Author: Jae young

September 24, 2025SEOUL – President Lee Jae Myung on Monday emphasized that mass detention of South Korean nationals in the United States should never happen again, drawing support from US lawmakers for efforts to improve visa policies.Lee met with four US lawmakers — Reps. Young Kim and Gregory Meeks, and Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Chris Coons — during his trip to New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly, a first for the president since his inauguration in June.The meeting comes after a surprise immigration crackdown earlier in September at a battery plant construction site in Georgia, where 316…

September 24, 2025SEOUL – To survive and thrive in the vortex of international crises, it is imperative that we are wise, strong and courageous. We tend to think that wise men are not strong or courageous, and strong and courageous men are not wise. That is not so. Wisdom, strength and courage are closely interrelated and intertwined. Indeed, wisdom without strength and courage is problematic, and so is strength and courage without wisdom.It is appropriate that, in Greek myth, Athena is the goddess not only of wisdom but of warfare. In Roman myth, Athena is called Minerva, and she is…

September 24, 2025SEOUL – Han Hak-ja, leader of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, better known as the Unification Church, was taken into custody after a Seoul court approved her arrest early Tuesday morning.The 82-year-old appeared in public for the last time before her arrest when she exited the court building without answering any questions at approximately 7 p.m., Monday, five hours after she attended her warrant hearing.The court found it necessary to detain Han, citing concerns over evidence tampering. She is suspected of providing illegal political funds to the former conservative party’s floor leader in 2022 in…

September 24, 2025SEOUL – Researchers from India and China accounted for 60 percent of all foreign research visas issued by South Korea over the past five years, a report showed Tuesday.According to data submitted by the Ministry of Justice to Rep. Lee Jeong-heon of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, 4,629 foreigners entered South Korea on E-3 research visas between 2020 and August 2025.The E-3 visa is issued to foreign researchers engaged in natural sciences or advanced industrial technology research and development at public or private institutions in Korea.Of the total, Indian nationals were the largest share with 2,262 researchers,…

September 24, 2025SEOUL – The Lee Jae Myung administration is reviving plans to create a public medical academy and launch a “regional doctor system,” putting long-debated measures at the center of a sweeping overhaul of South Korea’s public health care and social security systems.In a policy briefing Monday, Health and Welfare Minister Jeong Eun-kyeong said the government will, within the year, draft the legal basis for the public medical academy to train doctors committed to essential and regional care. Building the school itself could take three to five years, depending on legislative progress, she added.Alongside the academy, the administration will…

September 24, 2025BEIJING – Beijing, on Tuesday, rejected a joint statement issued by Seoul, Tokyo and Washington that made irresponsible remarks on issues related to Taiwan and the South China Sea, urging relevant countries to respect the one-China policy and stop hyping up tensions.The statement, issued after a meeting among foreign ministers of South Korea, Japan and the United States in New York, mentioned “increasingly frequent destabilizing activities around Taiwan” and “unlawful maritime claims” in the South China Sea and “attempts to enforce such claims”.China strongly deplores and firmly rejects the statement, which interferes with China’s internal affairs and smears…

September 23, 2025SEOUL – South Korea could face a “financial crisis” if it complies with US demands that Seoul put up $350 billion in cash investment as a follow-up to the trade deal, President Lee Jae Myung warned in an interview.Under a trade agreement reached in July, Seoul pledged to invest $350 billion in the US in exchange for Washington reducing its “reciprocal” tariffs from 25 percent to 15 percent.The initial agreement lacked specific details on how the $350 billion investment would be handled, leaving Seoul and Washington at odds. The US has been pressing for more upfront cash, while…

September 23, 2025SEOUL – Netflix Korea on Friday unveiled the star-studded lineup for “Physical: Asia,” the franchise’s first-ever nation-versus-nation showdown.The series will feature 48 contestants from eight countries — Australia, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Mongolia, the Philippines, Thailand and Turkey — competing in a high-stakes test of strength, strategy and teamwork.Each six-person team is led by a national superstar. Team Korea is anchored by Ultimate Fighting Championship pioneer Kim Dong-hyun and boasts a powerhouse roster including Olympic gold medalist Yun Sung-bin, “Physical: 100” Season 2 winner Amotti, Jang Eun-sil, Choi Seung-yeon and ssireum champion Kim Min-jae.Team Japan will feature MMA standout…

September 23, 2025SEOUL – When “I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki” appeared in 2018, it opened up something rare in Korean publishing. Part memoir, part therapeutic dialogue, the book was grounded in the author’s experience of clinical depression. Classified as a “Korean Essay” by local bookstores, it stood out because it offered a vulnerable personal narrative.Seven years on, the same category looks very different. Bookstores across South Korea showcase row after row of pastel-colored volumes repeating variations of the same lines:“You are enough just by existing.”“Even standing still is moving forward.”“Happiness lives in ordinary days.”These are…

September 23, 2025SEOUL – Prosecutors on Monday demanded the death penalty for a teacher accused of stabbing a first grader to death at an elementary school in Daejeon this year.During a hearing at the Daejeon District Court, prosecutors argued that Myeong Jae-wan, the 48-year-old elementary school teacher, should face capital punishment for the murder of the student, Kim Ha-neul, on Feb. 10.“The victim’s family has pleaded for the harshest punishment,” said prosecutors Monday. Prosecutors also stated that while Myeong has submitted “dozens of letters of remorse” in reflection of her actions, she still showed “no genuine remorse during the investigation…