[Treasures from National Museum of Korea] Peonies on 10-panel folding screen

Period: Joseon era Dimensions: 145.0 × 58.0 cm (Each panel, folding screen) Peonies, admired for their large blossoms and brilliant colors, have long been known as the "king of flowers" and the "flower of wealth," symbolizing royalty, prosperity and nobility. A popular motif throughout the Joseon era, peonies became increasingly prominent in late Joseon paintings, often appearing without accompanying birds or plants and with fuller, more luxuriant blossoms. At the royal court, peony folding scre

2026-09-02 10:36:58:00

Body of young boy found near border island believed to be North Korean

The body of a young boy found last month in waters near the inter-Korean border likely drifted from North Korea, the Incheon Coast Guard said Monday. Authorities cited signs of a parasitic infection now rare in South Korea and the absence of a match in the country’s missing-person records. Forensic testing found traces of ascariasis in the child’s small intestine. The infection is caused by intestinal roundworms and, while common in many parts of the world, is rarely detected in South Korea. The

2026-08-31 17:01:07:00

Too young for a pension, too old for youth aid: Seoul eyes midlife savings plan

Seoul wants to help middle-aged residents bridge a potentially lean stretch between their last paycheck and their first state pension payment by paying into long-term savings accounts. Under a blueprint unveiled during Mayor Oh Se-hoon’s campaign, participants would contribute 80,000 won ($58) a month for 10 years, while the city would add 20,000 won. Seoul estimated that the account could grow to as much as 16.4 million won, including investment returns, though the figures are campaign targets

2026-08-31 15:25:30:00

Law tops Korea’s list of most AI-exposed professions

Lawyers rank highest among all workers in South Korea for exposure to artificial intelligence, reflecting the technology’s growing reach into text-heavy and analytical work, according to a government labor research institute. The study found that 2.92 million workers covered by the country’s employment insurance system, or 19.1 percent of those analyzed, were employed in occupations classified as having high AI exposure. The Korea Employment Information Service based its rankings on an analysis

2026-08-31 13:53:39:00

Young Koreans to rethink masculinity, femininity at government forum

One hundred young Koreans will gather in Seoul on Sunday to discuss gender-based expectations and propose new standards not defined by biological sex, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family said Friday. The first edition of the four-hour forum, open to people aged 19 to 39, will be held at Hanyang University under the theme "Between Teto Women and Egen Men: Today’s Ideas of Masculinity and Femininity." The trending terms "teto woman" and "egen man" are derived from testosterone and estrogen,

2026-08-28 17:39:36:00

Seoul job fairs to connect middle-aged workers with 160 companies

The Seoul Metropolitan Government will hold a series of job fairs across the city in September, bringing together more than 160 companies seeking to fill around 3,000 positions with middle-aged job seekers. The fairs are open mainly to people aged 40 to 64 and will offer employment information, one-on-one consultations and on-site interviews, according to the city government on Friday. The first of the September events will take place at the Seoul 50 Plus Western Campus in Eunpyeong-gu on Tuesda

2026-08-28 15:26:24:00

Seoul fertility rate rebounds as births, marriages rise

Seoul's fertility rate rose for a second consecutive year in 2025, while the capital recorded the highest growth in both births and marriages among all major cities and provinces in the first half of this year. A total of 45,516 babies were born in Seoul last year, up 9.4 percent from 41,605 in 2024, according to the 2025 birth statistics, latest data released by the Ministry of Data and Statistics. The increase was the largest among the country's 16 major administrative regions. The city's tota

2026-08-28 13:31:12:00

Seoul resets tourism record with 1.61m foreign visitors in July

Seoul welcomed a record 1.61 million foreign tourists in July, while their spending rose sharply to 1.07 trillion won, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Thursday. Monthly spending by foreign visitors has now exceeded 1 trillion won for four consecutive months. The number of foreign tourists in July was up 20.8 percent from a year earlier and 5.2 percent from the previous month. Chinese tourists accounted for the largest share at 37.1 percent, followed by visitors from Japan at 15

2026-08-27 16:57:54:00

Interior minister orders nationwide review of missing person cases after Jeju scandal

South Korea's interior minister on Wednesday ordered police to investigate the alleged false closure of missing person cases on Jeju Island and review how such cases are handled nationwide. Interior Minister Yun Ho-jung issued the order during an emergency meeting with senior police officials in Seoul, saying the case exposed both individual misconduct and possible flaws in the police system for handling missing people. “The truth of the Jeju case must be thoroughly established,” Yun said, calli

2026-08-26 18:24:53:00

Seoul’s Tancheon alternative gains ground as Yongsan housing divide persists

South Korea’s central government and Seoul made modest progress Wednesday in their long-running talks over housing supply in the capital, with one exception. The two remain firmly divided over whether parts of Yongsan Park should be used for homes. The move came as the Land Ministry agreed to review Seoul’s proposed alternative at the Tancheon Water Reclamation Center in Gangnam-gu, and the two sides moved closer on easing redevelopment rules that the city says could yield tens of thousands of a

2026-08-26 15:34:06:00