Korea is stepping up its efforts to help retired working dogs find forever homes by building a comprehensive, state-funded safety net designed to ease the steep financial burden on adoptive families. Under an expanded initiative led by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the government is introducing direct medical subsidies, discounted veterinary care, and dedicated hospice facilities to ensure these canine public servants are cared for after their service ends. Roughly 1,100 working dogs currently serve across six government bodies, including the military, police, fire services, customs and quarantine inspection. Among them, the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency alone operates approximately 70 specialized detector dogs at key international travel hubs. For years, private adoption for retired working dogs faced steep hurdles. Specialized breeds like beagles, Labradors, and Malinois typically retire around age 8 after six to eight years of active duty. Upon retirement, adoptive owners are left with high medical costs for joint issues, dental problems and chronic ailment

Korean comic creators called for strict rules requiring artists' consent before their work is used to train artificial intelligence (AI) models, delivering their demand Friday during an international conference at UNESCO headquarters in Paris. The association’s president, Kwon Hyuk-joo, who is a webtoon artist and a professor at Kongju National University, spoke Tuesday at a conference titled “Promoting Human Creativity and the Diversity of Cultural Expressions in the Digital Environment.” Webtoons are digital comics designed to be read by scrolling on smartphones. They are a major Korean cultural export, and many have been adapted into TV dramas and films. Kwon appeared on a panel about developing AI systems that respect rights and cultural diversity. Alexandra Bensamoun, a professor at Paris-Saclay University, chaired the session, which also included representatives of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry and Microsoft. Kwon cited a survey the association conducted. Of the 164 creators who responded, about 90 percent said they did not know how to stop their w

The Seoul AI Foundation has signed an agreement with the state-run Korea Institute for Robot Industry Advancement (KIRIA) to develop joint projects that combine artificial intelligence and robotics to address the city’s needs, the foundation said Friday. The memorandum of understanding was signed Oct. 7 at Smart Life Week 2026, an artificial intelligence (AI) and smart city exhibition hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government at Coex in southern Seoul. Seoul AI Foundation Chairman Kim Man-gi and KIRIA President Cho Young-hoon attended the signing. The Seoul AI Foundation is a city-funded body that develops AI policies and services for Seoul. KIRIA operates under the industry ministry to promote the country’s robot industry. The agreement comes as AI expands into what is known as physical AI, in which AI systems control robots and other machines that operate in the real world. Under the agreement, the two organizations will share information and experts on AI and robot policy, technology and industry. They will also identify and carry out joint projects and cooperate on exhibitions,

Hyundai Motor Group said Friday it will set up two special purpose companies next month to build and operate an artificial intelligence (AI) data center in Saemangeum — a massive reclaimed coastal zone in southwestern Korea — accelerating its 9 trillion won ($6.3 billion) plan to turn the area into an advanced tech hub. Situated in North Jeolla Province roughly 200 kilometers south of Seoul, Saemangeum is a vast, government-backed development area created by damming tidal flats to claim new land from the sea. Long slated for economic transformation, the coastal territory is being developed as a strategic enclave for high-tech industry, green energy and tourism. Five affiliates — Hyundai Motor, Kia, Hyundai Mobis, Hyundai Engineering & Construction and Hyundai AutoEver — have made final decisions to invest in the data center, the group said. Hyundai AutoEver, the group’s information technology and software affiliate, approved its participation through a board resolution. One of the new companies will build the hyperscale data center and its infrastructure. The other will buy hi

Trade Minister Park Jung-sung met with Korean entertainment and tourism companies Friday to hear their views as Seoul negotiates with Beijing to expand the two countries’ free trade agreement (FTA) to services and investment, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources said. Park held the meeting at the CJ ENM Center in western Seoul. Companies from the film, streaming, performing arts, gaming and tourism industries attended. The Korea-China FTA took effect in December 2015 and mainly covers trade in goods. In 2018, the two countries began follow-up negotiations to further open their service and investment markets. The ministry said the meeting was held to hear how Korean content and tourism companies are faring in China’s service market and what problems they face. It also aimed to work out, together with the industry, a negotiating strategy that would help Korean firms enter sectors where they are competitive. The participating companies said Korean content is highly competitive in China and demand for it is strong. But they said that consumer popularity has not turned into actua

Newly approved buildings across the capital of Korea are expected to generate 3,811 gigawatt-hours of renewable energy annually, driven by city mandates requiring solar facades and geothermal heating in building designs. According to data released Friday by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the projected clean energy output — stemming from architectural plans reviewed between 2022 and 2026 — will equal roughly 8 percent of the city’s total electricity consumption once construction is complete. The output from these upcoming structures is 1.5 times the annual capacity of the Seoul Thermal Power Plant, the city’s historic energy anchor, and represents 85 percent of all renewable energy capacity installed in the capital over the previous 17 years combined. The push comes as Korea works to expand its clean energy mix, where renewable sources currently account for around 9 to 11 percent of national power generation — leaving urban centers like Seoul, which relies heavily on power drawn from outside regions, under pressure to boost local self-sufficiency. The shift reflects a broade

Korean character and content companies lined up about $16.6 million in potential licensing deals at major trade fairs in London and Shanghai this month, the culture ministry said Friday. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the state-run Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) ran Korea pavilions at Brand Licensing Europe (BLE), held Oct. 6-8 in London, and at the China Licensing Expo (CLE), held Oct. 21-23 in Shanghai. At licensing fairs, companies that own characters, brands and other intellectual property (IP) sell the rights to put them on toys, stationery, clothing and other products. A total of 35 Korean companies — including HYBE, the agency behind BTS, as well as The Pinkfong Company and CJ ENM — conducted 860 business consultations with overseas buyers, discussing deals valued at an estimated $33.62 million. Of that total, roughly $16.6 million is expected to result in binding contracts, according to the ministry. The participating firms also signed 11 on-site contracts and memorandums of understanding. At BLE, Europe’s largest licensing show, 10 Korean companies

In response to a growing international population, Seongdong District in eastern Seoul said Thursday that it has established a dedicated "Foreign Resident Service Desk" at the Yongdap-dong Community Service Center to streamline administrative procedures and eliminate language barriers for non-Korean residents. According to data from the Ministry of Data and Statistics, foreign residents in Korea reached a record high of 2.58 million in 2025, accounting for 5 percent of the total population. In Seongdong District, registered foreign residents have jumped 41 percent over the past five years. Yongdap-dong has experienced an even sharper surge of 70.8 percent, with its foreign population rising from 480 to 820 to comprise 7.1 percent of the neighborhood's residents. This rapid demographic shift, driven by an influx of foreign workers and international students attending nearby Hanyang University, has created a surging demand for accessible public administration. To address these needs, the district created a one-stop service counter staffed by experienced public servants proficient in fore

Gachon University President Lee Gil-ya invited about 120 international students from countries including China, Vietnam, Myanmar, Mongolia and Uzbekistan to Gachonjae, a traditional Korean house in Incheon, on Wednesday, the university said. The event, part of the university’s Gachon Global Leadership Program for international students, was organized to encourage the students and strengthen their sense of belonging to the school. The students first toured Gachon University Gil Medical Center, a memorial hall for Lee’s former obstetrics clinic and the Gachon Museum. Gachonjae is a “hanok,” or traditional Korean house, that Lee, founder of the Gachon Cultural Foundation, built with master carpenter Choi Ki-young for traditional etiquette education, tea culture programs and exhibitions on traditional medicine. Sharing her experience of studying abroad and Korea’s development, Lee told the students to have confidence in their countries’ futures. “Just as Korea, once poor, achieved its current development, your countries can create a better future if you believe and work hard,

The 2026 Korea Tuning Car Festival kicks off Friday for a two-day run at Gimcheon Sports Town in Gimcheon, North Gyeongsang Province, bringing together customized vehicles, off-road performance showcases and specialized camping cars, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said Thursday. Now in its fifth year, the event stands as Korea’s largest celebration of car tuning — the practice of modifying automobiles to enhance performance or alter visual design. Jointly organized by the transport ministry, North Gyeongsang Province, Gimcheon city and the Korea Transportation Safety Authority, the festival aims to demystify vehicle customization and foster broader public engagement. Last year’s gathering, also held in Gimcheon, drew roughly 30,000 visitors. To improve accessibility, organizers revamped this year’s setup by moving the venue to a centralized downtown location. Key industry groups will display custom-built camper vans and high-performance modifications, offering attendees direct access to inspect the vehicle interiors. The festival arrives as Korea's vehicle cu

The Seoul Metropolitan Government will release limited-edition building block sets featuring Gwanghwamun Square and the Hangang Bus on Thursday, in collaboration with Korean building block brand Oxford. The SeoulCity Series consists of two sets designed to let residents and tourists experience Seoul’s landmarks and changing city life by assembling them, the city said Wednesday. The Gwanghwamun Square set includes Gwanghwamun, the main gate of Gyeongbok Palace, statues of naval hero Adm. Yi Sun-sin and King Sejong, the inventor of the Korean alphabet, and the Garden of Gratitude. It is the first time the garden, a memorial honoring the 22 nations that supported South Korea during the 1950-53 Korean War, has been made into merchandise. The garden drew 500,000 visitors within 160 days of its opening. The Hangang Bus set features the city’s ferry service on the Han River along with one of its docks. The city said it focused on making the assembly process itself an experience, moving away from traditional souvenirs that are sold already finished. The Gwanghwamun Square set costs 62,900 won

Kolmar Korea, a cosmetics developer and manufacturer, said Thursday it has developed a hyaluronic acid powder that melts and is absorbed when rubbed onto the skin, the first such product in Korea. The company said it has obtained a patent for the technology, which turns hyaluronic acid, a widely used moisturizing ingredient, into a powder of sharp, needle-like crystals. It is the first time the ingredient has been made into this form in the cosmetics industry, according to the company. The product mimics spicules, tiny needle-shaped natural materials taken from marine sponges. Spicules lightly stimulate the skin’s surface to help active ingredients absorb, and the tingling sensation they cause has made spicule cosmetics popular. But because they are hard and do not dissolve in water, they can irritate the skin and must be washed off. After about four years of research, Kolmar Korea developed a method of hardening hyaluronic acid particles into crystals and shaping them into 250-micrometer pointed powder. Like spicules, the crystals help ingredients penetrate the skin, but because hyal

LG Uplus, one of Korea’s major telecommunications carriers, said Thursday that two of its research papers on making mobile artificial intelligence (AI) run faster while consuming less smartphone battery have been accepted at NeurIPS 2026, the world’s premier AI research conference. The papers were selected for the conference’s On-Device Intelligence workshop, which focuses on AI that runs directly on phones rather than on remote servers, according to the Korean mobile carrier. NeurIPS, the Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems, is considered one of the top three AI conferences along with ICML and ICLR. This year’s event will be held in Sydney from Dec. 6 to 12. The research centers on token optimization. Tokens are the units of data AI models use to understand questions and generate answers. Processing them more efficiently speeds up responses and cuts power use. LG Uplus developed a small language model for its call services and optimized it for smartphones with limited memory and power. The model ran about 4.5 times faster and used about 77 percent less battery th

SK Bioscience will join global partners in a U.S. government-funded project to develop and produce a vaccine against the Bundibugyo virus, a strain of Ebola spreading in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Korean vaccine maker said Thursday. The project, carried out with the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), a global nonprofit biomedical research organization, and Singapore-based Hilleman Laboratories, will receive up to 130.9 billion won ($99 million) from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA). BARDA is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response. Initial funding of $36 million has been confirmed. The money will go toward clinical and regulatory work, including a Phase 1 trial, which tests a vaccine’s safety in a small group of people, as well as outbreak-response vaccine production and supply. Development of an upgraded vaccine based on variant strains is also planned. The Congo outbreak has reached 10,060 confirmed cases and 4,887 deaths as of Sunday, making it the s

The Korean Cultural Center in Spain will showcase Korean "gukak" fusion, jazz and classical music in Madrid next month through two back-to-back music festivals, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Thursday. The center will host the 2026 Korea Sound Festival and the 2026 Korean Classical Music Festival to introduce Spanish audiences to Korean genres beyond K-pop. Held under the theme “New Rhythms of Korean Music,” the Korea Sound Festival will feature fusion “gugak” (Korean traditional music) group Jena at Sala Villanos on Nov. 1, and jazz group Kim Oki Trio with Ara at Teatros Luchana on Nov. 13. Jena combines the sounds of traditional Korean instruments, such as the “haegeum,” a two-stringed fiddle, and the “daegeum,” a large bamboo flute, with a modern band to perform music that crosses over gugak, tango and jazz. Saxophonist Kim Oki, a prominent figure on the Korean indie music scene, will perform with vocalist Ara and his project group. Kim, who won Musician of the Year at the 2020 Korean Music Awards, is known for genre-defying, free-form music, and will

Count Dracula might want to reconsider his weekend travel plans. Danyang Gugyeong Market in North Chungcheong Province is turning into a garlic lover’s paradise — and a vampire’s worst nightmare — from Friday to Saturday for the 2026 Danyang Garlic Festival Season 2: Count Dracula’s Secret Shop, the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) said Thursday. Organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the KTO, the event fuses local six-clove garlic with gothic fantasy to create an unforgettable traditional market experience. Last year’s Dracula Garlic Night drew nearly 8,900 brave souls, but this year's sequel promises to raise the stakes. Local shopkeepers are dressing up as immortal shopmasters, offering rich culinary delights while turning the market aisles into a haunted gauntlet. Visitors can embark on a ghostly stamp tour, creeping through secret shops decorated with cobwebs and bats to claim exclusive souvenirs. For foodies dying to satisfy their appetite, the festival features the Secret Banquet, a prebooked four-course fine dining experience showcasing local gar

K-pop boy band NCT DREAM will celebrate its 10th debut anniversary with “Boogie Woogie,” a disco-flavored dance track leading its sixth full-length album, the group’s agency SM Entertainment said Thursday. The album, “DREAM AFTER DREAM,” will be released on major music streaming platforms at 6 p.m. on Nov. 9, with its physical edition hitting stores the same day. It contains 10 tracks, including the title song. Pre-orders are currently available through online and offline music retailers. “Boogie Woogie” is an up-tempo dance number that blends the vintage feel of 1970s disco-funk, a dance style that fused the steady beat of disco with funk’s heavy bass grooves, with modern synthesizer sounds. Rhythmic percussion and a groovy bassline drive the track, according to the agency. Member Jaemin co-wrote the lyrics, which celebrate the members’ decade together and encourage listeners to enjoy the present moment. The song also expresses the members’ gratitude toward one another for making ordinary days special, along with their belief that they will continue to shine as long

Hours before closing its lanes to car traffic forever, Seoul’s Jamsu Bridge hosted a record-breaking send-off powered by fried chicken. About 120,000 fried chicken enthusiasts descended on the landmark Han River span for Jamsu Bridge Chicken Day, turning the iconic structure into an open-air banquet. The poultry party served as the grand finale to this year’s car-free bridge festival, taking place just hours before the span permanently closed to vehicle traffic on Monday to begin its transformation into the river’s first pedestrian-only crossing. The festival tapped straight into a sacred local tradition: the classic riverside picnic powered by delivery fried chicken and cold drinks. Forty-six participating franchise brands, neighborhood joints and mom-and-pop vendors introduced their signature crispy creations, generating a combined 108 million won ($81,500) in sales — more than double the average food truck revenue from the festival’s spring edition, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government. Highlighting the citywide enthusiasm, a blind tasting panel featured 250 fresh

On winding roads where mountainous terrain meets heavy traffic, a rustle in the brush at dusk can turn into a deadly collision within seconds. Roadkill incidents pose a constant hazard to wildlife and motorists across Korea, often resulting in severe property damage, human injuries and secondary pileups on high-speed thoroughfares. In a bid to prevent such incidents, the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment on Wednesday will launch a pilot artificial intelligence (AI)-powered roadkill prevention system along National Route 17 in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province in central Korea. Conventional mitigation measures like eco-corridors, wildlife overpasses and fencing have reduced animal fatalities along long stretches of highway. However, intersections and entrance or exit ramps remain notoriously difficult to secure without blocking traffic or human access, leaving vulnerable gaps in eco-fencing networks. The new system bridges those gaps using smart surveillance. Closed-circuit television cameras continuously monitor roadside terrain. When an animal steps toward the road, AI algo

Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul heads to the Philippines Tuesday to attend a regional defense ministers’ meeting, his first multilateral security gathering since taking office, the Ministry of National Defense said. Kang will take part in the 13th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) on Thursday, the ministry said. The ADMM-Plus brings together defense ministers from the 11 ASEAN member states and eight of the bloc’s dialogue partners, including Korea, the United States and Japan. Launched in 2010, it serves as a platform for defense cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region. The Philippines, which holds the rotating ASEAN chair this year, is hosting the meeting in Lapu-Lapu City in the province of Cebu. At this year’s meeting, participants will assess the regional security environment and discuss ways to strengthen defense cooperation for peace and stability. During the main session, Kang will stress the need for international cooperation to maintain regional peace and propose practical measures to boost defense cooperation betwe