Suneung administrator expresses regret over difficulty of English questions

The English section of this year’s Suneung was found to be the most difficult ever, with the share of top-grade earners dropping to half of last year’s level, data showed Thursday. As the Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation released the results for the exam held Nov. 13, only 15,154 of the total test-takers, or 3.11 percent, earned a first-grade score of 90 or higher, the lowest proportion since English shifted to an absolute grading system in 2018. This is lower than the 4 percent thr

Dec. 4, 2025

'KPop Demon Hunters' dominates YouTube Korea's hot songs in 2025

Three of the 10 most popular songs on YouTube Korea in 2025 are from Netflix's hit animated film "KPop Demon Hunters," with "Golden" ranking first, according to a list released Wednesday by YouTube. Other tracks from the film, “Soda Pop” and “Your Idol,” ranked third and 10th, respectively. YouTube's annual list also highlighted emerging new creators, with Choo Sung-hoon, a former mixed martial artist, ranked the most popular creator in Korea. Choo has amassed about 2 million subscribers with hi

Dec. 3, 2025

Most-in-demand skill? New report points to facility safety managers with electrical licenses

Electrical certifications are the most sought-after qualifications among Korean companies, a report showed Tuesday. According to the study of 138,353 job postings analyzed by the Korea Employment Information Service, over over 22,000 sought candidates with electrical-related licenses -- 12,082 for qualified industrial electrical engineers and another 10,323 for qualified electrical engineers. These certifications are essential for roles involving power facilities in manufacturing, construction a

Dec. 2, 2025

From 'soft no's to hidden anger: Why Koreans communicate indirectly

A few weeks ago, Kim working for a government agency was reprimanded by his boss after a misunderstanding spiraled out of control. The boss, fresh from being scolded by his own superior, turned to Kim with anger in his eyes and demanded, “Do I have to go through this because of you?” Kim froze. He knew the situation had been caused by an unforeseen complication, not by any mistake on his part. He wanted to say, “It wasn’t my fault,” but the words wouldn’t come out. “If I talked back, I thought h

Nov. 30, 2025

Self-harm, suicide levels in young women worrying: report

Preventing self-harm and suicides among young women is an urgent national priority, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said Thursday. According to the agency’s Injury Factbook, which analyzes in-depth data from ER patients with “injuries” at 23 hospitals, cases of intentional self-harm in young women were significantly high. “Injury” is defined as a health problem caused by external factors such as accidents, natural disasters, self-harm, suicide and violence. The analysis found tha

Nov. 28, 2025

Key suspect arrested in kidnap-murder of Korean college student in Cambodia: report

A Chinese man of Korean ethnicity accused of leading the kidnapping and killing of a Korean college student in Cambodia has been arrested, according to local news reports on Friday. SBS reported that the suspect, identified as Rhee Kwang-ho, was taken into custody by local authorities at around 2 a.m. Thursday at a restaurant in Phnom Penh. He was reportedly dining with other Koreans at the time. The college student had left Korea on July 17, telling his family he was going to visit an exhibitio

Nov. 28, 2025

3 women found dead at apartment complex after alleged fall from rooftop

Three women were found dead after apparently falling from the rooftop of an apartment complex in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, according to local news reports Thursday. Two of the deceased were identified as being in their 20s, and one as a teenager. The identity of the third woman had not yet been confirmed. “The two whose identities were confirmed were not residents of the apartment complex and lived separately,” police said. Investigators believe the women fell from the apartment’s rooftop b

Nov. 27, 2025

Korea sees largest increase in births in 18 years

The number of babies born between January and September surpassed 190,000, marking the largest year-on-year increase in 18 years, government data showed Wednesday. According to the Ministry of Data and Statistics, 190,140 babies were born in the first nine months of the year, up 12,488 from the same period last year. The last time births increased by a larger margin was in 2007, when the figure rose by 31,258 during the same period. With the recent rise in marriage and fertility rates, officials

Nov. 26, 2025

Another worker dies at Coupang after collapsing

A man in his 50s died after collapsing during an early-morning shift at a Coupang logistics center in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, police said Wednesday. According to the Gwangju Police Station, the worker collapsed at about 2:04 a.m. while on duty, was transported to a nearby hospital, where he later died. He was a contracted employee and was assigned to loading goods onto carts. His shift was scheduled from 6 p.m. the previous day to 4 a.m. Police have requested an autopsy to determine the caus

Nov. 26, 2025

Taekwondo as ninja training? Canadian sports channel faces backlash from Koreans

A Canadian sports specialty channel is facing backlash after introducing a video of the Korean martial art taekwondo as “ninja” training. Ninjas are highly Japanese spies and assassins, but the word is often used more broadly in English as a colloquial expression for someone highly skilled in a specific area. But Seo Kyoung-duk, a social activist and professor at Sungshin Women’s University, objected to the word's Japanese origins. He said on social media Tuesday that TSN, one of Canada’s bigges

Nov. 25, 2025