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  • South Korea

    Lee's approval rating remains below 50% for 2nd straight week: poll

    President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating has fallen for six consecutive weeks to 46.5 percent, a poll showed Monday. In the poll commissioned by the EKN newspaper and conducted by Realmeter, Lee's approval rating went down 0.2 percentage point from a week earlier last week, while disapproval of his performance also fell 0.2 percentage point to 49.5 percent. It marked the second consecutive week that Lee's approval rating stayed below 50 percent in a Realmeter poll. Realmeter attributed the decline to the prolonged controversy over the National Election Commission's mishandling of ballots during the June 3 local elections and growing concerns over the economy and people's livelihoods, as well as political disputes over the planned abolition of the prosecution's right to conduct supplementary investigations. The weekly survey, conducted on 2,502 people aged 18 and older from Monday to Friday, had a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level. In a separate survey conducted by the same pollster, support for the ruling Democratic Party of Korea rose

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Lee's approval rating remains below 50% for 2nd straight week: poll
  • Politics

    Korea to invest $585 bil. to build semiconductor complex in southwestern region

    1 MIN READBy Yi Whan-woo
    Korea to invest $585 bil. to build semiconductor complex in southwestern region
  • Global Community

    Korea reimagines diplomatic missions as cultural portals via yearlong film festival

    2 MIN READBy Lee Kyung-min
    Korea reimagines diplomatic missions as cultural portals via yearlong film festival
  • Defense

    Korea deploys flight simulator for Surion helicopters to Army units

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Korea deploys flight simulator for Surion helicopters to Army units
  • South Korea

    Korea moves to protect rare Cretaceous fossils

    2 MIN READBy Lee Kyung-min
    Korea moves to protect rare Cretaceous fossils
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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

Korea seeks OPCON transfer breakthrough via presidential office-level talks: source

Korea is seeking a breakthrough in its push to retake wartime operational control (OPCON) from the United States through a top-level political decision between their presidential offices, a source familiar with the matter said Thursday. The move comes as Seoul and Washington appear to have different views on the timing of the U.S. handing over wartime command to its ally, even though the two sides have agreed on the broader road map for the OPCON transition. Korea is seeking to regain wartime OPCON before President Lee Jae Myung's five-year term ends in 2030, amid speculation it is targeting 2028 for the transfer. But the U.S. reportedly favors a more cautious timeline. "Our position is that OPCON is an issue that requires a political and policy-wise decision, and that it should be addressed at a 'house-to-house' level," a source told Yonhap News Agency, referring to Cheong Wa Dae and the White House. Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back's visit to Washington earlier this week for talks with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was partly intended to elevate the OPCON transfer issue to the minis

May 14, 2026By Yonhap
Korea seeks OPCON transfer breakthrough via presidential office-level talks: source
South Korea

Seoul’s young entrepreneurs redefine what it means to be ‘local’

In the competitive landscape of Korean retail, the distance between a rural farm and a luxury department store shelf can feel insurmountable. However, a strategic partnership between the Seoul Metropolitan Government and Shinsegae Department Store is narrowing that gap, transforming regional specialties into high-end urban commodities. Starting Friday, the city will launch a relay of "Next Local" pop-up stores across the nationl, beginning at Shinsegae’s Daegu branch before arriving at its flagship Gangnam location on May 23. The initiative, now in its eighth year, is designed to support Seoul-based youth who build businesses using resources from depopulated rural areas. Under the theme "Find My Local: A Journey to Find Your Own Taste," the event showcases products that have cleared rigorous evaluations by Shinsegae buyers and food safety experts. The selection spans artisanal desserts and sauces to tea and beauty products, representing the work of seven entrepreneur cohorts. The Daegu opening features nine brands, including Soy Our Meal, which offers hummus made from 100 percent Kore

May 14, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Seoul’s young entrepreneurs redefine what it means to be ‘local’
South Korea

From tragedy to UNESCO recognition: Jeju’s ‘Sea of Life’ exhibition debuts in Jakarta

The buried history of Jeju Island and the fierce, singular resilience of its women divers arrived in Jakarta this week, part of the first major Southeast Asian exhibition devoted to the Jeju April 3 uprising, the violent ideological conflict between 1947 and 1954 that left tens of thousands dead. The exhibition, titled “Island of Memory, Sea of Life — Jeju,” opened Monday at the KOREA360 Atrium, seeking to introduce Indonesian audiences to a tragedy that remains one of Korea’s most painful and enduring chapters. The province of Jeju has increasingly turned to international galleries to frame the island not merely as a tourist paradise, but as a global symbol of reconciliation. Having previously staged exhibitions in Germany, Britain, France and Japan, officials are now bringing the island’s dual identity as a site of mass violence and a sanctuary of communal culture to the heart of Indonesia. At the center of the exhibition is the 1948 uprising and the subsequent crackdown that left tens of thousands dead. During a talk titled “Stories of Jeju,” family members of victims o

May 14, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
From tragedy to UNESCO recognition: Jeju’s ‘Sea of Life’ exhibition debuts in Jakarta
South Korea

Seoul's Jung District launches life guide program for foreign residents

For the newest residents of Jung District, the historic heart of the Korean capital, the most daunting barrier to integration is not only the language, but also the challenge of navigating intricate local rules. To bridge this gap, local authorities have launched "Smart Jung District Life Guide Education," a pragmatic orientation program designed to transform newcomers into savvy locals. Since its inception on April 22, the initiative has moved through the district’s diverse immigrant enclaves — Mongolian, Chinese, Russian and Vietnamese — drawing dozens of participants eager to decipher the mechanics of Seoul life. While the curriculum covers essential municipal services and administrative support, the most rigorous lessons are reserved for local rules. In a city where waste disposal is governed by a complex system of colored bags and strict recycling categories, the "garbage lecture" has emerged as the program’s unexpected centerpiece. Through case-based video content and bilingual guides, instructors demystify the district’s rigorous disposal rules. To drive the point home

May 14, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Seoul's Jung District launches life guide program for foreign residents
2026 local elections

Seoul mayoral race tightens as Chong’s lead shrinks to within margin of error

The Seoul mayoral race has tightened sharply, with incumbent Oh Se-hoon closing what was once a double-digit gap against his liberal rival Chong Won-o and pulling the contest to within the margin of error. In a poll released Thursday by the Korea Society Opinion Institute (KSOI), conducted on Tuesday and Wednesday among 1,002 Seoul residents aged 18 or older, 44.9 percent of respondents said they would support Chong of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), while 39.8 percent backed Oh of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP). Just three weeks earlier, in a KSOI poll conducted under the same conditions, Chong led Oh by 45.6 percent to 35.4 percent — a 10.2-point lead. The surveys have a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level. Further details are available on the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission’s website. Speaking to The Korea Times Thursday, experts said the narrowing gap reflects a mix of factors, including lingering voter distrust of liberal housing policies, questions about Chong’s past misconduct and

May 14, 2026By Jung Min-ho
Seoul mayoral race tightens as Chong’s lead shrinks to within margin of error
Politics

Lee slams loan sharks, stresses responsibility of financial firms

President Lee Jae Myung on Thursday rebuked illegal private lenders that charge crushing interest rates while calling on financial institutions to fulfill their public responsibilities. Lee delivered the message on his X account, posting a document that showed 1,553 people have been rounded up in just six months through April on suspicions of being involved in illegal private lending. The president described loan sharks as social ills that "ruin" the country. He argued that financial firms, though privately owned, must act as quasi-public entities and fulfill their social responsibilities since they enjoy near monopolistic positions in government-approved business environment. The president noted that any loans carrying interest rates exceeding the legal limit of 60 percent per annum are invalid and need not to be repaid, stressing that those who charge such exorbitant rates are subject to criminal punishment.

May 14, 2026By Yonhap
Lee slams loan sharks, stresses responsibility of financial firms
Others

Korean students lend IDs for hefty fee, resell tickets to campus festivals

“I can get you through the student ID check. Just don’t make it too obvious that the admission wristband has been taken off,” one post on an online secondhand marketplace read. Another post said: “The photo on the student ID doesn’t matter because it’s so small. Just say you had plastic surgery, and they’ll let you pass.” May has arrived, and for Korean university campuses, this means college festivals, K-pop idols on outdoor stages — and, once again, a rampant ticket scalping problem. Students resell their tickets online at hefty prices, while idol fans gladly open their wallets for a chance to pose as college students and see their beloved stars. Organizers have repeatedly introduced stricter identification checks and admission procedures to fend off scalped tickets, but as what happens every year, borrowed student IDs make it difficult to identify illegally obtained tickets. Scalpers cash in despite outsider ban A search of secondhand marketplaces and social networks, including X, showed a steady stream of posts selling college festival admission tickets or offering

May 14, 2026By Hankookilbo
Korean students lend IDs for hefty fee, resell tickets to campus festivals
Society

Ex-POWs win damages suit against N. Korea for 3rd time

Former South Korean prisoners of war (POWs) again won a damages suit filed here against North Korea and its leader Kim Jong-un on Thursday over forced labor they endured in captivity. The Seoul Central District Court ordered North Korea and Kim to pay 21 million won ($14,000) each to five former POWs, who escaped from the North in the early 2000s after being taken prisoner during the 1950-53 Korean War. The five, including Ko Kwang-myun, 95, filed the suit earlier this year, claiming they were forced to work in mines in North Korea even after the 1953 truce that halted the Korean War. They demanded a compensation of 21 million won per person, and the court granted the full amount. The ruling marked the third such decision after the same court handed down similar verdicts in 2020 and 2023. The North and Kim were ordered to pay the same compensation to two former POWs in July 2020 and three others in 2023. In all cases, the court hearings proceeded without any party representing the defendants. Despite winning the cases, however, it seems difficult for the plaintiffs to actually receive th

May 14, 2026By Yonhap
Ex-POWs win damages suit against N. Korea for 3rd time
South Korea

Korea bets on open-air markets to draw tourists beyond Seoul

The scent of sizzling pancakes and the boisterous calls of vendors in crowded alleyways are being reframed as strategic assets in Korea’s latest tourism push. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, alongside the Korea Tourism Organization, designated 11 traditional markets on Thursday as part of the second phase of its “K-Tourism Market” project, an initiative designed to transform aging local hubs into polished international destinations. The project targets a diverse geographical spread, including Mangwon Market and Gyeongdong Market in Seoul, Haeundae Market in Busan, Seomun Market in Daegu, Jeonju Nambu Market and Jeju Island’s Dongmun Traditional Market. While these sites have long been the lifeblood of local neighborhoods, the government now aims to elevate them into major cultural attractions while simultaneously overhauling the long-criticized customer service practices that have occasionally alienated visitors. At a launch ceremony held Thursday at Mangwon Market in western Seoul, merchant associations from the selected sites signed a joint declaration pledging fu

May 14, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Korea bets on open-air markets to draw tourists beyond Seoul
South Korea

In age of AI, Seoul highlights value of human handiwork

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Wednesday it spotlighted the workshop of Kim In-ho, a printing industry master craftsman designated as a Seoul Master Technician, to underscore the value of skilled manual trades that remain difficult to automate in an era of expanding artificial intelligence (AI). Kim has worked in the printing industry for more than 50 years, beginning his career at a bookbinding company in 1970. He has built expertise in folding carton packaging for pharmaceutical and cosmetics products, and contributed to advances in high-quality packaging technology, including the early adoption of Korean-language hologram printing. He was named a Seoul Master Technician in the printing category last year. "Skill is not built quickly," Kim said. "It accumulates through years of experience on the floor. Mastery is the product of persisting through that process." Kim's son, who was pursuing a doctoral degree in engineering in the United States, returned to Korea in 2011 and entered the printing trade. After roughly a decade on the floor, he now oversees the full production process

May 14, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
In age of AI, Seoul highlights value of human handiwork
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