Yongsan to deploy 2,550 personnel in Itaewon to prevent repeat of Halloween tragedy

The Korea Times - Oct 19, 2026

With the approach of Oct. 31, a Saturday that promises packed streets and spirited celebrations, local authorities in the heart of the capital are taking no chances. The Yongsan District Office announced a comprehensive safety mobilization Monday for the upcoming Halloween season, deploying thousands of personnel and leveraging real-time data technology to safeguard visitors in the bustling Itaewon neighborhood. The heightened security measures reflect a deep, ongoing commitment to preventing any repetition of the tragic 2022 Halloween crowd crush, which claimed 159 lives in a narrow alleyway in Itaewon. In the years since, local authorities and disaster response agencies have completely overhauled urban safety protocols, turning the nightlife district into a testing ground for real-time crowd management. Running Oct. 23 to Nov. 1, a special 10-day safety enforcement period aims to manage an anticipated crowd of 165,000 visitors across popular nightlife corridors such as the World Food Street. The comprehensive plan blends boots-on-the-ground vigilance with advanced digital monitoring. A

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Kazakh man apprehended in viral Icheon road ambush case

Kazakh man apprehended in viral Icheon road ambush case

Police have apprehended a Kazakh man suspected of carrying out an ambush-style attack on a car at night in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, in an incident captured on dashcam footage that went viral recently. The Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency and Icheon Police Station said Saturday that they detained the suspect, 21, on suspicion of aggravated intimidation and property damage. He and a fellow Kazakh national, 25, allegedly pursued and blocked a car carrying a driver in his 30s and a passenger on a road in Majang township on July 29. They allegedly left their own vehicle to threaten the occupants and kick the front of the vehicle. The case drew public attention after the footage was featured on the YouTube channel Han Moon-chul TV last month, garnering hundreds of thousands of views. As the footage spread, politicians such as Rep. Na Kyung-won of the opposition People Power Party questioned the state of public safety and called on police to mobilize all available investigative resources to catch the suspects. Police reopened the probe last month, and forensic specialists recovered som

Jeonbuk National University sociology students win top prizes in presentation competition

Jeonbuk National University sociology students win top prizes in presentation competition

Students from Jeonbuk National University’s Department of Sociology won top honors in an academic presentation competition for projects examining urban history, youth anxiety and changes in university life from a sociological perspective. The department said Friday that Kim Min-seo and Jang Eun-seong won the grand prize in a presentation competition organized by the Korean Sociological Association for supporters of the 2027 ISA World Congress of Sociology. Organized by the International Sociological Association (ISA), the congress will be held in Gwangju from July 4-10 next year. Two other teams received excellence awards. They were Bae Sol and Seon Hwa-pyeong, and Kim Se-jeong and Kim Yong-man. The grand prize-winning team explored the theme “How We Remember Gwangju,” examining the city’s history and urban spaces through a sociological lens to highlight the significance of hosting the World Congress of Sociology in Gwangju. The team examined a diverse range of historical sites and everyday spaces, including the former South Jeolla Provincial Office and Jeonil Building 245, artist

[COVER STORY] Korea focuses on AI majors while global universities rewrite rules of education

[COVER STORY] Korea focuses on AI majors while global universities rewrite rules of education

SINGAPORE, LONDON, SEOUL — Artificial intelligence (AI) is rewriting the rules across industries and higher education is no exception. While Korean universities are racing to establish AI departments and expand enrollment in advanced technology fields, some of the world’s leading institutions are taking different approach in adapting to the rapidly evolving technology. Rather than focusing solely on expanding AI-related education, these universities are rethinking the fundamentals of higher education, from what students should learn and how their abilities should be assessed to which academic strengths will remain valuable as AI takes on tasks once performed exclusively by humans. At Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore, AI education is no longer limited to engineering and computer science majors. The university is working to make AI part of learning across every discipline, including the arts and humanities. The university aims to integrate AI into 40 percent of courses across all 52 undergraduate degree programs by 2030, up from just 5 percent today. Under the initiat

PM vows continued efforts to resume inter-Korean dialogue

PM vows continued efforts to resume inter-Korean dialogue

Prime Minister Han Seong-sook said Sunday that the government will strive to lay the groundwork for the resumption of dialogue between Seoul and Pyongyang and seek peaceful co-existence. "Efforts will be made to open the door for dialogue between South Korea and North Korea and to hold talks on peace and joint prosperity," Han said, as she attended a presidential sporting competition for displaced North Korean residents held in Seoul. She called inter-Korean division a "reality," also highlighting that the pains of displaced residents and separated families are "ongoing." "Our efforts to open the road to peaceful coexistence of South Korea and North Korea cannot stop," said the prime minister, asking for the participants' support in establishing peace and thanking them for contributing to South Korea's economic development and democratization.

Lee again opposes ending live broadcasts of Cabinet meetings

Lee again opposes ending live broadcasts of Cabinet meetings

President Lee Jae Myung on Sunday reaffirmed his opposition over ending the livestreams of Cabinet meetings, saying he is open to all opinions exchanged during the meetings. Lee's remarks came just days after he wrote on his X account that he disagrees with a need to end the livestreams, calling a recent new report on alleged calls from Cabinet members to end them a "false claim." "It is difficult to understand why they are pressing against disclosing part of the Cabinet meetings by even lying that 'Cabinet members cannot speak up because the meetings are public,'" the president wrote in a message on X. He also shared a YouTube broadcast opposing such calls and introducing cases in which Lee embraces opposing opinions from Cabinet members during the meetings. "I have intentionally increased the number of participants by a significant number to listen to various opinions regarding state affairs," Lee said. "I have always liked debates and especially respected people who propose opposing views," he said, adding he has always emphasized the role of people with opposing views to prevent probl

'As you want an apology, I apologize': Gyeonggi governor's comment on firefighting fuels criticism

'As you want an apology, I apologize': Gyeonggi governor's comment on firefighting fuels criticism

Gyeonggi Province Gov. Choo Mi-ae faces growing backlash over derogatory remarks portraying firefighting as a drain on provincial finances, with her subsequent apology drawing further criticism for lacking sincerity after a firefighter died battling a factory blaze in a city in the province. Choo’s repeated attempts to explain her intentions have only backfired as they were seen as lacking sincerity, with the opposition demanding a clearer apology and some members of her own party urging a disciplinary measure against her. The controversy began on Tuesday during a National Assembly audit of the Gyeonggi Provincial Government, when Choo mentioned the burden of firefighters’ personnel costs on local finances. “Firefighting seems to be the biggest headache, like a straw sucking up our finances,” she said, seeking to highlight that local governments still have to pay firefighters’ salaries even though they are now national government employees. But her analogy sparked anger for appearing to treat people who risk their lives to protect the public as a budgetary burden. Amid the row,

Gyeonggi invites residents facing long commutes to Seoul to propose bus routes

Gyeonggi invites residents facing long commutes to Seoul to propose bus routes

Residents of Gyeonggi Province can directly propose the bus routes they need for their commutes, giving them a standing invitation to participate in the province’s route planning. Gyeonggi Province said last week it has opened a proposal board where residents can suggest routes for Gyeonggi Pyeonha G Bus, a reserved-seat rush-hour bus service that connects major hubs in the Seoul metropolitan area. The board is designed to factor actual commute demand data into new route selection and is open to proposals at any time. Each resident can propose one route and may edit an existing proposal if their needs change. Proposals are regularly forwarded to the city or county where each route would start, to inform reviews of new routes. Proposed routes are selected only after cities and counties assess feasibility, draw up business plans, survey demand, secure budgets and consult other relevant local governments. The province will look first at areas such as new towns, where commuting is difficult due to a lack of buses, subways or other transit methods. Areas where demand is concentrated at rush

'I miss you, Dad': Firefighter killed in blaze leaves behind 6-year-old daughter

'I miss you, Dad': Firefighter killed in blaze leaves behind 6-year-old daughter

A six-year-old daughter’s letter to her father, a firefighter killed while battling a factory blaze in Bucheon on Friday, has offered a glimpse into the grief of the family he has left behind. “You passed away yesterday, but I miss you so much,” the daughter wrote in a letter, shared on social media Sunday by Rep. Song Young-gil of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea. “And I know you loved me the most.” Beside the text was a drawing of a fire engine. “Dad, I miss you. Let’s make sure we meet again someday. I’ll probably be grown up by then. I love you, Dad. I miss you,” she added. The firefighter, Kim Jin-seok, was nearing the end of a 24-hour shift and due to finish at 9 a.m. Friday when an emergency call came in at 8:38 a.m. Kim immediately boarded a fire engine and was among the first responders to arrive. Kim and three colleagues entered the factory’s third floor, where rapidly spreading flames trapped him and another firefighter. His colleague was later rescued, but Kim was found about five meters farther inside, already in cardiac arrest. He was later pronounced

Why Japan's Yasukuni Shrine remains flashpoint for Korea, China

Why Japan's Yasukuni Shrine remains flashpoint for Korea, China

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made an offering at Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo on Saturday, bringing to the fore a decades-old sore point with neighboring Korea and China, both of which suffered heavily from Japanese imperial aggression in the first half of the 20th century. The offering came as the shrine’s three-day autumn festival began. Japanese media reported that Takaichi plans to hold off on visiting the shrine personally, a move interpreted as an effort to avoid further diplomatic friction. The shrine honors about 2.46 million people who died in domestic conflicts associated with the 1868 Meiji Restoration and in the subsequent military campaigns launched by imperial Japan. Nearly 90 percent are linked to the Pacific War, Japan’s 1941-45 conflict with the United States and its allies as part of World War II. The religious site also enshrines several Class A war criminals, including wartime Prime Minister Hideki Tojo, who was executed in 1948. Korea and China have long protested when Japanese politicians send offerings or visit the shrine, which they see as representing

Sejong University expands Korean language education through King Sejong Institute Macao

Sejong University expands Korean language education through King Sejong Institute Macao

Sejong University said it is expanding Korean language education and international exchanges through its partnership in operating the first King Sejong Institute in Macao. The university held a signboard unveiling ceremony for the King Sejong Institute Macao at the Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST) on Oct. 9, Hangeul Day. It is the first King Sejong Institute operated in partnership with Sejong University. In June, Sejong University and MUST were selected to participate in the 2026 program supporting the establishment of new King Sejong Institutes. The King Sejong Institute Foundation designates overseas institutions that offer Korean language and cultural education as King Sejong Institutes and supports their operations by dispatching instructors, providing curricula and teaching materials and organizing cultural programs. King Sejong Institutes operate either independently under local institutions or jointly with Korean institutions and overseas diplomatic missions. The program aims to strengthen the foundation for Korean language education abroad and provide local learne

Taxi overcharge reports involving foreign passengers top 6,000 in 5 years: lawmaker

Taxi overcharge reports involving foreign passengers top 6,000 in 5 years: lawmaker

The number of complaints submitted by foreigners on alleged taxi fare overcharges in Seoul over the past five years came to more than 6,000, but corrective measures have been taken on only about 3 percent of them, a lawmaker said Sunday. The number of such reports submitted between 2021 and August this year totaled 6,481, Rep. Mo Gyeong-jong of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea said, citing Seoul city government data. Of the total, administrative measures were taken on only 204 cases, or 3.1 percent. Of those, drivers in only 28 cases had their licenses suspended or canceled, while those involved in the remaining 176 cases were given mere warnings. Over 67 percent, or 4,368, of all reported cases were closed internally due to difficulties in verifying an overcharge and voluntary withdrawal of complaints, according to the data. In 2013, the city government revised a policy on taxi fare overcharge complaints, allowing foreigners to apply to receive 500,000 won ($374) in compensation should their report result in an administrative measure. The data showed there has been no case in which t

KATSEYE's 'Gabriela' reaches 1 bil. streams on Spotify

KATSEYE's 'Gabriela' reaches 1 bil. streams on Spotify

"Gabriela" by KATSEYE, the global girl group formed by HYBE and Geffen Records, has surpassed 1 billion streams on Spotify, becoming the group's first song to enter the platform's Billions Club. According to Spotify, the track reached the milestone Friday, about 16 months after its release on June 20, 2025. Released ahead of the group's second EP, "BEAUTIFUL CHAOS," "Gabriela" blends sleek pop production with Latin-tinged acoustic guitar. Its music video draws on Latin American telenovelas and features a surprise appearance by actress Jessica Alba. It had amassed more than 97.3 million views on YouTube as of Sunday. The song has also enjoyed a sustained run on major charts. It peaked at No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 dated Jan. 17, marking the group's highest position at the time, and spent 28 weeks on the chart. It also reached No. 9 during a 26-week run on Billboard's Pop Airplay chart. On Spotify's Weekly Top Songs Global chart, "Gabriela" peaked at No. 10 and has logged 64 weeks. It also reached No. 38 on the U.K.'s Official Singles Chart. KATSEYE has continued that momentum with its

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