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9 Koreans missing in deadly Nepal floods; Seoul sends rapid response team

Nine Koreans remained missing after severe flooding struck Nepal’s north-central Himalayan region, where at least 160 people were killed and 403 others went missing, the Korean government said Thursday. An 11-member government rapid response team was set to depart Incheon International Airport at 11:30 a.m. to support search and rescue operations for the missing Koreans. The flooding struck the Rasuwa region on Wednesday, where employees of Korea South-East Power Co. and Doosan Enerbility were working on the construction of a hydroelectric power plant. The number of missing Koreans was initially reported as eight, but the Korean Embassy in Nepal later confirmed that another Korean hired locally by Doosan Enerbility had also lost contact, bringing the total to nine. Another 10 Korean employees of Doosan Enerbility were stranded in the affected area, along with about 200 Nepali and other foreign workers. The Seoul government, however, confirmed that they had taken shelter in a safe location and were awaiting rescue alongside a consular official dispatched to the scene. Nepalese authorities

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BreakingBOK raises benchmark rate to 3% as inflation woes persist

The Bank of Korea (BOK) on Thursday raised its benchmark interest rate by 0.25 percentage point to 3 percent, delivering a second consecutive hike as inflationary pressures persist amid Middle East uncertainties. The BOK also raised its 2026 growth forecast to 3.3 percent from the 2.6 percent projection announced in May, as robust semiconductor exports continued to support the economy. The central bank's Monetary Policy Board voted to raise the benchmark rate for a second straight meeting following its July hike. BOK Gov. Shin Hyun-song had previously signaled further tightening amid concerns over inflation, with stronger-than-expected economic growth strengthening the case for a rate hike. The preliminary data for second-quarter growth showed the economy expanded 0.6 percent, well above the BOK's 0.2 percent forecast issued in May. Core inflation rose 2.6 percent in July, marking its fastest increase since December 2023, when it stood at 2.8 percent.

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InterviewTrained to infiltrate N. Korea, then forgotten: Ex-agent recounts 3 secret years

In 1984, Ha Tae-jun, then 24, spotted a notice recruiting for a special unit at the Military Manpower Administration office in central Seoul's Yongsan District. The notice was scrawled on the wall in marker, with little explanation. Ha applied, and his life was changed forever — training as a South Korean operative for covert missions into North Korea. “About a month after submitting background check documents, they said I'd passed and told me to meet at a cafe near my house,” Ha, now 66 and president of the Association of Bereaved Families of Special Mission Agents, said in an interview with The Korea Times. At the time, he had no idea it would be three years before he saw home again. Taken to a safe house on Mount Cheonggye in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, he passed a fitness test and got into a car, believing it would take him home. Instead, the car took him to another safe house in Sokcho, Gangwon Province, operated by the Headquarters of Intelligence Detachment, a South Korean military unit that trained and dispatched agents on covert infiltration missions into North Korea. The n

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Samsung considers appealing UK ruling over Swatch watch face suit

Samsung Electronics said Thursday it is considering “all possible countermeasures, including an appeal” to a U.K. High Court’s decision to pay Swatch Group $11.6 million in damages for hosting smartwatch watch face designs that replicated the Swatch brands on its Galaxy app store. “We are carefully considering the High Court's judgment and will consider all possible countermeasures, including an appeal,” Samsung said in a statement. The High Court in London ruled Wednesday (local time) that Samsung should pay damages to the Swiss watchmaker as watch face apps developed by third parties have copied watch face designs of Swatch brands such as Breguet, Blancpain, Omega, Longines and Tissot. The ruling was for far less than the $170 million (235.7 billion won) in damages that Swatch Group initially sought, but far higher than Samsung’s claim that it gained only $300 by selling the watch face apps and that Swatch did not suffer any damage. According to local media reports, the court ruled that the majority of the damages were specifically for display infringement that harmed Swatc

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'Squid Game' director returns to big screen with sci-fi thriller 'K.O. Club'

Hwang Dong-hyuk, the director behind the global cultural phenomenon “Squid Game,” is making his long-awaited return to feature-length filmmaking with sci-fi thriller “K.O. Club.” Set in a dystopian near-future where the ultra-wealthy can purchase prolonged youth and biological vitality, the film plunges directly into a bitter, high-stakes generational war. The narrative pits an entrenched, elderly elite — who hoard immense wealth and institutional power while stubbornly refusing to step down — against a hopeless younger generation stripped of economic mobility, social security and basic future opportunities. The title “K.O. Club” stands ominously for Killing Oldmen Club,” laying bare the lethal resentments brewing beneath a deeply fractured, age-divided society. Marking Hwang’s first cinematic feature film in a decade following his acclaimed 2017 historical epic "The Fortress," the ambitious project reinforces his longstanding reputation for pairing sharp social critique with gripping, high-concept commercial storytelling. Having previously directed major Korean hit

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InterviewInside Korea's plan for AI-aided prisons

Korean prisons of the future will be equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) that can quickly identify warning signs of violence, self-harm and escape, as the Ministry of Justice moves to build a data-driven correctional management system. Lee Hong-yeon, chief of the Korea Correctional Service, described the project as a shift from a reactive model — responding after an incident occurs — to a preventive one backed by data analysis, which he believes will help the institution achieve its broader goals of preventing incidents, reducing reoffending and protecting prison staff. “AI correctional administration is not simply about introducing new technology,” Lee said in a recent written interview with The Korea Times. “It is a transition toward preventive and scientific methods that identify risks in advance and provide individualized correctional treatment and rehabilitation support suited to each inmate’s characteristics and needs.” Under the plan, AI tools would help staff spot changes in an inmate’s behavior, assess key risk factors and identify necessary interventions

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Chinese man admits to scattering murder victim's remains: police

A Chinese man accused of murdering a female Chinese graduate student has admitted to discarding parts of her remains not only in the southeastern city of Gyeongsan where her body was first found but also in northwestern Gyeonggi Province, police said Thursday. The 25-year-old victim was found dead at the suspect's residence in Gyeongsan on Tuesday after going missing for five days. Police apprehended the 30-something man, surnamed Jeong, the same day. During police questioning, the suspect admitted to murdering the victim and abandoning her mutilated body in Gyeongsan and in the Gyeonggi area, about 240 kilometers away, according to the Gyeongsan Police Station. Police investigators have been dispatched to search for the victim's remains at the site identified by Jeong. Given the brutal nature of the crime, the police are considering administering a psychopathy evaluation on Jeong. Jeong appeared at the Daegu District Court under police escort earlier in the day for his formal arrest warrant hearing.

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AMCHAM, Speak highlight AI's role in developing global workforce

The American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM), in partnership with Speakeasy Labs, developer of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered language learning platform Speak, hosted a forum Wednesday on how AI can help companies build a globally competitive workforce. The event, titled “The New Workforce: How AI Is Powering the Next Generation of Global Talent,” brought together senior executives, human resources leaders and business decision-makers to discuss how AI is reshaping talent development, workplace communication and cross-border collaboration. The speakers emphasized effective communication, AI literacy and cross-cultural collaboration as key to sustainable global growth as Korean companies expand overseas. Kwon Oh-hyung, AMCHAM vice chairman and senior vice president and president of Asia-Pacific at Qualcomm Technologies, and Connor Zwick, co-founder and CEO of Speakeasy Labs, delivered opening remarks. “Technology alone does not drive transformation. Its real value emerges when people have the skills and confidence to put it to work,” Kwon said, stressing the need for K

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LG Innotek supplies camera modules for Zoox robotaxis

LG Innotek has begun supplying automotive camera modules to Amazon-backed autonomous vehicle company Zoox for its purpose-built robotaxis, the Korean electronics parts maker said Thursday. The agreement expands the companies’ multiyear partnership and strengthens LG Innotek’s role as a key perception hardware supplier for Zoox. LG Innotek’s high-resolution automotive cameras are being integrated into Zoox’s sensor suite to provide overlapping fields of view and 360-degree coverage for autonomous driving. The modules leverage the Korean company’s optical design technology, developed through its extensive experience in smartphone camera modules. Designed to withstand prolonged exposure to harsh weather, the waterproof camera modules deliver reliable sensing and consistent performance under extreme environmental conditions, LG Innotek said. Each Zoox robotaxi is equipped with more than twice as many cameras as a conventional vehicle. The LG Innotek cameras offer five different fields of view depending on their mounting positions, enabling omnidirectional sensing of the vehicle’s

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Caregiving crisis: Who are aging parents most likely to rely on?

Click here for more articles by Kormedi.com. Older Koreans have generally shown reluctance toward institutional care. During the COVID-19 pandemic, nursing facilities accounted for a significant share of deaths, further heightening concerns about institutional care. Family members often take on the role of caregiver. In a latest survey, 73.5 percent of centenarians selected their children or spouses as the people they would prefer to care for them. Respondents could choose multiple answers. Some 35.6 percent said they would use a paid caregiver. In the past, daughters-in-law often cared for sick parents-in-law. That tradition, however, is steadily disappearing as fewer families live in three-generation households, while dual-income families have become the norm. Many older people also prefer to be cared for by their daughters or sons, with whom they may feel more comfortable. At the same time, an increasing number of elderly couples are caring for each other — a phenomenon often referred to as "elderly caring for the elderly." Spouses may continue to care for a partner even while suffer

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InterviewPace Gallery Seoul's head works to build lasting place for Korean art

For the first two years after joining Pace Gallery, Lee Young-joo found herself constantly shuttling between Seoul and Hong Kong. In 2015, the blue-chip New York gallery was looking toward Hong Kong, not Seoul. The Asian art market was expanding rapidly and the world’s major dealers were following the money into China and Hong Kong. Lee was brought in as a senior director to help with Pace’s growing Hong Kong operation, where she watched the city’s art world gradually transform. But what she saw made her think about her home country. “Dealers and artists from around the world were coming together in Hong Kong, and I was able to watch firsthand how that complex ecosystem grew and was absorbed back into the local market,” she said. “I kept thinking that I wanted to see something like that happen in Korea, too.” Korean collectors were already traveling to Hong Kong to attend fairs and buy art. To Lee, that suggested something the international galleries had yet to fully recognize: Korea did not lack a market. Its infrastructure simply had not caught up with its growing appetite

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Jeju police chief apologizes over mishandling of missing person cases

The chief of the Jeju Provincial Police Agency issued a public apology Thursday for the police's mishandling of missing person cases, which recently came to light following the deaths of two individuals on the southern resort island. "I sincerely apologize to the two individuals who were unable to reunite with their families and to their bereaved families," Ko Pyeong-ki said during a command meeting at the agency. "I feel a profound sense of responsibility as the police chief in charge of public safety on Jeju." The apology followed the booking of a police officer 13 days ago on suspicion of prematurely closing the case of 37-year-old Jang Mi-ran who was found dead Monday, more than three months after she was first reported missing. The officer is also suspected of mishandling the case of a man in his 60s, who was found dead Saturday. During the meeting, Ko pledged to thoroughly investigate the cases to leave no suspicions unresolved and to fully disclose the results. He also promised a comprehensive reinvestigation of all missing person cases on Jeju, as well as the establishment of mul

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Intralink Korea GM sees new era of UK-Korea tech collaboration

U.K.-Korea business ties are moving beyond traditional trade and investment toward deeper cooperation in advanced technologies, from artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing to semiconductors, batteries and biotechnology, according to the Korea head of business consultancy Intralink. Kim Na-rai, managing director of Intralink Korea, said the complementary strengths of the two countries could create new opportunities as Korean companies increasingly seek cutting-edge technologies and partnerships overseas. “The biggest opportunity lies in how fast Korean conglomerates are seeking external technologies and fresh ideas,” Kim said in a recent written interview with The Korea Times. The U.K.-headquartered consultancy firm, which has operated in Korea since 2009, helps overseas tech companies enter the domestic market through local business development and partnerships. The company won the U.K.-Korea Trade Award at the British Chamber of Commerce in Korea’s (BCCK) 2026 Business Awards in June for helping British tech companies navigate the Korean market and secure deals worth m

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Finance minister vows to expand trade network, review possible CPTPP membership

Korea's finance ministry vowed to make efforts to bolster the country's multilateral trade network, noting the government will begin gathering public opinion on possible membership in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol made the remark during a meeting on external economic affairs with related ministers, stressing the need to enhance ties with like-minded nations to stabilize supply chains. "We will review whether to seek membership by closely examining what tangible benefits to the national interest and people's livelihoods can be made from membership," Koo said in opening remarks. "(As joining the CPTPP leads to) a high level of market opening, we will thoroughly analyze its economic effects and impact on different industries from an objective perspective and present the results to the public," Koo added. The CPTPP is a multilateral trade pact led by Japan that currently includes 12 members, including Australia, Canada, Mexico and Britain. Koo said the government will particularly examine the potential impact

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Korea's Supreme Court seeks damages against pro-Yoon courthouse rioters

The Korean Supreme Court filed a civil lawsuit seeking 1.2 billion won ($795,000) in damages against people involved in last year’s courthouse riot linked to former President Yoon Suk Yeol, marking a rare case of the judiciary taking legal action against private individuals. The National Court Administration (NCA), a Supreme Court unit responsible for overseeing the judiciary’s administrative affairs, said Wednesday it filed a damages lawsuit with the Seoul Central District Court against five people convicted over their involvement in the Seoul Western District Court riot, seeking 1.18 billion won in repair costs for property damage, along with interest for delayed payment. The "Republic of Korea" is listed as the plaintiff in the lawsuit. “The riot constitutes a collective act of violence and destruction against a courthouse, where the country’s judicial functions are carried out,” the NCA said. “It was a serious illegal act that severely undermined the court’s function and authority, and it is necessary to hold those who participated in the riot strictly accountable und

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Do Ho Suh returns to Seoul with exhibition beyond fabric walls

Do Ho Suh’s translucent fabric houses have long made him one of the most globally recognizable Korean contemporary artists. But an upcoming exhibition at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA) Seoul seeks to move beyond the familiar fabric forms to bring together the 64-year-old artist’s childhood drawings and thread paintings with recent works shaped by fatherhood. “Do Ho Suh,” opening Thursday and running through Feb. 9, 2027, explores more than 500 works including installations, sculptures, drawings, videos and archival materials. “The MMCA exhibition shows everything from drawings I made in kindergarten to my very latest works,” Suh said during a press event in Seoul, Wednesday. The exhibition was initially conceived as a retrospective, he said, but the museum and the artist quickly concluded that format would not work for a practice containing large-scale, site-specific and permanently installed works that cannot be transported to the museum. Instead, the exhibit refocused on his early works — many of which have rarely or never been shown in K

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Editor's Pick

[COVER STORY] Korean companies offer job opportunities to USFK veterans

COVER STORY Korean companies offer job opportunities to USFK veterans

As Korean companies expand their footprint across the United States, securing qualified local workers has emerged as one of their biggest challenges. In an effort to help resolve this problem, a new recruitment platform is looking to a promising pool of candidates: former U.S. service members who have spent time in Korea. The USFK Job Platform, run by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) in partnership with the Korea-U.S. Alliance Foundation, connects Korean companies operating in the U.S. with former and soon-to-retire U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) personnel. Seoul Chamber of Commerce and Industry Vice Chairman Lee Hyung-hee, who led the initiative, said the idea grew out of a practical problem facing Korean businesses investing in the U.S. “In recent years, the number of Korean companies expanding into the U.S. has increased significantly and demand for local workers has risen rapidly, particularly in advanced industries such as semiconductors and batteries,” Lee told The Korea Times. “But one of the biggest difficulties these companies face is securing local workers.”

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Life in Korea

Seoul to crack down on overpriced hotel rates ahead of major fireworks festival

Seoul to crack down on overpriced hotel rates ahead of major fireworks festival

Seoul plans to inspect hotels near Yeouido ahead of the Seoul International Fireworks Festival, targeting excessive room rates and cancellations that could leave visitors stranded as more than 1 million people are expected to attend. The city government and the Yeongdeungpo, Mapo and Yongsan district offices will conduct joint inspections from Sept. 1-3, focusing on hotels with views of the Sept. 5 festival. Officials will check whether hotels are complying with requirements to display room rates, including a rule that took effect July 14 requiring prices to be posted on online booking interfaces as well as at reception desks. Under the revised regulation, a first violation of the rate-posting requirement can now result in a five-day suspension of business, replacing the previous penalties of a warning or an order to make improvements. The city said inspectors will take administrative action when violations are found, with district health departments participating because they have authority over administrative penalties under public health regulations. Seoul will also monitor room rates

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Lifestyle

Art market seeks to launch Korean performances worldwide

Korean performers are set to take their work to the world stage this fall as the 2026 Performing Arts Market in Seoul (PAMS) opens with a program to turn artistic exchanges into global tours, coproductions and international projects. The four-day market will run from Oct. 13–16 across major venues including the National Theater of Korea and the ARKO Arts Theater & Daehakro Arts Theater, according to event organizers. Now in its 22nd year, PAMS will highlight nine works under its flagship PAMS Choice program, along with five full-length productions presented through a new partnership with the Seoul Performing Arts Festival. The slate features a rich mix of pansori (traditional Korean narrative singing), contemporary dance, ballet, sound art and immersive theater to showcase the creative diversity of Korean organizers and to assist in exporting Korean cultural performances worldwide. The market will also expand PAMS Salon, a thought-leadership forum addressing key industry topics like sustainability, urban theater spaces and emerging global performance trends. A newly introduced initiativ

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Art market seeks to launch Korean performances worldwide

K-Culture

Celebrities

K-pop group RESCENE propels Narangd Cider sales up 48%

In the hyper-competitive market for zero-calorie beverages, companies have long sought the elusive formula that turns casual drinkers into brand devotees. Dong-A Otsuka, one of Korea’s prominent beverage manufacturers, appears to have found it in the rising trajectories of a young K-pop group. Dong-A Otsuka said Monday that sales of Narangd Cider Zero, its flagship zero-calorie carbonated soft drink, jumped 48 percent over a one-month period after the company appointed the rising K-pop quintet RESCENE as brand ambassadors. The increase — tracked from July 21 through Aug. 21 compared to the same period last year — was measured across major online retailers, Dong-A Otsuka’s direct-to-consumer digital storefront and ubiquitous convenience stores across Korea. Marketing experts point to the alignment of image and audience. RESCENE, a five-member act that debuted in early 2024, has rapidly cultivated a devoted following with a brand persona centered on authenticity and unvarnished appeal. That image appears to have resonated with health-conscious younger consumers who dominate the ze

2 MIN READ
K-pop group RESCENE propels Narangd Cider sales up 48%

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Opinion

Top 10 Stories

  1. BreakingBOK raises benchmark rate to 3% as inflation woes persist

  2. Seoul to crack down on overpriced hotel rates ahead of major fireworks festival

  3. Police say missing woman on Jeju likely died soon after disappearing

  4. Caregiving crisis: Who are aging parents most likely to rely on?

  5. InterviewTrained to infiltrate N. Korea, then forgotten: Ex-agent recounts 3 secret years

  6. ED $12.3 million in Korean taxpayers' money wasted on Stanford Center Korea

  7. COVER STORY Korean companies offer job opportunities to USFK veterans

  8. State Dept. reaffirms US commitment to 'complete' denuclearization of N. Korea

  9. 9 Koreans missing in Nepal floods; 10 others confirmed safe

  10. Prince Harry and wife Meghan arrive in UK as they make fresh start in Britain

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