A Tetris-Like Maze Blocks Protests in Pakistan’s Capital

New York Times - Sep 26, 2026

Pakistani authorities have barricaded Islamabad with more than 1,500 shipping containers to stop opposition protesters, choking off access to the capital.

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Number of foreigners in Korea reaches 2.8 million in August

Sep 26, 2026

Number of foreigners in Korea reaches 2.8 million in August

The number of foreign nationals in Korea reached 2.87 million last month, up 5.3 percent from a year earlier, government data showed Saturday. As of end-August, long-term foreign residents stood at 2.25 million, while those on short-term stays, including tourists, came to 629,406, according to immigration data from the justice ministry. By nationality, Chinese nationals accounted for the largest share of 34.6 percent, or 995,562 people, followed by Vietnamese at 383,244 and Americans at 181,325. While the total number of foreign nationals rose from 2.73 million in August 2025, last month's figure marked a decline from 2.9 million in July. Among the 1.64 million registered foreign nationals in Korea, 51.5 percent of them lived in the greater Seoul area, followed by 21.3 percent in the southeastern provinces of North and South Gyeongsang. The number of foreigners has steadily risen since 2021 when the figure dropped below 2 million amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Highways congested on Chuseok holiday as people return home

Sep 26, 2026

Highways congested on Chuseok holiday as people return home

Major roads and expressways were congested across Korea on Saturday, the third day of the Chuseok holiday, as people headed home after family reunions in their hometowns. As of 1 p.m., travel times to Seoul from the southeastern city of Busan were estimated at seven hours and 50 minutes, six hours and 50 minutes from Mokpo, six hours and 50 minutes from Daegju, and six hours and 30 minutes from the southwestern city of Gwangju, according to the Korea Expressway Corp. This year's holiday for Chuseok, the Korean equivalent of Thanksgiving, runs from Thursday to Sunday. The holiday is marked by visits to hometowns, family reunions, ancestral rites and traditional holiday foods. Expressways heading to Seoul began being clogged early Saturday, but traffic in the opposition direction somewhat eased. As of 1 p.m., trips from Seoul to Busan were estimated to take five hours and 30 minutes, and three hours and 20 minutes to Gwangju. The state-run company said congestion was expected to peak between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. and ease between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. Sunday. An estimated 5.9 million vehicles were e

Traditional Korean wrapping cloth 'bojagi' wins over younger generations

Sep 26, 2026

Traditional Korean wrapping cloth 'bojagi' wins over younger generations

A noticeable change has emerged among the gift sets flooding the market around Chuseok holidays: a sharp increase in traditional "bojagi" wrapping. From trendy coffee brands and fruit-filled rice cakes popular among the MZ Generation — a term encompassing Millennials and Generation Z — to renowned dessert shops, a growing range of fashionable products is being wrapped in bojagi, a traditional Korean wrapping cloth. Gone is the dated look of the gold-colored satin cloth that once accompanied holiday gift sets. Instead, a variety of materials and contemporary color palettes have helped shed the cloth's old-fashioned image. Bojagi refers to a square piece of fabric used to wrap, store or transport items. At a time when bags, plastic packaging and cardboard boxes were uncommon, bojagi was an essential household item. But as Korea modernized, it seemed destined to become a relic of the past. More recently, it was largely reserved for formal occasions, such as weddings and holiday gift-giving, thanks to its symbolism of conveying good fortune. The resurgence of bojagi wrapping is largely

Korean 'yajang' culture explained: Guide to outdoor dining in Seoul

Sep 26, 2026

Korean 'yajang' culture explained: Guide to outdoor dining in Seoul

“Not going to 'yajang' in this weather should be a crime,” Koreans jokingly say whenever a crisp, breezy evening arrives — a seasonal call to trade indoor dining rooms for plastic chairs, sizzling grills and conversations held in lively streets. By 7 p.m. on Monday in Seoul’s Jongno 3-ga area, the saying seemed to have become reality. Red and blue plastic tables were set up in narrow alleys, providing a place for college students, office workers still in shirts and slacks, couples and older diners to sit shoulder to shoulder as they grilled thick slices of pork belly, clinking together their glasses of beer, soju and makgeolli in the early autumn air. Nearby, indoor restaurants and bars offered warm lighting, carefully selected furniture and sleek interiors. But it was the more humble tables outside, in front of old storefronts and streets that looked like they had been unchanged for decades, that drew the longest lines. This is “yajang,” shorthand for an outdoor business space. In everyday Korean, it broadly refers to casual outdoor dining and drinking, which can encompass

Jeju Island reinvents itself as haven for paws and passports

Sep 26, 2026

Jeju Island reinvents itself as haven for paws and passports

Jeju Island is rolling out the red carpet — and plenty of belly rubs — for a new wave of globetrotters: jet-setting pups and the devoted humans who refuse to leave them behind. Tourism authorities in Jeju are betting that attracting international pet owners will unleash the southern resort island’s next major wave of travel growth. As the global trend of "pet humanization" — treating companion animals as full family members — gains traction, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province and the Jeju Tourism Organization are positioning the island as a major pet-friendly getaway for foreign tourists. At the center of this strategy is a targeted campaign aimed at nearby Japan, where surveys by Tokyo-based market research firm Cross Marketing Inc. show a clear generational shift: more than half of pet owners in their 20s and 30s now integrate their pets into social outings and leisure travel, driving a surging demand for pet-friendly hospitality. Navigating international travel with pets is notoriously complex, often fraught with strict quarantine protocols, feed import regulations, comp

JYP founder to face National Assembly scrutiny over 'Korean Coachella' trademark

Sep 26, 2026

JYP founder to face National Assembly scrutiny over 'Korean Coachella' trademark

Park Jin-young, founder and chief producer of JYP Entertainment, is expected to be called to testify at a National Assembly audit over his company's move to secure trademark rights to Fanomenon, a government-backed large-scale K-pop event. Rep. Bae Hyun-jin of the main opposition People Power Party said she plans to summon Park, who also serves as co-chair of the presidential committee on popular culture exchange, to explain why his company applied for the trademark rights and how they would ultimately be transferred. "The committee said the rights would later be transferred to the entity responsible for organizing the event," Bae wrote in a social media post Tuesday. "But it remains unclear why it was handled that way in the first place, when the rights will be transferred and whether the arrangement was properly reviewed," Bae said. "It has become unavoidable for us to call Park to testify at the National Assembly audit." Fanomenon, billed as Korea's answer to Coachella, is a global K-pop event being jointly organized by the presidential committee and major entertainment agencies. Sched

Number of int'l flight passengers up 10% this year despite hikes in oil prices

Sep 26, 2026

Number of int'l flight passengers up 10% this year despite hikes in oil prices

The number of international flight passengers using Korean airports rose around 10 percent in the January-August period from a year earlier despite a sharp rise in oil prices, data showed Saturday. A total of 68.44 million people used international flights in the first eight months of the year, up 9.8 percent from the previous year, according to the data from the airport portal information system of the transportation ministry. Experts said the yen's weakness and China's visa-free program for Korean nationals helped boost demand for flights to and from Japan and China. The number of travelers using Incheon International Airport, Korea's main gateway, for transit also increased amid the Middle East war. By destination, the number of travelers using flights linking Korea and Japan rose 20.3 percent on-year to 21.3 million in the cited period, and the number using China flight routes increased 23 percent to 13.6 million. Meanwhile, the number of passengers using flights to and from Southeast Asian nations markedly declined, the data showed. The number of travelers using flights linking Korea

'I feel sorry toward my parents': Youth job market remains a needle's eye

Sep 26, 2026

'I feel sorry toward my parents': Youth job market remains a needle's eye

Koo, 28, who works on a contract basis at a large company, is growing anxious as the end of his contract approaches. Since his position does not offer the possibility of becoming a regular employee, he knows he must secure a job during the second half of this year. Until now, he has applied only to companies he really wanted to work for, but he is now prepared to consider any employer, including startups. “From what I can tell, the number of job postings this year seems to have fallen by half compared with last year,” Koo said. “I hate being compared with my cousins who have already found jobs, and I feel sorry toward my parents, so I don't want to go home for Chuseok.” For young people preparing for employment, Chuseok is not necessarily a welcome holiday. While Korea's economy is said to have recorded its highest-ever growth rate, driven by semiconductor exports, the gateway to employment for young people has narrowed to a gap smaller than the eye of a needle, leaving them reluctant to face their families. According to government data, the August employment rate among people ag

[REVIEW] E-book crams everything about Korean dragons into 3 volumes

Sep 26, 2026

[REVIEW] E-book crams everything about Korean dragons into 3 volumes

The world has a long and rich history of dragons. Various cultures have interpreted the powerful symbol differently, from the fire-breathing destroyers often seen in European settings, to the benevolent and compassionate images often found in ancient Asian spiritualties — notably shamanism and Daoism — and finally, to the adoption in Korean Buddhism of this rich symbolism found in almost every temple on the peninsula. The royal and imperial nature of dragon iconography is also recognized when referring to the peninsula's historical monarchies. For example, royal robes were embroidered with dragon imagery. The ceiling of the throne hall at Gyeongbok Palace features a golden dragon sculpture symbolizing the king's power. The same is true of most Asian entities. Dragons are also symbols of life, representing the planet's large-scale water cycle. An understanding of Korea’s dragon culture is an essential part of understanding Korea and its people. David A. Mason, a retired professor of cultural tourism, has been engaged in Korea since the early 1980s. He is a passionate storyteller,

Domestic violence reports surge over 44% during Chuseok holiday

Sep 26, 2026

Domestic violence reports surge over 44% during Chuseok holiday

Daily reports of domestic violence spiked by nearly 45 percent during last year's Chuseok holiday compared to an ordinary day — a pattern that has grown more pronounced each year since 2021, with authorities on heightened alert for this year's holiday. According to data from the National Police Agency obtained by Rep. Kim Yea-ji of the People Power Party, police received 8,017 domestic violence reports via the 112 emergency hotline during the seven-day Chuseok holiday from Oct. 3-9 last year. That translates to a daily average of 1,145 reports during the holiday period, 44.5 percent higher than the typical daily average of 792. Police received a total of 289,368 domestic violence reports throughout the year. During the Chuseok holiday, the daily average rose from 914 reports in 2021 to 915 in 2022, 937 in 2023 and 1,049 in 2024, before reaching 1,145 last year. In total, police received 4,568 reports over the five-day holiday in 2021, 3,660 over four days in 2022, 5,623 over six days in 2023 and 5,246 over five days in 2024. Amid this continued increase, police plan to strengthen protec

8 in 10 Korean social media users want AI content labels, citing distrust

Sep 26, 2026

8 in 10 Korean social media users want AI content labels, citing distrust

More than eight in 10 social media users in Korea said artificial intelligence (AI)-generated content and advertisements should be clearly labeled, reflecting growing discomfort over material that can appear artificial, misleading or difficult to verify. In a survey released Saturday by research firm Opensurvey, 85.6 percent of 900 YouTube, Instagram and TikTok users said social media platforms should disclose whether content was made using AI. Among respondents, 54.1 percent said such labeling was “absolutely necessary.” Support for disclosure was high across all three platforms: 88 percent among YouTube users, 85.3 percent among Instagram users and 83.3 percent among TikTok users. Nearly half of respondents, 49.9 percent, said AI-generated content felt artificial or awkward. Another 39 percent said they questioned whether its information was factual, while 33.8 percent said undisclosed AI use made them feel deceived. Only 11.4 percent described AI content as creative, 10.4 percent called it interesting and 9.6 percent said it felt new. The skepticism also extended to advertising. Am

Seokguram's millennium-old Buddhist artistry to come to life in Paris exhibition

Sep 26, 2026

Seokguram's millennium-old Buddhist artistry to come to life in Paris exhibition

An immersive exhibition on Seokguram, Korea’s UNESCO-listed Buddhist grotto in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, will open at the Korean Cultural Center in Paris next month to mark 140 years of diplomatic ties between Korea and France. Titled “Seokguram: The Millennium of Mystery of Buddhist Art,” the exhibition will run from Oct. 2 through March 13, 2027, presenting the spiritual and artistic legacy of the eighth-century artificial grotto through photography, tactile displays, contemporary art and digital technology. The center is organizing the exhibition with Korea Heritage Service, Gyeongju City and the Korea National University of Heritage. Seokguram was built during the Silla Dynasty (57 B.C.-A.D. 935) on Mount Toham in its ancient capital by shaping and assembling granite stones into an artificial cave. It is known for its stone Buddhist sculptures, including its central Buddha, as well as the architectural precision of its domed chamber. Seokguram was inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1995 along with nearby Bulguksa Temple. The exhibition will feature photogr

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