Older workers overtake young employees at top companies

Older workers now make up a larger share of employees at South Korea’s biggest companies than those aged 30 or younger, as new hiring has fallen sharply over the past two years, a report showed Tuesday. A total of 92,680 employees were newly hired by 132 of the country’s top 500 companies by revenue in 2025, down 15.3 percent from 109,456 in 2023, according to Leaders Index, a local corporate tracker. The number of employees at the companies edged up from 1.259 million in 2023 to 1.262 million i

2026-08-18 14:51:58:00

Can I bring my medication into Korea?

Bringing medication into South Korea may seem straightforward, particularly if it is something you have been prescribed or can easily buy in your home country. But some medications that are legal overseas are tightly regulated in Korea, while others may require a prescription, supporting documents or prior government approval before they can be brought into the country. Korea has strict regulations not only on illegal drugs, but also on state-approved medications containing controlled substances

2026-08-18 13:52:51:00

Court cuts legal fees for family in 2021 Incheon stabbing case

A South Korean court has reduced legal fees for a family seeking to appeal a 2021 Incheon stabbing case in which two police officers were accused of leaving the victims defenseless. The Incheon District Court partially granted the family's request for litigation aid, reducing the amount they must pay for the appellate trial from about 6 million won to 700,000 won ($4,300 to $490). The family was awarded 350 million won in compensation from the state and the defendants in a June 19 first-instance

2026-08-18 13:46:37:00

Growing number of gov't organizations hit by personal info leak: report

Data leaks regarding personal information occurred at 164 public institutions in the first half of this year, marking a consistent increase since 2021, according to data from the Personal Information Protection Commission on Sunday. The number of state-run institutes hit by personal information leaks has been rising every year from 22 in 2021, to 23 in 2023, 41 in 2023, 104 in 2024, and 128 in 2025, according to a report by Rep. Song Eon-seok of the main opposition People Power Party based on th

2026-08-16 16:31:41:00

Heavy rain to continue in southern region until Monday

The heavy rain in the southern part of South Korea was expected to continue until Monday, as showers fell on most of the country Sunday. Precipitations of at least 100 milliliters were expected across several parts of the Gyeongsang and Jeolla regions, as heavy rainfall of 30-50 milliliters fell on central and southern coastal areas of the South Jeolla region. Rain will let up in most parts of the central region Sunday afternoon, but showers are forecast for other regions at least until Monday m

2026-08-16 13:33:24:00

NK's Kim expects "excellent future" with Russia

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has told Russian President Vladimir Putin that he expects "more excellent future" between the two countries, according to the North's state-run Korean Central News Agency on Sunday. The news comes a few hours after US President Donald Trump posted a 2019 photo of him and Kim, claiming an amicable relationship between the two. Kim called Putin a friend and said he was "proud to be able to expect more excellent future in the bilateral relations" between Pyongyang an

2026-08-16 11:15:40:00

Korean baseball legend Baek In-chun in critical condition

Baek In-chun, the only player ever to hit .400 in the South Korean professional league, is in critical condition as of Friday afternoon. The former player and manager suffered cardiac arrest and was pronounced dead in the morning and was reported as such. But his pulse returned as medical staff moved him to Dankook University Hospital in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, in preparation for his funeral. The Korea Baseball Organization had initially planned to hold a funeral for him at the hosp

2026-08-14 17:45:53:00

Defendants in 'elite school drug case' walk free due to legal issues

The Supreme Court on Thursday confirmed the earlier dismissal of an indictment against two defendants in a drug trial, ruling it invalid due to unlawful legal process. A college student surnamed Bae (23) and a doctor surnamed Lee (36) were convicted of violating the Narcotics Controls Act in the first-instance ruling in December 2024. The two are believed to have bought illegal substances from a drug ring called "kkanbu." Many of the kkanbu's members were attending prestigious universities in th

2026-08-14 14:47:58:00

Former national soccer team coach denies talking to ex-KFA chief during his appointment

Hong Myung-bo, former head coach of the South Korean men's national soccer team, reportedly said he did not have direct communication with former Korea Football Association chief Chung Mong-gyu during his appointment in 2024. According to local news agency Yonhap News, Hong testified to police that he did not communicate with Chung during his controversial hiring process. The Seoul Metropolitan Agency is currently investigating whether Chung and the KFA leadership interfered in Hong's appointmen

2026-08-14 13:49:16:00

Less than 1% beneficiaries of state elder care are foreign nationals

South Korea is rapidly becoming a ethnically diverse country, with more 5 percent of the population being categorized as foreign residents, but government data showed Friday that only 4,790 foreign nationals were recieving benefits from the state-funded insurance system for the elderly. Of 1.16 million beneficiaries of the long-term care insurance as of December, 2024, just 0.4 percent were foreign nationals, according to a report by the Health Insurance Research Institute. This is despite immig

2026-08-14 11:10:45:00