Universities need to do more to support international students

The Korea Times - Sep 17, 2026

Internationalization is no longer an option for Korean universities but a necessity for their survival, as the nation’s higher education system faces an unprecedented structural transformation. Yet The Korea Times University Rankings 2027 reveal a stark reality: Korean universities still have a long way to go to achieve full-fledged internationalization. Universities have met the basic requirements for internationalization. But investment in faculty recruitment and student support has failed to keep pace with the increasing number of international students, while graduate outcomes remain weak. The Korea Times launched the university rankings last year to assess the level of internationalization among domestic universities. This year’s rankings covered 60 universities using 19 indicators in four categories: education, research, student support and graduate outcomes. Universities were assessed on a 200-point scale, with 70 points allocated to education, 50 points to research, 40 points to student support and 40 points to graduate outcomes. The education category saw the strongest overall

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Lee faces no-win dilemma as justice minister nominee row threatens prosecution reform

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Cortis' 'GreenGreen' tops 4 mil. copies in sales

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Foreign ministry says Hormuz talks focus on navigation, energy security over US ties

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Why 'The King and the Clown' director took on short-form dramas, often dismissed as cheap entertainment

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Gov't vows to end outdated dance ban at live music venues

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President Lee, IEA chief discuss response to energy crisis

President Lee, IEA chief discuss response to energy crisis

President Lee Jae Myung met with International Energy Agency (IEA) Executive Director Fatih Birol on Thursday and discussed their responses to the global energy crisis. During the meeting at Cheong Wa Dae, Lee said Korea has faced challenges in its transition to renewable energy sources due to the energy crisis sparked by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. He asked Birol to share his views on how to respond to the crisis and how he expects the situation to develop, saying Korea will spare no effort to cooperate with the IEA's strategic plans. The IEA chief noted the emergence of electrification, or the switch from fossil fuels to electric power, as a key policy implication for energy security. He praised the Korean government for moving toward electrification, saying the initiative will not only support the country's sovereignty and economy but also contribute to the response to climate change. The meeting was arranged as a follow-up to Lee's proposal during the Group of Seven summit in June to discuss ways to cooperate to strengthen the resilience of Asia-Pacific nations' energy su

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Korea files official complaint for highlighting Japanese warlord in ceremony

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N. Korean sports minister arrives in Japan ahead of Asian Games

N. Korean sports minister arrives in Japan ahead of Asian Games

NAGOYA, Japan — North Korea's sports minister and chef de mission for its delegation at this year's Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games arrived in Japan on Thursday, two days ahead of the official opening. Kim Il-guk, who also serves as president of the Olympic Committee of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), left Pyongyang on Tuesday and arrived at Chubu Centrair International Airport in Nagoya via China two days later. The DPRK is North Korea's official name. Kim was accompanied by several officials and left the airport without speaking to reporters. Officials from the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan, also known as Chongryon, representing pro-North Korea residents in Japan, and other North Korean residents in Japan welcomed Kim's arrival. It is the first time in eight years that a North Korean ministerial-level government official has visited Japan. Kim was the last North Korean minister to visit Japan, traveling to Tokyo in 2018 for a general assembly of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC). Kim came to Japan as head of the North Korean Olympic com

N. Korean auxiliary boat sinks off S. Korea's east coast

N. Korean auxiliary boat sinks off S. Korea's east coast

POHANG — An auxiliary ship belonging to a North Korean merchant vessel sank in international waters between South Korea and Japan on Thursday, leaving one crewman missing while three others were rescued, Seoul authorities said. The South Korean Navy notified the East Regional Coast Guard Headquarters of the sinking at around 10:50 a.m., after the auxiliary craft went down in waters roughly 200 kilometers off the southeastern coastal city of Pohang, Coast Guard officials said. All four crew members aboard the ship had gone missing at first, but three of them were rescued by the Japan Coast Guard, according to South Korean authorities. The Korea Coast Guard has joined search-and-rescue operations to locate the missing crew member, based on international law and humanitarian principles, officials said.

[PHOTOS] Block Party Music & Art Festival survives 5th year

[PHOTOS] Block Party Music & Art Festival survives 5th year

Block Party Music & Art Festival 2026 took over central Seoul's multicultural Haebangchon and Gyeongnidan neighborhoods last weekend, presenting over 100 music acts and other performing artists at 10 participating venues. Now that the magic, glitter and even the hangovers are wearing off, here are photos of a very limited selection of the highlights from the three-day festivities. Visit debasermagazine.com or follow @blockpartykorea on Instagram for more information.

‘Provocation’ could accelerate Taiwan reunification, retired PLA major general says

‘Provocation’ could accelerate Taiwan reunification, retired PLA major general says

Progress towards reunifying with Taiwan hinges on factors like the island’s level of provocation, retired PLA major general Luo Yan told the South China Morning Post, warning that Taiwan’s leader had challenged Beijing’s red lines. Speaking on the sidelines of the Xiangshan Forum in Beijing on Wednesday, Luo said the timeline for reunification with mainland China was shaped by “the development of our national strength, our defence needs, the global security environment, as well as the degree of...

Taipei donates coastguard vessel to Manila amid South China Sea tensions

Taipei donates coastguard vessel to Manila amid South China Sea tensions

Taiwan has quietly acknowledged donating a coastguard vessel to the Philippines, potentially adding to Manila’s maritime patrol capacity amid its long-running stand-off with Beijing in the South China Sea. Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration said on Wednesday that “this case” was being handled in line with previous transfers of vessels to the Marshall Islands, Palau and Tuvalu. Unlike those three Pacific states, which all maintain formal diplomatic ties with Taipei, the Philippines recognises...

President Lee set to meet IEA chief to discuss energy security

President Lee set to meet IEA chief to discuss energy security

President Lee Jae Myung will meet with International Energy Agency (IEA) Executive Director Fatih Birol on Thursday to discuss energy security and other global issues, his office said. The meeting at Cheong Wa Dae was arranged as a follow-up to Lee's proposal during the Group of Seven summit in June to discuss ways to cooperate to strengthen the resilience of Asia-Pacific nations' energy supply chain, it said in a press release. Lee and Birol plan to share views on ways to strengthen global energy security amid the intensifying energy and climate crises seen in the recent war in the Middle East and devastating flood in Nepal. Birol has been at the forefront of efforts to overcome the global energy crisis, such as by getting IEA member countries to release 400 million barrels of oil from their emergency reserves in response to the Middle East conflict in March, the presidential office said.

Donald Trump presses China on fentanyl precursors ahead of US summit

Donald Trump presses China on fentanyl precursors ahead of US summit

US President Donald Trump has urged Beijing to take “more aggressive action” to curb the export of drug precursor chemicals, noting to the US Congress that he had raised the issue “directly” with his Chinese counterpart. Trump’s call comes just days ahead of a planned summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, and just a week after security agencies from the two countries praised progress in cooperation on counternarcotics law enforcement. The call was noted in an annual list sent to the US...

The Red Ribbon on the Earth | Seizing the Luding Bridge

The Red Ribbon on the Earth | Seizing the Luding Bridge

Held up on the banks of the Dadu River by a lack of ferries to carry its soldiers and equipment across, the Central Red Army was under imminent threat from a vast, rapidly-approaching enemy force. To open up an alternative route across the river, the Red Army's 4th Regiment was ordered to capture the Luding Bridge, 120 kilometers away.

The Long March History | Capturing Luding Bridge

The Long March History | Capturing Luding Bridge

In late May 1935, the Central Red Army reached the banks of the Dadu River in Sichuan Province. However, their attempts to cross were severely hampered by the limited number of boats available and the river's swift, turbulent current.

The Red Ribbon on the Earth | Held Up at the Dadu River

The Red Ribbon on the Earth | Held Up at the Dadu River

In late May 1935, the Central Red Army reached the banks of the Dadu River in Sichuan. However, the possibility of crossing it was complicated by a severe shortage of available ferries.

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