Police raid Transport Ministry, Korea Airports Corp. over Jeju Air crash

Police investigating the deadly 2024 Jeju Air crash at Muan International Airport raided the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Korea Airports Corp. and the Busan Regional Office of Aviation on Tuesday. Authorities said the probe was aimed at securing additional evidence related to suspected negligence leading to death or injury surrounding the airport's concrete localizer structure. All three agencies had been raided before. The Busan Regional Office of Aviation was searched in Feb

2026-08-11 13:42:53:00

New KAIST president sets out vision for ‘AI-native’ university

DAEJEON — Bae Choong-sik was inaugurated Monday as the 18th president of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. With him come plans to remodel the university for the AI era. Rather than treating artificial intelligence as a specialized field, Bae said KAIST would seek to make it a common language and general-purpose tool across disciplines. From AI-powered classrooms and autonomous laboratories to research in robotics and other forms of physical AI, the vision seeks to change h

2026-08-10 14:03:28:00

Daughters of first, last Dokdo residents clash over claims to live on islets, fathers’ legacies

The daughters of Dokdo’s first and last registered civilian residents have been locked in a yearslong dispute over who should be allowed to live on the islets next and how their fathers’ contributions to Dokdo should be remembered, according to the Ulleung County Office on Sunday. Dokdo has had no permanent resident since Kim Shin-yeol, its last registered resident, died in March. The island county of Ulleung-gun, which has jurisdiction over Dokdo, has been rejecting Kim's daughter's requests to

2026-08-09 17:08:26:00

Teen stabbed while rescuing Jang Yoon-gi victim receives state honor

The high school student who was injured while trying to save the victim of a knife attack has officially been recognized as a “person wounded or killed for a righteous cause,” according to Welfare Ministry documents released Sunday. The 17-year-old student surnamed Go received the designation following a ministry committee review on July 24, according to documents obtained by Democratic Party of Korea Rep. Kwon Chil-seung. During the May 5 attack on the murder victim, Lee Chae-won, Go rushed to

2026-08-09 14:04:51:00

Love on hold: Why young East Asians are turning away from dating

Jeong Min-gi, a 25-year-old preparing for the state examination to become a teacher, has not actively sought a relationship for the past few years. Friends and acquaintances have tried to set him up on blind dates several times, but he has turned them all down. “I don’t feel ready for a relationship,” Jeong said. “I think many people around me feel the same way. They are either too busy to date or are content living on their own.” Jeong said his sister has also chosen not to pursue romantic rela

2026-08-09 11:45:24:00

Govt. weighs tuition-free education at regional national universities

South Korea is considering offering tuition-free education to all incoming students at national universities outside the Seoul metropolitan area from as early as next year, in a major push to keep young people and talent in the regions. The proposed “regional balance scholarship” would initially cover about 60,000 first-year students at 30 national universities, regardless of household income. The Education Ministry said Thursday that it is reviewing the plan after presenting it during a preside

2026-08-06 15:07:01:00

Longer lunches, more breaks as Korea’s workplaces battle heat

South Korean companies are extending rest periods, reshaping work schedules and expanding access to cooling equipment, as record heat raises the risk of workplace injuries. But the measures also reveal a divide between large employers able to invest in protection and workers at smaller and outdoor worksites who remain exposed. The response comes as temperatures reach unprecedented levels across the country. Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, recorded a national high of 42.5 degrees Celsius, whi

2026-08-06 15:06:48:00

Suneung could get essays, absolute grading in AI era

South Korea is considering major changes to the College Scholastic Ability Test, commonly known as Suneung, amid concerns that the college entrance exam is ill-suited to the age of artificial intelligence. The National Education Commission, a presidential advisory and policymaking body on long-term education issues, said the proposals were under review. “After 32 years of administering the Suneung, we are reaching the limits of producing valid new questions while avoiding those used in previous

2026-08-05 17:09:32:00

Sookmyung trains 110 Southeast Asian women in digital skills, entrepreneurship

Sookmyung Women’s University said Wednesday it provided practical training in digital skills, employment and entrepreneurship to 110 female students from partner universities in Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. The university’s Asia Pacific Women’s Information Network Center ran the 2026 Women in Digital & Entrepreneurship program in June and July. WiDE is part of UNESCO’s University Twinning and Networking initiative and the South Korean Education Ministry’s official development assistance program.

2026-08-05 15:41:36:00

19 arrested in Korea-Kazakhstan raid on Korean scam ring

South Korean authorities have dismantled a Korean-run scam operation in Almaty, Kazakhstan, arresting 19 suspected members in cooperation with local authorities, the Korean National Police Agency said Wednesday. It marked the country’s first crackdown on a Korean scam syndicate operating in Central Asia. Kazakh authorities, working with Korea’s interagency Transnational Crime Special Response Task Force, raided the ring’s scam office and safe houses in Almaty, arresting 14 South Korean nationals

2026-08-05 14:36:32:00