In a Race With China, German Robots Are Outnumbered 14 to 1

New York Times - Sep 24, 2026

A decade after the sale of Germany’s Kuka, Europe is seeking to shift into a higher gear to unlock the potential in robotics and artificial intelligence.

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Don't outsource your thinking to AI, NUS president warns

Sep 24, 2026

Don't outsource your thinking to AI, NUS president warns

SINGAPORE — National University of Singapore (NUS) has built its global competitiveness not only on research excellence, but also on a strong focus on teaching and preparing students to succeed beyond the classroom. For NUS, the quality of a university should ultimately be measured by how well it equips students with the knowledge and skills they need after graduation — an emphasis that has placed teaching and employability at the heart of the university’s strategy. “We take teaching very seriously, and many of these things that we do actually do not count toward the rankings — but yet it’s the mission of our university,” NUS President Tan Eng Chye said in a recent interview with The Korea Times. He emphasized that research remains an essential mission of a leading university, but global rankings — which tend to place heavy weight on research performance — do not always capture what universities accomplish in the classroom. For NUS, graduate employability is one of the key measures of whether the university is delivering on its educational mission. “The employability o

Hwaseong-based Migration Stories Project gives migrant workers a space to create and connect

Sep 24, 2026

Hwaseong-based Migration Stories Project gives migrant workers a space to create and connect

HWASEONG, Gyeonggi Province — Hwaseong, a rapidly developing city southwest of Seoul, has become one of Korea’s major destinations for foreign residents, particularly migrant workers. In an area shaped by manufacturing industries and immigration, the everyday lives of migrant workers often remain largely ignored. The Migration Stories Project, located near Balan Manse Market in Hyangnam, was launched in 2020 to change that reality by creating a space where migrants can share their experiences, memories, cultures and creativity in their own voices. The project brings together music, storytelling, photography, sound, video and community-based cultural activities to explore the lives of foreign migrants. Korean artist Kim Yang-woo founded the project under the slogan “World is Our Home,” as an art initiative that brings together migrant communities and local residents through interviews, art, music and community activities. She began the project during the COVID-19 pandemic, when restrictions on movement forced her to stay close to her hometown and made her think more deeply about

Finding the heart of Chuseok beyond Seoul

Sep 24, 2026

Finding the heart of Chuseok beyond Seoul

As millions of families across Korea prepare to pack highways and train stations as they move around the country for the Chuseok holiday, tourism officials are encouraging travelers to look past predictable destinations toward the country’s rich cultural heartlands. The Korea Tourism Organization launched a national campaign this week through its official travel portal VisitKorea, highlighting sites with free admission, outdoor nature reserves and immersive heritage programs tailored or multigenerational families. The curated list arrives at a time when domestic travelers are increasingly seeking authentic cultural experiences over expensive international getaways. Key destinations featured in the initiative span both historical and contemporary cultural landmarks. Travelers heading through Gyeonggi Province can visit the majestic Yeongneung Royal Tombs in Yeoju, the resting place of King Sejong the Great, while art enthusiasts can venture south into central Korea to explore the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Cheongju. Further off the beaten path in the mountainous

Lee arrives in Mexico for summit with President Sheinbaum

Sep 24, 2026

Lee arrives in Mexico for summit with President Sheinbaum

MEXICO CITY — President Lee Jae Myung arrived in Mexico City on Wednesday for a state visit, which will include summit talks with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. Lee and Sheinbaum are scheduled to hold summit talks, a luncheon and a joint press announcement on Thursday with the two countries seeking to strengthen cooperation in trade, investment and supply chains. During the summit, the leaders will discuss ways to expand bilateral trade and investment, and bolster institutional support for Korean companies' business operations in Mexico, while seeking cooperation in energy and critical mineral supply chains. Lee also plans to meet with Korean residents in Mexico and attend a business forum during his three-day visit. His trip here marks the first state visit to Mexico by a Korean president in 16 years.

Korean quadruped robot's marathon triumph featured in Nature

Sep 24, 2026

Korean quadruped robot's marathon triumph featured in Nature

In the world of legged robotics, endurance has long been the ultimate hurdle. While four-legged machines can backflip, negotiate rubble and scale staircases with uncanny agility, their high-performance motors typically drain battery reserves in less than an hour. But along the rural stretches of North Gyeongsang Province, a dog-like machine spent over four hours trotting past orchards and cheering spectators to rewrite the limits of mechanical stamina. Engineers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) developed RAIBO2, a quadrupedal robot that completed a full 42-kilometer marathon on a single battery charge. The landmark feat, detailed this week in the flagship scientific journal Nature, marks the first time robotics research from Korea has graced the main pages of the prestigious publication, signaling a major leap forward for long-distance autonomous field machines. The milestone unfolded during the annual Sangju Dried Persimmon Marathon — a local race named after the agricultural region’s famous fruit — where RAIBO2 lined up alongside human runners as

Traffic clogged on highways as people travel for Chuseok

Sep 24, 2026

Traffic clogged on highways as people travel for Chuseok

Sections of expressways across Korea were congested Thursday as people headed to their hometowns for family reunions on the first day of the Chuseok holiday period. This year's holiday period marking the fall harvest runs from Thursday to Sunday. Traditionally, Koreans return to their hometowns during Chuseok to reunite with family members and pay respects at their ancestors' graves. As of 2 p.m., travel time from Seoul to Busan was estimated at six hours and 40 minutes, five hours and 40 minutes to Daegu, five hours and 30 minutes to Gwangju, and three hours and 10 minutes to Daejeon, the Korea Expressway Corp. (KEC) said. Travel time to Seoul was estimated to take five hours from Busan, four hours from Daegu, three hours and 20 minutes from Gwangju, and two hours and 10 minutes from Daejeon, according to the KEC. An estimated 6.16 million vehicles were expected to be on the road nationwide Thursday, including about 510,000 cars departing the greater Seoul area and 380,000 vehicles heading toward the capital from other regions.

Oh Yoon-ah shares Chuseok recipes with less sugar, more veggies

Sep 24, 2026

Oh Yoon-ah shares Chuseok recipes with less sugar, more veggies

Click here for more articles by Kormedi.com. Actress Oh Yoon-ah has introduced protein-rich diet recipes for Chuseok as the country celebrates the holiday, during which food plays a central role in family celebrations. Oh recently shared recipes for "galbi-jjim," or braised short ribs, and steamed vegetables in a video posted on her YouTube channel. The key to turning galbi-jjim, a Chuseok staple, into a diet-friendly dish lies in the ingredients used to add sweetness. Oh said she uses no sugar at all and instead adds alternative sweeteners like oligosaccharide syrup and green plum syrup. She also makes the marinade by blending pear and onion. She added that she prefers to season the dish on the salty side rather than make it particularly sweet. Her steamed vegetable recipe was also simple and focused on nutrition. She first seasons the meat with cooking wine and salt before grilling it, then cuts her choice of vegetables diagonally and steams them before serving them with a sauce. Oh explained that cutting vegetables diagonally helps them cook thoroughly even when the pieces are large. H

Fusion rice cakes bring new energy to traditional markets

Sep 24, 2026

Fusion rice cakes bring new energy to traditional markets

A few days before the Chuseok holiday, a long line of customers stretched past three neighboring stores outside Pungnyeon Tteok, a rice cake shop in Incheon’s Bupyeong Traditional Market earlier this week. They were not waiting for “songpyeon,” the traditional rice cake associated with Chuseok, but for “pizza seolgi,” a fusion rice cake topped with tomato sauce, cheese and pepperoni slices on a base of steamed white rice cake. Despite a limit of four pieces per customer, the line showed no sign of letting up. Pungnyeon Tteok owner Hwang Seong-un, 50, said he has been selling pizza seolgi for about two months, with an average of around 1,000 people visiting daily. He said the rice cakes typically sell out between 5:30 and 6 p.m. That day, ingredients ran out at around 5:40 p.m., prompting the shop to put up a notice saying it had closed for the day. Traditional-market rice cake shops are bustling ahead of Chuseok, thanks in part to the popularity of unusual rice cake varieties such as pizza seolgi on social media, particularly among people in their 20s and 30s. New slang terms h

Incheon's Baedari Secondhand Bookstore Alley bridges history, welcomes the world

Sep 24, 2026

Incheon's Baedari Secondhand Bookstore Alley bridges history, welcomes the world

INCHEON — When Incheon native Kim Ji-da opened an English bookstore in the Baedari Secondhand Bookstore Alley in the city’s eastern district, she joined a multigenerational used bookseller tradition that stretches back to the end of the 1950-53 Korean War. Marking its second anniversary at the end of August, Kim's Najeun Munteok is one of eight bookstores currently operating in the alley. As a longtime English teacher and reading club organizer who also goes by her chosen French name Sophie, Kim understands the challenge that English books pose to Korean readers. Her store features many titles for adults and children. She named her store Najeun Munteok — meaning low threshold — to reflect accessibility and an open community spirit. “I never dreamed of opening my bookstore as a business,” Kim said. “Though it’s hard to make a profit and manage everything, I was inspired by the booksellers here and their love for books. I like to communicate through reading and talking about books, and it’s also very rewarding to introduce good books to others. So I am happy with my job

Global students choose Seoul for dynamic opportunities, safety despite high costs, competition

Sep 24, 2026

Global students choose Seoul for dynamic opportunities, safety despite high costs, competition

Seoul is increasingly becoming a top destination for international students, driven by its high level of safety, efficient public services and rich culture, according to a recent survey conducted by The Korea Times among its Global Supporters. In the survey, international students shared their firsthand experiences of studying and living in the Korean capital. They said the city has various appealing points, but at the same time, pointed out challenges like expensive housing costs, intense competition and limited institutional support. The survey findings show a broader shift in global education trends. British newspaper Financial Times recently reported that Seoul is surging in popularity among international students as the capital city offers a unique lifestyle and relatively manageable living costs compared to major Western cities such as New York, London and Paris. Why students pick Seoul Safety, administrative efficiency and a dynamic academic environment emerged as primary reasons for choosing Seoul over other global study destinations. To capture the insights and lived realities o

Chuseok food delivery booms as orders for holiday menus soar

Sep 24, 2026

Chuseok food delivery booms as orders for holiday menus soar

Ordering food through delivery apps has become an everyday routine in Korea, and the trend is rapidly reshaping how people prepare for traditional holidays, as demand for Chuseok dishes soars on delivery platforms. On Thursday, the first day of the Chuseok holiday, Woowa Brothers said delivery orders for "songpyeon," or traditional Korean rice cakes, surged 4.8-fold on Chuseok Day last year compared to the same day of the previous week. Other holiday food staples also saw sharp increases in demand during the same period, according to Woowa Brothers, the operator of Korea’s top delivery app Baedal Minjok (Baemin). Orders for "modumjeon," or assorted Korean pancakes, jumped 270 percent, while "namul," or seasoned vegetable dishes, rose 135 percent. Orders for "galbijjim," or braised beef ribs, and traditional sweets such as "yakgwa" and "hangwa" grew 39 percent and 44 percent, respectively. Rather than spreading out over the holiday period, delivery orders were heavily concentrated on Chuseok Day itself. It is interpreted that consumers want convenience, so they choose ready-to-eat meals

[Rappler Investigates] Mystery in Sara’s SALNs

Sep 24, 2026

[Rappler Investigates] Mystery in Sara’s SALNs

It's getting more interesting, isn’t it, especially from the conflict-of-interest lens?

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