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Korean Fugitives Arrested in Vietnam Spark Controversy Over Smiling Mugshots Recently, three South Koreans wanted under an Interpol red notice were arrested in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and their arrest photos have become a topic of discussion in local media.The images show the suspects smiling, prompting mocking reactions such as, "They are smiling brightly even after being arrested," and, "It seems they enjoy taking pictures, creating beautiful memories." Others speculated, "Perhaps they see Vietnam as an easy target, influenced by American movies or Korean dramas."In South Korea, the personal information of suspects cannot be disclosed solely based on criminal allegations. However, in Vietnam, faces can be revealed under the premise of public interest, which has drawn additional attention to this case.Vietnamese law protects individual portrait rights. Article 32 of the Civil Code states that individuals have rights over their own likeness and generally cannot have their image used without consent.However, exceptions exist. Images can be used without consent for national, ethnic, or public interest purposes. This raises important questions about how far the media can go in disclosing images of suspects or defendants in crime reporting.Legal experts in Vietnam have interpreted that reporting related to public trials or crime prevention can be seen as activities with public interest.Nonetheless, the presumption of innocence remains intact in Vietnam. Article 13 of the Criminal Procedure Code stipulates that a defendant must be presumed innocent until a court verdict confirms guilt.The issue of media coverage of public trials and the photographing of defendants has sparked controversy in Vietnam multiple times. In 2018, during the trial of former executives of the Navi Bank in Ho Chi Minh City, the defense team requested that journalists be restricted from photographing the defendants, but the court explained that it could not prevent media coverage due to the public trial nature.In South Korea, there is a system for disclosing the faces of criminal suspects, but the criteria and procedures are limited. For serious crimes such as murder or sexual violence, the decision to disclose personal information is made after considering factors like the brutality of the crime, the severity of the victim's situation, sufficient evidence, and the public's right to know.The police review committee assesses whether to disclose personal information, and the presumption of innocence applies until a final verdict is reached.In this context, Vietnam's practices regarding crime reporting differ from South Korea's stricter standards on disclosing suspect identities.The three individuals are accused of committing online fraud by impersonating prosecutors or officials in South Korea, calling victims, and presenting fake arrest warrants or case documents to lure them into accessing specific links.According to the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security, the Ho Chi Minh City Police Department transferred the suspects to South Korean authorities at Tan Son Nhat International Airport after their arrest. They were all subject to an Interpol red notice at the request of South Korean police.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-09-01 17:00:00
Dispute Arises Over Evaluation of National Medical University Candidates in Jeonnam Concerns are growing over whether the evaluation process for selecting candidates for the new National Medical University in Jeonnam properly verified the feasibility of the land, hospital construction, and faculty recruitment plans submitted by the two universities.The final score that separated Sunchon National University and Mokpo National University was just 1.30 points. Notably, 1.17 points of this gap came from the 'faculty recruitment plan,' raising questions about how the existing and future plans for securing faculty were assessed, especially since Sunchon proposed city-owned land for its medical school and hospital.According to the evaluation results, Sunchon received a score of 89.15, while Mokpo scored 87.85.Specifically, both universities received the same score of 9.33 for their medical school establishment plans. In the area of securing educational facilities, Mokpo scored 18.57, slightly higher than Sunchon's 18.22.For the educational hospital acquisition plan, Sunchon scored 17.80 and Mokpo 17.63, a difference of only 0.17 points. However, in the faculty recruitment plan, Sunchon scored 21.72, while Mokpo scored 20.55, resulting in a 1.17-point difference.Given that the final score difference was 1.30 points, it can be argued that the faculty recruitment plan was decisive in the outcome. The Jeonnam Integrated Special City also noted that a significant score difference arose in the faculty recruitment plan.Mokpo National University has raised questions about these results.The university claims to have a plan that meets the requirement of 112 faculty members necessary for medical school accreditation, along with a pool of 160 medical personnel. In contrast, they question whether Sunchon's proposed faculty numbers reflect actual hires or future goals, and how full-time and part-time faculty were differentiated during the evaluation process.They argue that it needs to be clarified whether high scores were awarded simply for presenting a large number of faculty in the plan, or if the actual feasibility, composition by field, timing, and funding were thoroughly verified.The issue of land acquisition has also emerged as a key point of contention.Sunchon proposed city-owned land for its medical school and hospital, while Mokpo announced at a press conference that it has secured approximately 50,000 pyeong of state-owned land for the same purpose.Since national medical schools and hospitals are facilities established and operated by the state, it is essential to distinguish between a local government's plan to provide land and the actual legal rights the state has to use that land.Similar issues have been identified in the case of Kyungpook National University, which is also pursuing the establishment of a national medical school.According to a plan submitted to the Ministry of Education by Gyeongbuk Province on August 20, the university aims to establish a medical school on 130,362 square meters of 'available land' in the Gyeongbuk provincial government new town, with a goal of opening in the 2030 academic year and constructing an educational hospital with over 500 beds.Gyeongbuk Province, Andong City, and Yecheon County plan to support the land and construction costs for the medical school and affiliated hospital. The plan released by Gyeongbuk Province also refers to the land as 'available land in the provincial government new town' rather than as state-owned land currently secured by Kyungpook National University.This does not mean that building a national medical school and hospital using local government land is impossible. However, the process of securing ownership or usage rights for the land is a separate administrative procedure that must be completed to allow the national university to use it. How the relationship between national and public property will be organized and when the necessary administrative procedures will be completed are directly linked to the construction and opening schedules of the medical school and hospital.Therefore, it is crucial to examine whether Sunchon's evaluation included a detailed review of the administrative procedures, required timeframes, and the impact on the project schedule for using city-owned land for the national medical school and hospital.Moreover, a medical hospital cannot be built immediately just because land is available.Securing land, developing a basic plan, design, various reviews and approvals, securing funding, contracting, construction, and installing medical equipment are all necessary steps.Kyungpook National University has also submitted a concrete plan to the Ministry of Education, aiming for a 2030 opening with 130,362 square meters of land, 112 faculty members, and an educational hospital with over 500 beds. Ultimately, the government's final judgment will have to consider not only the numbers presented in the plan but also the actual feasibility of implementation.This has led to renewed scrutiny of the composition of the evaluation committee for the Jeonnam National Medical University.The eight-member committee includes two members with expertise in medical school establishment and education, three in clinical and basic medicine, two in regional, essential, and public health policy, and one in hospital operations and financial feasibility.However, there appears to be no architectural or facility experts who can professionally assess the construction processes of medical schools and hospitals or large-scale facility projects based on the disclosed areas of expertise.This is why Mokpo National University has raised concerns that there were no experts available to verify the construction schedule.The evaluation timeline also requires scrutiny.The Jeonnam Research Institute was designated as the evaluation agency on August 26 and began the process, evaluating based on documents, presentations, and Q&A sessions from both universities. The final score was calculated based on the average of six scores, excluding the highest and lowest scores from the eight committee members.Some reports indicate that the evaluation committee conducted document and presentation reviews starting August 28 in Seoul.Therefore, the Jeonnam Research Institute needs to disclose the timeline for finalizing the evaluation committee, the timing of each university's submission of their plans, and the actual time the committee members had for preliminary review.Ultimately, the core of this controversy lies not in the 1.30-point result itself but in the verification process that produced that score.How the already secured state-owned land was compared to the city-owned land that would be provided after administrative procedures, how the actual number of faculty that can be secured was distinguished from future recruitment plans, and which experts verified the feasibility of the construction schedule for the medical school and hospital are critical questions.Given that similar plans for building medical schools and educational hospitals using local government land are being pursued in the case of Kyungpook National University, it cannot be concluded that the project is impossible solely because it involves city-owned land. However, this underscores the importance of how thoroughly the legal rights to the land, subsequent administrative procedures, and the feasibility of the construction schedule were verified.Especially since 1.17 points of the final 1.30-point difference came from the faculty recruitment plan, the Jeonnam Research Institute must explain the objective basis for the difference it created.The outcome of a 36-year-long aspiration for a national medical university in Jeonnam has been determined by a mere 1.30 points. To resolve the controversy surrounding the results, the focus should not be on 'who presented more plans' but rather on 'who has the actual preparations to execute those plans and how that was verified.' 2026-09-01 17:00:00
Bus Fares Set to Increase After Chuseok Holiday Intercity and express bus fares will increase next month, adding several thousand won to the cost for passengers traveling long distances.According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the fare cap for intercity and express buses will rise by 9% starting October 1. This marks the first fare increase for these services in over three years, following a 5% hike on July 5, 2023.The bus industry has requested increases of 17% for intercity buses and 20.1% for express buses, citing rising labor and fuel costs. The ministry decided on a 9% increase after considering cost verification and the burden on users. Actual fares will be determined through procedures specific to each region and transport company within the adjusted cap.Based on current fares, a simple application of the 9% increase provides an estimate of the new costs. As of September 1, the one-way fare for an adult traveling from Seoul to Busan on a standard express bus is 26,700 won, while the premium express fare is 39,700 won. Applying the 9% increase, the new fares would be approximately 29,100 won for standard and 43,300 won for premium, resulting in increases of about 2,400 won and 3,600 won, respectively.For the Seoul to Daejeon route, the current standard express fare is 11,400 won and the premium fare is 16,600 won. After the 9% increase, these would be approximately 12,400 won and 18,100 won, respectively, leading to an additional burden of around 3,000 won for a round trip on the premium service.The premium express fare for the Seoul to Gangneung route is currently 24,600 won. Using the same calculation, it would rise to about 26,800 won, an increase of around 2,200 won.These amounts are not yet finalized as the ministry has only set the fare cap applicable to each route. The actual increase rate and final fares may vary based on decisions made by transport companies. Therefore, confirmed fares for each route will need to be checked during the booking process.The fare increase is attributed to a decline in bus ridership and routes. According to the ministry, the average daily ridership for intercity buses dropped from 540,000 in 2019 to 270,000 last year, while ridership for express buses fell from 83,000 to 58,000, a decrease of about 30% during the same period.The number of routes has also decreased. Intercity bus routes fell from 3,335 in 2019 to 3,177 last year, a 4.7% decline, while express bus routes dropped from 208 to 164, over a 21% reduction. The government explains that the bus industry's operating conditions have worsened due to insufficient recovery in passenger numbers following the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with rising labor and fuel costs.The ministry plans to designate essential routes for support and implement measures to enhance the competitiveness of intercity and express buses alongside the fare adjustments.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-09-01 16:56:00
People Power Party to Elect Local Committee Chairs via Member Vote The People Power Party is set to begin restructuring its local committees on September 1. The party aims to elect local committee chairs through member voting to strengthen its regional organization in preparation for the next general election.The party's Special Committee for Organizational Strengthening held a meeting on this day and decided to publicly recruit organization chairs for 36 local committees nationwide.A key feature of this recruitment process is the introduction of member voting to reflect the opinions of party members. This approach aims to select candidates who possess regional representation and organizational competitiveness based on local party support.The electoral districts targeted for this recruitment include: △Seoul Gwangjin-gap △Seoul Dongdaemun-gap △Seoul Jungnang-eul △Seoul Seongbuk-eul △Seoul Gwanak-gap △Jeonnam Gwangju Buk-gap △Jeonnam Gwangju Buk-eul △Jeonnam Gwangju Mokpo △Jeonnam Gwangju Yeosu-gap △Jeonnam Gwangju Yeosu-eul △Jeonnam Gwangju Suncheon, Gokseong, Gurye-gap △Jeonnam Gwangju Haenam, Wando, Jindo △Incheon Gyeyang-gap △Incheon Seo-eul △Daejeon Seo-eul △Gyeonggi Seongnam Sujeong △Gyeonggi Seongnam Jungwon △Gyeonggi Pyeongtaek-byeong △Gyeonggi Ansan-byeong △Gyeonggi Namyangju-eul △Gyeonggi Hanam-eul △Gyeonggi Yongin-gap △Gyeonggi Anseong △Gyeonggi Gimpo-eul △Gyeonggi Hwaseong Jeong △Gangwon Gangneung △Chungbuk Cheongju Seowon △Chungnam Nonsan, Gyeryong, Geumsan △Jeonbuk Jeonju-gap △Jeonbuk Jeonju-eul △Jeonbuk Iksan-gap △Jeonbuk Gunsan, Gimje, Buan △Jeonbuk Wanju, Jinan, Muju △Gyeongnam Changwon Seongsan △Gyeongnam Gimhae-eul △Jeju Jeju-gap.Three local committees, including Busan Saha-eul, Daegu Dalseo-byeong, and Ulsan Uljin, where the committee chairs have received suspended party rights, will be reconsidered later as the period for re-examination has not yet expired.A representative from the Special Committee stated, “We plan to complete the selection process for organization chairs swiftly to minimize operational gaps in the local committees and normalize regional organizations as soon as possible.”Meanwhile, the application period for the organization chair recruitment will take place from September 7 to 9 through the People Power Party's online application system.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-09-01 16:52:00
Kia Reports 5% Increase in Global Sales for August Driven by Strong Overseas Demand Kia maintained its growth despite a decline in domestic sales due to the summer vacation period, thanks to strong performance in overseas markets. The company announced on September 1 that it sold a total of 266,675 vehicles globally in August, a 5.0% increase from 253,943 units during the same period last year. In the domestic market, sales fell from 43,501 units to 40,213 units, a decrease of 7.6%. However, overseas sales rose from 209,901 units to 225,413 units, marking a 7.4% increase. By model, the Sportage was the best-selling vehicle globally with 46,239 units sold, followed by the Seltos with 35,689 units and the Sorento with 18,404 units. In the domestic market, the Sorento recorded the highest sales with 6,397 units. Passenger vehicles included the Ray with 3,718 units, K8 with 1,938 units, and K5 with 1,920 units, totaling 9,758 units sold. Recreational vehicles (RVs) sold included the Sorento, Carnival with 4,186 units, Sportage with 3,874 units, and Seltos with 3,307 units, totaling 26,233 units. Commercial vehicles included the Bongo III with 2,385 units and PV5 with 1,744 units, totaling 4,222 units sold. Overseas, the Sportage was the top-selling model with 42,365 units, followed by the Seltos with 32,391 units and the K4 with 17,519 units. Specialty vehicles totaled 1,049 units sold, with 152 in the domestic market and 897 overseas. A Kia representative stated, "Domestic sales decreased compared to the same month last year due to fewer working days during the summer vacation, but we continued to grow in overseas markets through tailored sales strategies based on regional demand. We aim to maintain our sales momentum in the second half of the year, focusing on hybrid vehicles in the U.S. and electric vehicles in Europe." Meanwhile, Kia aims to sell 1,122,000 eco-friendly vehicles globally this year.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-09-01 16:48:10
Ildong Foodis Supports Golf Prospects with 'Hymun' Products Ildong Foodis announced on September 1 that it sponsored its Hymun products at the 30th Choi Deung-kyu Cup Maekyung Amateur Golf Championship, held from August 25 to 28 at Seowon Valley CC in Paju, Gyeonggi Province.The tournament, hosted by Maeil Business Newspaper and Daebo Group and organized by the Korea Golf Association, is an amateur competition featuring promising young golfers. This year marks its 30th anniversary.To support the athletes' physical and nutritional needs before and after their matches, Ildong Foodis provided a package consisting of 'Hymun Protein Balance Active' and 'Hymun Amino Poten' products.The package includes 'Hymun Protein Balance Active' for convenient protein intake, as well as 'Amino Poten Original', 'Power Gel', and 'Power Energy' for energy replenishment during exercise. It also contains 'Amino Poten Water Plus' for hydration and 'Amino Poten Immune Vita', a health supplement that combines amino acids and multivitamins, allowing athletes to choose products based on their needs before and after matches.Ildong Foodis is an official partner of the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) and provides Hymun products to professional golfers. For this tournament, it offered the same product range to amateur players aspiring to become professionals.An Ildong Foodis representative stated, "We are honored to support the athletes who will lead the future of golf in South Korea, helping them perform at their best. We will continue to support the healthy growth and challenges of sports talents, including golf."* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-09-01 16:48:10
Ruling Party Launches Police Reform Task Force to Address Structural Issues The Democratic Party of Korea launched a police reform task force on September 1 to address structural issues within the police, sparked by incidents such as the Jang Yoon-ki and Busan police chief cases. The party vowed to root out various malpractices, including favoritism.During the inaugural meeting held at the National Assembly, party leader Kim Min-seok emphasized the importance of reflecting the public's demand for police reform.In his opening remarks, Kim stated that the task force would comprehensively address six major issues: favoritism, case concealment, unauthorized case closures, evidence tampering, evidence manipulation, and leaks of investigative information, as well as violations of personal privacy.He urged the task force to devise measures such as expanding external audits, strengthening grounds for disqualification in investigations, enhancing accountability to victims, increasing legal responsibility for inadequate investigations, and improving the protection of personal information and privacy. "There is absolutely no excess in preventing serious crimes," he stressed.Co-chair Lee Hae-sik described the police as having been a tool of power that has oppressed the people, stating, "We have a duty to uproot the malpractices within the police and thoroughly rectify them. We will also discuss strengthening the investigative capabilities of the National Investigation Headquarters and the independence of audit and inspection bodies."Another co-chair, Kim Nam-hee, remarked that as the ruling party, the Democratic Party has a responsibility to address the issues faced by the public, promising to find solutions to ensure that the police can protect the lives and safety of citizens.Following the closed-door meeting, the task force expressed consensus on implementing police reform aimed at establishing a trustworthy investigative system and creating democratic oversight mechanisms.After the meeting, Kim stated to reporters, "We discussed executing police reform with the goal of establishing a trustworthy investigative system and creating democratic oversight mechanisms. The government is also engaged in related discussions, and we will continue to have necessary discussions through party-government consultations."* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-09-01 16:48:00
Family Bonds and Secrets Explored in 'Gyeongju Journey' Every work contains numerous perspectives. Although the director and actors share the same space and time, their experiences may differ. 'B-Cut by Choi Song-hee' focuses on the vivid behind-the-scenes moments that go beyond the 'A-Cut' captured on screen. It reconstructs the intense 'B-Cut' moments that were more passionate than the completed frames through interviews with the director and actors. (Editor’s note)The film 'Gyeongju Journey' (directed by Kim Mi-jo) tells the story of four sisters who embark on a 'killing' trip after an eight-year wait for their youngest sister, Gyeongju, who never returned from a school trip. On the occasion of Gyeongju's birthday, their mother, Ok-sil, and her three daughters—Jang-joo, Yeong-joo, and Dong-joo—wear matching T-shirts and take photos at various landmarks. While it appears to be a harmonious family trip, their journey is a meticulously planned alibi.Though 'Gyeongju Journey' is wrapped in the guise of a revenge drama, it ultimately confronts the long-buried wounds of the four sisters. Even within the dramatic settings of kidnapping and revenge, the relationships between the mother and daughters are portrayed with nuance.Lee Jung-eun, who plays the mother Ok-sil, noted that the relationships and emotional expressions were captured in detail thanks to the support of her three daughters: Gong Hyo-jin (as Jang-joo), Park So-dam (as Yeong-joo), and Lee Yeon (as Dong-joo)."Hyo-jin knew exactly how to approach her role as Jang-joo. She is a very smart actress who doesn’t waste energy unnecessarily and knows when to step in. I kept saying throughout the shoot how beautiful her face is and that I hope to see it a lot on screen.Lee Yeon and So-dam had a passion and drive that exceeded our expectations. I think the audience will be satisfied watching their growth. Once the scenes started, everyone was so focused that hardly anyone left. That was crucial in completing the scenes the director wanted," said Lee Jung-eun.Previously, Gong Hyo-jin and Lee Jung-eun had collaborated in the 2019 drama 'When the Camellia Blooms.' Gong Hyo-jin reflected on their second collaboration, saying, "It was nice to be able to breathe more deeply together this time.""On the drama set, it felt like I was just seeing my mom (played by Lee Jung-eun) come and go. There wasn’t much time for long conversations. This time, the mother-daughter relationship was important, and there were many emotional scenes. We spent a lot of time filming in Gyeongju, which helped us bond more closely," Gong Hyo-jin added.Park So-dam expressed her excitement about working with Lee Jung-eun again after 'Parasite,' noting that she felt comfortable from the first reading."I always asked Lee Jung-eun, 'When will you play my mom?' She was an actress I really wanted to meet. I immediately felt that Lee Yeon would do a great job as Dong-joo, and Hyo-jin felt just like Jang-joo from the first reading. I felt so comfortable that I thought we could start filming right away," Park So-dam said.Unlike Lee Jung-eun, Gong Hyo-jin, and Park So-dam, who had previously worked together, Lee Yeon was collaborating with director Kim Mi-jo for the first time. Lee Jung-eun described Kim Mi-jo as "the embodiment of Ok-sil," leading the set with determination, while Lee Yeon acted as a bridge between the director and the cast, sharing behind-the-scenes insights."Director Kim Mi-jo wasn’t like a daughter figure. She was exactly 'Ok-sil.' Lee Yeon played a role in connecting the director and the actors. During breaks, she would reach out to the director for coffee and spend time together, which helped us bond," Lee Jung-eun said."As the youngest, I was so happy. The seniors always checked if there was enough food, if we were resting well, and if we were sleeping enough. I felt a lot of love during the shoot. I thought it was a blessing to have such great chemistry that I wondered if we could meet again. I first met Director Kim Mi-jo at the 2019 Jeonju International Film Festival, and it felt like the bond we formed then continued to this project. Lee Jung-eun is so warm-hearted that I just had to follow her lead, and I found common ground with Hyo-jin since our daily patterns were similar, allowing us to walk and play games together. I became close with So-dam since we have the smallest age gap," Lee Yeon shared.As mentioned earlier, 'Gyeongju Journey' is a story about the four sisters confronting the wounds they have buried in their hearts. In the film's latter half, there are scenes where Jang-joo, Yeong-joo, and Dong-joo reveal their hidden truths, enhancing the audience's immersion. Gong Hyo-jin and Lee Jung-eun discussed the emotional scene, sharing insights about it."That scene took about one or two takes. At that time, we had so many scenes to shoot on location that we filmed several in order and shot this one almost at the end. Since it was an emotional scene for both the mother and me, there was pressure, and I relied heavily on the thought that my mom would give me the emotions I needed. As expected, my mom gave me such strong emotions that I was able to draw from that power," Gong Hyo-jin said.Gong Hyo-jin explained that she worked hard to ensure the audience could empathize with Jang-joo's emotions."I thought a lot about whether to explode with 'Mom, don’t you remember that?' or to appeal emotionally. In the end, I believed that the emotion that the audience could relate to would best serve the purpose of the scene. Personally, I feel like I could have done a little better, but I think actors should always feel a bit of regret to keep improving. Overall, I think it went well," Gong Hyo-jin said.Among many scenes, the one that touched the actors' hearts was the pension scene, where Jang-joo's husband suddenly arrives, and they talk to put their daughter to sleep, expressing past memories through shadows."The scene where we lie in the pension looking at the ceiling and talking about the time we went to the beach was my favorite. The shadows of the trees appear, and Hawaiian music plays softly, leading to memories of the beach. It was actually a scene from childhood shot in real life, but instead of showing it directly, the way it was layered as a shadow was so beautiful and poignant. Watching that scene reaffirmed that the director definitely has her own style," Gong Hyo-jin said."Thinking about the family scene shown through shadows makes my heart ache. They are a family that doesn’t have proper memories of a trip, and a family member is missing. It feels like a memory of a time when they might have gone to the beach, but in reality, it could have been a moment they stopped by while someone was working," Lee Jung-eun added.Director Kim Mi-jo found the actors' reactions to that scene encouraging. She particularly appreciated Gong Hyo-jin's attention to detail in every shot until the end."I felt that Hyo-jin was attentive to every shot until the end. She mentioned that the scene transitioning to the past while lying in the pension was especially good, which gave me a lot of strength," Director Kim Mi-jo said.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-09-01 16:44:00
Lotte Department Store Secures 10-Year Lease at Yeongdeungpo Station Lotte Department Store has secured the operating rights for Yeongdeungpo Station in Seoul, ensuring that its Yeongdeungpo location will continue operations for at least the next 10 years. Lotte Shopping announced on September 1 that it was selected as the new user in a bidding process conducted by the Korea National Railway Authority for the use of Yeongdeungpo Station. Once the new contract procedures are completed, Lotte Department Store will continue to operate at its current location. This bidding process faced multiple failures earlier this year. The Korea National Railway Authority began seeking new commercial operators for Yeongdeungpo Station in February, but all three previous bids were unsuccessful. Lotte Shopping was the sole participant in the fourth public bidding, which closed in July. With the renewal of its operating rights, Lotte has secured a stable operational period of at least 10 years. The Yeongdeungpo location, which opened in 1991, is a key privately operated station store for Lotte Department Store. While it is directly connected to Yeongdeungpo Station, it faces competition from nearby stores such as Shinsegae Department Store's Times Square, making it essential to enhance its competitiveness in the area. A Lotte Department Store official stated, “With this selection, we have secured a stable operating period of at least 10 years. We plan to enhance the competitiveness of the Yeongdeungpo store through differentiated product planning to become a leading department store in the western Seoul market.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-09-01 16:44:00
Korean jobseekers face an AI test with no rulebook SEOUL, September 01 (AJP) - AI literacy is becoming the latest addition to the long list of so-called "specs" young South Koreans need to compete for already-scarce entry-level jobs. The problem is that employers themselves are still figuring out what they want. SK hynix is removing its traditional personal-statement questions from applications in the second half of this year. Instead, applicants will be asked to describe how they have used AI in projects, research and problem-solving. During interviews in November, candidates will use a large language model, or LLM, on a computer to work through an assigned problem and then present how they reached their answer. The chipmaker is less interested in AI proficiency itself than in how candidates use the technology to solve problems and explain their reasoning. The change also reflects how generative AI has eroded the value of the written personal statement, long a staple of South Korean recruitment. As more applicants use AI to draft their essays, employers have less reason to rely on the writing alone to distinguish among candidates. Jinyoung Kim, an economics professor at Korea University, said the shift was largely inevitable. "Self-introduction essays have lost much of their value as a way to tell candidates apart because most people are using AI to write them these days," Kim said. "Basing interviews on them no longer makes much sense. Testing how applicants use AI is a way to gauge productivity, and I see it as a change that is hard to avoid." The new hurdle is emerging just as young Koreans are finding it increasingly difficult to gain a foothold in the labor market. The employment rate for South Koreans aged 15 to 29 fell 1.6 percentage points from a year earlier to 44.2 percent in July, extending its decline to 27 consecutive months, according to the Ministry of Data and Statistics' July employment report released Aug. 12. The number of employed young people fell by 191,000 to 3.441 million, marking the 45th straight month of decline, while the youth unemployment rate rose 1.3 percentage points to 6.8 percent. The squeeze is also evident at major companies. Leaders Index, a South Korean corporate research firm, found that new hires at 113 large companies that disclosed hiring figures fell 15.3 percent to 92,680 in 2025 from 109,456 in 2023. Across 132 companies, employment of workers aged 30 and under dropped 13.8 percent to 230,434 over the same period. The outlook for the second half is somewhat brighter, although companies remain cautious about the scale of recruitment. Incruit, a South Korean human resources technology company, surveyed 600 companies between July 1 and Aug. 3 and found that 74.3 percent of large companies had decided to hire in the second half, up 14.6 percentage points from a year earlier. Among those with confirmed hiring plans, however, only 14.5 percent expected to recruit 100 or more employees, down 6.4 percentage points from last year. For job seekers, AI is already deeply embedded in the application process. A July survey by South Korean recruitment platform CATCH found that 98 percent of 1,025 Generation Z job seekers were using AI when applying for jobs. Some 84 percent used it to draft self-introduction essays and 67 percent to generate possible interview questions. Yet only 66 percent said they were building AI-related experience. The gap suggests that while AI has become routine for preparing applications, fewer job seekers have experience demonstrating how they can use it in actual work. Simply saying they have used AI may therefore no longer be enough. Increasingly, applicants are being asked to show what they can do with it. That pressure is also feeding demand for AI-related credentials. South Korea's Private Qualification Information Service, a government-run database for privately issued qualifications, listed 1,292 registered private qualifications with "AI" in their names as of Tuesday. Yet there is no common standard for determining which of those credentials reflect the skills employers actually want. In the absence of one, companies are developing their own tests. KT, a major South Korean telecommunications company, opened applications Aug. 25 for college graduates in network infrastructure operations, business consulting and sales, and consumer marketing and sales. Rather than testing AI knowledge alone, KT said it will give applicants work-related situations and assess how they use AI during the problem-solving process. The approach resembles that of SK hynix. Both are focusing less on familiarity with a particular AI tool than on how applicants apply the technology to a problem. But there is no single method for measuring that ability. Employers are experimenting with everything from job simulations and AI aptitude tests to project-based assessments, effectively leaving each company to decide which elements of AI use matter most. At the same time, AI appears to be raising expectations for entry-level workers. PwC's 2026 Global AI Jobs Barometer found that U.S. entry-level jobs most exposed to AI were seven times more likely to require skills such as leadership, creativity and face-to-face communication — capabilities traditionally associated with more experienced workers. For applicants, the absence of a clear standard can add another layer of pressure to an already demanding hiring process. Alongside foreign-language scores, internships and certificates, they may now feel compelled to build AI projects or take AI courses without knowing which experiences employers will ultimately value. Kim acknowledged that learning another skill could add to the burden but viewed the shift as difficult to avoid if AI becomes a basic workplace tool. "I think it can be fair because AI is already widely used among young people," he said. Fairness, however, is only part of the problem. A more fundamental question is what AI literacy should mean in the first place. The issue is being debated globally. On June 18, the OECD and European Commission released an AI Literacy Framework for primary and secondary education, offering a common reference for the knowledge, skills and attitudes students need to understand and use AI responsibly. The framework treats AI literacy as more than the ability to operate AI tools. Learners are expected to understand how AI works, critically evaluate its output and make informed judgments about its risks and limitations. It sets out 19 competencies across four areas covering how learners engage with, create with, manage and shape AI. The framework was designed for education rather than recruitment, but it illustrates how broadly AI literacy can be defined — and why it is difficult to reduce to a single certificate or test score. Kim cautioned against treating overseas frameworks as a benchmark for Korean hiring while the technology itself continues to evolve rapidly. "I do not think we can treat that as an established standard yet," he said. "Nor do I see much reason to benchmark overseas frameworks at this point. No one really knows where AI is headed, whom it will replace or whom it will assist." That leaves employers with a contradiction: AI skills are becoming more important in hiring even as the criteria for judging them remain unsettled. If using an LLM eventually becomes as routine as working with a spreadsheet or searching the internet, knowing how to use AI alone may cease to distinguish one candidate from another. Recent hiring practices suggest the emphasis may instead move toward what workers do after AI generates an answer — whether they can verify the result, detect errors and make the final judgment rather than simply accept what the technology produces. "I think this will continue to evolve," Kim said. "Even the people who built AI are not certain how widely it will be used or where it is headed." The standard is still taking shape. For Korean graduates, the test has already begun. AJP Takeaways • SK hynix is replacing traditional personal-statement questions in its second-half 2026 recruitment with assessments of how applicants use AI to solve problems, including an LLM-based task and presentation during November interviews. • AI is becoming a new hiring requirement as South Korea's youth job market weakens, with the employment rate for people aged 15 to 29 falling to 44.2 percent in July and major companies reducing recruitment from 2023 levels. • South Korean employers including SK hynix and KT are developing their own AI-based hiring assessments because there is no common standard for determining what AI literacy means or which AI qualifications matter. • The OECD and European Commission's AI Literacy Framework defines AI literacy broadly to include understanding, critical evaluation and judgment, suggesting employers may increasingly value candidates' ability to verify and interpret AI output rather than simply operate AI tools. 2026-09-01 16:41:29