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Korea needs Ange Postecoglou as head coach

The Korea Football Association (KFA) has opened applications for the head coach position, starting next month, as it starts a search to replace Hong Myung-bo. It is never a good sign when you are looking for a new coach before the World Cup Round of 32 has even finished but that is what happened after Korea was one of the first teams eliminated. It already feels like a long time since the 2-1 win over the Czech Republic had people talking about whether the Taeguk Warriors could make a real impression at the World Cup. Instead, it was followed by two dismal performances and successive 1-0 defeats against Mexico and South Africa. The nature of those displays was hugely disappointing with a passive team playing not to lose and then losing both. There was more than enough talent to get out of one of the easier groups in the tournament but talent alone is not enough. A proud nation needs a team. Finding a new coach, the right coach, is difficult. There is one name though, a person who is available right now and is familiar to most South Korean fans. Ange Postecoglou was Son Heung-min’s coac

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Weak won, K-beauty fuel Chinese shopping trips, spending in Korea

When Chelsea Wang travelled to Seoul with two friends in late April, they barely visited any of the city's palaces or tourist attractions. Instead, their three-and-a-half-day itinerary revolved around duty-free shopping, beauty treatments, hair salons and cosmetics stores. Wang arrived with a shopping list of her own: a backpack she estimated would cost at least 500 yuan ($70) less than in China, and a bottle of perfume at a similar discount. One of her friends, Wu, a 28-year-old white-collar worker from China who was preparing for marriage, had an even bigger purchase planned. After comparing prices, she bought a Chaumet wedding ring at Lotte Duty Free in Seoul's Myeong-dong neighborhood for about 37,000 yuan after discounts, tax refunds and favourable exchange rates were figured in — roughly 11,000 yuan less than she would have paid in China. "It was really quite a good deal," Wu said. Their purchases came as the Korean won has remained weak against major currencies over the past year. One yuan was worth an average of about 226 won in June, compared with around 209 won in January, acc

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Ruling DPK expresses 'strong regret' over recent US House report regarding Coupang

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) expressed "strong regret" on Saturday over a "seriously distorted" U.S. congressional report alleging that Korea discriminates against Coupang and other American companies, while criticizing Coupang's response to its massive data leak case. In an interim staff report released earlier this week, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee said Coupang has been a "consistent target" of the Seoul government, claiming Korea has subjected U.S.-owned firms to "coercive investigations, overly burdensome regulatory requirements and excessive fines and penalties." "The report seriously distorts the position of the Korean government, relying on one-sided claims by Coupang and unverified data," party spokesperson Jang Yoon-mi said in a written briefing. Stressing that the Seoul government does not discriminate against or unfairly pressure companies based on nationality, the DPK urged Coupang to "stop shifting responsibility to the government in order to cover up its own wrongdoing." The spokesperson also said the company should not remain silent on its personal dat

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Lee says mega development projects are for future, not approval ratings

President Lee Jae Myung on Saturday rejected criticism by opposition sides that the government's large-scale regional investment drive is aimed at boosting his approval ratings, saying the three "megaprojects" are designed to create new hope and a future for the country. Earlier this week, the government unveiled its "three megaprojects" initiative, which envisions a national transformation driven by semiconductors, physical artificial intelligence (AI) and AI data centers, calling for a total investment of 4,755 trillion won ($3.11 trillion). As part of the scheme, Samsung announced plans to build two memory chip fabrication plants in the southwestern city of Gwangju, while SK hynix said it will construct two fabs in the surrounding Jeolla provinces under a combined investment plan worth 800 trillion won. "If the projects had been intended to manage approval ratings, they would have been launched ahead of the June 3 local elections," Lee said in a post on X, adding that such a national transformation plan was something he had long dreamed of even before taking office. Responding to clai

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Why a Mongolian computer engineering student is leaving Korea for China

When Michelle, a 22-year-old student from Mongolia, came to Korea to study computer engineering, her talent did not go unnoticed for long. A professor at Gachon University recruited her as an undergraduate researcher last winter. Soon afterward, she became the first author of an academic paper and the star of a news article taped to the laboratory door like a poster. The headline: “Third-year computer engineering student publishes first-author paper in leading Korean academic journal.” Michelle had devised a system that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze football players’ movements, ball possession and tactical execution in broadcasts in real time. The paper appeared in a journal listed in the Korea Citation Index, a database of recognized Korean academic publications. Such journals largely receive submissions from professors and postdoctoral researchers, and papers must pass a blind review by multiple experts before being accepted. For an undergraduate, publishing the research as its first author was a rare accomplishment. For Michelle, it meant earning recognition in t

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Police search Gwangju high school after bomb threat amid baseball trash talk controversy

Authorities are conducting a search at a high school in the southwestern city of Gwangju on Saturday after an online post claimed that an explosive device had been planted at the school, officials said. According to the Gwangju Bukbu Police Station, police and fire authorities received a report around 11:50 a.m. regarding an online message that claimed a bomb had been placed at Gwangju Jeil High School. Search operations are under way at the school premises, but no explosive devices have been found so far, they said. The threatening message on an online community also claimed that the "future of Paichai High School has been violated," in what appeared to be a reference to a recent controversy involving school baseball teams. Some players of Paichai High School in Seoul were previously heard shouting such phrases as "Let's go to Starbucks" and "Tank Day" toward the Gwangju Jeil dugout during a recent high school baseball tournament, sparking accusations of mockery and regional insults. Amid strong criticism over the incident, the Korea Baseball Softball Association imposed a six-month susp

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1 Life at American gold mines in northern Korea : Independence Day a century ago

On May 31, 1926, U.S. President Calvin Coolidge called upon the American people to “renew their fidelity to the fundamental principles of the Declaration of Independence,” and suggested that the period between June 28 and July 5 be known as “American Independence Week.” Patriotic celebrations were to be held throughout the U.S., including the ringing of bells at 11 a.m. on June 28, when millions of children would recite the official Patriot’s Pledge of Faith. The American community in Korea was no exception. The Oriental Consolidated Mining Company (OCMC), an American gold mining concession in northern Korea, faithfully celebrated the Fourth of July every year. The company was known for its patriotism, and even its non-American employees looked forward to the Fourth of July — even if their reasons were more about not having to work. According to Kenneth Moyer, then 23, every day at the mine seemed the same, even Sundays, except the Fourth of July. “That is the only day the mine and mills shut down out here,” he explained in a letter home to his mother. He went on to add

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Bill targets deportation of drug, phishing offenders

A group of conservative legislators has introduced a bill that would allow the government to deport foreigners convicted of drug, sex or voice phishing offenses even if they don’t receive prison sentences. The amendment to the Immigration Act, submitted on Thursday by Rep. Kim Tae-ho and 11 other lawmakers of the main opposition People Power Party, seeks to expand the legal grounds for deportation beyond the current standard, which hinges on the imposition of a custodial sentence. Under existing law, foreign nationals can be ordered to leave only if they receive a prison sentence — including a suspended one — and that the decision is final. “There has been criticism that the current requirement of ‘a sentence of imprisonment or heavier’ as a condition for deporting foreign offenders is excessively narrow,” the conservative party legislators said. “In particular, some people point out that the law should be amended so that foreign nationals can be deported even when they have not been given an actual prison sentence in cases involving sex crimes, drug offenses and voice

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How Korea’s birth mothers are exposing the hidden cost of overseas adoption

Korea’s 3rd Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) crossed its 100-day milestone earlier this month, revealing that 437 new cases detailing human rights violations in overseas adoptions have been filed since Feb. 28. Tucked inside those numbers is a shift that demands our attention. For the first time, the voices demanding the truth do not belong solely to adult adoptees — they also belong to the Korean birth mothers left behind. I recently stood with one of these mothers in Seoul and saw the other side of erasure. I watched what it costs to be told your child is gone, to mourn her as dead and to learn years later that she had lived. In 1993, Lee Aeri Rana gave birth to a daughter in a hospital. She was told her baby was ill and needed to be transferred to a larger hospital. She was not allowed to see her. One week later, she was told the child had died. She believed this for years. When she finally tried to find where her daughter was buried, she discovered there was no grave. Her daughter had not died at all. She had been sent — on falsified documents, without her consent —

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'Noseprints' to bring lost dogs home

Move over, microchips and dangling collar tags: The next big thing in municipal canine security is almost literally right under your dog’s nose. The western port city of Incheon said Friday that it is launching a pilot program next month to register dogs using their canine rhinaria patterns — the highly individualized, wrinkled skin patterns on a dog or cat's nose that act exactly like human fingerprints. For the modern pet owner, traditional registration has long posed a dilemma. Microchips, while effective, require insertion of a chip under the skin, a procedure that leaves many owners squeamish. External tags are less invasive but notorious for falling off during a game of fetch or getting lost in the brush. Incheon’s solution? A simple, painless digital scan of a dog’s snout. Starting in August, pet owners in the city’s Gyeyang and Michuhol districts will be able to bring their furry friends to mobile pop-up booths at local apartment complexes and dog parks to have their pets’ noses officially logged into a database. There is a slight legal catch. Korean law does not yet re

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InterviewSelling experiences, not volume, key for Pernod Ricard

Like any other line of business, companies in the liquor industry see sales as their top priority. But does that mean selling more is always better? A social campaign leader at Pernod Ricard, a global liquor distributor based in Paris, says what he wants is for the public to "drink better, not more." The phrase is part of a campaign being promoted by the company’s Vice President of Global Public Affairs and Alcohol in Society Laurent Scheer. He staunchly recommends responsible drinking and encourages consumers to seek responsible and mindful drinking practices. To spread the message worldwide, he communicates with national governments, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the European Union and industry partners in the hospitality businesses to introduce policies and regulations for smarter alcohol consumption. Pernod Ricard wants to sell a good experience more than anything, according to Scheer. “Our objective is to make profits. We want to sell high-value products and increase our sales. But it’s not necessarily selling volume. We want people to buy high-val

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'Introvert parties' in Seoul offer quieter way to connect without alcohol, noise

The question on the card sounded simple, but it silenced the room: What does it mean to live authentically? On June 6, inside a dimly lit party room in Yeongdeungpo District, western Seoul, quiet pop music played as six people sat around a table. "Wow, that's hard," someone sighed, breaking the silence. One person cautiously answered, "For me, it's not caring about other people's judgments and not lying to myself." Another participant said growth complicates the answer. "I think living authentically means a comfortable state, but growth always comes with difficulties. Because of that, I also worry whether living authentically is always good." The exchange sounded more like a philosophy class than a party. But the people in the room had gathered to meet others at a "Deep Talk Club," one of Seoul's growing number of for introverted people. These quiet social gatherings are emerging as a deliberate alternative for young adults seeking social connection without the exhaustion of conventional nightlife. Participants pay an entry fee to meet strangers, placing the events within a broader boom in

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Drought risk missing in water supply plan for new chip cluster

The government has come up with a plan to supply industrial water to semiconductor plants that Samsung Electronics and SK hynix have committed to build in Korea's southwestern region, but questions remain over the lack of clear principles on how water should be prioritized in the event of shortages during droughts. The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment announced on Tuesday the plan to supply 650,000 tons of industrial water per day to the proposed chip cluster by adjusting water allocations from nearby dams. The plan came in response to concerns raised by semiconductor companies and opposition parties that the region is vulnerable to water shortages. Citing this risk, the opposition bloc has argued that the government-led 800 trillion-won chip cluster plan is seeking to attract new semiconductor plants to an unsuitable area. Under the plan, the government will secure 350,000 tons of water per day by combining the existing 50,000 tons of surplus capacity at Juam Dam with an additional 300,000 tons obtained by increasing the storage capacity of Dongbok Dam. It also seeks to secur

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Trump cannot denuclearize NK, says Middle East expert

Alex Vatanka, a senior fellow of the Middle East Institute, said U.S. President Donald Trump will not be able to denuclearize North Korea as Pyongyang is already a “nuclear state.” Speaking in an exclusive interview with The Korea Times on the sidelines of the Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity on June 25, Vatanka said Washington would risk a war if it wants to denuclearize Pyongyang. “Trump cannot denuclearize North Korea because North Korea is already a nuclear weapon state, unless you want to take a chance and risk major war,” said Vatanka, a Middle East expert and founding director of the Iran program at the Washington-based think tank. He joined the forum as a speaker during a session titled “The Post-War Future of Middle East Peacebuilding.” The Middle East and Iran expert emphasized that North Korea’s nuclear program is now irreversible, unlike Iran’s program, which remains controllable amid ongoing negotiations with the U.S. to halt its nuclear ambitions and end the war. “I don't know how many (nuclear weapons) they (North Korea) have. They have probably many d

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Korea's Coupang probe not discriminatory: presidential office

Cheong Wa Dae on Friday rejected a U.S. Congress report that accused Korea of discriminating against the U.S.-listed e-commerce giant Coupang during its investigation into a massive personal data breach. “Korea does not discriminate against corporate activities based on nationality or single out specific companies for investigation,” National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said in a press briefing. His remarks came after the U.S. House Judiciary Committee issued a report earlier this week criticizing the Seoul government for “discriminatory attacks” against Coupang. A White House official also argued that Coupang is being "singled out" by the Lee Jae Myung administration, when asked by a Korean media outlet for comment on the report. The 35-page report followed Korean authorities' investigations into Coupang's personal data leak, which is believed to have exposed the personal information of more than 33 million customers. “The report’s claims that the investigation is discriminatory, targeted or the result of unfair regulation are far from the facts,” Wi said. “It appears th

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Murder suspect's father evades charges, fueling debate over Korea's family evidence-tampering exemption

The father of Jang Yoon-gi, a suspect in the murder of a high school girl, allegedly destroyed evidence in the case, renewing debate over Korea's criminal code exemption shielding family members from evidence-tampering charges. Last month, prosecutors indicted Jang, 23, on charges of stabbing and killing the girl in Gwangju in May after following her with intent to rape. He was also indicted on charges of attacking another student with a knife when they tried to intervene. Investigators later found that Jang's father, an active-duty police officer, had disposed of items from his son's residence, including several mobile phones and a sex doll whose chest and neck areas showed concentrated damage. The father was not indicted, however. Under current law, destroying evidence in another person's criminal case carries penalties of up to five years in prison or a fine of up to 7 million won ($4,530), but relatives or family members living with the offender are exempt. Lee Yung-hyeock, a professor of police science at Konkuk University, said the exemption exists in Korea because of questions whe

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BTS named La Plata 'honored guest' ahead of Argentina concerts

Korean boy group BTS has been named "honored guest" of Argentina's La Plata city, where it is scheduled to perform in October, its agency BigHit Music said Saturday. La Plata's city council unanimously approved the designation during a plenary session on Thursday, granting the group one of the municipality's highest official honors. Under local ordinances, the title is reserved for distinguished visitors and internationally recognized figures in culture and the arts. The K-pop septet was recognized for its global cultural influence, advocacy for youth rights and contributions to international cultural exchange, according to city officials. BTS is set to perform its "ARIRANG" world tour shows on Oct. 21 and 23,24 at the La Plata Stadium in the city, making it the first K-pop act to do so.

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Korean couples ditch luxury wedding halls for $19 public venues

With his wedding just four months away, 29-year-old Kim Yun-ho nearly canceled the ceremony. Faced with venue and catering costs reaching tens of millions of won, he considered settling for a family dinner. But his plans changed when he discovered a city-run wedding venue in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, that cost just 30,000 won ($19) to rent. "I applied because I could have a special outdoor wedding at a low cost," Kim said. "I am now able to hold a wedding surrounded by the blessings of family and friends." Kim's experience highlights a growing trend, as local governments nationwide open public facilities and parks as low-cost wedding venues. The initiatives aim to ease the financial burden on engaged couples and encourage marriage to combat Korea’s low birthrate. Suwon began taking applications last month for four public sites, including Gwanggyo Historical Park. By June 23, the city had received 22 requests, with three couples finalizing their bookings. The city charges 30,000 won for a two-hour rental. Meals follow standard city rates, starting at 35,000 won per person for boxed opt

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Editor's Pick

[ON FAKE NEWS] The fine line between policing facts and silencing critics

ON FAKE NEWS The fine line between policing facts and silencing critics

New revisions to the Information and Communications Network Act, which will take effect in July, will hand Korea one of the most decisive legal tools yet devised against online falsehoods. For a country that has watched deepfakes and manipulated clips spread faster than fact-checkers can debunk them, this is surely a step worth welcoming. But it also deserves to be implemented with care, so that a sound principle does not curdle into overreach. The revision targets influential online information producers, such as YouTubers with more than 100,000 subscribers or creators averaging over 100,000 monthly views. If such creators knowingly spread false or fabricated information and cause harm, they now face punitive financial damages of up to five times the loss incurred. Large platforms, defined as those with over a million daily users on average, must also establish formal reporting and response systems for disinformation. The case for action is persuasive. The Hyundai Research Institute has estimated that fake news costs the Korean economy roughly 30 trillion won annually, about 1.9 perce

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Life in Korea

Grand Ole Opry's Mama Kim reflects on 50 years doing business in Itaewon

Grand Ole Opry's Mama Kim reflects on 50 years doing business in Itaewon

Grand Ole Opry's owner, Kim Sang-sook, better known to her customers as "Mama Kim," still goes to work six days a week at age 86. Though her voice is hoarse with age, she still commands attention in a room of rowdy drinkers. She opened the doors to her bar on June 29, her only day off that week, to speak about her life and experiences. The special event, organized by Royal Asiatic Society (RAS) Korea, gathered more than 50 people to hear Mama Kim speak about her more than 50 years of doing business in central Seoul's multicultural Itaewon area. For decades, the alleys behind Itaewon Fire Station were filled with clubs dating back to the 1960s with names like King, UN, Playboy, Seven and Lucky that catered to American soldiers. Now, Grand Ole Opry is the last of its kind in the area. Mama Kim has been featured in the media many times, including on CNN and in Playboy Korea. With her half-century of experience working in Itaewon, it is not uncommon for her to be approached for interviews or requests to speak. For years she has spoken to Ewha Womans University students, but when they first

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Lifestyle

InterviewBerklee music professor breaks silence on suicide loss

In the spring of 2006, Ray Seol was a 31-year-old jazz student in New York, at a time when Asian musicians were still a rarity in the jazz scene. Four years earlier, he had stunned his family in Korea by announcing that he was traveling halfway across the world to pursue a career in music, all because of a chance encounter with guitarist Wes Montgomery’s spellbinding rendition of “Polka Dots and Moonbeams.” “I experience music through images,” Seol recalled. “When I heard this piece, I couldn’t tell where it began or where it ended. It felt completely unbound, like this dazzling image with no sense of logic.” Then, during finals week, an unexpected international phone call came. His mother had taken her own life. “I’m 51 now,” he said quietly, “the same age my mother was when she died.” Seol, now a jazz bassist and professor at Berklee College of Music, spent the next decade carrying a grief that never seemed to loosen its grip. In many ways, it felt like part of him remained imprisoned by the day she died. But like many bereaved ones, his family retreated into sil

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Berklee music professor breaks silence on suicide loss

K-Culture

July packed with K-pop career milestones

Not every comeback is just another comeback. July's K-pop release calendar is filled with milestones. Some artists are releasing their first full-length albums after years in the industry. Others are launching new units, returning to solo work after lengthy absences or expanding into overseas markets. Rookie groups, meanwhile, are using the month to build on recent momentum and start new chapters of their own. The result is a lineup defined not simply by new music but by moments that could reshape some of K-pop's most famous careers. The month begins with girl group i-dle, which will release its ninth mini-album, "We made," on July 6. Led by "Gimme Dat Love," the five-track album recalls the group's 2019 EP "I made," suggesting a thematic connection between the two releases. The comeback continues the group's activities following its rebranding last year from (G)I-DLE to i-dle, while expanding on the identity it has cultivated over the past year. A day later, boy band MONSTA X's main vocalist Kihyun returns with "BORDERLINE," his first solo release in three years and nine months. The seven

3 MIN READ
July packed with K-pop career milestones

Celebrities

After years as a single mother, Oh Yoon-ah celebrates son's job and her own remarriage

Actress Oh Yoon-ah is celebrating two major milestones in her family's life: her son with a developmental disability has found a job, and she has remarried more than a decade after her divorce. The actress revealed Friday through her YouTube channel that she has started a new chapter with a non-celebrity husband. The couple has already completed their marriage registration and is now living together as a family, according to her agency. Her agency, YA Entertainment, said the couple had legally registered their marriage and are spending time with their family. The news has resonated with many fans because Oh has openly shared her journey as a single mother raising her son, Min, since her divorce in 2015. Over the years, she has documented both the challenges and joys of raising a child with a developmental disability through television appearances and social media, earning widespread support. The remarriage announcement has also renewed attention on another recent milestone for her son. In May, Oh shared that Min had landed his first job, drawing warm congratulations from fans. In a video

2 MIN READ
After years as a single mother, Oh Yoon-ah celebrates son's job and her own remarriage

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Opinion

Top 10 Stories

  1. Korea needs Ange Postecoglou as head coach

  2. Weak won, K-beauty fuel Chinese shopping trips, spending in Korea

  3. Korean couples ditch luxury wedding halls for $19 public venues

  4. Why a Mongolian computer engineering student is leaving Korea for China

  5. Grand Ole Opry's Mama Kim reflects on 50 years doing business in Itaewon

  6. 2 illegal gambling network operators extradited from UAE in joint gov't operation

  7. 'Introvert parties' in Seoul offer quieter way to connect without alcohol, noise

  8. From toilet to blanket: 1-meter snake found inside Korean apartment

  9. Police search Gwangju high school after bomb threat amid baseball trash talk controversy

  10. Ruling DPK expresses 'strong regret' over recent US House report regarding Coupang

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