Korean students anxious as Trump pushes tougher US visa controls

When 24-year-old Kim Yeon-joo, not her real name, opens her laptop each morning to resume drafting her personal statement, the first website she checks is no longer her dream university’s admissions page. Instead, she scrolls through the news. For many Korean students hoping to pursue higher education in the United States, a path once seen as competitive but predictable has become increasingly uncertain. Under US President Donald Trump’s renewed push to tighten immigration controls, prospective

Nov. 15, 2025

Faith in the age of Gen Z: South Korea's religions turn to avatars, acoustics and pop culture

A young Buddhist nun, Catholic priest and Protestant pastor recently appeared on tvN's popular variety show "You Quiz on the Block." Between laughter, filming social media challenges and dancing to the viral "KPop Demon Hunters" song “Soda Pop,” they spoke about how hard it is to avoid K-pop. Their cheerful appearance contrasted sharply with an earlier episode, in which senior clerics discussed doctrine and inter-religious dialogue in hushed tones. More young South Koreans are identifying as ath

Nov. 15, 2025

'Kant took Suneung, too': Test-takers tormented by 18th-century philosopher

“Do you think (Immanuel) Kant knows? That centuries later he is inflicting so much pain on students in an East Asian country? In the Korean, English and electives sections. Do you think Kant knows?” read a post uploaded by a test-taker to Orbi, an online community for college admissions, on Thursday after the annual College Scholastic Ability Test, or Suneung, ended. Immanuel Kant is the 18th-century German philosopher whose work on ethics, metaphysics and human reason fundamentally reshaped mod

Nov. 14, 2025

English section of Suneung deemed tougher than last year: Can you solve these questions?

This year’s English section on the College Scholastic Ability Test, or Suneung, was more difficult than last year, according to teachers and education experts. “(The English section) was a bit more difficult than last year’s Suneung and similar to the September mock exam,” said Kim Ye-ryeong, a teacher at Daewon Foreign Language High School, who appeared on the state-run Educational Broadcasting System on Thursday after Suneung ended. Kim noted that while this year’s exam contained no so-called

Nov. 14, 2025

Suneung discounts roll out nationwide as students celebrate the end of exam season

Suneung, the daylong college entrance exam that serves as the culmination of a high school senior’s academic journey, is finally over. To mark the end of months of grueling preparation, retailers and service providers nationwide are rolling out special promotions for test-takers. Students must bring their ID and test identification slip, issued by the Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation, to qualify for the benefits. "Test-takers! You've put in so much effort! To repay you for your hard

Nov. 13, 2025

'He was drinking at the table next to us': Replacement driver booked for DUI

A substitute driver hired to take a car owner home is under investigation by police after speeding and driving under the influence, police said Wednesday. The suspect, in his 50s, was a designated driver for hire, typically hired by people who want to get home in their own cars after drinking. The Incheon Jungbu Police Station said it booked the suspect without detention at 2:20 a.m. on Oct. 25. The driver picked up the client and his car in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, and drove 40 kilometers to

Nov. 13, 2025

German couple pedals 8,000 km to Busan, discovering humanity one country at a time

When Philipp Springsguth and Maria West set out from their home in Saxony, Germany, in March, they packed lightly but purposefully: five water bottles, two bikes, a tent and the conviction that they could do anything. Eight months and 8,000 kilometers later, the German couple arrived in Busan after cycling through 16 countries, passing through stunning landscapes, including arid plains of Kazakhstan, desert dunes of Afghanistan and bustling cities of China. Speaking to The Korea Herald shortly a

Nov. 13, 2025

Man and woman caught defecating on the walls of Gyeongbokgung

A man and a woman were caught on camera defecating on the stone walls of Gyeongbokgung in central Seoul, local broadcaster JTBC reported Tuesday. Footage showed the man crouching in the bushes while holding toilet paper on Monday, with a woman next to him pulling down her white pants to relieve herself. After a few moments, the woman stood up and walked away, leaving visible stains on her clothing. Shortly after, the man emerged from the bushes. According to the TV program, the incident occurred

Nov. 12, 2025

World Cup fever hits Pyongyang, two days late

In a rare display of unbridled excitement, residents of Pyongyang took to the streets Monday to celebrate North Korea's Under-17 women’s football team, which claimed the World Cup title by defeating the Netherlands. The final, held Saturday at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat, Morocco, saw the North Koreans score three goals in the first half to seal a dominant 3-0 victory. It marked the team’s second consecutive championship win. Despite the triumph, North Korea’s state-run Korean Central Televisio

Nov. 12, 2025

Paik Jong-won cleared, but his company referred to prosecution, in false labeling case

Paik Jong-won, TV personality and CEO of TheBorn Korea, was cleared of allegations that he was involved in his company’s alleged false labeling of ingredient origins, law enforcement said Monday. The company itself, however, has been indicted on the same charges. According to the Seoul Gangnam Police Station on Monday, it decided in October not to refer Paik’s case to the prosecution, determining that there was insufficient evidence to prove he violated the Act on Labeling and Advertising of Foo

Nov. 11, 2025