percent from about 2.96 million during the same period last year, according to the museum. Of the total, 4.83 million were Koreans and 185,705 were foreign nationals. It marks the first time since the museum's founding in 1945 that its annual attendance exceeded 5 million. The surge comes amid rising global interest in Korean culture, boosted in part by the success of the Netflix animated film "KPop Demon Hunters." Last year, only four museums worldwide attracted more than 5 million visitors, according to The Art Newspaper, a British art publication. The Louvre in Paris led the list with 8.74 million visitors, followed by the Vatican Museums (6.83 million), the British Museum (6.48 million) and New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art (5.73 million). London's Tate Modern ranked fifth with 4.6 million visitors.

Oct 17, 2025By Yonhap
National Museum tops 5 mil. annual visitors, a first in 80 years
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