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  • South Korea

    Samsung, SK hynix pledge $519 bil. for southwestern chip hub

    Samsung Electronics and SK hynix will invest 800 trillion won ($519 billion) to establish a semiconductor complex in the country's southwestern region, as part of government-private sector plans to strengthen Korea's position as one of the world's leading semiconductor powerhouses amid a boom in artificial intelligence (AI) industries. SK Group, GS Group and Naver will also spend 550 trillion won to set up AI data centers to increase the total capacity to 18.4 gigawatts by 2035. The government, Samsung Electronics, SK Group and other large businesses announced the massive investment plans Monday, as part of the government's three flagship megaprojects focusing on semiconductors, physical AI and AI data centers, designed to meet surging demand for AI infrastructure as the technology reshapes the global industrial landscape. The projects are also intended to promote high-tech investment across the country's southwestern, central and southeastern regions as part of a broader push for balanced regional development, while relevant plants and infrastructure are currently concentrated around t

    4 MIN READBy Yi Whan-woo
    Samsung, SK hynix pledge $519 bil. for southwestern chip hub
  • Law & Crime

    3 PPP lawmakers booked for obstructing Yoon's arrest over martial law bid

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    3 PPP lawmakers booked for obstructing Yoon's arrest over martial law bid
  • South Korea

    Gov't unveils power, infrastructure plans to back megaprojects

    3 MIN READBy Lee Gyu-lee
    Gov't unveils power, infrastructure plans to back megaprojects
  • Politics

    Lee's southwestern semiconductor cluster draws corporate arm-twisting accusations

    3 MIN READBy Bahk Eun-ji
    Lee's southwestern semiconductor cluster draws corporate arm-twisting accusations
  • Society

    Remains of 7 fallen soldiers from Korean War laid to rest in burial ceremonies

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Remains of 7 fallen soldiers from Korean War laid to rest in burial ceremonies
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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

Gov't overhauls weather alerts as 'extreme heat' becomes new normal

For decades, the arrival of summer in Korea was heralded by the rhythmic hum of cicadas and the predictable onset of monsoon season. But as climate change rewrites the country’s seasonal script, the government is bracing for a new reality. The Korea Meteorological Administration announced a sweeping overhaul of its national weather warning system Wednesday, the first major restructuring in nearly two decades. The centerpiece of the plan is the introduction of a top-tier “extreme heat emergency” alert — the result of a decade in which scorching afternoons, sleepless "tropical nights" (a meteorological phenomenon where the temperature remains at or above 25 degrees Celsius, or 77 degrees Fahrenheit, between 6:01 p.m. to 9 a.m. the following day) and record-breaking torrential downpours have moved from anomalies to the new seasonal baseline. Under the new protocol, which takes effect June 1, the weather agency will move beyond the two-tiered advisory system established in 2008. "Extreme heat emergency" will be triggered when the daily perceived temperature is forecast to hit 38 de

May 13, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Gov't overhauls weather alerts as 'extreme heat' becomes new normal
Society

Middle East tensions, delivery network failures squeeze Korean restaurant owners

"During peak hours, it can take over an hour to complete a delivery. The food gets cold and customer complaints pile up, leaving us utterly frustrated." Cho, a 41-year-old fast-food operator in Gwangju, is facing mounting losses. With riders now being assigned from up to 5 kilometers away — five or six times the usual distance — delivery delays of 30 minutes just to pick up the food have become commonplace. "Often, orders are canceled through platform customer service without our knowledge," Cho said. "Every time I have to throw away ruined food, my heart sinks." Korea's highly efficient food delivery ecosystem is fracturing under the weight of geopolitical shocks and platform algorithms. A surge in global fuel prices, triggered by the fallout from the U.S.-Iran conflict, has collided with falling delivery fees. In response, delivery riders are actively avoiding low-margin, long-distance orders to protect their earnings. Jung, a 32-year-old delivery veteran of seven years, said falling platform fees and record fuel costs have decimated his take-home pay. "While it is impossible to ver

May 13, 2026By Hankookilbo
Middle East tensions, delivery network failures squeeze Korean restaurant owners
Law & Crime

7 teens get prison terms for molesting mentally disabled person

Seven teenagers were sentenced to prison Wednesday for collectively assaulting a mentally disabled person and filming the victim being molested. The Seoul Southern District Court sentenced five male and two female teenagers to prison terms ranging from 2 1/2 years to five years on charges related to sexual violence crimes. All defendants were also ordered to complete a 40-hour sexual violence treatment program each. One mobile phone used to film the molestation was confiscated. The teenagers are accused of stripping the 24-year-old victim of his clothes at a park in Seoul's Yeouido in November before beating and molesting him. They allegedly committed the crime because they did not like a message the victim sent to one of the female defendants. They burned the victim's arm with a half-smoked cigarette butt, causing third-degree burns and injuries requiring six weeks of recovery. The court said stern punishment was inevitable for the defendants because their violence was tantamount to abuse or torture.

May 13, 2026By Yonhap
7 teens get prison terms for molesting mentally disabled person
Society

‘The earlier, the better’: More young Koreans marry sooner as views shift

“If we’re going to marry eventually, why put it off?” For Chu, who is set to become a May bride, each passing day is filled with anticipation. At 28, she is marrying earlier than many of her Korean peers, but she said the response has been more envy than concern. “We decided to marry early because we wanted to have a child, and we saw so many couples struggle with infertility,” Chu said. “The thought of building a life together with my husband always gives me strength." Her case is one of many reflecting a transformation in perception among young Koreans, who are increasingly starting to believe that marrying at a younger age may be better. For years, the struggle to find jobs has delayed financial independence for many young people, making late marriage the norm in Korean society. However, young Koreans are now looking at marriage through a different lens. Still burdened by the need to find stable jobs and afford homes, some believe that building a family while they are still young and pooling their strength as a couple can help them establish a financial foundation more qui

May 13, 2026By Hankookilbo
‘The earlier, the better’: More young Koreans marry sooner as views shift
K-universities

Generative AI service spreading rapidly across Jeonbuk National University campus

Jeonbuk National University said Tuesday that its generative artificial intelligence (AI) service based on multiple large language models (LLMs) is rapidly spreading throughout the campus. According to the school, the number of users surpassed 6,600 just one month after the launch of the full-scale service, demonstrating strong adoption and widespread use among members of the university community. The university has been providing the service since April 1 to enhance AI utilization capabilities and improve access to AI services after running a two-month pilot program. The school said it has put the full-fledged AI service in place following the pilot program results that showed 98 percent of users wanting to keep the service going. The number of users has been increasing at a fast pace with the total standing at 6,645. Student users take the lion’s share with their number rising to 5,486, accounting for 82 percent of the total. Some 545 faculty members and 614 staff members and teaching assistants are also using the service. According to the university’s analysis of usage patterns, st

May 13, 2026By Park Yoon-bae
Generative AI service spreading rapidly across Jeonbuk National University campus
Society

Gov't plans $2.27 mil. boost for cruise tourism amid arrival increase

The government is injecting 3.4 billion won ($2.27 million) from supplementary budgets to support tourism in cruise port cities following a sharp rebound in passenger arrivals, the culture ministry said Wednesday. According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, approximately 320,000 people arrived in the country aboard cruise ships during the first quarter, an 11.4 percent increase from a year earlier, while the number of cruise calls rose 50 percent year-on-year to 168. Officials project that total port calls will reach 960 by the end of this year, a 63.2 percent increase from 2025. The government is seeking ways to ease entry procedures for cruise passengers. In February, President Lee Jae Myung chaired a tourism strategy meeting with the culture, justice and oceans ministers to discuss expanding on-board immigration checks for travelers arriving on large vessels. To encourage passengers to spend time beyond the immediate port areas, officials plan to introduce localized tourism programs, including operating shuttle buses and launching pop-up markets for regional products, a

May 13, 2026By Yonhap
Gov't plans $2.27 mil. boost for cruise tourism amid arrival increase
Health

Hantavirus, first discovered in Korea in 1950s: What to know

A deadly outbreak linked to the Dutch-flagged luxury cruise ship MV Hondius has brought renewed attention to hantavirus after the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed three people dead and 11 reported cases connected to the vessel as of Wednesday. Health officials say the virus — believed to be the Andes variant — can carry a fatality rate of up to 40 percent in severe cases. But where did hantavirus originate, how did hantavirus get its name, what are the symptoms and treatments? Q. Where did hantavirus come from? A. Hantavirus was first identified in the Hantan River area in Korea. It infected more than 3,200 United Nations soldiers during the 1950-53 Korean War near the current inter-Korean border. Late Korean virologist Lee Ho-wang first identified hantavirus from a rodent captured near the Hantan River, which runs through the northern parts of Gangwon and Gyeonggi provinces, and helped develop the world’s first vaccine against the disease. He first named it the Hantaan virus, which became more commonly known as hantavirus. Q. How do you get hantavirus? A. Humans can contr

May 13, 2026By Kwak Yeon-soo
Hantavirus, first discovered in Korea in 1950s: What to know
K-universities

Kwangwoon University seeks to expand industry-academia cooperation with Changzhou

Kwangwoon University is seeking to expand exchanges and strengthen industry-academia collaboration with Changzhou in China’s Jiangsu Province. The effort follows a visit by a six-member delegation from the Chinese city to the university’s campus in northeastern Seoul, May 6. Both sides discussed how to set up a practical model for educational and industrial cooperation that will contribute to mutual development, the school said Friday. According to the university, the Chinese delegation included Li Desen, governor of Zhonglou District in Changzhou, accompanied by officials and businesspeople from economic development zones, investment agencies and related companies. The delegates held a meeting with Cho Sun-young, chair of the Kwangwoon Academy Foundation, Yoon Do-young, president of the university, and Jeong Suk-jae, the university's vice president. During the meeting, the senior university officials and professors from the College of Engineering and related departments introduced the school’s educational and research capabilities and its industry-academia cooperation projects. They

May 13, 2026By Park Yoon-bae
Kwangwoon University seeks to expand industry-academia cooperation with Changzhou
Politics

Ruling party leader says PPP should face 'harsh judgment' in June 3 local elections

The leader of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) said Wednesday that the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) should be harshly judged in the upcoming local elections, stressing the need to wipe out "even the slightest remnants of insurrection" tied to former President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law bid. Rep. Jung Chung-rae made the remarks during a press conference at the National Assembly, a day before candidate registration opens for the June 3 local elections, calling the PPP an "unconstitutional" political party that needs to be dissolved. "We must ensure that the insurrectionist forces are decisively judged by the public in the local elections and that even the slightest remnants of the insurrection are wiped out," Jung said. "That is why the local elections are so important." "The PPP should face people's harsh judgment in the June 3 local elections before being subjected to a Constitutional Court review on the dissolution of an unconstitutional political party," he added. Jung insisted doing so would be a "historic mission" to normalize the country and support the succes

May 13, 2026By Yonhap
Ruling party leader says PPP should face 'harsh judgment' in June 3 local elections
Law & Crime

Chinese national extradited to Korea over hacking heist targeting BTS' Jung Kook, others

A Chinese national, who led a hacking scheme that targeted K-pop group BTS member Jung Kook and Korean business executives, has been extradited to Korea from Thailand, the justice ministry said Wednesday. The 40-year-old arrived at Incheon International Airport on Tuesday from Bangkok to be handed over to police for investigation over allegations of stealing over 38 billion won ($25.4 million) from the victims, according to the ministry. The police said they plan to seek a warrant for his formal arrest after questioning him and analyzing evidence. The suspect is said to be part of a criminal ring accused of illegally collecting personal information of the victims from August 2023 to April 2025 by hacking into government and public agency websites, and using the data to withdraw cash from their accounts. While Jungkook was targeted in the scheme, his agency, BigHit Music, took immediate action to prevent losses. The criminal ring allegedly opened unauthorized brokerage accounts in Jungkook's name in January 2024 in an attempt to steal 8.4 billion won worth of his shares in Hybe, the compan

May 13, 2026By Yonhap
Chinese national extradited to Korea over hacking heist targeting BTS' Jung Kook, others
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