South Korea’s mobile telecom market has entered a full-scale subsidy war, with cash incentives reaching as high as ₩1 million for customers who switch carriers. The aggressive competition was triggered by KT’s decision to waive contract cancellation fees, prompting rival operators to roll out unprecedented promotions to attract defecting users. According to industry sources, SK Telecom is offering subsidies of up to ₩1 million, alongside payback events that refund the first m

A local government in South Korea is drawing attention with a policy that offers substantial financial support to elderly drivers who voluntarily surrender their driver’s licenses. Gongju City in South Chungcheong Province announced that it will provide transportation subsidies of up to ₩1.8 million to eligible senior residents as part of an effort to prevent traffic accidents involving older drivers. According to the city on January 13, the program targets residents aged 70

At CES 2026 in Las Vegas, visitors were willing to wait up to an hour—not to see a new vehicle, but to catch a glimpse of Hyundai Motor Group’s humanoid robot, the all-new Atlas. According to industry insiders who attended the event, the crowd at Hyundai’s booth remained dense throughout the show, with wait times of at least 45 minutes just to see the robot in action. The unexpected attention came despite Hyundai unveiling no major new passenger vehicles at the world’s larges

A simple habit—wrapping cash in newspaper and storing it away—ended up destroying millions of won and contributed to a nationwide loss totaling trillions. According to the Bank of Korea, damaged and unusable banknotes worth ₩2.84 trillion were destroyed in 2025 after being deemed unfit for circulation. One case involved a resident in North Chungcheong Province who had kept ₩18.92 million in cash wrapped in newspaper inside a storage space. When the money was later retrieved,

Danielle, a former member of the girl group NewJeans, has spoken publicly for the first time since being notified of contract termination by her agency ADOR, amid an ongoing legal dispute involving a ₩43 billion damages lawsuit. On Jan. 7, Danielle addressed fans through a live broadcast on social media, sharing her thoughts and current situation following the termination of her exclusive contract. The broadcast, which lasted approximately nine minutes, was streamed via her p

Goyang-ri, Yeoju, South Korea, A small rural village in South Korea is drawing national attention for a community-led solar power model that generates steady income while funding shared welfare services for residents. Goyang-ri, located in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province, is home to about 70 households and 120 residents. By installing solar panels on community-owned assets such as the village hall, warehouses, sports facilities, and parking areas, the village operates six solar powe

Rising prices of commodity memory chips are reshaping profitability expectations in the semiconductor market, with analysts suggesting that conventional memory could soon outperform high-bandwidth memory (HBM) in operating margins. Lee Se-chul, Managing Director at Citi Group Research, said during a television interview on Monday that commodity memory, which has historically generated lower margins than HBM, may now deliver higher profitability due to a sharp price surge. He

The number of first-grade students entering elementary school in South Korea this year has fallen below 300,000 for the first time on record, underscoring the accelerating impact of the country’s prolonged low birth rate on its education system. According to the Ministry of Education’s 2025 revised student population projections, the estimated number of first-grade elementary students nationwide this year stands at 298,178. This marks a sharp decline from previous years and b

South Korean authorities have issued a public warning over a new form of QR code–based phishing attack linked to North Korean hacking groups, following similar alerts previously released by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). According to the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA), multiple cases have been identified in which attackers impersonated government agencies and policy think tanks to lure victims into scanning malicious QR codes. The technique, known as

A citywide bus strike in Seoul triggered widespread commuting disruption Tuesday morning, forcing thousands of residents to walk long distances or crowd into subway stations amid freezing winter conditions. The Seoul City Bus Labor Union entered an indefinite, full-scale strike after wage and collective bargaining negotiations with the Seoul Bus Transport Association collapsed at around 1:30 a.m. As a result, all city buses were suspended from the first service of the day. In

New Breast Cancer Drug Changes Outcomes but Raises Cost Concerns SEOUL — A breakthrough breast cancer drug is transforming treatment outcomes for advanced-stage patients in South Korea, but high out-of-pocket costs are forcing some to abandon therapy, according to a leading oncologist. In an interview, Professor Shin Jung-hoon of Samsung Medical Center said the antibody-drug conjugate Enhertu has dramatically improved survival and quality of life for patients with advanced br

Immigration Era Arrives in Korea as Local Acceptance Shapes Outcomes SEOUL — As South Korea heads toward an era in which its foreign resident population is projected to reach 3 million within four years, regional differences in how immigrants are integrated are becoming increasingly visible, according to field reports and policy data. A recent case study contrasts Yeongam County in South Jeolla Province with Jeju Island, highlighting how legal status, community interaction, a

Korea’s Housing Market Shows Record-Level Polarization SEOUL — South Korea’s housing market is showing unprecedented polarization, with apartment prices ranging from levels lower than luxury handbags to tens of billions of won, according to official transaction data. An apartment complex in Yakmok-myeon, Chilgok County, North Gyeongsang Province, recorded the lowest home sale price nationwide, government data showed. According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Trans

South Korea Intensifies Crackdown on Homemade Guns After Songdo Murder SEOUL — South Korean authorities have arrested 19 individuals and seized hundreds of illegal firearms and weapon-related items as part of a nationwide crackdown on homemade gun manufacturing and distribution, officials said Friday. The joint task force—comprised of the National Police Agency, the Korea Customs Service, and the National Intelligence Service—was launched in September last year following a de

Small Cars in Short Supply: Delivery Delays Continue Into 2026 South Korea’s small car shortage is expected to persist into the new year, as delivery waiting periods for compact models continue to lengthen despite overall improvements in the broader auto market. According to Hyundai Motor and Kia, most passenger vehicles now have delivery wait times of less than one month. In contrast, light vehicles (mini cars) face significantly longer delays due to limited supply and const

Korea is moving to bring its traditional culture into the global generative AI ecosystem by building verified training datasets for traditional patterns and traditional music, unveiled this week at CES 2026 in Las Vegas. The WIPCO Consortium presented Korea’s traditional culture AI training data on January 6 (local time), developed under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Culture Information Service Agency (KCISA) as part of the “AI Training Data Constr

South Korea is expected to experience heavy snowfall and rain nationwide this weekend, with snow falling at rates strong enough to significantly reduce visibility and disrupt transportation, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said on Thursday. According to the KMA’s regular briefing on January 8, a series of strong cold air masses, with temperatures dropping below minus 35 degrees Celsius in the upper atmosphere, will move southward from Saturday through Sunday. Th

Global sales of obesity treatments have surpassed those of the world’s leading cancer immunotherapy, according to industry estimates, marking a notable shift in the pharmaceutical market. According to a report released on January 8 by Eugene Investment & Securities, citing Bloomberg consensus data, the global obesity drug market recorded approximately USD 30 billion (around KRW 44 trillion) in sales last year, reaching this level for the first time. The report estimates that

A Korean YouTuber known as Kim Pro has emerged as the most-watched creator in the world, topping global YouTube channels in total annual views for 2025. According to data from YouTube analytics platform Playboard, Kim Pro’s channel recorded approximately 77.5 billion views over the year, ranking first worldwide. This figure significantly surpasses the second-place channel *Double Date*, which logged around 61.5 billion views, and more than doubles the annual views of *MrBeast

The share of foreign nationals among South Korea’s major conglomerate (chaebol) owner families has risen sharply, driven largely by third- and fourth-generation heirs, according to a new analysis. As of the end of last year, 41 out of 582 owner-family members (7%) at 62 large business groups held foreign citizenship, based on data released on January 7 by corporate research firm CEO Score. This figure marks a significant generational shift: while only 1.7% of first- and secon