Special forces cast early votes from the field

South Korean special troops deployed overseas are casting early ballots this week in the lead-up to the country’s June 3 presidential election according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the country’s top military command responsible for overseeing all armed forces operations. The overseas voting period, which runs from May 20 to 25, is being conducted at military bases and diplomatic missions to ensure service members can participate despite being stationed abroad. Among the participating units is

May 23, 2025

On Election Day, should deliveries stop? Delivery workers call for 'no parcel day’ designation

As South Korea prepares for an early presidential election on June 3, labor groups and civic organizations are raising the alarm that thousands of parcel delivery workers may not be able to vote at all. In Korea, most delivery workers are not classified as employees, but as “specially employed” contractors. That means they are excluded from protections under the Labor Standards Act, including the right to a paid holiday on Election Day. Although the government has designated June 3 as an officia

May 22, 2025

Who hacked S. Korea’s largest telecom, and why? Growing concerns the SKT data breach wasn’t just about money

Nearly three years before South Korea's largest telecom provider knew anything was wrong, hackers had already broken into SK Telecom’s internal systems. This detail emerged from a briefing this Monday by the government’s public-private joint investigation team, which is probing one of the country’s most serious cybersecurity breaches in recent memory. The attackers first embedded malware on June 15, 2022, according to the investigation. That software remained hidden until last month, when over 9

May 21, 2025

For 15 years, Apple’s Find My app didn’t work in South Korea. This guy changed that

Apple is not the type of company that explains itself. It doesn’t respond to petitions. And it almost never makes country-specific feature changes, especially not for one person. Except in South Korea, where that’s exactly what happened recently. For over 15 years, one of Apple’s most critical device-tracking features, called Find My, was quietly and almost entirely disabled in South Korea. Millions of Korean users owned iPhones, AirPods and AirTags that were, in practice, untrackable if lost or

May 21, 2025

Seoul may roll back car-free zone on Cheonggyecheon road as businesses push back

Seoul is considering ending weekend car restrictions on a central stretch of the Cheonggyecheon road, which runs along both sides of the city's iconic urban stream, after business owners in the area raised concerns about falling sales. Cheonggyecheon, an artificially restored stream running through central Seoul, draws both locals and tourists for its scenic walkway, historical bridges, and proximity to major shopping and business districts. City officials confirmed this week that they’ve asked

May 20, 2025

With about 2 weeks left, Korean voters use YouTube to 'feel out' candidates

After months of political upheaval, from last December’s martial law crisis to President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment this April, South Korea has entered a full-blown election sprint. In an early presidential race few saw coming until late last year, candidates and voters alike are navigating a compressed, high-stakes campaign ahead of the June 3 vote. Amid this rush, voters across the country are increasingly turning to YouTube for candid, unfiltered glimpses into the personalities, values and a

May 20, 2025

Loneliness hits 62% of solo households in Seoul, city steps up care programs

More than 6 in 10 people living alone in Seoul say they often feel lonely, and over 1 in 8 report having no one to turn to in times of real need, according to a city-backed study. A survey of 3,000 single-person households by the Seoul Institute, a think tank funded by the city, found that 62.1 percent of respondents experience persistent loneliness. Another 13.6 percent fall into what researchers classify as social isolation: individuals with no support network when they are emotionally distres

May 19, 2025

Access to breakthrough medicines in South Korea among slowest globally, industry report reveals

New medicines may be hitting global markets at record speed, but for South Korean patients, they remain largely out of reach, often for years after their initial approval overseas. According to a 2025 report by the Korea Research-based Pharmaceutical Industry Association, only 5 percent of new drugs launched globally are available in South Korea within the first year. That’s far below the OECD average of 18 percent, and significantly behind Japan’s 32 percent. Delays are compounded after approva

May 18, 2025

Theft declining at CCTV-covered businesses, but petty crimes persist, reports top Korean vendor

Theft cases at commercial properties in South Korea have dropped by a third in just three years, thanks largely to smarter security systems and the growing reach of surveillance cameras. But unattended stores are still being targeted, especially at night. S-1 Corporation, South Korea’s largest private security firm and CCTV vendor, reported Sunday that theft-related crimes at its client sites fell by approximately 33 percent from 2022 to 2024. The company analyzed internal data from thousands of

May 18, 2025

Why Google Maps is still broken in South Korea: It might not be about national security anymore

It’s 2025, and if you try to get walking directions in Seoul using Google Maps, you will still run into the same dead end: the "Can't find a way there" screen. For many tourists, it’s both frustrating and baffling. Google Maps offers turn-by-turn walking directions in cities as far-flung as Pyongyang, the capital of the hermit kingdom of North Korea — yet, in Seoul, one of the most digitally advanced cities in the world, it can’t guide you from your hotel to the nearest subway station? For almos

May 17, 2025