Seoul brings shade to the streets for hotter summer

The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to create shaded walking routes across the city to protect residents from increasingly severe summer heat, Mayor Oh Se-hoon said Wednesday. “Shade should no longer be a convenience available only in certain places, but a basic urban service that protects citizens’ health and daily lives,” Oh said at City Hall as he announced the initiative, which he dubbed the “right to shaded walking.” “We will test and evaluate the initiative through pilot projects in 20

2026-08-19 13:39:00:00

Justice minister offers resignation amid dispute over prosecution reform

Justice Minister Jung Sung-ho submitted his resignation Tuesday afternoon after expressing differences with the ruling Democratic Party over prosecutors' authority to conduct supplementary investigations, according to local reports. Jung had raised concerns about abolishing prosecutors' supplementary investigation powers, while the Democratic Party has pushed to fully separate investigative and prosecutorial functions to prevent excessive power from being concentrated in the prosecution. Prosecu

2026-08-18 16:53:02:00

Seoul to welcome second-largest incentive travel group from India

A 1,400-member incentive travel group from India will arrive in Seoul in three batches between Sept. 6 and 11, marking the second-largest group of its kind from India to visit Seoul, the city government said Tuesday. It will be the largest incentive group from India since 3,257 employees of HDFC Bank visited in 2023. The group, organized by global nutrition company Herbalife, initially considered Georgia as its destination, but Seoul was selected following two inspection trips in June and July,

2026-08-18 14:50:51:00

Frieze put Seoul on global art map, but can it sustain the momentum?

Four years ago, Korea’s art market was riding a pandemic-era boom and the inaugural edition of Frieze Seoul fueled expectations that Seoul was poised to emerge as another art capital in Asia. It was also around the time that Korea's art market reached a record 806.6 billion won ($572 million) in sales. International galleries opened new outposts, expanded their existing spaces or staged pop-up exhibitions in Seoul. Korea’s relatively favorable tax regime was another factor that attracted interna

2026-08-18 11:23:28:00

Seoul offers free palace tours led by historians

The city-affiliated Seoul Historiography Institute will run free guided tours of four royal palaces from September to November. The tour program will begin at Gyeongbokgung on Sept. 5 before moving to Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung and Deoksugung in October and November, according to the official research and archival organization under the Seoul Metropolitan Government. The tours will explain the historical events associated with each palace, the culture and everyday life of the royal family an

2026-08-14 15:15:32:00

Seoul eyes 'Hipjiro' as model for nighttime tourism

Seoul is looking to Euljiro's blend of industrial heritage and lively outdoor drinking culture as a model for drawing more tourists after dark, as city officials pledge safer streets and better multilingual guidance. The city’s G3 Seoul Planning Committee visited Euljiro on Thursday evening to examine its nighttime culture, pedestrian conditions and visitor flows. The committee was launched as a public-private advisory body with an aim to develop strategies to help Seoul become one of the world’

2026-08-14 12:46:57:00

Teacher investigated after filming noisy students

A contract middle school teacher in North Gyeongsang Province has been reported to police for alleged emotional abuse after filming students for several seconds to quiet a noisy classroom, prompting a teachers' union to call the response excessive. According to the North Gyeongsang Provincial Office of Education and Yonhap News Agency on Wednesday, a complaint was filed last month accusing the teacher of child abuse at a middle school in Yeongju. The teacher, identified only as A, reportedly use

2026-08-13 17:54:47:00

Frieze Seoul helped unite Korea's art scene. Now it's looking to Asia

Frieze House Seoul, Frieze's recently opened permanent gallery space in Jung-gu, serves as the art fair's year-round base in the city beyond its annual event. Ahead of the fifth edition of Frieze Seoul that kicks off on Sept. 2, it will host exhibitions presented by New York’s Paula Cooper Gallery and Japanese gallery Yumekoubou. The space recently concluded a relay exhibition series organized with Korean galleries. Patrick Lee, director of Frieze Seoul, wants the house to reflect Frieze's origi

2026-08-13 17:30:53:00

Seoul’s 120 hotline to offer hospital, bus info during holiday

Seoul's 120 Dasan Call Center will provide round-the-clock information on hospitals and pharmacies, public transportation and events at Han River parks during the Liberation Day holiday, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said Thursday. The service will operate throughout the three-day holiday from Saturday through Monday, with Monday designated as a substitute holiday. The city analyzed inquiries received during last year's Liberation Day holiday and identified medical services, transportation a

2026-08-13 13:21:47:00

Seoul to expand affordable youth housing provision

Seoul plans to expand affordable housing for young people through 2030 as intense competition and tighter lending rules make it harder for young residents to secure homes in the capital. As part of that effort, the city aims to increase its Youth Safe Housing program to 46,000 units by 2030, up from 33,621 completed as of the end of July. Mayor Oh Se-hoon outlined the plan Wednesday during a visit to the 605-unit Sageium Youth Safe Housing complex in Gaebong-dong, Guro-gu, where he met residents

2026-08-12 17:44:49:00