Are we running on empty?

Inquirer.net - Oct 10, 2026

Burdens are meant to be shared, but in this collective atmosphere of doom and gloom, of mental health concerns and suicide cases, could burden-sharing break both backs?

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Winston Lee, Accused in Cornell Sexual Assault Case, Is Related to Former South Korean Prime Minister

Oct 10, 2026

Winston Lee, Accused in Cornell Sexual Assault Case, Is Related to Former South Korean Prime Minister

Lawyers for Winston Lee, the grandson of a former premier of South Korea, said statements by the New York attorney general may have sown prejudice against him.

The key trends at Paris Women’s Fashion Week

Oct 10, 2026

The key trends at Paris Women’s Fashion Week

From fluid skirts to bras as tops, there are the trends influencing women’s wardrobes for spring and summer.

Comedy takes root in Korea's Russian-speaking community

Oct 10, 2026

Comedy takes root in Korea's Russian-speaking community

Lyazzat Khan, a proud resident of Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, has quietly been building an empire of laughter. Originally from Kazakhstan, she is the mastermind behind Event Max, a business that brings Russian-speaking comedians to Korea. For Korea’s Russian-speaking population of nearly 200,000, there is a growing market for entertainment services. Most of these residents are Koryo-saram, or ethnic Koreans from former Soviet Union countries. Many are employed in the country’s light and heavy industry factories, working grueling hours. Leisure services for this group of workers remain underdeveloped, mostly because of the language barrier to accessing Korean entertainment. Over half of Korea’s Russian-speaking population lives in Ansan and Incheon, where in some neighborhoods, it is common to hear Russian spoken on the street. Restaurants and lounges catering specifically to Russian-speakers have sprung up in these neighborhoods since the early 2000s. However, a demand for more community-centered entertainment is on the rise as many businesses were shuttered during the pandemic. Ent

After interviewing 42 death row inmates, researcher believes capital punishment should end

Oct 10, 2026

After interviewing 42 death row inmates, researcher believes capital punishment should end

Every weekday before 1997, death row inmates in Korea braced themselves between 6 and 9 a.m. — the hours when executions could happen. If 9 a.m. passed uneventfully, they felt relief. Then they went to sleep wondering if the next morning would be their last. No one has been executed since Dec. 30, 1997, but 56 people remain on death row — 52 in Ministry of Justice correctional facilities and four in military prisons. Kim Dae-keun, a research fellow at the Korean Institute of Criminology and Justice, interviewed 42 of them. "Most of them were ashamed, distressed or regretful about what they did," Kim said in an interview with The Korea Times. "I imagine they were brutal and frightening when they committed their crimes. But many I met in prison now were older, frail men." Oct. 10 marks World Day Against the Death Penalty, an annual international observance calling for the abolition of executions as judicial punishment. In Korea, the day arrives with the death penalty still on the books but widely regarded as unenforceable. Most inmates now believe executions will not resume — a beli

Busan chefs turn local flavors into signature dining experience

Oct 10, 2026

Busan chefs turn local flavors into signature dining experience

Known worldwide for its bustling fish markets and pristine beaches, Korea’s southern port city of Busan is reframing its local food culture through a modern, unified lens. The Busan Metropolitan Government unveiled two new signature meal sets, Friday, termed Busan Bansang, at the Busan International Food Expo, running through Sunday. The initiative transforms three years of culinary research and 72 standalone recipes into complete, elevated set-meal experiences designed for local restaurants and international tourism. Created by a coalition of 16 local chefs specializing in Korean, Japanese, Chinese and Western cuisines, the new menus reimagine traditional multidish dining using regional coastal ingredients. Rather than developing isolated dishes, the culinary team integrated long-standing local flavors into cohesive, multicourse meal sets tailored for modern diners. The two featured options, titled Busan Landscape Table and Busan Nature Table, pair classic Korean formats with modern techniques. Highlights include clam and seaweed pot rice sourced from Myeongji and Gijang, pork ribs,

In Seoul's trendiest district, local leaders push back against corporate chain stores

Oct 10, 2026

In Seoul's trendiest district, local leaders push back against corporate chain stores

Over the past decade, the former industrial district of Seongsu-dong — often dubbed the "Brooklyn of Seoul" for its mix of repurposed factories and youth culture — has transformed from a quiet grid of red-brick shoe workshops and auto repair shops into Korea’s epicenter of cool. Trendy local boutiques, coffee roasters and pop-up stores have drawn massive crowds of fashion-conscious youth and international tourists. But as real estate prices soar, local authorities are stepping in to protect the district from becoming another generic commercial strip. Starting this December, Seongdong District in eastern Seoul will expand its strict ban on new corporate megachains and large franchises to key arterial streets in Seongsu-dong, including Bangsongdae Street and parts of Yeomujang Street. First introduced along the nearby Seoul Forest Road to curb gentrification, the regulations restrict large corporate franchises across three specific sectors: standard restaurants, cafes and bakeries. The policy stems from hard-learned lessons elsewhere in the capital. Once-vibrant enclaves — like Gar

At least 36 people hurt after shopping mall ceiling collapses in Daegu

Oct 10, 2026

At least 36 people hurt after shopping mall ceiling collapses in Daegu

At least 36 people sustained minor injuries after parts of a plaster ceiling collapsed at a shopping mall in the city of Daegu, fire officials said Saturday. The Daegu Fire Department said about 70 others evacuated the facility following the collapse, which was reported at 10:16 a.m. At least nine people received treatment at hospitals but no serious injuries were immediately reported, according to officials, who said the injury toll could rise. A photo from the scene showed emergency rescuers searching through debris following the collapse on the second floor of the four-story building. It was not immediately clear what caused the collapse. The office of President Lee Jae Myung said he instructed officials to make every effort to rescue people and ensure a thorough response to the collapse.

She studies lonely deaths — and shared her door code with a neighbor

Oct 10, 2026

She studies lonely deaths — and shared her door code with a neighbor

Researcher Song In-joo's father had been adamant that he did not want to die in a hospital, so she stayed by his side at home through his final days. "I realized that death isn't a momentary event, but a long, painful process. You have to work hard to die," Song said. "Everything is going as it should," her father said two days before he died. "I believe my father died peacefully, thanks to the care and human touch he received," Song said. "Death inevitably requires the help of others." That was in 2016. Song, then a senior research fellow at the Seoul Welfare Foundation and now head of Ssro Lab, began researching lonely deaths that year in hopes of preventing people from dying without care or human contact. To do so, she first had to determine who dies in isolation, why they become isolated and how they spend their final days. Since she could not ask the dead themselves, she analyzed police records on 20,000 unattended deaths and interviewed family members and neighbors to examine the circumstances surrounding lonely deaths — a process known as a "social autopsy." Song recently publishe

US prison term counts toward Korean military exemption, court rules

Oct 10, 2026

US prison term counts toward Korean military exemption, court rules

A Korean-born man who spent 14 years in a U.S. prison for armed robbery does not have to serve in the Korean military, a Seoul court has ruled, extending an exemption for convicted inmates to those who have served their jail sentences overseas. The ruling rejects the Military Manpower Administration's position that only inmates transferred to Korea to complete their sentences qualify for exemption. The court did, however, attach a condition meant to keep the exemption from becoming a loophole for draft evasion. Under the Military Service Act, anyone sentenced to 18 months or more in prison is placed in wartime labor service, a category that exempts a person from peacetime duty and calls him up only for labor support in the event of war. The man, whose name was withheld, moved to the U.S. with his family and later became a permanent resident there. He was convicted of robbery and aggravated assault in 2010 and was deported to Korea after completing his sentence last year. A physical examination classified him as eligible for alternative service as a social service agent, but he sought ass

[PHOTO] Seoul Trail Walking for international students

Oct 10, 2026

[PHOTO] Seoul Trail Walking for international students

International students take part in the 2026 Seoul Trail Walking Festival for International Students along Course 10 of the Seoul Trail in the city's Umyeonsan area, Friday. The event offered international students studying in Korea an opportunity to experience Seoul’s natural beauty, history and culture while connecting with fellow participants. Some 2026 Korea Times Global Supporters joined the event. Courtesy of Seoul Trail Information Center

VP told: Massive splurge for shoes; P200,000 Japan dinner not simple life

Oct 10, 2026

VP told: Massive splurge for shoes; P200,000 Japan dinner not simple life

MANILA, Philippines — Being able to spend over P300,000 in a day to buy shoes and having a dinner in Tokyo, Japan, worth P200,000, are not the hallmarks of living a simple life, members of the prosecution team told Vice President Sara Duterte on Friday. In a press briefing after Duterte’s impeachment trial, two prosecutors

The hidden heartbreak of losing a pet in Singapore and Malaysia

Oct 10, 2026

The hidden heartbreak of losing a pet in Singapore and Malaysia

Growing up in a Malay family in Singapore, Hafeez Hassan feared dogs. He never expected to mourn one like a sibling. “Maybe that is what I have been grieving all along … The experience of loving something that I was taught I was not supposed to love,” he said. Even as an adult, walking his former partner’s husky Pieces in public made Hafeez anxious that a relative might see him, or that he might be judged for being close to an animal whose saliva and waste are regarded as ritually impure by many...

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