Korea plans to phase out military service exemptions for athletes, artists

The Korea Times - Oct 12, 2026

Korea plans to gradually phase out special military service arrangements for athletes and artists, while tightening eligibility for international arts competitions, the head of the Military Manpower Administration (MMA) said Monday. MMA Commissioner Hong So-young told lawmakers during a National Assembly audit that she backed the Ministry of National Defense’s plan to scale back the exemption program before eventually abolishing it. “Our position is the same as the defense ministry’s,” Hong said, adding that the proposal was undergoing a final review as part of the government’s defense reform plan and would be announced soon. Under measures presented to the National Assembly’s National Defense Committee, the MMA plans to limit eligibility only to first-place winners at international arts competitions, rather than granting exemption to both first-place and second-place winners. It also aims to cut the number of qualifying winners at domestic traditional arts competitions from two or three per event to one. The agency said 86.6 percent of artists admitted to the program over th

Read full article

More News

Best spots for autumn stroll: 4 destinations in South Gyeongsang Province

October, when autumn colors grow richer, is an ideal time to slow down and take in the seasonal scenery on foot. With every step, the changing hues of autumn leaves, the breeze, ancient trees and forest paths offer a chance to escape the daily routine and fully immerse oneself in the spirit of the season. To mark the arrival of October, South Gyeongsang Province and the Gyeongnam Tourism Foundation have recommended four destinations under the theme “Autumn Foliage Tours on Foot,” where visitors can experience the beauty of fall up close. The routes each offer a distinct appeal, from the ridgelines of Mount Jiri and urban walking trails to historic paths shaded by ancient trees and scenic valley trails. As autumn deepens, the area around Odojae Pass in Hamyang is blanketed in red and yellow foliage, creating a striking contrast with the majestic ridgelines of Mount Jiri. Jiri Mountain Observatory Park offers sweeping views of the mountain range, while visitors can savor the autumn atmosphere on a leisurely walk along the path leading to Jiri Mountain Jeilmun Gate. One of the area's

Best spots for autumn stroll: 4 destinations in South Gyeongsang Province

Seoul Grand Park to unveil twin baby red pandas

Maru and Marong, twin red pandas born at Seoul Grand Park in the first successful breeding of the species in Korea, will make their public debut on Oct. 14. The park said Wednesday that the cubs, born on June 19, have grown healthily and recently begun exploring outside their den. It decided to introduce them to the public earlier than originally planned. The twins are the first red pandas to be born through successful breeding in Korea. Their mother, Rian, arrived from Tama Zoological Park in Japan in 2023, while their father, Ravi, came from the Calgary Zoo in Canada the same year. The cubs were named through a public contest on social media. The female was named Marong and the male Maru. Marong's name evokes a chestnut that is full and abundant, symbolizing the hope that she will grow into a bright-natured animal that embraces the world with warmth and generosity. Maru's name expresses the wish that he will be a precious and outstanding presence who brings comfort and love to many people. The cubs are learning various behaviors by following Rian, including walking, climbing trees and

Seoul Grand Park to unveil twin baby red pandas

Why some Koreans look beyond their culture to Islam

An estimated 45,000 ethnic Koreans born and raised in South Korea have changed their faith to Islam. Among them is Yusuf, an ethnic Korean in his 30s who converted to Islam in 2014. “Most of the men do it to find wives," Yusuf said. Disillusioned with Korea's competitive dating culture, especially in Seoul, many of the men seeking out Islam are also seeking a return to what Yusuf described as a simpler path to marriage. At Seoul Central Masjid in Itaewon, between five and 25 new converts arrive every month for the training course in basic Islamic tenets. Students may choose to recite the Shahada — the Muslim declaration of faith and the first of the five pillars of the religion — and officially convert to Islam at the end. Most of them are men. Female converts, while not explicitly motivated by marriage, also cited “simplicity” when asked about why they became Muslim. Two interviewees said they found the basic premise of Islam — one God — appealing. Areum, a Korean follower in her 30s, said Islam’s respect for elders also aligned well with her native Korean culture, makin

Why some Koreans look beyond their culture to Islam

Chungbuk Nat'l University's AI, business programs draw 1,800 int'l students

Chungbuk National University is seeing tangible results from its efforts to attract international students, with its School of International Studies playing a central role and the expansion of degree programs in fields such as artificial intelligence (AI), software and global business. The university enrolled more than 1,800 international students from approximately 40 countries this year, reflecting its efforts to expand its global student population. The university introduced a master’s program in global business in September 2024, followed by graduate programs in convergence software and global education in September last year. It also broadened its offerings in March this year with the introduction of two undergraduate majors in convergence software and global education. Following the expansion, the university enrolled 385 new students across five undergraduate and graduate programs for the fall 2026 semester, including 109 in the master's program in convergence software, which has drawn growing interest amid rising demand for AI-related education. Students at the School of Interna

Chungbuk Nat'l University's AI, business programs draw 1,800 int'l students

3 telecoms' Q3 profits to jump 84% to $1.04 bil.

Three major telecom companies — SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus — are expected to report an 83.56 percent year-on-year jump in combined third-quarter operating profits to 1.37 trillion won ($1.04 billion), as one-off costs from last year’s hacking incident and voluntary retirement program fade. Their combined revenue is also forecast to rise 1.54 percent to about 15.35 trillion won. According to financial data provider FnGuide, the increase largely reflects a low base from last year, when SK Telecom incurred expenses related to a SIM card data breach and LG Uplus recorded costs for a voluntary retirement program. The combined figure would also be 10.47 percent higher than the 1.24 trillion won recorded in the third quarter of 2024, putting earnings above pre-incident levels. SK Telecom is expected to lead the recovery, with an operating profit soaring 981.5 percent year-on-year to 523.9 billion won and revenue rising 11.87 percent to about 4.45 trillion won. The company’s operating profit slumped to 48.4 billion won in the third quarter last year after the breach in April led to costl

3 telecoms' Q3 profits to jump 84% to $1.04 bil.

FTC head vows stern action against unfair practices burdening people

The head of Korea's antitrust watchdog said Monday his agency will take stern action against unfair market practices, such as price fixing, that add to people's financial burdens. Ju Biung-ghi, head of the Fair Trade Commission (FTC), made the remarks during a parliamentary audit at the National Assembly, noting the watchdog will work to revamp policies to root out such abuses. "To fundamentally address deep-rooted price fixing in the market, the FTC will develop more effective policy measures, such as revoking the registrations of businesses repeatedly engaging in price fixing, seeking business suspensions or ordering companies to reset their prices," Ju said. The chairperson added the commission will proactively address unfair practices in sectors closely linked to people's daily lives, including the wedding, leisure and funeral industries. Ju said the FTC's policy goals include giving vulnerable groups, including small businesses and the self-employed, a stronger voice. "To ease the imbalance of power among market players, we aim to establish an environment where they can compete fairl

FTC head vows stern action against unfair practices burdening people

Lee's approval rating falls for 2nd straight week: poll

President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating fell for the second consecutive week to 35.2 percent, a poll showed Monday, amid controversies over judicial independence and last month's mine blast near the border. In the poll conducted on 1,504 adults nationwide from last Tuesday to Thursday by Realmeter, positive assessments of Lee's job performance fell by 2.2 percentage points from the previous week. Negative assessments rose 1.6 percentage points to 61.4 percent. "Controversies surrounding judicial independence involving Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae, disputes between rival parties over mine explosions in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), as well as rising rental and housing prices in the Seoul metropolitan area, all came under the spotlight during parliamentary audits, leading to the decline in approval ratings," the pollster said. In a separate survey of 1,004 adults conducted last Wednesday and Thursday, support for the ruling Democratic Party fell 7 percentage points to 35.5 percent, while that of the main opposition People Power Party rose 2.9 percentage points to 41.3 percent.

Lee's approval rating falls for 2nd straight week: poll

BOK chief to attend G20, IMF-WBG meetings in Bangkok

Korea's top central banker will attend a meeting of the Group of 20 (G20) finance ministers and central bank chiefs to be held in Thailand this week, the Bank of Korea (BOK) said Monday. BOK Gov. Shin Hyun-song will join the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting, set to take place in Bangkok, where participants will discuss global economic conditions, growth and global imbalances, according to the central bank. He will also attend the International Monetary Fund-World Bank Group (IMF-WBG) meetings, where discussions will focus on the global economic outlook and financial stability. While in Bangkok, the BOK governor is scheduled to hold separate talks with high-ranking officials from the Federal Reserve, the European Central Bank and other major central banks to exchange views on recent international developments. He will also participate in CNN's Global Perspectives, a live event series convening leaders, CEOs and innovators for conversations on issues covering culture, technology and business, along with Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala of Nigeria, director-general of the World T

BOK chief to attend G20, IMF-WBG meetings in Bangkok

Foreign suspects in violent crimes up 12% in 5 years

The number of foreign nationals suspected of committing violent crimes in Korea has risen by nearly 12 percent over the past five years, increasing from 689 in 2021 to 771 last year. A total of 645 foreign suspects had been apprehended for violent crimes between January and September this year, according to the Korean National Police Agency. By nationality, Chinese nationals accounted for the largest number of violent crime suspects last year, at 250, followed by Uzbekistan nationals at 62, U.S. nationals at 60 and Vietnamese at 53. The number of foreign nationals suspected of crimes overall increased as well. The figure rose more than 7 percent, from 32,470 in 2021 to 34,760 last year. By nationality, Mongolian suspects recorded the largest increase, rising around 38 percent from 1,007 to 1,397. Meanwhile, the number of Thai suspects fell over 20 percent, from 2,482 to 1,979. Police mainly attribute the rise to the growing number of foreign nationals living in Korea, not necessarily to a higher rate of offending. The number of foreign nationals residing in Korea increased 42.2 percent,

Foreign suspects in violent crimes up 12% in 5 years

From sharks to otters: How Busan's Gen Z is turning urban wildlife into viral sensations

BUSAN — A woman in her 20s sits quietly with her dog along the safety fences of North Port Waterfront Park in Busan, patiently scanning the artificial waterway for any sign of "Bukangi." Kim Yeon-ji, a local middle school student who also visited the site the day before, chatted animatedly with a friend while waiting nearby. "Sometimes you only have to wait 20 to 30 minutes, or at most an hour, before Bukangi appears," Kim said. "This isn't a shark trapped in an artificial facility like an aquarium. When else would we get the chance to see a wild shark up close like this? I come here with my friend almost every day after school just to see Bukangi." When a distinct dorsal fin finally broke the surface, several onlookers gasped in excitement, shouting, "It's here!" Some began running along the perimeter of the channel, keeping pace with the shark's movements. The long queues of spectators waiting for a glimpse of the creature evoked the dedicated fans waiting outside a K-pop idol concert. "I had no idea there would be this many people," said Choi Ho-yoon, an office worker visiting from

From sharks to otters: How Busan's Gen Z is turning urban wildlife into viral sensations

Overseas piracy of K-content nears 500 mil. cases in 2025: lawmaker

The number of Korean content that was illegally distributed overseas reached nearly 500 million cases last year, the highest number since 2022, a lawmaker said Monday. The number of reported cases hit 493.6 million in 2025, up 19.2 percent from the previous year, according to the data submitted to Rep. Jeong Jun-ho of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea by the Korea Copyright Protection Agency. The figure is the highest since 477.1 million in 2022, when the agency began compiling relevant data. Of the total, piracy cases involving webtoons accounted for the majority at 66.5 percent, followed by films and broadcasts at 33.5 percent. By language, 46.6 percent of the reported cases involved content distributed in English, followed by Chinese at 20.4 percent and languages of Southeast Asian nations at 15.7 percent. While the number of content illegally distributed in English fell 17 percentage points on-year, the portion of those distributed in languages of Southeast Asian and European nations, such as Vietnamese, Thai, Spanish and French, rose. Despite a surge in digital piracy cases, the nu

Overseas piracy of K-content nears 500 mil. cases in 2025: lawmaker

Nearly 8 in 10 school violence cases face only mild penalties: report

New forms of school violence, including one that forces those bullied into physical fights, are on the rise but many of those responsible for such violence go nearly unpunished, a lawmaker said Monday, citing relevant data from the education ministry. According to the data submitted to Rep. Han Byung-do of the ruling Democratic Party, 490 cases of such violence have been subject to a review by school disciplinary committees between 2024 and August this year. A total of 1,961 disciplinary measures were taken against 1,232 students involved, but 77.7 percent, or 1,523, of those measures taken are those considered "light" as they leave no official records of the incidents or their punishment, according to the lawmaker. Such measures include requiring a written apology and orders to keep a distance from victims. Less than 10 percent, or 193, of the measures involved a suspension or school transfers. The report comes amid an apparent spread of the so-called yacha rule, where victims are pushed into unwanted physical fights under the guise of mutual agreement. "There needs to a detailed guideli

Nearly 8 in 10 school violence cases face only mild penalties: report

Recommended