Korea JoongAng Daily - Daily News from Korea

This article is by Byun Min-chul and read by an artificial voice.

A migrant worker, employed at a furniture factory in Paju, Gyeonggi, requested a workplace transfer after suffering repeated verbal abuse, harassment and assault by a colleague.

His employer, however, threatened to file a defamation-related charge if he attempted to leave. With no viable alternatives, the worker remained at the same factory and continues to work there.

With cases of violence against migrant workers continuing to be reported across the country, calls are growing for a full overhaul of workplace transfer requirements under the foreign employment law.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor is expected to announce reform measures as early as the first half of the year, including steps to ease restrictions on job changes for migrant workers.

Under the current Act on the Employment of Foreign Workers, migrant workers may change workplaces only under limited conditions, such as lawful termination or nonrenewal of employment contracts, business suspension or closure or violations of working conditions. In all other cases, a workplace change requires the employer's consent along with approval from the Labor Ministry.

Migrant workers and advocacy groups have long argued that these stringent requirements make it difficult to report abuse, such as violence or verbal harassment.

"For migrant workers who are not fluent in Korean, it is extremely difficult to prove unfair treatment without any assistance," said Kim Dal-seong, head of the Pocheon Migrant Workers Center.

"In many cases, they are left with no choice but to give up and return to their workplaces despite the abuse."

Five migrant workers in 2020 once filed a constitutional complaint arguing that the law's restrictions on workplace transfers violated fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution, including the freedom to choose one's occupation.

The Constitutional Court, however, ruled the provision constitutional by a 7-2 vote, stating that if foreign workers were allowed to freely terminate contracts and change workplaces at will, "employers would face serious difficulties in securing a stable work force and maintaining smooth business operations."

But a series of recent violent incidents involving migrant workers once again triggered voices to guarantee greater freedom of workplace mobility, including abolishing limits on the reasons and frequency of job changes.

An incident occurred at a textile factory in Incheon, where a Bangladeshi migrant worker was allegedly slapped in the face by the employer, reportedly for "not answering calls" in April. The case is currently under joint investigation by the Labor Ministry, the Ministry of Justice and the police.

Earlier in February, a business owner at a manufacturing plant in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi, was arrested and referred to prosecutors on charges of serious bodily injury after allegedly using an air gun to strike the anal area of a Thai migrant worker.

"Because migrant workers cannot freely change workplaces, some employers feel they can safely engage in violence or harassment," said Choi Jeong-gyu, head of the migrant workers' team of the Lawyers for a Democratic Society, also known as Minbyun.

"Workplace mobility should be guaranteed, and a pilot program could be introduced in selected regions outside the capital area and any issues that arise could then be addressed through adjustments."

The Ministry of Employment and Labor is in the process of preparing countermeasures in response to such demands, emphasizing that the concerns of the business community, particularly small- and medium-sized enterprises that rely on skilled migrant labor, must be considered at the same time.

"Companies are reporting severe labor shortages, and there are significant differences of opinion among labor, management and the government," said Han Eun-sook, the director of foreign work force policy at the Labor Ministry. "We will review the issue and announce improvem...

This article is by Byun Min-chul and read by an artificial voice.

A migrant worker, employed at a furniture factory in Paju, Gyeonggi, requested a workplace transfer after suffering repeated verbal abuse, harassment and assault by a colleague.

His employer, however, threatened to file a defamation-related charge if he attempted to leave. With no viable alternatives, the worker remained at the same factory and continues to work there.

With cases of violence against migrant workers continuing to be reported across the country, calls are growing for a full overhaul of workplace transfer requirements under the foreign employment law.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor is expected to announce reform measures as early as the first half of the year, including steps to ease restrictions on job changes for migrant workers.

Under the current Act on the Employment of Foreign Workers, migrant workers may change workplaces only under limited conditions, such as lawful termination or nonrenewal of employment contracts, business suspension or closure or violations of working conditions. In all other cases, a workplace change requires the employer's consent along with approval from the Labor Ministry.

Migrant workers and advocacy groups have long argued that these stringent requirements make it difficult to report abuse, such as violence or verbal harassment.

"For migrant workers who are not fluent in Korean, it is extremely difficult to prove unfair treatment without any assistance," said Kim Dal-seong, head of the Pocheon Migrant Workers Center.

"In many cases, they are left with no choice but to give up and return to their workplaces despite the abuse."

Five migrant workers in 2020 once filed a constitutional complaint arguing that the law's restrictions on workplace transfers violated fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution, including the freedom to choose one's occupation.

The Constitutional Court, however, ruled the provision constitutional by a 7-2 vote, stating that if foreign workers were allowed to freely terminate contracts and change workplaces at will, "employers would face serious difficulties in securing a stable work force and maintaining smooth business operations."

But a series of recent violent incidents involving migrant workers once again triggered voices to guarantee greater freedom of workplace mobility, including abolishing limits on the reasons and frequency of job changes.

An incident occurred at a textile factory in Incheon, where a Bangladeshi migrant worker was allegedly slapped in the face by the employer, reportedly for "not answering calls" in April. The case is currently under joint investigation by the Labor Ministry, the Ministry of Justice and the police.

Earlier in February, a business owner at a manufacturing plant in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi, was arrested and referred to prosecutors on charges of serious bodily injury after allegedly firing an industrial air gun into the anus of a Thai migrant worker.

"Because migrant workers cannot freely change workplaces, some employers feel they can safely engage in violence or harassment," said Choi Jeong-gyu, head of the migrant workers' team of the Lawyers for a Democratic Society, also known as Minbyun.

"Workplace mobility should be guaranteed, and a pilot program could be introduced in selected regions outside the capital area and any issues that arise could then be addressed through adjustments."

The Ministry of Employment and Labor is in the process of preparing countermeasures in response to such demands, emphasizing that the concerns of the business community, particularly small- and medium-sized enterprises that rely on skilled migrant labor, must be considered at the same time.

"Companies are reporting severe labor shortages, and there are significant differences of opinion among labor, management and the government," said Han Eun-sook, the director of foreign work force policy at the Labor Ministry. "We will review the issue and announce improv...

This article is by Sarah Chea and read by an artificial voice.

A fishing vessel that went out to sea carrying illegally employed foreign crew members has been caught, the Coast Guard said Saturday.

The Gunsan Coast Guard in North Jeolla is investigating a 7.93-ton fishing boat, registered in Boryeong, South Chungcheong, allegedly carrying two foreign crew members who were not listed on the official crew manifest, according to Yonhap News Agency.

The vessel is accused of operating in waters near Jikdo Island off Gunsan at around 7:40 a.m. Saturday.

It was confirmed that the foreign workers had boarded the vessel without prior authorization for that specific workplace and that the vessel's captain was aware of the situation but failed to report changes to the crew list.

Under Korea's maritime safety rules, any changes in crew lists and the number of people on board must be reported accurately and immediately to ensure rapid rescue operations in the event of an accident.

This article is by Yoon Ji-won and read by an artificial voice.

Since the outbreak of the Iran war on Feb. 28, U.S. President Donald Trump has directly mentioned Korea on his social media a total of three times over the subsequent 70 days, pressing Seoul to commit troops.

The frequency is nearly on par with Germany, mentioned four times, against which Trump took retaliatory measures, including the withdrawal of 5,000 U.S. troops.

Expanding the scope to include White House press briefings and media interviews, Trump's pressure-laden references to Korea rise to ten occasions — roughly once a week — explicitly urging military support.

The implication is that, in Trump's strategic calculus, Korea — an East Asian ally — has been assigned a surprisingly significant role in the Middle East conflict.

Trump on March 14 demanded that Korea deploy naval assets and publicly remarked that "Korea did not help us" in a briefing in the White House on April 6.

More recently, he referenced the explosion incident involving the Korean cargo vessel HMM Namu in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, stating that the Korean vessel "decided to act alone" and "the ships protected by the United States were not attacked."

Both within and beyond diplomatic circles, there is growing unease over what many describe as an extraordinary development: Washington attempting to draw Korea into a military conflict unfolding in the Middle East.

The immediate tensions eased only after Trump announced a temporary suspension of Project Freedom — the maritime rescue operation in the Strait of Hormuz. Yet diplomats caution that, depending on the trajectory of cease-fire negotiations, renewed demands for Korean troop deployment could resurface at any moment.

The Korean government in recent months has moved swiftly to shield itself from the Trump administration's tariff offensive while proving that the alliance remains, in Washington's terms, a "mutually beneficial partnership."

In the joint fact sheet released following the Korea-U.S. summit last November, President Lee Jae Myung agreed to raise defense spending from the current level — just under 3 percent of GDP — to 3.5 percent as early as possible.

Seoul's voluntary moves to raise defense spending and shoulder a greater share of the alliance burden have drawn favorable reviews across Washington's foreign policy establishment.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on April 29 hailed Korea as a "model ally" over its decision to increase defense expenditures, adding that Seoul would receive special consideration from Washington.

The dynamic is also inseparable from Trump's deeply ingrained belief that U.S. allies habitually free ride on American security guarantees.

Throughout the Iran war, Trump repeatedly inflated the size of U.S. Forces Korea, currently around 28,500 troops, to 45,000 during public appearances, including a White House event on March 16, an Easter luncheon on April 1 and a press conference on April 6.

At the time, Trump openly vented his frustration, claiming that they have "45,000 people, soldiers in harm's way and right next to Kim Jong-un with a lot of nuclear weapons."

As such remarks continued to pile up, parts of the Korean government began dismissing them as little more than Trumpian bluster. During a closed-door meeting with a visiting bipartisan U.S. congressional delegation in Seoul on March 31, Lee reportedly asked if the United States was truly considering withdrawing from NATO.

The lawmakers immediately waved off the notion, adding "Never."

They pointed out that Congress had already amended the National Defense Authorization Act in late 2023, effectively preventing any president from unilaterally pulling the United States out of NATO without either a two-thirds Senate majority or separate congressional legislation.

Recent events involving Germany, however, have underscored how quickly Trump's pressure tactics can escalate from rhetoric into action.

After German Chancellor Friedrich Merz ment...

This article is by Yoon Ji-won and read by an artificial voice.

Since the outbreak of the Iran war on Feb. 28, U.S. President Donald Trump has directly mentioned Korea on his social media a total of three times over the subsequent 70 days, pressing Seoul to commit troops.

The frequency is nearly on par with Germany, mentioned four times, against which Trump took retaliatory measures, including the withdrawal of 5,000 U.S. troops.

Expanding the scope to include White House press briefings and media interviews, Trump's pressure-laden references to Korea rise to 10 occasions — roughly once a week — explicitly urging military support.

The implication is that, in Trump's strategic calculus, Korea — an East Asian ally — has been assigned a surprisingly significant role in the Middle East conflict.

On March 14, Trump demanded that Korea deploy naval assets and publicly remarked that "Korea did not help us" in a briefing at the White House on April 6.

More recently, he referenced the explosion incident involving the Korean cargo vessel HMM Namu in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, stating that the Korean vessel "decided to act alone" and "the ships protected by the United States were not attacked."

Both within and beyond diplomatic circles, there is growing unease over what many describe as an extraordinary development: Washington attempting to draw Korea into a military conflict unfolding in the Middle East.

The immediate tensions eased only after Trump announced a temporary suspension of Project Freedom — a maritime rescue operation in the Strait of Hormuz. Yet diplomats caution that, depending on the trajectory of cease-fire negotiations, renewed demands for Korean troop deployment could resurface at any moment.

Seoul in recent months has moved swiftly to shield itself from the Trump administration's tariff offensive while proving that the alliance remains, in Washington's terms, a "mutually beneficial partnership."

In the joint fact sheet released following the Korea-U.S. summit last November, President Lee Jae Myung agreed to raise defense spending from the current level — just under 3 percent of GDP — to 3.5 percent as early as possible.

Seoul's voluntary moves to raise defense spending and shoulder a greater share of the alliance burden have drawn favorable reviews across Washington's foreign policy establishment.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on April 29 hailed Korea as a "model ally" over its decision to increase defense expenditures, adding that Seoul would receive special consideration from Washington.

The dynamic is also inseparable from Trump's deeply ingrained belief that U.S. allies habitually free ride on security guarantees from Washington.

Throughout the Iran war, Trump repeatedly inflated the size of U.S. Forces Korea, currently around 28,500 troops, to 45,000 during public appearances, including a White House event on March 16, an Easter luncheon on April 1 and a press conference on April 6.

At the time, Trump openly vented his frustration, claiming that the United States has "45,000 people, soldiers in harm's way and right next to Kim Jong-un with a lot of nuclear weapons."

As such remarks continued to pile up, parts of the Korean government began dismissing them as little more than Trumpian bluster. During a closed-door meeting with a visiting bipartisan U.S. congressional delegation in Seoul on March 31, Lee reportedly asked if the United States was truly considering withdrawing from NATO.

The lawmakers immediately waved off the notion, adding "Never."

They pointed out that Congress had already amended the National Defense Authorization Act in late 2023, effectively preventing any president from unilaterally pulling the United States out of NATO without either a two-thirds Senate majority or separate congressional legislation.

Recent events involving Germany, however, have underscored how quickly Trump's pressure tactics can escalate from rhetoric into action.

After German Chancellor Friedrich Merz men...

This article is by Choi Hye-ri and read by an artificial voice.

Actor Yoo Hae-jin claimed the top film honor for the movie "The King's Warden" at the 62nd Baeksang Awards on Friday night, with actor Ryu Seung-ryong winning the grand prize for the broadcast category with "The Dream Life of Mr. Kim" (2025).

"Whenever we visited theaters for stage greetings, it felt as if audiences were rediscovering the magic of cinema," Yoo said, thanking the film's 17 million viewers at the awards, hosted by Shin Dong-yup, Bae Suzy and Park Bo-gum, held at Coex in Gangnam District, southern Seoul.

Ryu, referencing his character in the drama, delivered a characteristically understated acceptance speech.

"Like Nak-su in the series, I'm giving myself a gift for the first time," he said. "Seung-ryong, you've worked hard."

The honor for Best Movie went to director Park Chan-wook's "No Other Choice" (2025), which competed with director Jang Hang-jun's "The King's Warden."

"This film constantly attempts humor," Park said. "Without that effort, there is no way out of anger and sorrow."

Actor Park Ji-hoon, who portrayed the young King Danjong in "The King's Warden," won Best New Actor and the Naver Popularity Award, which was voted by fans. The film, which focuses on the exile of King Danjong, earned seven nominations.

Supporting actor honors went to Lee Sung-min for "No Other Choice" and Shin Sae-kyeong for "Humint."

The ceremony's Best Actor prizes were awarded to Park Jeong-min for "The Ugly" (2025) and Mun Ka-young for "Once We Were Us" (2025).

Another standout in the film category was "The World of Love" (2025), which quietly built a rare box office milestone for independent cinema, drawing 200,000 viewers following its release in October. Director Yoon Ga-eun earned the Best Director award.

"I would like to express my gratitude to the survivors of intrafamilial sexual violence who, through books, films, documentaries and even comments, have shared their most painful stories as well as moments of joy, and for entrusting us with such intimate confessions," Yoon said.

Actor Seo Su-bin from "The World of Love" won Best New Actress, and thanked Yoon, dedicating the award "to everyone in the world who continues to explore their own universe without restraint."

The Best Screenplay award went to director Byun Sung-hyun and writer Lee Jin-sung for "Good News" (2025).

Music director Lee Min-hwi received the Technical Achievement award for "Pavane." Lee also served as the music director for "The World of Love."

On the television side, the Best Drama award went to Netflix's "You and Everything Else" (2025), a restrained portrait of an intimate bond between two women spanning their teens to their forties.

"Eun-jung's job in her thirties is a planning producer, and I also have a producer who has worked with me for over 10 years," said writer Song Hye-jin, who won Best Screenplay, thanking producer Choi Kyung-sook.

The Best Actor award for the broadcast sector went to Hyun Bin for "Made in Korea," and the Best Actress for Park Bo-young for "Our Unwritten Seoul" (2025).

In her acceptance speech, Park quoted a line from her character Yu Mi-ji, and said, "To all the deer and hermit crabs scattered across the world, I would like to say: Yesterday is over, tomorrow is still far away and today is not yet known — so let us live this day well."

Director Park Shin-woo of "Our Unwritten Seoul" earned the Best Director award.

Variety Program of the Year went to MBC's "The Wonder Coach" (2025), which features Korean volleyball legend Kim Yeon-koung. Producer Kwon Rak-hui confirmed the second season of the program at the event.

Best Female Entertainer was awarded to comedian Lee Su-ji, while Best Male Entertainer was awarded to Kian84.

The "once-in-a-lifetime" Best New Actor and Actress awards in the television category went to Lee Chae-min for "Bon Appetit, Your Majesty" (2025) and actor Bang Hyo-rin for "Aema" (2025).

In the theater category, the Best Theater awar...

This article is by Choi Hye-ri, Sarah Chea and read by an artificial voice.

Actor Yoo Hae-jin claimed the top film honor for the movie "The King's Warden" at the 62nd Baeksang Awards on Friday night, with actor Ryu Seung-ryong winning the grand prize for the broadcast category with "The Dream Life of Mr. Kim" (2025).

"Whenever we visited theaters for stage greetings, it felt as if audiences were rediscovering the magic of cinema," Yoo said, thanking the film's 17 million viewers at the awards, hosted by Shin Dong-yup, Bae Suzy and Park Bo-gum, held at Coex in Gangnam District, southern Seoul.

Ryu, referencing his character in the drama, delivered a characteristically understated acceptance speech.

"Like Nak-su in the series, I'm giving myself a gift for the first time," he said. "Seung-ryong, you've worked hard."

The honor for Best Movie went to director Park Chan-wook's "No Other Choice" (2025), which competed with director Jang Hang-jun's "The King's Warden."

"This film constantly attempts humor," Park said. "Without that effort, there is no way out of anger and sorrow."

Actor Park Ji-hoon, who portrayed the young King Danjong (1441-1457) in "The King's Warden," won Best New Actor and the Naver Popularity Award, which was voted by fans. The film, which focuses on the exile of King Danjong, earned seven nominations.

Supporting actor honors went to Lee Sung-min for "No Other Choice" and Shin Sae-kyeong for "Humint."

The ceremony's Best Actor prizes were awarded to Park Jeong-min for "The Ugly" (2025) and Mun Ka-young for "Once We Were Us" (2025).

Another standout in the film category was "The World of Love" (2025), which quietly built a rare box office milestone for independent cinema, drawing 200,000 viewers following its release in October. Director Yoon Ga-eun earned the Best Director award.

"I would like to express my gratitude to the survivors of intrafamilial sexual violence who, through books, films, documentaries and even comments, have shared their most painful stories as well as moments of joy, and for entrusting us with such intimate confessions," Yoon said.

Actor Seo Su-bin from "The World of Love" won Best New Actress, and thanked Yoon, dedicating the award "to everyone in the world who continues to explore their own universe without restraint."

The Best Screenplay award went to director Byun Sung-hyun and writer Lee Jin-sung for "Good News" (2025).

Music director Lee Min-hwi received the Technical Achievement award for "Pavane." Lee also served as the music director for "The World of Love."

On the television side, the Best Drama award went to Netflix's "You and Everything Else" (2025), a restrained portrait of an intimate bond between two women spanning their teens to their forties.

"Eun-jung's job in her thirties is a planning producer, and I also have a producer who has worked with me for over 10 years," said writer Song Hye-jin, who won Best Screenplay, thanking producer Choi Kyung-sook.

The Best Actor award for the broadcast sector went to Hyun Bin for "Made in Korea," and the Best Actress for Park Bo-young for "Our Unwritten Seoul" (2025).

In her acceptance speech, Park quoted a line from her character Yu Mi-ji, and said, "To all the deer and hermit crabs scattered across the world, I would like to say: Yesterday is over, tomorrow is still far away and today is not yet known — so let us live this day well."

Director Park Shin-woo of "Our Unwritten Seoul" earned the Best Director award.

Variety Program of the Year went to MBC's "The Wonder Coach" (2025), which features Korean volleyball legend Kim Yeon-koung. Producer Kwon Rak-hui confirmed the second season of the program at the event.

Best Female Entertainer was awarded to comedian Lee Su-ji, while Best Male Entertainer was awarded to Kian84.

The "once-in-a-lifetime" Best New Actor and Actress awards in the television category went to Lee Chae-min for "Bon Appetit, Your Majesty" (2025) and actor Bang Hyo-rin for "Aema" (2025).

In the theater categor...

This article is by Hwang Jeong-il and read by an artificial voice.

What began as a dispute over semiconductor bonuses is metastasizing into something far larger — to a full-scale reckoning over how corporate Korea distributes wealth.

From automobiles and shipbuilding to steelmaking, labor groups are pressing a common demand for a greater share of extraordinary profits, and at the center lies a combustible question: Should employee compensation be tethered directly to operating profit?

In industries where capital intensity and cyclic volatility define survival, compensation is more than a labor issue. It is, fundamentally, a question of capital allocation. What first appeared to be an isolated corporate dispute is now emerging as a referendum on the country's industrial order.

Below, the controversy is distilled into key questions and answers.

Q. How did this spread across industries?

Executives and labor analysts point to a familiar accelerant: relative deprivation.

Frustration escalated after SK hynix's compensation structure became public, sharpening discontent among Samsung Electronics employees over widening disparities in payouts. The backlash soon spread beyond semiconductors into autos, shipbuilding and steel.

The ripple effects are now extending even further. Subcontractor unions tied to Samsung and SK hynix, alongside workers at Chinese production facilities, have begun advancing similar demands.

Korea's labor structure magnifies the phenomenon. Enterprise unions wield considerable leverage, and once a major company establishes a precedent, pressure quickly builds across adjacent industries.

Is operating profit the right benchmark for bonuses?

Critics argue that operating profit offers an incomplete measure of a manufacturer's true financial capacity.

Operating income reflects earnings generated from core business activities before financial expenses, taxes and large-scale capital investments are deducted. In heavy manufacturing sectors, those omitted costs are anything but incidental. Semiconductor fabs, shipyards and steel mills require relentless spending on facilities, financing, maintenance and research.

Linking bonuses too closely to operating profit can therefore create payouts driven less by individual contribution than by industry cycles.

In fact, many global manufacturers employ a different framework. Taiwan's TSMC and MediaTek, alongside U.S. automakers such as General Motors, typically base bonus pools on pretax income rather than operating profit. Even then, compensation is differentiated through individual performance evaluations. The industry believes the bonus pool generally accounts for roughly 1 to 3 percent of pretax earnings.

Why are shareholders resisting?

Because every additional won directed toward bonuses reduces the pool available for shareholder returns.

Investors remain focused on free cash flow — the surplus cash left after capital expenditures and operating costs are paid. That figure ultimately supports dividends, buybacks and long-term financial stability.

Samsung Electronics, for example, allocates half of its free cash flow to shareholder returns. Yet in capital-intensive sectors such as manufacturing and biotech contract production, surplus cash is already strained by continuous investment demands involving factories, advanced equipment and escalating research and development costs.

Larger bonus payouts may only tighten those constraints further.

Isn't it reasonable for workers to share in excess profits?

Most major global corporations already incorporate company performance into compensation structures, though generally with greater nuance than Korea's common "percentage of base salary" approach.

U.S. automakers often rely on collectively bargained formulas. One widely used structure awards workers $1,000 per employee for every $1 billion in pretax profit generated that year, with final payouts adjusted according to tenure and hours worked.

Big Tech companies operate differentl...

This article is by Sarah Chea and read by an artificial voice.

Blackpink's Lisa is expected to take the stage at the opening ceremony of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, marking another high-profile K-pop appearance at football's biggest global spectacle.

The Athletic, the sports publication owned by The New York Times, reported on Friday that Lisa recently finalized a performance agreement with FIFA ahead of next month's tournament.

With the 2026 World Cup set to unfold across the United States, Canada and Mexico, organizers are planning three separate opening ceremonies.

Lisa is expected to perform alongside Katy Perry, Future and DJ Sanjoy before the United States-Paraguay match at SoFi Stadium in the Los Angeles area, according to the report.

Performers for the Canadian opener in Toronto are expected to include Michael Bublé, Alanis Morissette, and Alessia Cara, while Mexico's ceremony at Estadio Azteca is expected to feature Mexican rock band Maná, Alejandro Fernández, Belinda and Tyla.

The opening shows in the United States and Canada are reportedly scheduled to run for 13 minutes each, while Mexico's ceremony is expected to last roughly 16 and a half minutes.

Jungkook of BTS performed at the opening ceremony of the 2022 Qatar World Cup and unveiled the tournament's official soundtrack, "Dreamers."

This article is by Sarah Chea and read by an artificial voice.

Blackpink's Lisa is expected to take the stage at the opening ceremony of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, marking another high-profile K-pop appearance at football's biggest global spectacle.

The Athletic, the sports publication owned by The New York Times, reported on Friday that Lisa recently finalized a performance agreement with FIFA ahead of next month's tournament.

With the 2026 World Cup set to unfold across the United States, Canada and Mexico, organizers are planning three separate opening ceremonies.

Lisa is expected to perform alongside Katy Perry, Future and DJ Sanjoy before the United States-Paraguay match at SoFi Stadium in the Los Angeles area, according to the report.

Performers for the Canadian opener in Toronto are expected to include Michael Bublé, Alanis Morissette and Alessia Cara, while Mexico's ceremony at Estadio Azteca is expected to feature Mexican rock band Maná, Alejandro Fernández, Belinda and Tyla.

The opening shows in the United States and Canada are reportedly scheduled to run for 13 minutes each, while Mexico's ceremony is expected to last roughly 16 and a half minutes.

Jungkook of BTS performed at the opening ceremony of the 2022 Qatar World Cup and unveiled the tournament's official soundtrack, "Dreamers."