Korean travel to Southeast Asia takes a hit amid Cambodia scandal

Korean travelers are pulling back from Southeast Asia amid growing reports of scams and kidnappings in Cambodia. In October, the number of travelers flying from South Korea to Southeast Asian countries dropped sharply, with Cambodia seeing the steepest fall. According to passenger statistics released Sunday by Incheon International Airport Corporation, departures to Southeast Asia declined by 7.25 percent from the previous month (to 784,962 travelers). Cambodia alone saw a 15.4 percent drop, fro

Nov. 16, 2025

Police to probe e-scooter firms after unlicensed teen crash leaves mother in coma

South Korean police are weighing criminal liability for e-scooter rental companies after a teen riding a scooter critically injured a woman in Incheon last month, a case that has intensified public anger over a service already strained by years of accidents, sidewalk conflicts and government crackdowns. Police confirmed they are reviewing whether rental platforms facilitated unlicensed riding in the Songdo accident on Oct. 18, which involved two middle school students who crashed into a woman wa

Nov. 16, 2025

Cheap AI tools fuel teen-driven rise in deepfake sex crimes in South Korea

A sharp rise in AI-generated sex crimes in South Korea is being driven largely by teenagers, according to police, in what officials describe as a troubling intersection of cheap deepfake technology, digital manipulation and underage offenders. Between November 2024 and October 2025, South Korean police apprehended 3,557 individuals for cybersexual violence. The country’s National Office of Investigation revealed Sunday that deepfake-related crimes now make up the largest single category, with 1,

Nov. 16, 2025

Fire destroys massive Cheonan fashion logistics hub

A towering inferno ripped through one of South Korea’s largest fashion logistics centers on Saturday, leaving the E-Land facility in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, a hollowed-out shell and destroying millions of garments inside. No injuries were reported. The fire broke out early in the morning, at around 6:08 a.m., before employees arrived for work. According to the South Chungcheong provincial fire headquarters, the blaze began on the fourth floor of the warehouse and spread rapidly, fue

Nov. 16, 2025

As Korean youth exit restaurant jobs, foreign students step in — and grow essential

As young Koreans increasingly avoid part-time service jobs, international students are filling the gap, working in restaurants across South Korea to keep kitchens running and dining rooms staffed. Despite wages that can reach 15,000 won per hour ($10.20), employers say it’s harder than ever to hire local workers for roles like waiting tables or assisting in kitchens. Instead, part-time job listings are drawing students from abroad, many of whom are juggling their studies with shifts in cafes, ea

Nov. 13, 2025

Kim Dae-jung’s Nobel medal and 1987 protester’s bloodstained clothes recognized as heritage

South Korea will formally preserve two of its most powerful symbols of democracy — the late President Kim Dae-jung’s Nobel Peace Prize and the bloodstained clothes of student protester Lee Han-yeol — as part of the nation’s first-ever “preliminary cultural heritage.” The Korea Heritage Service announced Wednesday that the two items, representing Korea’s struggles and triumphs in modern history, are among 10 selected for the new designation, which was created to protect significant cultural items

Nov. 12, 2025

Sticker shock no more: FTC forces Korean wedding vendors to name their price

Couples in South Korea preparing to marry have long faced a stressful and costly guessing game: How much will their wedding venue really cost? Now the government is stepping in to stop it. Starting Wednesday, wedding service providers in South Korea are legally required to disclose complete pricing information before signing any contracts, according to the Fair Trade Commission. The new rule aims to eliminate hidden fees and vague terms in a notoriously opaque industry that bundles photography,

Nov. 12, 2025

Korean police officers say APEC summit left them 'sleeping like the homeless'

When world leaders gathered in South Korea for last month's APEC summit, thousands of the police officers protecting them were sleeping on cardboard and eating cold rice. Their union now says the government treated them “worse than the homeless.” The National Police Union on Tuesday held a protest in front of the National Police Agency headquarters in Seoul, displaying photographs taken by officers deployed to the global diplomatic event that took place in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, be

Nov. 11, 2025

Korea recovers 600-year-old cargo ship in underwater excavation

A 600-year-old tax ship has resurfaced off Korea’s west coast. South Korean archaeologists have recovered the full remains of a Joseon-era (1392-1910) cargo vessel, shedding light on how a premodern kingdom managed national taxation, logistics and sea-based infrastructure with surprising complexity. Announced by the National Research Institute of Maritime Heritage on Monday, the 15th-century vessel — named Mado 4 by researchers — was raised from the seabed in October following nearly a decade of

Nov. 10, 2025

Counterfeit K-beauty floods the market, most shoppers can't tell the difference

A wave of counterfeit Korean beauty products is sweeping across global markets, with knockoffs so convincing that many consumers don’t know they’ve been duped until it’s too late. This year alone, losses tied to intellectual property theft targeting South Korean beauty brands have skyrocketed to 22 billion won ($15.1 million), according to data from the Korea Customs Service released by lawmaker Cha Gyu-geun's office. That marks a staggering 24-fold increase from last year. The vast majority of

Nov. 7, 2025