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Samsung Electronics 1st Korean firm to top W100 tril. in quarterly operating profit

Samsung Electronics on Thursday estimated 107.4 trillion won ($80.28 billion) in operating profit for the third quarter, becoming the first Korean company to surpass 100 trillion won in quarterly operating profit. In a regulatory filing, the company said its third-quarter operating profit and revenue are each estimated at 107.4 trillion won and 195 trillion won. If the figures are finalized when the company announces its full earnings results later this month, they would represent year-on-year increases of 782.5 percent in operating profit and 126.6 percent in sales. The operating profit surpassed brokerages’ consensus estimate of 106.64 trillion won, though sales fell slightly short of the 200.64 trillion won forecast. The earnings are particularly significant as they exceeded expectations despite concerns that the Korean won's sharp appreciation against the U.S. dollar from the previous quarter would weigh on profitability. Samsung Electronics does not provide earnings estimates by business division in its preliminary guidance, but memory chips are widely seen as the main driver behi

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6 dots that opened a world: Korean braille turns 100

INCHEON — An elephant without a trunk invites visitors to learn with their hands before their eyes at an exhibition marking 100 years of Korean braille. Artist Oum Jeong-soon’s “Elephant Without a Trunk no. 7” opens “From Dots to the World: 100 Years of Korean Braille” at the National Museum of World Writing Systems, challenging the convention that museum objects are for looking at, not touching. “We kept explanations to a minimum so visitors could experience the exhibition through touch,“ curator Gu Dan-bi said during a press preview, Tuesday. The approach introduces its central message of “a world everyone can read together.” Jointly organized with the National Hangeul Museum and Songam Braille Library, the exhibition celebrates and seeks to raise awareness of the Korean braille system's 100th anniversary. The story began in France. Valentin Hauy’s 1786 “Essay on the Education of the Blind,” currently on loan for the exhibit from the National Library of France, argues for educating blind people through raised characters. Tactile replicas of the book allow visi

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InterviewDigital assets gain ground, but risk assessment remains key: Moody's Ratings

As digital assets become more deeply integrated into traditional finance, they may change how money and securities are issued, traded and managed — but not the need to understand risk. For Moody's Ratings, that means preparing for a market in which tokenized assets become increasingly common while ensuring that investors can assess them on a basis comparable with traditional securities. "We do think that there's going to be increasing investor interest in digital assets, and investors still need an assessment for risk," said Gene Fang, executive director in Moody’s Ratings' sovereign and sub-sovereign ratings group in Asia. Gene also leads the company's digital economy strategy in Asia. He recently sat down with The Korea Times on the sidelines of Korea Blockchain Week 2026. From January 2018 to Feb. 2, Moody's Ratings has already rated more than 45 digital issuances globally, including digital bonds and tokenized funds, worth over $6.9 billion. While early transactions were still experimental pilot stages, momentum has accelerated particularly over the past two years, Fang said, with

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Chinese-speaking hacker possibly linked to AI-driven attacks on S. Korean banks: report

U.S. cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike said an unidentified hacker believed to be a Chinese speaker used artificial intelligence (AI)-powered hacking tools to breach multiple Korean financial institutions and steal data. In a report released Wednesday (U.S. time), CrowdStrike said the attacker used ARTEX, an open-source AI-powered penetration-testing tool developed in China, alongside large language models (LLMs) to carry out cyberattacks between late September and early October. The findings come amid a series of data breaches at Korean financial institutions, including Hana Bank, KB Kookmin Bank and Shinhan Bank, prompting financial authorities and investigators to launch probes into the incidents. According to CrowdStrike, the compromised systems included a bank's loan inquiry service used by financial brokers and another bank's mobile work-support system for employees. "While this activity has not been attributed to a named adversary, the threat actor is likely a Chinese speaker and financially motivated," CrowdStrike said in the report. "This assessment is made with moderate confidence

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New major crimes unit, police likely to face friction over unclear jurisdiction

The freshly launched agency dedicated to investigating "major crimes" may be headed for a turf war with the police due to a still unclear line between their jurisdictions, observers said Thursday. The new Serious Crime Investigation Agency (SCIA) set sail at the start of this month under a recent revision to the Criminal Procedure Act that effectively dismantled the previous prosecution system, leaving the prosecution with only the right to indict and maintain indictments against criminals. The right to investigate has been split between the SCIA and the police, with the SCIA tasked with investigating seven major crimes. The revision defines such crimes as those related to corruption, business and economy, defense procurement, narcotics, national security, cybercrimes and distortion of the law, but there still exists ambiguity, such as what constitutes a "major" crime or should the SCIA be required, if not allowed, to investigate what may be considered petty crimes if related to corruption, narcotics or any other crimes stated in the law. Also, the police, which have already been investi

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COVER STORY Nuri rocket successfully completes 5th flight

Korea’s domestically-developed Nuri rocket successfully carried out its mission in its fifth launch Wednesday, sequentially deploying 14 out of the 15 satellites it carried into their target orbit. The key objective of the fifth launch was to safely deploy the five microsatellite constellations, and its success has demonstrated Korea's increased multisatellite launch capabilities, taking another step toward privately-led commercial launch services. The rocket lifted off from the launchpad at the Naro Space Center in Goheung, Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City, at 12:25 p.m. and completed its roughly 20-minute flight at around 12:45 p.m. The rocket separated its first stage about two minutes after liftoff, followed by the second stage about four and a half minutes into the flight. At around 12:40 p.m., it reached an altitude of 570 kilometers and completed the sequential deployment of five New-space Earth Observation Satellite Constellation for National Safety (NEONSAT) microsatellites (satellites No. 2 to 6), its primary payload, along with nine of the 10 CubeSats it carried. In

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Seoul shares turn lower after opening up amid inflation worries

Seoul shares turned lower after opening up Thursday, largely due to inflation worries stoked by elevated oil prices. After opening 0.07 percent higher, the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) lost ground, trading down 53.32 points, or 0.78 percent, to 6,750.58 as of 9:15 a.m. Overnight, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.66 percent, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite declined 0.22 percent. Investors remain wary as higher oil prices are adding to inflationary pressures, and the U.S. Federal Reserve has signaled it may need to raise rates this year to tame inflation. In Seoul, large-cap stocks were mixed. Market behemoth Samsung Electronics fell 0.19 percent, and top carmaker Hyundai Motor declined 2.53 percent. Defense giant Hanwha Aerospace dropped 3.5 percent, and shipping firm HMM shed 2.34 percent. Among gainers, chip giant SK hynix rose 0.75 percent, and battery maker Samsung SDI climbed 3.2 percent. The Korean won was trading at 1,337.80 won against the U.S. dollar, up 1.2 won from the close of the previous stock trading session.

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Cornell gang-rape accuser was 'misled' about criminal investigation, her lawyer says

ITHACA, N.Y. — The woman accusing several men of raping her at a Cornell University fraternity party was “misled” about the status of the criminal investigation in the weeks after she went to police, her lawyer said Wednesday. Even as she took her allegations about a 2024 gang rape at the Chi Phi fraternity house through Cornell's internal disciplinary process, the university's police department gave her the impression that a criminal investigation was continuing, lawyer Thomas Giuffra told The Associated Press. In fact, the criminal inquiry ended almost as soon as it began. Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten, the local prosecutor, made the decision not to go forward with a criminal case within days of the woman giving her first substantial interviews to police. Van Houten has said that he asked Cornell's police department to convey the decision to the woman, who is referred to in court documents as Jane Doe, but never spoke personally to her or her lawyer. Giuffra said the woman was told that the criminal investigation was ongoing. “I think she was misled. She wa

4 MIN READ
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Cheong Wa Dae denies Ukraine claim that Korea supplied fuel to Russia

Cheong Wa Dae on Wednesday denied accusations by a Ukrainian official that Korea supplied fuel to Russia in spite of its sanctions on Moscow. The response from presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung came a day after Vladyslav Vlasiuk, an adviser to the Ukrainian president on sanctions policy, cited a story in British newspaper The Guardian that over 176,000 tons of fuel were shipped from Korea to Russia via sanctioned tankers in July and August. Vlasiuk wrote on his Facebook page that the alleged findings run counter to Korea's sanctions policy toward Russia and accused Seoul of helping offset Russia's fuel shortages amid the war with Ukraine. "Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, our government has consistently implemented sanctions and export controls against Russia in close cooperation with the international community," Kang said in a written briefing, noting the government had made that position clear in response to The Guardian article. "That a Ukrainian presidential official cited a Guardian article to publicly portray Korea as helping ease Russia's fuel crisis and loss of refining

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Vance points to S. Korea's 'political dynamics' amid uncertainty over Alaska LNG project

WASHINGTON — U.S. Vice President JD Vance has pointed to "political dynamics" in South Korea amid uncertainty over Seoul's participation in a proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in Alaska, according to a U.S. media report Wednesday. "I think you have some political dynamics, frankly, in South Korea, but we're going to get this done, whether the current government or the next government in South Korea, or frankly, whether we have to work with the Japanese and other nations, to get it done," Vance told Alaska's News Source in an interview on Tuesday while traveling the state. Vance did not elaborate on what he meant by "political dynamics" in South Korea. "People are desperate for the gas that comes out of the state. It's cheaper, it's higher quality, it's more reliable because it's coming from Alaska as opposed to some tin-pot dictatorship," he said. U.S. President Donald Trump last week announced South Korea's U.S. investment projects under last year's bilateral trade agreement: the construction of a gas-fired power plant in Texas, eight large-scale nuclear power plants and th

2 MIN READ
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JYP founder denies privilege allegations in mega K-pop project

Park Jin-young, JYP Entertainment's founder and co-chair of the Presidential Committee on Popular Culture Exchange, rejected allegations of preferential treatment involving his agency in preparations for a global K-culture festival during a parliamentary audit held at the National Assembly in Seoul, Wednesday. The high-stakes hearing focused on "Fanomenon," a multi-day K-pop festival and awards initiative scheduled for December next year. His agency, together with three other entertainment agencies, has been spearheading the project since early this year. The event is anticipated to draw more than 500,000 visitors, with an estimated economic impact approaching 1 trillion won ($735.8 million). However, critics argue the project only serves the interest of the entertainment companies. "The four agencies can do much more business doing other things instead of organizing 'Fanomenon," Park said during the hearing. "All the companies had to sacrifice so much for this. It was really tough to pull off. But everyone made a bold decision to commit because they saw the long-term vision — the ripp

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HYBE takes flagship Weverse Con festival overseas for 1st time with India debut

HYBE — the Korean entertainment giant behind global icons like BTS and SEVENTEEN — is making history as its flagship music showcase, Weverse Con Festival, heads to New Delhi on March 27 and 28 for its very first overseas edition. HYBE said Thursday that Weverse Con Festival India will be held with HYBE India, bringing together leading K-pop artists and artists from India’s music scene for a two-day event. The festival will mark the first time Weverse Con Festival has been held outside Korea since its launch in 2023. Weverse Con Festival has brought together artists across generations and genres, expanding its lineup from 20 acts in its first year to 30 acts this year. HYBE said the India edition will feature top K-pop artists alongside leading Indian musicians, with the lineup scheduled to be announced in October. The festival will also feature fan participation events and programs offering attendees opportunities to experience K-pop culture beyond live performances. HYBE said Weverse Con Festival India is designed to connect K-pop and Indian music while bringing together fan communi

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N. Korea rallies loyalty with celebratory events ahead of party founding anniversary

North Korea is building a festive mood and stirring public loyalty ahead of the 81st founding anniversary of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPA), with various events under way. The Union of Agricultural Workers of Korea, one of the country's four labor organizations, held its celebration Wednesday, the Rodong Sinmun reported. Participants at a debate session called for stronger party leadership and more rigorous ideological education. They also stressed the need to meet the party's grain production targets, the paper said. Art events have also taken place ahead of the Oct. 10 anniversary. A performance by the Youth Central Art Propaganda Team took place Wednesday. On the same day, party cadres and artists attended the opening ceremony of the National Art Exhibition at the Korean Central Art Gallery. The paper ran a front-page article urging readers to carry on the party's history, ideology and founding spirit. It also reported that crowds of people have been visiting the Party Founding Museum in the capital in time for the anniversary. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Thursday t

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Nobel Prize in chemistry awarded to Kagan and Soai for research solving 'mirror image' mystery

STOCKHOLM — Henri B. Kagan and Kenso Soai won the Nobel Prize in chemistry Wednesday for their efforts to resolve mysterious mirror images in chemical molecules, a discovery that transformed modern medicine. Many molecules of life come in versions that look alike but aren’t exactly identical, like right and left hands. One mirror image of the chemical carvone smells like mint, for example, while the other has a whiff of caraway. When designing drugs to treat diseases, scientists want to be choosy about which mirror image they’re getting. They want the version of a molecule that’ll treat a cold, not the kind that’ll make the sniffles worse. Kagan and Soai found ways to make chemistry pick a side, designing and manipulating reactions to produce the desired mirror image. “This is probably the coolest experiment in organic chemistry,” said Peter Somfai, a member of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry. “Taken together, the groundbreaking discoveries by Henri Kagan and Kenso Soai have reshaped our understanding of molecular chirality — how it is created, amplified and transmitt

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Japanese brands, factories gain traction in Vietnam despite Korean competition

HANOI — About a 30-minute drive northwest of downtown Hanoi on Friday, the entrance to Thang Long Industrial Park came into view after crossing Nhat Tan Bridge, which connects Hanoi with Noi Bai International Airport. At factories throughout the industrial complex, Vietnam’s red flag with a yellow star flew alongside Japan’s flag. Developed by Japanese trading house Sumitomo Corp., the industrial park is, in effect, a cradle of Japanese manufacturing. Beyond the entrance, signs for more than 100 Japanese companies, including Panasonic, Canon and Fujitsu, stretched across a 2.73-million-square-meter site. Some 60,000 Vietnamese workers stream into the complex every day. A female worker at Panasonic said Japanese companies were regarded as more stable, even though Chinese and Korean firms paid higher wages, adding that many employees stayed for years. “Many skilled workers have been here for more than 10 years, and new employees join every month, so the atmosphere is good,” she said. Nguyen Thanh, 32, a management employee at the industrial park, said it had reached full occupancy

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Korea, US agree on temporary combined forces structure after OPCON transfer

Korea and the United States have agreed on a provisional structure for the Combined Forces Command (CFC) after the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON), the CFC's deputy commander said Wednesday. Kim Seong-min, deputy commander of the Korea-U.S. CFC, told a parliamentary audit that the structure would be finalized during the Full Mission Capability (FMC) assessment, a stage in the process of transferring wartime OPCON from the U.S. to Korea. “We have agreed on a provisional structure for the post-transition CFC, and it will be finalized during the FMC assessment,” Kim said. The command will retain its official English name, Combined Forces Command. In Korean, it is sometimes referred to as the “future CFC” to distinguish the post-transition structure from the current one. Kim was responding to a question posed by Rep. Han Ki-ho of the main opposition People Power Party, who asked whether the U.S. had agreed to Korea’s proposed structure. “That is not the case,” Kim said, citing the provisional agreement. Asked whether the structure remained unconfirmed, he acknowl

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Military knew of suspected NK mine-laying a year before DMZ blast

South Korea’s military identified suspected North Korean mine-laying activity south of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) and reported it to senior defense officials a year before an explosion injured three soldiers, documents released during a parliamentary audit showed Wednesday. According to documents the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) submitted to Rep. Yu Yong-weon of the main opposition People Power Party, satellite imagery collected on Sept. 23, 2025, showed suspected mine-laying south of the MDL in the Army’s 25th Division sector. The initial analysis described the area as a “suspected mine-laying section.” The assessment was reported in person to then-JCS Chairman Jin Young-seung the following day. Then-Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back, who was overseas, received a text message on a secure phone and was briefed again after returning. The reports also warned of possible further MDL incursions. Three soldiers were injured on Sept. 21 while clearing a new search route for a United Nations Command (UNC) field inspection in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). Following a joint investiga

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Korea to accelerate renewable energy expansion to 100GW by 2030

Korea will speed up efforts to increase its renewable energy capacity to at least 100 gigawatts by 2030, with 1 quadrillion won ($746.99 billion) in government-led investment planned over the next decade. The 100-gigawatt goal is a key part of the Korean Green Transformation (K-GX), a strategy unveiled Wednesday that is aimed at achieving carbon neutrality and economic growth at the same time. The strategy seeks to make Korea one of the world’s top three green manufacturing powers by developing industries such as hydrogen-reduction steelmaking, next-generation solar cells and all-solid-state batteries. “The green transition is a sure strategy for the future that will secure international competitiveness while protecting people’s lives and livelihoods from the climate crisis,” President Lee Jae Myung said during a public briefing on the plan. The briefing was attended by about 80 people, including senior government officials, Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chairman Chey Tae-won, representatives of Hanwha Qcells, POSCO Holdings, LG Electronics and Samsung Electronics, indus

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EXPLAINER How AI emerged as new threat in Korea's bank hacking crisis

Hackers once had to manually test security defenses, identify vulnerabilities and work out how to exploit them. Now, artificial intelligence (AI) can do much of that work, requiring little human input. That possibility is at the center of Korea's latest security crisis in the financial sector, as investigators have found traces of an AI-powered autonomous penetration-testing tool in a series of recent cyberattacks on the country's major banks. Since last week, Shinhan Bank, KB Kookmin Bank, Hana Bank, Yegaram Savings Bank and BNK Busan Bank have all reported data breaches, while Woori Bank and NH NongHyup Bank have detected signs of hacking attempts, though no data leaks were confirmed. Shinhan Bank reported that about 25,000 customers were affected, with personal information including names, phone numbers, annual income and loan limits exposed. KB Kookmin reported 119 affected customers, while Hana Bank said personal information belonging to 89 customers was exposed. The hacking spree has drawn particular concern after investigators reportedly found traces of an AI-powered tool known as

3 MIN READ
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Korea shifts visa strategy from student recruitment to talent retention

Korea’s universities were once focused purely on filling lecture halls with foreign talent, driving international enrollment from a modest 17,000 two decades ago to more than 350,000 this autumn. But faced with a rapidly shrinking domestic workforce and severe labor shortages across regional industries, the country is confronting a crucial challenge: too many graduates leave as soon as they earn their degrees. To address that dilemma, the Ministry of Justice announced a comprehensive overhaul of its visa policies Wednesday, shifting its primary objective from simple recruitment to long-term integration. The new framework aims to streamline pathways from graduation to full-time employment and residency, while cracking down on visa fraud and illegal employment. Under the updated blueprint, Korea will introduce flexible job-seeker visas that grant STEM graduates and skilled workers up to three years to find employment, compared to the current standard of one to two years. The government said it will also create a dedicated "K-Tech Master Visa" to bridge technical master's degree holders

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BIFF jury advocates creative freedom amid 'The Assassin(s)' controversy

BUSAN — Renowned film director Zhang Yimou and fellow jury members of the 31st Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) called for the protection of artistic freedom on Wednesday, addressing the fierce controversy surrounding the film "The Assassin(s)." Zhang, known for such movies as "Red Sorghum" (1988), "Raise the Red Lantern" (1991) and "Not One Less" (1999), serves as jury president of BIFF’s competition section. He weighed in on the boundary between historical fact and artistic interpretation. "Creation is creation," Zhang said during a press conference, stressing that creative works should not be bound strictly to historical facts. "Even historical truth itself can often be a subject of debate. Movies serve as an artistic medium that conveys stories from the past to people living today. Viewers may interpret a film differently, and some may disagree with other opinions, but that diversity of perspective is precisely where the charm of cinema lies." Although Zhang acknowledged that he has not yet watched "The Assassin(s)," he said he was aware of the public debate surrounding t

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Editor's Pick

[EXPLAINER] How AI emerged as new threat in Korea's bank hacking crisis

EXPLAINER How AI emerged as new threat in Korea's bank hacking crisis

Hackers once had to manually test security defenses, identify vulnerabilities and work out how to exploit them. Now, artificial intelligence (AI) can do much of that work, requiring little human input. That possibility is at the center of Korea's latest security crisis in the financial sector, as investigators have found traces of an AI-powered autonomous penetration-testing tool in a series of recent cyberattacks on the country's major banks. Since last week, Shinhan Bank, KB Kookmin Bank, Hana Bank, Yegaram Savings Bank and BNK Busan Bank have all reported data breaches, while Woori Bank and NH NongHyup Bank have detected signs of hacking attempts, though no data leaks were confirmed. Shinhan Bank reported that about 25,000 customers were affected, with personal information including names, phone numbers, annual income and loan limits exposed. KB Kookmin reported 119 affected customers, while Hana Bank said personal information belonging to 89 customers was exposed. The hacking spree has drawn particular concern after investigators reportedly found traces of an AI-powered tool known as

3 MIN READ

Life in Korea

Korea launches inaugural 'Korean Food Day' with 3-day festival in Seoul

Korea launches inaugural 'Korean Food Day' with 3-day festival in Seoul

Korean food will take center stage at National Museum of Korea later this month as Korea marks its first legally designated Korean Food Day with a three-day festival featuring chefs, food creators and industry experts. HANSIK FESTA will run Oct. 23-25 at the museum’s auditorium and Mirror Pond area, with events organized by Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Friday’s program will include the first Korean Food Day ceremony and a conference examining how Korean cuisine can evolve as both a cultural asset and global industry. Speakers will include chef Ok Dong-sik, chef Son Jong-won of Eatanic Garden, producer Lee Wook-jung, Park Hyun-young of Life Trend Observation Center and Kim Sook-jin of CJ CheilJedang. The conference will explore Korean food’s place in global dining, its emergence as a brand and how food, culture and media have helped carry Korean cuisine beyond Korea. Visitors can watch cooking demonstrations featuring master chef Lee Ha-yeon, chef Han Shin-hee, monk Woo Kwan, chef Park Joo-eun and food creators including Magic Boy K

2 MIN READ

Lifestyle

K-books push deeper into global market at Frankfurt Book Fair

Korean publishers are expanding their reach at this week’s Frankfurt Book Fair, with 15 companies pitching rights deals and aiming to transform book titles into global, multimedia intellectual property. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Korea Publication Industry Promotion Agency are operating an export consultation area at Frankfurt Book Fair from Wednesday through Sunday in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. The 120-square-meter space features publishers including Munhakdongne, Pinkfong, Munpia, Mirae N, Book21 and Changbi, covering literature, picture books and web novels while connecting Korean rights holders with foreign publishers and agencies. Organizers are also displaying 103 titles from publishers unable to attend in person, with professional agencies handling consultations and follow-up discussions intended to move promising talks toward contracts. A separate 30-square-meter booth is highlighting 89 titles from 20 publishers and agencies selected for K-Book Global 100, a new program that supports translation and overseas marketing based on individual markets and langu

2 MIN READ
K-books push deeper into global market at Frankfurt Book Fair

K-Culture

BTS to kick off first-ever Peru concerts as Lima rolls out 'BTS Avenue'

Global K-pop sensation BTS will launch its first-ever concerts in Peru on Wednesday (local time), as the capital Lima rolled out a weeklong "BTS Avenue" and purple-lit landmarks to honor the group's historic visit. BigHit Music said the septet will perform at Estadio San Marcos in Lima on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday as part of its "Arirang" world tour. It marks the band's first shows in the South American country since its 2013 debut. To mark the occasion, the city's Santiago de Surco district temporarily renamed Sacramento Street as "BTS Avenue" from Oct. 5-11, installing signs along the route. Arco Morisco, a landmark structure in the district's Friendship Park, was illuminated in the group's signature color of purple on Monday and will host daily light shows through Sunday, while the Fountain of Fantasy at Lima's Fountain Park will run a BTS-themed show with music, lights and water screens during the same period. BTS opened the South American leg of the tour with two-day shows at Estadio Nemesio Camacho El Campin in Bogota last weekend, attracting around 100,000 fans.

1 MIN READ
BTS to kick off first-ever Peru concerts as Lima rolls out 'BTS Avenue'

Celebrities

'I Live Alone' viewers captivated by actor who lives in 90-year-old home

Actor Kim Min has won praise from viewers after revealing his unconventional daily life and personal philosophy on MBC's reality show "I Live Alone." Beyond the intensity he has shown in acting roles, Kim displayed a free-spirited side as he filled his days with home repairs, martial arts and hands-on projects. But it was his outlook on life — particularly his belief that being "cool" comes from how a person spends their time rather than their looks — that resonated most with viewers. The Oct. 2 episode of "I Live Alone" offered a glimpse into Kim's life in Dongducheon, Gyeonggi Province, where he has lived alone for 28 years. He resides in a roughly 90-year-old house whose distinctive atmosphere and unconventional setup immediately drew attention. Kim began his day by running a generator for electricity and tearing into an entire baguette. He repaired a damaged floor himself with cement, worked on woodworking projects and practiced martial arts. Despite living in surroundings that might seem inconvenient to others, Kim appeared perfectly at ease, making and repairing what he needed

2 MIN READ
'I Live Alone' viewers captivated by actor who lives in 90-year-old home

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Opinion

Top 10 Stories

  1. Korean won hits 18-year high against Japanese yen on booming chip exports

  2. Korea, US agree on temporary combined forces structure after OPCON transfer

  3. Cheong Wa Dae denies Ukraine claim that Korea supplied fuel to Russia

  4. COVER STORY Nuri rocket successfully completes 5th flight

  5. Vance points to S. Korea's 'political dynamics' amid uncertainty over Alaska LNG project

  6. Korea shifts visa strategy from student recruitment to talent retention

  7. Trump administration proposes $70,000 fee for int'l students to work in US

  8. Experts caution against escalation between Korea, Ukraine

  9. Samsung Electronics 1st Korean firm to top W100 tril. in quarterly operating profit

  10. New commanding general of US 2nd Infantry Division takes office

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