The 33-hour divide behind Seoul’s bus standoff

A 33-hour difference in a wage formula brought Seoul’s bus system back to the brink of a citywide shutdown, eight months after a 44-hour walkout left the same dispute unresolved. At issue is whether drivers’ ordinary hourly wages should be calculated using 176 or 209 working hours per month. The figure serves as the denominator, meaning the lower benchmark produces higher hourly pay and, in turn, higher overtime, night and holiday allowances. The dispute follows a December 2024 Supreme Court rul

2026-09-15 15:57:32:00

University council apologizes over early admissions application system outage

South Korea’s association of universities on Monday apologized over a system outage that disrupted applications for the 2027 early admissions cycle, pledging relief measures for affected applicants. Lee Ki-jeong, president of the Korean Council for University Education, said in a statement that he felt “a heavy sense of responsibility and deep regret” for the anxiety and confusion caused to students and parents at the final stage of the application process. “For applicants who were unable to com

2026-09-14 20:14:47:00

Korea’s answer to teen digital addiction? A ‘teen-only smartphone’

Education Minister Choi Kyo-jin said Monday he would put a dedicated ministry unit in charge of exploring a government-backed smartphone for teenagers, as concerns grow over digital addiction among children. “If necessary, I will designate a dedicated department within the Education Ministry to actively address the issue,” Choi said during an interpellation session at the National Assembly. “Public discussion is important. For our students to use such a device, there needs to be discussion among

2026-09-14 17:07:33:00

Court orders transparency over panel reviewing immigration detention

A Seoul court has struck down the Justice Ministry's refusal to disclose who sits on a panel that reviews the continued detention of foreign nationals, finding no sufficient legal basis for keeping the membership secret. The Seoul Administrative Court ruled in favor of four lawyers specializing in migrant rights who challenged the Immigration Detention Review Committee's decision to withhold the names of all its members, according to local daily Kyunghyang Shinmun. The committee was established

2026-09-14 14:12:19:00

Dignitaries highlight young speakers' role in future Korea-Australia ties

Four speakers at the 55th Korea Herald English Speech Contest on Friday struck a common theme in their congratulatory remarks: Communication across languages and cultures can connect people and nations, and the young contestants could one day help write the next chapter of Korea-Australia relations. The event, co-hosted by Herald Media Group, publisher of The Korea Herald, and the Australian Embassy in Seoul, brought together about 600 kindergarten and elementary school students with the aim of

2026-09-14 13:38:20:00

Korea Herald Speech Contest elevates celebration of Korea-Australia ties

Young speakers took the stage Friday to celebrate 65 years of friendship between Korea and Australia, as The Korea Herald’s longstanding English Speech Contest welcomed the Australian Embassy as a co-host for the first time. The contest’s 55th edition brought 109 kindergarten and elementary school finalists to the Kyobo Life Insurance headquarters in Jongno-gu, central Seoul, under the theme “The Herald of Heritage and Friendship: Young Voices Connecting Korea and Australia.” Organized by Herald

2026-09-14 10:58:39:00

Foreign students, trainees entering Korea surpass 500,000 for first time

The number of foreign nationals who entered South Korea for study or training surpassed 500,000 for the first time last year, according to data released Thursday. Of the 18.94 million foreign nationals who entered Korea last year, 505,410, or 2.7 percent, came for study or training, according to Korea Tourism Organization data obtained by Rep. Jin Sun-mee of the Democratic Party of Korea. Tourism accounted for the vast majority of arrivals, with 15.82 million visitors, or 83.5 percent, entering

2026-09-10 14:47:43:00

Korean language education expands in Uzbekistan with new Bukhara hub

Korean-language teacher training in Uzbekistan is expanding beyond the capital, with a new university department and training center opening in Bukhara as demand for Korean classes surges. The Bukhara State Pedagogical Institute has established a Korean language department, and the Tashkent Korean Education Center has opened a teacher training center on the institute’s campus, South Korea’s Education Ministry said Thursday. Located about 400 kilometers west of Tashkent, the Bukhara region had ju

2026-09-10 12:00:02:00

[단독] "무죄라서 집에 못간다"…검찰 항소에 발 묶인 美교환학생

급성 정신질환 증세로 23만원 상당의 절도·재물손괴 등을 저질렀다가 무죄를 선고받은 미국인 교환학생이 검찰의 항소로 한국을 떠나지 못하고 있다. 미국에서 받아야 할 정신과 치료도 미뤄지고 있다고 학생 측은 밝혔다. 20대 미국인 A씨는 D-2-6 교환학생 비자로 전북대학교에서 공부했다. 귀국을 앞둔 지난 6월 22일 서울에 머물던 그는 늦은 밤 급성 정신질환 증세를 보였다. A씨는 당시 한 치과에 들어가려다 미수에 그쳤고, 건물에 배달돼 있던 10만2400원 상당의 물품을 가져갔다. 건물 관리인의 안경도 파손했다. 안경 가격은 13만원으로, 전체 피해액은 23만2400원이었다. 검찰은 A씨를 건조물침입미수와 절도, 재물손괴 혐의로 기소하고 징역 2개월을 구형했다. 법원은 출국 우려가 있다는 이유로 구속영장을 발부했다. A씨 가족은 한국 당국으로부터 그가 구금됐다는 연락을 받지 못했다고 밝혔다. 아들이 예정된 날짜에 미국으로 돌아오지 않자 한국 경찰에 실종 신고를 했고, 그제야 구금

2026-09-09 16:56:25:00

Singapore civil service delegation visits Korea to study personnel policies, practices

SEJONG — A delegation of Singaporean civil service officials visited South Korea on Wednesday to learn about the country’s performance management, digital personnel systems and use of artificial intelligence in public administration, while exchanging views on working-level autonomy and accountability. The Ministry of Personnel Management said officials from Singapore’s Public Service Division under the Prime Minister’s Office visited the Government Complex Sejong to meet Personnel Management Min

2026-09-09 14:38:57:00