my timesThe Korea Times

South Korea

PoliticsDefenseGlobal CommunityEnvironment & AnimalsLaw & CrimeHealthSocietyOthersK-universitiesUniversity Rankings
  • 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

    Investigators indict Shincheonji sect leader over forced PPP memberships

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Investigators indict Shincheonji sect leader over forced PPP memberships
  • 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
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

South Korea

Incheon deploys native-language safety training to protect foreign industrial workers

Incheon metropolitan authorities and the city’s foreign worker support center are launching a targeted safety campaign this year designed to curb workplace casualties among international laborers by providing training in their native languages. The initiative, formally known as the "2026 Regional Serious Accident Prevention Blind Spot Elimination Support Project," addresses a stark reality in Korea’s industrial sector: Foreign workers are often disproportionately exposed to hazards because of language barriers that render standard safety manuals and warnings ineffective. By utilizing native-language interpreters, the program seeks to bridge this communication gap and provide workers with the practical tools necessary to navigate high-risk environments. The training kicked off in late April with workers from Myanmar. The rollout continued with Filipino laborers on May 10 and is slated to expand to Nepalese, Indonesian and Vietnamese groups throughout the summer months. Rather than relying on abstract theories, the curriculum focuses on forensic analysis of actual industrial accidents

May 11, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Incheon deploys native-language safety training to protect foreign industrial workers
South Korea

K-food goes high-tech: Korea sees surge in health and wellness food patents

In a country where the national palate is increasingly viewed as a high-value export, Korea’s culinary innovations are moving from the dinner table to the patent office. Over the last decade, the race to claim intellectual property in the food sector has surged, driven by a global obsession with K-food and a domestic pivot toward "functional" wellness, according to data released Sunday by the Ministry of Intellectual Property. Between 2016 and 2025, more than 46,000 food-related patents were filed in Korea, with the pace accelerating to more than 5,000 applications annually over the last three years. The most aggressive growth has not been in traditional recipes, but in "health functional foods" — products designed to offer medicinal benefits beyond basic nutrition. This category saw a 3.3-fold increase in filings over the decade, growing at a compound annual rate of over 14 percent. The drive is particularly focused on the body’s defenses. Patents for antioxidant and immunity-boosting technologies led the pack, followed closely by innovations in digestive health and cognitive enh

May 11, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
K-food goes high-tech: Korea sees surge in health and wellness food patents
Politics

Lee pledges to build nation of fair opportunities for all, shared prosperity

President Lee Jae Myung on Monday pledged to build a nation where all people have fair opportunities and share prosperity, reaffirming his commitment to reducing social disparities. Lee made the remarks in a speech commemorating the 1894 Tonghak Peasant Revolution at a ceremony at the National Museum of Korea in central Seoul, which was read by Culture Minister Chae Hwi-young on his behalf. A horde of peasant farmers who followed Donghak, a Neo-Confucian movement, rose up against the feudal system at the time to demand justice and to protect national sovereignty from Japanese invasion. Lee said his vision for government reflects the spirit of the movement's pursuit of social harmony, adding his administration will do its utmost to build a compassionate society, in which people, as the "genuine owners of the country," enjoy their rightful rights and share in the fruits of growth. "Together with you, I will build a Republic of Korea in which all people enjoy fair opportunities and live prosperously, without any neighbors left behind," the president noted.

May 11, 2026By Yonhap
Lee pledges to build nation of fair opportunities for all, shared prosperity
Politics

Rival parties spar over gov't response to attack on Korean vessel in Hormuz

Rival parties stood at odds Monday over the government's response to a strike on a Korean-operated cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, with the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) accusing the government of downplaying what it called an Iranian attack. Tensions between the ruling and opposition parties escalated after a Korean investigation team concluded that two "unidentified airborne objects" caused an explosion and fire aboard the Panama-flagged cargo vessel HMM Namu, operated by Korean shipping firm HMM, in the conflict-hit strait last week. "Our government earlier insisted there were low chances that the vessel had come under attack," PPP leader Jang Dong-hyeok said during a meeting of the party's supreme council, slamming the government for failing to identify Iran as being behind the attack. "Now that the strike has been confirmed, it is saying it will not prejudge who was behind the attack. (The government) has no willingness whatsoever to protect the safety and property of the people," Jang added. The PPP leader also argued that Iranian state media has already acknowledg

May 11, 2026By Yonhap
Rival parties spar over gov't response to attack on Korean vessel in Hormuz
Society

Korea to roll out 2nd round of cash aid to over 36 mil. people amid Mideast crisis

Korea will roll out a second batch of cash assistance for the bottom 70 percent of income earners, or about 36 million people, next week, officials said Monday, in an effort to ease financial strains caused by rising fuel prices amid the war in the Middle East. Last month, the National Assembly approved a 26.2 trillion-won ($17.8 billion) extra budget bill to address the economic fallout from the Middle East conflict, which includes the introduction of the cash assistance plan. Under the first program launched in April, the government handed out up to 600,000 won to recipients of basic livelihood security and other vulnerable groups. The government will begin accepting applications next Monday for the second round of the assistance program. Eligible individuals living in the broader Seoul area will receive 100,000 won, while those in areas with declining populations may receive up to 250,000 won each. Assistance eligibility will be determined by a household's national health insurance payment in March this year. For single-person households, those who paid 130,000 won or less will be eli

May 11, 2026By Yonhap
Korea to roll out 2nd round of cash aid to over 36 mil. people amid Mideast crisis
Law & Crime

Gov't to crack down on fraudulent 'perfect score' apartment application winners

The government will look into all "perfect-score" winners in apartment applications since July last year to see if any foul play was involved, officials said Monday, amid complaints that perfect scores should be rare in principle but too many such cases have been reported. In Korea, those wanting to buy newly built apartments should file applications in usually highly competitive processes, and winners are determined by lottery weighted by points based on how long they have been living without owning homes and how many dependents are in their families. The system is designed to give priority to those in real need of homes. Perfect scores should be rare because the size of a family living together for the full score is seven, which is not common in a nation where household sizes have become increasingly smaller. But the Office for Government Policy Coordination said Monday that the country has seen a series of "unrealistic" score winners recently. "We will carry out an intensive inspection of fraudulent applicants in cooperation with related ministries and agencies," the office said in a

May 11, 2026By Yonhap
Gov't to crack down on fraudulent 'perfect score' apartment application winners
Society

Search enters 2nd day for missing boy in mountain park

Authorities were searching for a missing elementary school student for the second day Monday after he disappeared while visiting a mountain park with his family. The 11-year-old visited a Buddhist temple in Juwangsan National Park, about 280 kilometers southeast of Seoul, with his family Sunday afternoon and went missing after hiking alone to the park's main peak, according to police and rescue workers. His parents notified the 119 rescue services and police at 5:53 p.m., as their son, who had set out on the hike without a mobile phone, did not return even after a considerable amount of time had passed. In response, the rescue team and police mobilized personnel and equipment to conduct a search operation but were unable to confirm his whereabouts. They deployed 96 personnel, one helicopter and equipment for the operation Monday. They said that a review of surveillance footage from within the park found no signs that his disappearance was linked to a crime. The boy, who is about 145 centimeters tall and on the thin side, was reportedly wearing a Samsung Lions uniform on the day of his dis

May 11, 2026By Yonhap
Search enters 2nd day for missing boy in mountain park
Politics

Lee's approval rating inches up to 59.7%

President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating rebounded slightly to 59.7 percent on a strong stock rally and economic achievements, a survey showed Monday. According to the survey conducted by Realmeter and commissioned by EKN newspaper among 2,007 respondents aged 18 and older, the positive assessment of his job performance gained 0.2 percentage point from a week earlier. Negative assessments added 0.7 percentage point to 35.7 percent over the cited period, while 4.6 percent said they were unsure. Lee's approval rating had remained above 60 percent for seven consecutive weeks since the second week of March before slipping to 59.5 percent in the previous survey. Realmeter said economic achievements, such as the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index surpassing the 7,500 mark and the current account surplus reaching a record high, helped drive up Lee's approval rating, but political issues, including the National Assembly's failure to pass a constitutional amendment bill amid a standoff between the rival parties, offset positive sentiment. The ruling Democratic Party of Korea's (DPK) push

May 11, 2026By Yonhap
Lee's approval rating inches up to 59.7%
Global Community

dbBOOKS holds spring warehouse sale for English titles

The dbBOOKS Welcome to Our Warehouse (WOW) Family Sale has become a twice-yearly highlight for the reading community in Seoul and beyond. Opening its doors to the book buying public for two days, dbBOOKS offers hundreds of thousands of books in English for sale. There are also activities planned, including a panel discussion about Korean literature translation, and a book swap. The expert panel, titled "The Art, Science, and Outlook of K-Lit in Translation," will start at 4 p.m. on Saturday. It features Literature Translation Institute of Korea Managing Director Park Chan-woo, author Lee Suhyeon, author and translator Anton Hur, translator Sean Lin Halbert, Honford Star co-founder Taylor Bradley and book content creator (and Korea Times reviewer) Faye Leung. "To thank our customers for coming to WOW, we like to organize sideline events on the rooftop to make the visit more than just a shopping opportunity," said Katch Hahm, managing director of dbBOOKS, who will serve as moderator. "While we all love K-Lit as readers, we could enhance that appreciation by considering the many things that

May 11, 2026By Jon Dunbar
dbBOOKS holds spring warehouse sale for English titles
Society

74 countries, one plaza: Seoul Friendship Festival marks 30 years of bringing world closer

Choi Yun-ho had never been to Poland despite dating his Polish girlfriend Pola for a year. On Saturday, this year's Seoul Friendship Festival brought a taste of her homeland to him. “It's difficult to find a restaurant in Korea that serves proper Polish food,” the 30-year-old told The Korea Times after biting into kielbasa, a Polish smoked sausage, at one of the festival's food booths. For Pola, 30, the festival was more than a taste of home. “It's not just food. There are embassy booths where you can learn about different countries. We did a quiz about Poland and won some postcards,” she said. Now celebrating its 30th anniversary, this year's Seoul Friendship Festival took place Saturday and Sunday at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) in Seoul, bringing together embassies from 74 countries under the slogan “30 Years with the World, Bridging Cultures Together.” First held in 1996, the festival promotes cultural exchange between Seoul and cities worldwide, drawing about 160,000 visitors last year to DDP, one of Seoul's most visited landmarks. “When the festival first took root in

May 11, 2026By Park Ung
74 countries, one plaza: Seoul Friendship Festival marks 30 years of bringing world closer
previous page
9192939495
next page

Most Read in South Korea