[Treasures From National Museum of Korea] 'Lunch Time' by Kim Hong-do

Period: Joseon era Painter: Kim Hong-do (1745-1806) Dimension: 28 x 23.9 cm Designation: Treasure This painting depicts a group of workers enjoying a peaceful lunch break as they eat and rest. A young woman sits apart from the others to nurse her baby, while a dog — perhaps having accompanied her as she brought lunch to the field — completes the idyllic scene.

2026-08-26 13:31:30:00

Tax agency investigates company-funded mansions for wealthy owners

South Korea’s tax authority is cracking down on companies that turn corporate-owned homes into private perks for their controlling families, including a 20 billion won ($14.4 million) mansion in Hannam-dong, Seoul, and luxury retreats disguised as employee welfare facilities. The National Tax Service said Tuesday it has launched audits into 50 companies over suspected tax irregularities totaling about 1.9 trillion won, following a review of 2,639 high-value homes owned by corporations nationwide

2026-08-25 18:25:04:00

Korea plans 24/7 AI help for taxes, welfare and safety

South Korea plans to offer round-the-clock AI assistance for public services ranging from welfare and taxes to food and drug information as part of a broader push to bring artificial intelligence into government operations. The plan, presented at a Cabinet meeting Tuesday, calls for 24-hour AI counseling in five public service areas — welfare, safety, taxation, agriculture, and food and drug services — as well as wider use of AI in civil servants' daily work. "We aim to make the services availab

2026-08-25 16:37:13:00

Seoul fires back at district-led redevelopment, cites haphazard growth risk

The Seoul Metropolitan Government on Monday pushed back against a ruling party-government proposal to transfer authority over redevelopment projects involving 500 or fewer households to district governments, warning that the move could undermine citywide planning standards. "It could lead to numerous side effects, including uncoordinated development and allegations of preferential treatment, if individual districts apply different standards based on local interests and project-specific demands,"

2026-08-24 15:23:46:00

Hidden tunnel beneath Seoul Plaza reborn as K-culture venue

A 335-meter-long underground passage that remained closed beneath central Seoul for more than four decades opened Monday as a cultural venue, launching with an immersive exhibition to celebrate Big Bang’s 20th anniversary. Located 13 meters below Seoul Plaza between City Hall and Euljiro 1 (il)-ga stations, the formerly sealed-off space, now known as K-Culture Station, measures 9.5 meters wide and covers 3,261 square meters. The passage lies between Korea's first underground shopping arcade and

2026-08-24 14:16:03:00

Seoul to connect local medical providers with overseas buyers

The Seoul Metropolitan Government will host a business event in September to connect local hospitals, clinics and medical tourism companies with overseas agencies seeking to send patients to Korea. The event comes after Seoul attracted a record 1.76 million foreign patients in 2025, accounting for 87.2 percent of all foreign nationals who visited Korea to receive medical services that year, according to the latest data released by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. The eighth edition of Seoul I

2026-08-23 15:26:52:00

Seoul cultural facilities to extend nighttime opening starting September

Eight municipal museums and other cultural facilities in Seoul will remain open until 9 p.m. five days a week, expanding nighttime access currently available only once a week, according to the city government. The extended hours will be introduced sequentially from September and tested through November before becoming a permanent program in 2027. Under the new Seoul Museum Night program, eight facilities run by the city government — including Seoul Museum of Art, Seoul Museum of Craft Art and Se

2026-08-23 15:26:40:00

Is Yongsan Park a quick fix for Seoul’s housing shortage?

Seoul needs more homes, and Yongsan Park looks like the kind of land the government would find hard to ignore. The site is large, centrally located and largely undeveloped. But it is also a former military garrison that Seoul has spent years planning to turn into a national urban park. Those competing priorities collided Thursday as Land Minister Kim Yoon-deok and Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon met over the future of the site but failed to agree on whether part of the main site should be used for housin

2026-08-20 16:24:25:00

Seoul to triple late-night autonomous taxis in Gangnam

Seoul will increase the number of late-night autonomous taxis operating in southern Seoul from seven to 19 starting Thursday and plans to gradually introduce vehicles without a safety operator in the driver’s seat. SWM and Kakao Mobility, the two operators of the Gangnam service, will increase their fleets from five to 13 vehicles and from two to six, respectively. Gangnam-gu is the only district in Seoul currently operating an autonomous taxi service, which was launched in 2024. A total of 15,1

2026-08-19 14:20:59:00

[Treasures from National Museum of Korea] Stupa of Master Yeomgeo

Period: Unified Silla Period Materials: Stone Dimensions: H. 170.0cm, W. 92.0cm Designation: National Treasure 104 Unlike stone pagodas built to enshrine the Buddha’s relics, stupas containing the remains of eminent monks are generally smaller and more varied in design. Such stupas began to be built in earnest during the late Unified Silla period (676–935), as the nine major monasteries of the Seon, or Zen, school were established. The Seon school emphasized personal enlightenment. Stupas were e

2026-08-19 13:55:22:00