my timesThe Korea Times

South Korea

PoliticsDefenseGlobal CommunityEnvironment & AnimalsLaw & CrimeHealthSocietyEducationOthers
  • Politics

    Soon-to-be prime minister Han carries high expectation for AI transformation

    Han Seong-sook, Korea’s soon-to-be prime minister, arrives at the post with high expectations that she will leverage her technological expertise to help accelerate the country's artificial intelligence (AI) transformation. The parliamentary confirmation hearing committee approved a report Tuesday clearing Han as qualified for the post, with the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) leading the approval after she was nominated on June 7. The DPK was expected to bring Han's confirmation motion to a vote at a plenary session later in the day. The process leading to Han’s likely appointment comes as President Lee Jae Myung pushes to position Korea among the world's top three AI powers alongside the United States and China. The blueprint has become increasingly concrete since Lee outlined the vision last year, with initiatives such as the government's allocation of a record 9.9 trillion won for AI this year and public-private plans to build four new semiconductor plants in southwestern Korea to meet surging AI demand. “Under the circumstances, it is only natural that expectations will

    2 MIN READBy Yi Whan-woo
    Soon-to-be prime minister Han carries high expectation for AI transformation
  • Law & Crime

    Outgoing North Chungcheong governor raided over bribery allegations

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Outgoing North Chungcheong governor raided over bribery allegations
  • Education

    Kookmin University student wins 2nd place at IBM Bob Hackathon

    2 MIN READBy Park Yoon-bae
    Kookmin University student wins 2nd place at IBM Bob Hackathon
  • Defense

    Ukrainian outlet's critique exposes gaps in Korea's counter-drone strategy

    3 MIN READBy Bahk Eun-ji
    Ukrainian outlet's critique exposes gaps in Korea's counter-drone strategy
  • Society

    The Korea Times launches K-universities, global platform for Korean higher education

    1 MIN READBy Jung Da-hyun
    The Korea Times launches K-universities, global platform for Korean higher education
Korea Times
About Us
Introduction
History
Contact Us
Products & Services
Subscribe
E-paper
RSS Service
Content Sales
Site Map
Policy
Code of Ethics
Ombudsman
Privacy Policy
Youth Protection Policy
Terms of Service
Copyright Policy
Family Site
Hankookilbo
Dongwha Group
FacebookXYoutubeInstagram
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.

Read more

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
Campus

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
Campus

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
Defense

Defense chief requests US Navy's support for S. Korea's nuclear-powered sub project

Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back has asked the U.S. Navy for support for South Korea's push to acquire nuclear-powered submarines, according to his office Wednesday. According to the defense ministry, Ahn met with Hung Cao, acting U.S. Navy secretary, in Washington on Tuesday (U.S. time) and requested support for the Seoul initiative, stressing that it would contribute to the shared security interests of the two countries and serve as an important milestone in advancing the bilateral alliance. Ahn emphasized South Korea is an optimal partner for shipbuilding cooperation with the United States, citing the country's strong shipbuilding capabilities and the recent legislation regarding Korean investment in the U.S. Seoul is seeking to acquire nuclear-powered submarines under a joint summit agreement with the U.S. reached last year, along with efforts to secure uranium enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing capabilities for civil purposes. The minister also met with key congressional figures, including Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi), chairman of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee; Sen.

May 13, 2026By Yonhap
Defense chief requests US Navy's support for S. Korea's nuclear-powered sub project
previous page
8788899091
next page

Most Read in South Korea