Korea JoongAng Daily - Daily News from Korea

The author is a professor at Hallym University.
The popular sibling duo AKMU has returned with a new release. This comeback drew particular attention because of Lee Su-hyun, the younger sister. For several years, she had lived in seclusion in a darkened room due to symptoms of depression. She has now returned in visibly improved health.
She said her recovery owed much to her brother Lee Chan-hyuk. They lived together, exercised, and followed a managed daily routine. In a song he wrote for her during that time, the lyrics read, "open the door, haetbit [sunlight] bless you."<...

The author is an editorial writer at the JoongAng Ilbo.
The Strait of Hormuz has been closed. A narrow waterway blocked by the clash between the United States and Iran has, within weeks, disrupted the global economy. About 20 percent of the world's oil and a significant share of liquefied natural gas pass through this route. As that flow stalled, global oil prices surged and logistics slowed. More striking, however, was Iran's declaration that it would impose tolls on passage through what had long been considered open seas.

The move carries symbolic weight. Since the end of...

The author is the president of Taejae University.
A recent demand by Samsung Electronics' labor union for 40 trillion won ($27.0 billion) in performance bonuses has drawn attention. The surge in semiconductor demand driven by the rise of AI has sharply increased the company's operating profits: Samsung Electronics reported more than 57 trillion won in operating profit in the first quarter, and its semiconductor division is projected to generate about 270 trillion won this year. If 15 percent of operating profit were distributed as bonuses, as the union proposes, the total would exceed 40 trillion won. That figure surpasses last year's research and development...

With fewer than 50 days remaining before the June 3 local elections, candidates from both ruling and opposition parties are rolling out a wave of cash assistance pledges. While these proposals are framed as responses to high energy prices, they risk becoming little more than vote-buying if they lack proper feasibility reviews and clear funding plans. The trend reflects a deeper dependence on cash-based populism in Korean politics.
Heo Tae-jeong, the Democratic Party's candidate for Daejeon mayor, has pledged to provide 200,000 won (about $135) per resident as relief from high oil prices. This would be separate from central government payments ranging...

This article is by Seo Ji-eun and read by an artificial voice.

[INTERVIEW]
When Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk came into office, questions lingered whether the preceding administration had rushed into opaque, debt-laden arms contracts with Korea. Polish Ambassador to Korea Bartosz Wisniewski put those concerns firmly to rest and let Poland's military speak for itself.
"The ultimate judgment on this [depends on] our military," Wisniewski told the Korea JoongAng Daily in an exclusive interview at the Embassy of Poland in Seoul on Tuesday. "And our military says we are happy with this equipment. We know...

This article is by Sarah Chea and read by an artificial voice.

Korea is moving to expand its strategic oil storage capacity as prolonged disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz are prompting a surge of inquiries from oil-exporting nations seeking to use Korea's storage facilities.
"We are reviewing a plan to expand our current storage capacity of about 140 million barrels by an additional 20 million," Yang Ki-wook, director-general for industry, trade and resource security at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources, said Tuesday at a press briefing at the Sejong government complex.
"We are already in...

This article is by Sarah Chea and read by an artificial voice.

Renault Korea has vowed to roll out at least one new model every year through 2029, with its first pure EV slated for 2028, in a bid to sustain a nascent rebound in domestic sales.
The Korean arm of the French auto group saw its recovery begin in late 2024 with the launch of the Grand Koleos. The rebound then continued with the recent launch of the Filante, as the automaker seeks to regain footing in a market dominated by Hyundai Motor and Kia.
"In 2027, we will...

This article is by Choi Min-ji and read by an artificial voice.

One question has always been on Koreans' minds as the country hails the success of BTS, Blackpink and "Golden" (2025): If one K-pop song takes over the global market, does it actually help the K-content industry as a whole? It turns out, the answer is yes.
According to the latest industry data, Korean indie music and broadcasting content are gaining global traction as interest in K-pop has spilled over — and concrete numbers prove it.
Songs categorized under the K-indie genre on Spotify were streamed 161 million ti...

This article is by Lee So-jin and read by an artificial voice.

A carpet of greenery stretches almost endlessly in a greenhouse in Gujwa-eup, Jeju City in Jeju Island.
A total of 64 beds equipped for cultivation, each 18 meters (59 feet) long, filled with green centella asiatica — commonly known as cica — lined the smart farm facility, which resembles a laboratory.
The greenhouse maintains the optimal environment tailored to the plant: a steady temperature of 20 to 25 degrees Celsius (68 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit), with climate and humidity optimized for growth and nutrient supply.
The giant centella asiatica, which is now read...

This article is by Lee Jae-lim and read by an artificial voice.

[NEWS ANALYSIS]
A shift toward longer-term semiconductor supply agreements is unprecedented. Until now, no contracts have extended beyond a year, but prospective memory deals with Microsoft and Google may usher in a transition that commits Samsung Electronics and SK hynix to long-term supply contracts of up to five years, bringing much-needed stability to the highly cyclical chip industry.
Both companies confirmed the shift toward longer-term contracts at their respective annual general meetings last month.
"In light of supply-demand uncertainties driven by expanding AI...

Lee Woo Young
The author is an emeritus professor of mathematical sciences at Seoul National University.
Consider a person who, at every step, randomly chooses one of four directions — north, south, east or west — and moves one step accordingly. Will this person eventually return to their starting point? This question, known as the "drunkard's walk," is a classic problem in probability theory. Given four possible directions at each step, intuition suggests that the person is more likely to wander away indefinitely than to return, but this judgment turns out to be incorrect.

The human brain did...

Choi Yoon-hee
The author is the president of the Sea Power League of the Republic of Korea and a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The collapse of cease-fire negotiations between the United States and Iran late last week has further complicated the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, highlighting growing risks to global maritime routes and Korea's economic lifelines.

Iran blocked the strait shortly after hostilities began. Following the breakdown of talks, the United States responded with a counterblockade targeting vessels trading with Iran to curb its oil exports. As a result, 26...

The author is a columnist of the JoongAng Ilbo, a chair professor and director of Doheon Academy, Hallym University.
Markets are not easy opponents for any government. They are volatile and unpredictable, often described as having "two faces" — one of an angel and one of a devil. Mishandling them can trigger destructive consequences, eroding wealth and jobs. Few administrations decisively win in their contest with the market, though a general pattern holds: Progressives tend to tighten control while conservatives loosen it.

Having a president who understands the nature of markets can shape a nation's fortunes. Even th...

The United States has imposed a blockade on vessels entering and leaving Iranian ports and coastal areas, escalating tensions in response to Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The move, described as a counterblockade, aims to pressure Iran by cutting off its oil exports and restricting imports of food and essential goods after cease-fire talks collapsed.
As both sides engage in direct confrontation around the strait, concerns are growing over a prolonged conflict and the resulting uncertainty for Korea's economy.
Global oil prices have already surged past $100 per barrel as Washington and Tehran harden their positions...

This article is by Lee Jae-lim, Sarah Chea and read by an artificial voice.

Korea's semiconductor and pharmaceutical sectors could face serious supply disruptions as Donald Trump's push to blockade the Strait of Hormuz deepens uncertainty around a key chokepoint, with consequences for the Korean economy that could be even more debilitating than the spike in energy prices.
"Middle East geopolitical risks are expanding to supply disruptions in industrial materials, which could pose a greater threat than surging energy prices," the Korea International Trade Association (KITA) said in a recent report. "In addition to crude oil and...

This article is by Yoon Seung-jin and read by an artificial voice.

[Hired in Korea]
As more internationals look to build careers in Korea, many find themselves facing practical hurdles — from limited guidance to a lack of firsthand experience. To bridge that gap, the Korea JoongAng Daily talks with professionals who have carved out their paths in diverse fields, offering readers real-world insights on how to start their careers in the country in this series "Hired in Korea."
Zeynep Erkal from Turkey first visited Korea on a trip with her father in 2010, where she immediately fell in...

This article is by Kim Kyoung-mi and read by an artificial voice.

With record-level heat forecast for this summer and the earlier-than-usual arrival of warm weather, demand for air conditioners has risen sharply.
Appliance makers are already preparing for the seasonal market by running factories at full capacity and launching discount campaigns.
The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said on Sunday that there is a 60 percent chance that average temperatures in April and May will be higher than normal this year.
The KMA also forecasts a 50 percent chance that the number of unusually hot days in...

This article is by Yoo Ji-yoen and read by an artificial voice.

When K-pop megaband BTS held its comeback performance in Seoul on March 21 to celebrate the release of its fifth studio album "Arirang," the group appeared in black-and-white ensembles that resembled ink landscape drawings against the painted eaves of Gwanghwamun, the main gate of Gyeongbok Palace.
The members' outfits, designed by the Korean label Songzio, came as a surprise, considering that most of them serve as ambassadors for global luxury houses, including Dior, Gucci and Celine.
More striking still was the restraint. Given the symbolism...

This article is by Cho Jung-woo and read by an artificial voice.

When 32-year-old Kim Ji-hye visited the Gwanghwamun area in central Seoul for K-pop megastar BTS's much-anticipated comeback show last month, the seven members were not the only spectacle that caught her eye.
It was the towering digital billboards, large and small, blended with statues of Admiral Yi Sun-shin and King Sejong in a scene she had not expected to encounter.
"As I sat in the middle of Gwanghwamun Square that day, I was struck by how the space was surrounded by billboards, like New...

This article is by Yoo Ji-yoen and read by an artificial voice.

When K-pop megaband BTS held its comeback performance in Seoul on March 21 to celebrate the release of its fifth studio album "Arirang," the group appeared in black-and-white ensembles that resembled ink landscape drawings against the painted eaves of Gwanghwamun, the main gate of Gyeongbok Palace.
The members' outfits, designed by the Korean label Songzio, came as a surprise, considering that most of them serve as ambassadors for global luxury houses, including Dior, Gucci and Celine.
More striking still was the restraint. Given the symbolism...

This article is by Sarah Chea and read by an artificial voice.

[EXPLAINER]
While U.S. President Donald Trump touts American crude as an alternative for allies facing Iran-linked supply disruptions, the idea can sound fanciful — nowhere more so than in Korea.
On paper, U.S. crude is competitive and lower in sulfur, making it easier to refine. Still, industry insiders agree that U.S. supply cannot fully replace Middle Eastern imports, which account for 70 percent of Korea's total.
The constraint is not about volume; rather, it lies in the structure of Korea's refining system, wh...

Roh Jeong-tae
The author is a writer and senior fellow at the Institute for Social and Economic Research.
On April 13, 1598, Henry IV of France issued a royal decree in the city of Nantes in Brittany, granting broad religious freedoms to French Protestants, known as the Huguenots. The decree, later called the Edict of Nantes, allowed them full civil rights and permitted public worship throughout most of the country, with the notable exception of Paris.

To address persistent tensions between Protestants and Catholics, the edict also established special courts known as the Chambre de l'Édit, w...

Cho Hyun-suk
The author is the economy news editor of the JoongAng Ilbo.
On June 10, 2000, the Millennium Bridge opened across the River Thames in London. Built over two years at a cost of 18.2 million pounds ($22.7 million), the pedestrian bridge was meant to mark the new millennium. It later appeared in the film "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" (2009), where it collapses under attack. The scene, while fictional, reflects a real vulnerability in the bridge's early history.

Just two days after opening, the bridge was closed due to severe swaying. Despite being supported by high-strength steel...

Choi Hoon
The author is a senior columnist at the JoongAng Ilbo.
Korea's biggest concern arising from the Iran war was U.S. President Donald Trump's request to join operations in the Strait of Hormuz. Washington asked five countries, including Korea, China, Japan, Britain and France, to send naval vessels, warning that it would remember who participated. For Seoul, an outright refusal was not easy. The Korean War, in which 36,591 American troops were killed, still weighs heavily on the alliance.

The episode highlights a central dilemma of alliances: entrapment versus abandonment. Entrapment means being drawn...

Controversy is growing as Korea's fuel price cap enters its first month. Introduced amid uncertainty in crude oil supply, the policy is already showing unintended effects, including rising fuel consumption. There are also concerns that inconsistent implementation could expand fiscal burdens at a time when public finances are already under pressure.
Under the system, the government sets refinery supply prices every two weeks. The third round of prices, applied from Friday, remained unchanged from the previous round. This diverges from the government's earlier explanation that prices would reflect international oil trends. According to the Mean of Platts Singapore...

This article is by Jin Eun-soo and read by an artificial voice.

Discounts on movie and performance tickets, along with a range of support measures, will be introduced to boost culture, tourism and sports industries, the Culture Ministry said Saturday.
Of the total, 65.6 billion won will be allocated to the film industry, which has yet to fully recover from the Covid-19 downturn.
A total of 4.5 million discounted movie tickets will be distributed. Each ticket will be discounted by 6,000 won. Discounted movie tickets have proven effective in revitalizing theaters. Last year, the average number of daily attendance...

This article is by Shin Ha-nee and read by an artificial voice.

GOYANG, Gyeonggi — It felt like nothing less than a kings' procession when BTS circled the vast Goyang stadium on Saturday, with flags aloft and marching beats pounding through the chilly night air as the group declared, "I know what I am, I know what I want — I never gon' change."
The two-and-a-half-hour show that kicked off the world's biggest pop group's latest "Arirang" tour delivered exactly that: a regal spectacle shaped by performers long seasoned by intense global scrutiny. Meticulously crafted production values elevated the perf...

This article is by Shin Ha-nee and read by an artificial voice.

K-pop powerhouse HYBE's first Latin boy band Santos Bravos landed in Korea — the birthplace of a production system that helped shape them into the artists they are today.
"We're the first Latin pop group coming from HYBE — that's a lot of weight to carry," member Gabi admitted with a laugh during a press conference held at HYBE's headquarters in central Seoul on Friday.
"But we're trying for this group to be not only be known in Latin America but all over the world," he cont...

This article is by Choi Hyun-ju and read by an artificial voice.

Just as online stores appeared to be pushing their physical counterparts to the brink, offline shops in regional areas are making an unexpected comeback.
Beauty and fashion retailers are expanding their operations beyond the greater Seoul region by opening new stores and investing heavily in local markets as they make efforts to use shifting shopping habits to their advantage and to attract new customers while retaining those who still value in-person experiences.
CJ Olive Young will invest 123.8 billion won ($84 million) this year to open...

This article is by Cho Mun-gyu, Michael Lee and read by an artificial voice.

Chinese President Xi Jinping reaffirmed Beijing's belief in a single Chinese nation, and its opposition to Taiwanese independence, in his first meeting in a decade with the chair of Taiwan's main opposition Kuomintang on Friday.
Xi told Kuomintang leader Cheng Li-wun that "people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are all Chinese, and the future of cross-strait relations lies in the hands of the Chinese people" during their talks at the Great Hall of the People, according to China Central Television and...

This article is by Cho Mun-gyu, Michael Lee and read by an artificial voice.

Chinese President Xi Jinping reaffirmed Beijing's belief in a single Chinese nation, and its opposition to Taiwanese independence, in his first meeting in a decade with the chair of Taiwan's main opposition Kuomintang on Friday.
Xi told Kuomintang leader Cheng Li-wun that "people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are all Chinese, and the future of cross-strait relations lies in the hands of the Chinese people" during their talks at the Great Hall of the People, according to China Central Television and...

This article is by Kim Hyo-seong, Jang Joo-young and read by an artificial voice.

A tumbling-enabled Atlas, showcased during Hyundai Motor Group's booth at CES 2026, is widely believed to be the model slated for real-world manufacturing deployment starting in 2028.
"But you know what? That's not the robot that will actually go into factories," a humanoid robotics researcher with knowledge of the matter said.
The silver Atlas — developed by Boston Dynamics, Hyundai Motor's U.S. subsidiary — is not intended for actual manufacturing use, as it is just a prototype built for technological validation.

The model that...

This article is by Woo Ji-won and read by an artificial voice.

Many K-pop fans know Goyang, Gyeonggi, for Goyang Stadium, one of South Korea's largest venues where global stars regularly take the stage. In fact, BTS is set to perform there on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.
But once the encore ends, most people leave — as proven by local travel agencies' itineraries, which often focus solely on getting to and from Goyang Stadium.
Goyang is a sprawling satellite city that spans about 270 square kilometers (66,718 acres). But even South Koreans often overlook Goyang due to its remote lo...

Kwack Min-soo
The author is the director of the Korea Institute of Egyptology.
Among the candidates for the title of first pharaoh, Narmer stands out. Unlike Menes, discussed previously, Narmer's existence is firmly supported by archaeological evidence.

One of the most important discoveries was made in 1897 by British Egyptologist James Quibell at Hierakonpolis in Upper Egypt. Excavating a temple site, Quibell uncovered a large number of early dynastic artifacts that had been buried for ritual purposes. Among them was the "Narmer Palette," a schist slab measuring 64 by 42 centimeters (25.2 by 16.5 inches) and engraved with symbols widely...

Cho Min-geun
The author is an editorial writer at the JoongAng Ilbo.
"The government will provide 100,000 won per person in high oil price relief funds to those in the bottom 70 percent of income earners."
Reading Budget Minister Park Hong-keun's supplementary budget announcement on March 31, one phrase stood out as oddly jarring: "bottom 70 percent." Regardless of whether the eligibility threshold is appropriate, attaching the label "bottom" to such a large share of the population feels awkward. The expression began to gain currency during the Moon Jae-in administration when emergency relief payments were distributed using similar criteria. As...

Cho Yoon-je
The author is a special appointment professor at the Graduate School of Economics at Yonsei University.
One of the most dramatic political shifts in early 20th-century Britain was the collapse of the Liberal Party. Rooted in the Whig tradition, the Liberals had stood at the center of British politics in the late 19th century, producing prominent leaders such as William Gladstone. Yet within a generation, they were pushed to the margins. Though they championed free trade and represented industrial capitalists and the middle class, they failed to incorporate the rising working class through a broader...

North Korea has claimed it successfully tested cluster munitions that disperse submunitions in midair as well as electromagnetic pulse weapons designed to disable power systems. The state-run Korean Central News Agency reported that evaluation tests conducted between Monday and Wednesday confirmed the weapons could devastate a target area of 6.5 to 7 hectares (16 to 17 acres).
Cluster munitions, referred to by North Korea as "dispersion bombs," release multiple explosive devices over a wide area. The weapons have been widely criticized for their indiscriminate nature, with the international community urging restraint in their use. Electromagnetic weapons that can disable power grids also...

This article is by Sarah Chea and read by an artificial voice.

Korea predicts that even if Iran imposes a transit fee on the Strait of Hormuz, the effect on domestic fuel prices will likely remain marginal at around 0.5 percent, or under 1 percent at most.
"Crude oil is currently trading at around $90 to $100 per barrel. Should a transit toll be levied, prices might rise to roughly $101 per barrel — a one percent increase," said Yang Ki-wook, Director-General of the Office of Industry, Trade and Resource Security at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, during a Thursday press br...

This article is by Jin Eun-soo and read by an artificial voice.

The World Heritage Committee is the primary decision-making body on matters related to the World Heritage Convention, overseeing the inscription, conservation and protection of World Heritage sites. The annual event is attended by the Unesco Director-General and delegations from the convention's 196 States Parties.
The 11-day event will take place at Busan's Bexco convention hall from July 19 to 29.
Korea hopes the global gathering will help expand domestic and international networks to support the inscription of the Sites of the Busan Wartime Capital on Unesco's World...

This article is by Kang Bo-hyun, Michael Lee and read by an artificial voice.

Confusion is deepening within the ruling Democratic Party (DP) over a leadership directive that bans the use of past images and videos of President Lee Jae Myung by the party's candidates in campaign materials ahead of the June 3 local government elections.
Lee ordered an internal inspection on Wednesday into claims that the directive had been issued by the Blue House in a Telegram group chat involving 60 senior aides, according to officials familiar with the matter who spoke to the JoongAng Ilbo.
The...