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Korea Times

Korea Times
Korea Times
News and features from the Korea Times, South Korea's oldest English-language newspaper.
Runners set off during the DMZ International Peace Marathon, in the Demilitarized Zone in Gangwon province, in South Korea, on September 21, 2025. Some 10 million South Koreans now identify as runners, according to industry and tourism data, roughly double the figure from 2015. Photo: The Korea Times
Tourism

What’s fuelling South Korea’s running boom? A look at the fitness obsession

From office workers to ultra-marathoners, South Korea’s running boom is reshaping streets, travel and retail as millions hit the pavement.

Art

Damien Hirst and Do-ho Suh among top artists showing in Seoul in 2026

South Korea

South Koreans see joy in parenthood but fear economic strain

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TV shows and streaming video

Netflix Japanese drama Gimbap and Onigiri serves up romance one meal at a time

Starring Eiji Akaso and Kang Hye-won, Netflix’s Gimbap and Onigiri explores romance and cultural connection through food.

Eiji Akaso (left) and Kang Hye-won in a still from Gimbap and Onigiri. The new Japanese drama on Netflix explores culture, connection and quiet romance. Photo: courtesy of TV Tokyo
South Korea

South Korea’s proposed foreign crime bill sparks xenophobia fears

Critics say a bill to publish crime stats on foreign nationals stigmatises immigrants and ignores data showing their lower crime rates.

South Korea

Novo breaks through K League barrier as first foreign goalkeeper in 28 years

Korea has lifted the ban on its clubs signing foreign shot-stoppers, and Yongin FC have taken full advantage, signing 33-year-old Emanuel Novo.

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South Korea

South Korea’s record low birth rate leads to mass school closures

With student counts half of 1980 levels, South Korea confronts a crisis of empty classrooms and abandoned sites, raising worry over wasted assets.

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An empty classroom in a South Korean high school, with rows of desks and a blackboard. Photo: Shutterstock
South Korea

In South Korea, vouchers to curb county’s falling population draw new residents

Officials in Okcheon, however, are looking to identify fake residents who change addresses without moving in.

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South Korea

US to grant Seoul exception on nuclear submarine fuel supply

Seoul to formalise right to build nuclear-powered submarines via Aukus-style waiver requiring approval from Trump and US Congress.

World of performing arts

Meet the Korean viral ‘dancing conductor’ who says he’s not actually dancing

Some conductors are visibly moved by the music, but Korean maestro Baek Yoon-hak takes that concept a step or two further.

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South Korea’s “dancing conductor” Baek Yoon-hak uses his energy-filled moves to get the whole audience joining in.
South Korea

‘Widespread cheating’ scandal hits South Korean universities amid AI concerns

Seoul National and Yonsei universities face new cheating scandals despite tighter controls, signalling need for stronger online exam and AI rules.

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Yonsei University uncovered a mass cheating case during the October midterm exam. Photo: Instagram/yonsei_official
South Korea

South Korea reopens debate on lifting ban on North Korean media

Lawmakers move to ease North Korean web access. Supporters cite freedom of information, but critics fear propaganda risks.

South Korea

Chinese tourists pivot to South Korea, Thailand amid Japan travel ban

Spat began when Japan’s PM Sanae Takaichi suggested potential military intervention in Taiwan Strait, leading Beijing to issue a travel warning.

Blackpink

How K-pop idols are helping Korea’s ‘kimjang vest’ make a comeback

The iconic vest, long associated with older women making kimchi in the countryside, is being revived by young consumers embracing the ‘grandma-chic’ aesthetic.

Blackpink’s Jennie and Aespa’s Karina are just two K-pop idols who are bringing the kimjang vest back into vogue. Photos: @jennierubyjane, @katarinabluu/Instagram
South Korea

South Korea high-rise fire safety under scrutiny after Hong Kong tragedy

Safety concerns spike as many of South Korea’s ageing buildings lack both essential sprinklers and noncombustible cladding.

Scaffolding outside Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po catches fire on Wednesday. Photo: Karma Lo
South Korea

‘Don’t trust the pension system’: why young South Koreans back later retirement

Facing pension doubts, young South Koreans increasingly back extending the retirement age from 60 to 65, viewing it as vital for financial stability.

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South Korea

Hundreds of South Korean workers to sue ICE over raid at Hyundai-LG plant

About 200 detainees seek compensation and plan to sue for racial discrimination, human rights violations, and excessive force during the arrests.

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South Korea

South Korea’s growing crisis of illegal puppy sales on YouTube spark concerns

One advocate group claims many animals are bred in poor conditions, with dogs kept in cramped, unsanitary cages and bred repeatedly for profit.

Livestreams of pet sales on YouTube. Photo: Youtube
South Korea

‘Reject it altogether’: sex tourists from South Korea drive up rents in Laos

A South Korean civic group is calling for cultural change to combat exploitation and protect children from sex work.

Japan

Nose length is best indicator of penis size, Japanese researchers find

The researchers suggested that male hormone exposure in the womb during fetal development may influence both traits.

South Korea

South Korean bill aims to limit English education for preschoolers

The bipartisan bill aims to ban private English tuition due to concerns about academic pressure in preschool and its effect on child development.

A group of kindergarten students focus on their teacher at the Seoul International Book Fair in 2017. Photo: Shutterstock
Tourism

Seoul’s Gwangjang Market has become hip. Where to eat and shop there

From Starbucks to Kodak to The North Face, big brands are opening in the century-old Seoul market, attracting a new generation of shoppers.

Three friends from Taiwan visit Gwangjang Market in Seoul. The market, which has well over 100 years of history, has begun to attract a new generation of shoppers. Photo: Korea Times
Wellness

He barely left his room for 5 years. Now he helps others re-enter society

You Jin-kyu, who spent nearly five years barely leaving his room in his 20s, helps socially isolated young Koreans reconnect with the world.

Food and Drinks

Why are Koreans going crazy for bread? How bakeries have become destinations

From Seoul to Jeju, from bagels to buns, bread is so popular in Korea that the phrase for ‘bread pilgrimage’ has entered everyday language.

Art

Art meets the afterlife at this year’s Seoul Mediacity Biennale

The biennale summons back all the ‘dead’ stories and presences purged by Western modern rationalism, from the mystical to the transcendent.

A reenactment of the Burning Performance 1989/2025, by Seung-taek Lee, is seen at the 13th Seoul Mediacity Biennale at the Seoul Museum of Art, in South Korea. Photo: Hong Cheolki
South Korea

South Korea university rankings show rising appeal for international students

The K-universities Global Excellence Rankings 2026 by The Korea Times is the country’s most internationalisation-focused assessment to date.

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Yonsei University’s campus in Seoul. The institution ranked third in a new set of university rankings designed to guide international students considering South Korean schools. Photo: 콩가루 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Asia travel

Why is Quanzhou one of China’s hottest domestic travel destinations?

Explorers once called Quanzhou one of the world’s greatest ports. Today, the city continues to enchant visitors with its history and culture.

Food and Drinks

In Bon Appetit, Your Majesty, ‘the real protagonist is the cooking itself’

Bon Appetit, Your Majesty, a K-drama starring Im Yoon-ah as a time-travelling chef, has kick-started a global Korean food craze.

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