Korea JoongAng Daily - Daily News from Korea

Shin Sung-sik

The author is a welfare specialist reporter at the JoongAng Ilbo.

Korea is entering an era in which care for older patients does not end at the hospital door. Last year, 2.7 million people aged 65 or older were hospitalized and discharged, equal to 2.6 out of every 10 people in that age group. Without proper home care, however, 22 percent get readmitted within 90 days.

According to the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS), about 370,000 discharged patients are deemed high-risk. Many have had strokes, fractures, chronic kidney disease or Parkinson's disease. Those unable to return home often enter long-term care hospitals or nursing homes, where many remain until the end of their lives.

Korea has long focused on treatment, pouring resources into hospitals and technology. That investment created world-class medical capabilities. Life after treatment, however, has gotten left behind. Many discharged patients still need medical services, meals, medication management and help with daily routines. Some large and public hospitals have tried to fill that gap.

Seoul Asan Medical Center has operated programs since 2021 to manage older inpatient care and connect discharged patients with community services. Older patients with conditions are assigned specialists. One lung cancer patient improved after a dietitian prescribed a high-calorie diet. Another patient, who had been taking 21 medications, received pharmacist help that removed nine inappropriate drugs and added two necessary ones.

Separate teams support patients after discharge. In one case, an 83-year-old patient with stage four cervical cancer received counseling from a social worker, who identified long-term care insurance, transportation help, rehabilitation equipment rentals and visiting nursing.

Families often do not know these services exist. After additional treatment at Jeongeup Asan Hospital, one patient moved to a child's home. A public health nurse now visits twice a week to manage a nephrostomy tube, and local transportation services will be used for outpatient visits. Asan provided additional services to 6,000 people last year. Because such work is not compensated through medical fees, hospitals have little incentive to expand it.

A new chapter began last month with the launch of community integrated care. As of March 27, 229 local governments and more than 1,300 hospitals had signed agreements. Hospitals assess discharged patients and refer them to local governments for tailored support. In the first month, 430 patients were enrolled. Local governments pay about 50,000 won ($34) to participating hospitals, excluding tertiary hospitals. Some services require patient co-payments.

In Daejeon's Seo District, an 84-year-old woman living alone underwent gallbladder surgery at a university hospital but hesitated to return home. She could move, but her strength was depleted and dietary control was essential. Her children lived in other cities. Local officials, a welfare center and an administrative welfare center coordinated support. On discharge day, a care worker cleaned, did laundry and prepared porridge. A visiting nurse managed blood pressure and blood sugar. The welfare center provided meal kits and completed a long-term care application.

Seo District helped 13 discharged patients last month. Cho Hye-won, an official at the district office, said most lived alone or had spouses with cancer. Without such services, she said, many would enter long-term care hospitals or see their conditions worsen.

Satisfaction is high. An NHIS pilot project from 2019 to 2025 found patient satisfaction at 4.3 out of 5. Emergency room visits fell by up to 44 percent, and unnecessary care fell, saving about 5 million won per patient annually.

Some experts say care must last longer for certain patients. Kangwon National University Hospital ran a 2023 pilot program managing discharged chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients for one month and checking by phone thr...

The author is an editorial writer at the JoongAng Ilbo.

For Ha Jung-woo, senior presidential secretary for AI future planning, I may have been only one of many reporters he had to deal with. But since his days at Naver, I had privately thought of him as my AI tutor. Whenever I had questions about AI technology or trends, I turned to him. Even when busy, he explained them in plain language fit for a humanities major.

That was why expectations were high when Ha was appointed last June as the Lee Jae Myung administration's first senior AI secretary. In a Democratic Party government often seen as skeptical of technological progress and platform companies, many hoped he would keep policy balanced. Some dismissed him as "Naver's AI salesperson" because he had energetically briefed the press, persuaded corporate clients and worked with Seoul National University as co-director of an AI center. But an AI researcher active in top global venues such as NeurIPS, who could also communicate with universities and industry, was not a liability. It was rare talent.

President Lee, after taking office, made joining the world's top three AI powers a key national task and created the post for Ha, calling him a "national AI expert." Ha answered that the next three to five years would be Korea's "golden time" for AI and pledged to pour his energy into strengthening competitiveness. Only 10 months have passed since he presented plans such as securing 260,000 GPUs. Those were not minor talking points but part of a national strategy in a field where infrastructure, talent and time determine outcomes.

Perhaps expectations were too high. News that Ha offered to resign on Monday to run as the ruling party's candidate in the Busan Buk Gap by-election left more than personal disappointment. As a citizen, it felt like a betrayal. The seat became vacant as Rep. Jeon Jae-soo prepared to run for Busan mayor in the June 3 local elections. AI is not merely a field in which one company wins everything. It is a core capability that could shape national survival, and Korea now stands at a crossroads over whether it can build AI strength comparable to that of the United States and China.

Against that backdrop, the symbolic figure who led AI policy is leaving public office not for a national growth strategy but for a party election strategy. No matter how generously it is framed, the word that comes to mind is "out of place," as one ruling bloc figure reportedly put it. Some in the AI field are even cynical, saying Ha may be leaving early because the "sovereign AI" he championed is unlikely to produce results. It resembles the bad signal sent when a senior executive sells shares: Investors assume the stock has nowhere to go but down. The concern is that many Koreans will now see the administration's top-three AI slogan as a political consumable nearing disposal.

The comparison with Taiwan's Audrey Tang comes naturally. In 2016, the Democratic Progressive Party government led by President Tsai Ing-wen appointed Tang, then a 35-year-old developer renowned in the hacker community, as a minister without portfolio. In 2022, Tang became the first head of Taiwan's new Ministry of Digital Affairs and served until 2024. Tang helped reorganize public data so the private sector could use it more easily through APIs and platforms, built tools for information sharing among ministries and drew attention during the Covid-19 pandemic with an open-data response that showed mask inventories in real time. The commitment to transparency included the disclosure of official records and meeting notes. There was no confusion caused by presidential aides offering conflicting explanations about Ha's political ambitions on the same day.

Taiwan and Korea both recruited technology elites into public office. Taiwan upgraded government through technology. Korea now appears to have sold technology cheaply as a tool of politics. Tang reportedly entered government with the principle of working n...

Amid growing public discord between South Korea and the United States over a probe into Coupang and an alleged leak of sensitive information related to North Korea, South Korean Ambassador to the United States Kang Kyung-wha abruptly returned to Seoul on Monday. She described the trip as personal, but it appears to be intended for direct consultations with senior officials, including Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, on the worsening situation.

Her unusual visit underscores that the current friction between Seoul and Washington is not a matter that can be taken lightly. The United States has treated remarks made by Unification Minister Chung Dong-young at the National Assembly as a potential breach of classified information and has not lifted restrictions on sharing satellite intelligence. This contrasts with President Lee Jae Myung's position that the comments posed no problem.

Tensions have also been heightened by a letter sent by 54 Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives urging South Korea to halt what they described as discriminatory regulations and political pressure on U.S. firms. Such a move is highly unusual and offers little benefit from the standpoint of South Korea's national interest.

Senior South Korean officials, including diplomatic and security aides, have traveled to Washington, but there has been little visible progress in resolving the dispute. Meanwhile, about 80 lawmakers from the ruling bloc have announced plans to deliver a protest letter to the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, responding to the Republican lawmakers' message.

While it is difficult to accept the U.S. position linking the Coupang investigation with security cooperation, there are concerns that this type of tit-for-tat response could further complicate efforts to find a resolution. What is urgently needed is close coordination between the two sides to address differences in perspective and clarify any misunderstandings.

Public opinion in South Korea underscores the importance of maintaining stable relations. A survey by the Asan Institute for Policy Studies found that support for the South Korea-U.S. alliance stood at 97.1 percent this year, while support for the presence of U.S. forces in South Korea reached 82.3 percent, both the highest levels recorded in 16 years.

These figures suggest a strong public consensus in favor of strengthening the alliance to address security challenges. Against that backdrop, both governments should pursue compromise and adjustment at a broader strategic level to ease tensions. Political intervention that does not contribute to resolving the issue should be avoided.

Maintaining trust and cooperation between Seoul and Washington remains essential, and both sides bear responsibility for ensuring that current disagreements do not escalate further.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.

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

James Kim, chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (Amcham), met with Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol on Tuesday to explore strategic policy directions aimed at elevating Korea's standing as a global financial hub and a premier regional headquarters destination.

This dialogue followed the publication of Amcham's Korea's Financial Hub Agenda report, which sets forth 39 policy proposals, including 10 core reform priorities. The report emphasizes the need to enhance regulatory transparency, harmonize domestic frameworks with international standards and broaden market accessibility in order to better attract foreign capital.

Kim highlighted the urgency of bolstering the competitiveness of Korea's financial sector, particularly in the face of intensifying competition from established financial hubs such as Singapore and Hong Kong, which continue to consolidate their regional influence.

Both parties reaffirmed their commitment to sustained public-private cooperation as a cornerstone for strengthening Korea's investment climate and global competitiveness, agreeing to pursue further substantive discussions on key financial hub initiatives.

"In light of growing momentum toward Korea's potential inclusion in the MSCI Developed Market Index, this is a critical opportunity to further strengthen Korea's position as a global financial hub," said Kim. "Through our Financial Hub Agenda Report, Amcham has outlined actionable recommendations, and we look forward to working closely with the ministry to advance reforms that enhance market competitiveness, attract global investment, and support Korea's evolution as a leading regional headquarters hub."

This article is by Cho Jung-woo and read by an artificial voice.

"I always expected a proper farewell," an office worker in his 30s quietly said at a cafe in Jongno District, central Seoul. "But it's beyond what I had imagined, this excessive weight of loss."

The man, surnamed Yoo, who asked to be identified by a pseudonym to protect his privacy, lost his 14-year-old Maltese early last month. He had anticipated the day would come, given that his dog frequently went to a hospital for heart illness. But the pain was far beyond what he had imagined.

As the number of pet owners in Korea surpasses 15.4 million, more people are grappling with the profound grief of losing family-member like pets. The shift is driven by a burgeoning "pet-fam" culture where animals are viewed as primary family members.

The trend is inextricably linked to Korea's rapidly aging society and low birthrates, which have transformed pets into "second children" for empty nesters and vital anchors for the country's growing population of single-person households.

According to the 2025 Korea Pet Report by KB Financial Group Management Research Institute, 83.2 percent of pet owners reported experiencing a sense of depression after their pets "crossed the rainbow bridge." The survey was conducted nationwide among 1,000 pet owners aged 20 to 69.

Among them, those who said the feeling persisted for over a year accounted for 16.5 percent. In response, private counseling services, a dedicated hotline and local government programs have emerged in recent years.

Yet critics argue that support remains insufficient, citing a persistent gap in perceptions between pet owners and non-pet owners. The disconnect often creates a climate of disenfranchised grief — a sorrow that society does not fully acknowledge or validate — making it significantly harder for those suffering to recover.

Full mourning

For Yoo's family, the small Maltese was a ball of joy for the whole household.

"She used to bark whenever I pressed on the smart lock pad to enter home," Yoo said. "But now I hear nothing."

He noted that while his dog was a small creature weighing less than 2 kilograms, her absence affected the entire household.

The remnants of her life remain in the home.

"We are still keeping her urn at our house after cremating her body," he said, adding that he was planning to scatter the ashes near a meaningful location, but he wasn't ready yet.

Instead, the family set up a small commemorative area with the urn and a doll she used to play with. "I say hi to her every time I pass the area."

Under current legislation, deceased pets are classified as requiring disposal in paid household waste bags, arranged through a veterinary clinic, or processed at a specialized funeral facility.

For a more respectful parting, Yoo secured a time slot at a pet crematorium.

The standard procedure at these facilities typically begins with a professional consultation, followed by the cleansing and grooming of the pet's body.

After a brief period for the family to commemorate and say their final goodbyes, the cremation takes place.

Afterward, owners are presented with the remains, which are often ground into a fine powder and returned in an urn. In some instances, owners opt to transform the remains into "memorial stones" — small, solidified gems — as a lasting way to keep their pets close.

For pets weighing less than 5 kilograms, the base cremation cost generally ranges from 200,000 won ($135) to 250,000 won. However, overall spending on these services is rising. According to the 2025 Korea Pet Report, the average expenditure for a pet funeral reached around 463,000 won last year, marking a 22 percent increase from 2023.

Experts emphasize that fully mourning the loss is essential for recovery, yet many feel pressured to hide their pain.

"People need enough time to process the pain to recover faster," said Park Eun-gyeong, director of the Pet Loss Counseling Center under the Korea Pet Promotion Association.

"I...

This article is by Woo Ji-won, Jin Eun-soo and read by an artificial voice.

With several public holidays scattered throughout the month, it's the perfect time to get outside and spend time with family. Across the country, botanical gardens burst into color, themed parks and museums come alive with events and festivals spill into parks, offering countless ways to enjoy the season together.

Nature in full bloom

For those looking to experience nature at its most vibrant, gardens are a natural starting point. Woori Flower Botanical Garden in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi, showcases more than 1,100 plant species year-round, with an indoor garden in the style of a hanok (traditional Korean house) as its defining centerpiece. The space also features serene walking paths and play areas for children, making it enjoyable for the whole family.

For a deeper dive into nature, Hwadam Forest in Gwangju, Gyeonggi, has become one of the most sought-after spring destinations in recent years. The 165,000-square-meter forest is home to 16 themed gardens and more than 4,000 plant species, with magnolia, azalea and cherry blossoms in full bloom. A monorail winds through the forest for those who prefer a more relaxed visit. Reservations are required, and weekend slots fill quickly.

Beyond individual destinations, the Korea Arboreta and Gardens Institute is hosting month-long programs across major sites in celebration of "Family Month." At Baekdudaegan National Arboretum in North Gyeongsang, a spring festival runs from Friday to Monday, offering hands-on activities such as plant potting and scavenger hunts for children. Sejong National Arboretum extends its experience into the evening with its "Night Garden" until May 31. The Korea National Arboretum of Native Plants will host a "Flower Week" event from May 15 to 25, focusing on Korea's rare plant species.

Themed parks and family attractions

Theme parks and attractions remain a go-to for family outings.

Everland also joins with its "Ever Kids Club," offering 10 themed programs for children aged 5 to 8, including animal care, cooking and art. While children take part in guided one-hour sessions, parents can enjoy their own downtime.

A season of festivals

Spring festivals are bringing an extra layer of excitement to already appealing destinations.

Meanwhile, the ever-popular picnic spot, the Han River, is offering leisure programs with its "Hangang River Festival: Spring," held from Saturday to May 10. At Ichon Hangang Park, a theater stages a reinterpretation of a traditional children's song, while a "stroller parade" invites families to walk a 1.2-kilometer (0.75 mile) forest path with strollers on May 9 and 10. Visitors can also join silent yoga sessions on May 9.

Hwasun County in South Jeolla has extended its "Spring Flower Festival" through May 10 following strong public popularity. The "2026 Geochang On Spring Festival" will take place from May 14 to 17 in Geochang County, South Gyeongsang, bringing together the Geochang Arimia Flower Festival, the Geochang Wild-simulated Ginseng Festival and a barefoot walking event into one integrated spring celebration.

Something educational

Korea's museums and palaces are offering discounts and special programs for family outings in May. Up to two guardians per child aged 12 and younger will be offered free entry for four Seoul palaces - Gyeongbok, Changdeok, Changgyeong and Deoksu - as well as Jongmyo Shrine, royal tombs of the Joseon Dynasty and the Tomb of King Sejong the Great (1397-1450) on Children's Day. Foreigners are eligible as well.

On the day, the usual palace guard changing ceremony held in front of Gwanghwamun will be done by guards wearing cartoon-like costume heads at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. A hands-on program recreating the Joseon-era military recruitment test will also be offered three times on the Children's Day. Application can be done online and on site on the day.

At the National Museum of Korea, photo zones created in partnership with Kakao ...

The author is a principal researcher at the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute.

A bright full moon once turned a deep, amber red. In the early hours of Sept. 8 last year, a total lunar eclipse unfolded as Earth's shadow swallowed the moon whole. The eclipse lasted about an hour and a half over Korea's night sky. Earth's shadow was wide enough to cover the moon twice.

Seven months later, on April 19, the celestial stage shifted from Earth to an asteroid. A dark, coal-like object named Hermione, whose long axis is comparable to the distance between Gwangju and Busan, passed in front of a faint star known only by a numerical designation. Because the asteroid resembles a misshapen potato, the duration of its shadow varied by location. In the southern part of the Korean Peninsula, the star vanished and reappeared for as long as one minute.

The phenomenon, known as a stellar occultation, allows scientists to capture a fleeting moment using high-speed digital cameras. Without launching a probe, they can determine the size and outline of a tiny asteroid. It is an unexpected scientific gain. Hermione also has a small moon roughly the size of the distance between Seoul Station and Jamsil Station. Researchers are attempting to trace its orbit as well.

That is far from simple. The moon's shadow sweeps across a path as long as the distance from Seoul to New York at a speed that outpaces the cooling of a cup of coffee. To capture such a moment, observers rely on GPS signals to measure time down to a few milliseconds.

In the early hours of that day, teams from the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, a local government observatory and a youth training center positioned themselves along the southern path of the asteroid's shadow. Across Japan, Taiwan and China, about 40 observation sites formed a dense east-west line spanning Hainan Province and the Japanese archipelago to capture the shadow of the asteroid's moon.

Weather conditions, however, did not cooperate. Rain left observers in Korea empty-handed, and western Honshu and Kyushu faced similar conditions. In contrast, Taiwan and eastern Japan enjoyed clear, almost midsummer skies.

The multinational effort was also a rehearsal for Japan's asteroid mission "Density+." The disappointment was palpable. Researchers now await data from regions where the skies held. Results may not arrive until early summer.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.

Park Jong-seung

The author is a distinguished professor at Korea Aerospace University and former head of the Agency for Defense Development.

North Korea reaffirmed its dual-track strategy of advancing both nuclear and conventional forces at the recently-held Ninth Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea. The regime framed the modernization of conventional capabilities through defense science and technology not only as a means of strengthening military power but also as a core tool for ensuring regime stability and national survival.

In recent years, alongside the development of the Hwasan-31 tactical nuclear weapon, North Korea has accelerated the advancement of high-end conventional systems. These include hypersonic missile tests, sea-launched cruise missiles, air defense systems and unmanned aerial vehicles. The frequency of short-range ballistic missile launches has increased, while new weapons development has continued apace. By integrating a range of warheads such as electromagnetic pulse devices, cluster munitions, fragmentation mines, mine-dispensing shells and carbon fiber munitions into multiple platforms, Pyongyang is expanding both the threat level and operational diversity of its conventional forces.

Particular attention has been drawn to a test conducted in April under the observation of leader Kim Jong-un, in which short-range ballistic missiles equipped with cluster munitions or mine-dispensing warheads were demonstrated. The test showed North Korea's capability of dispersing multiple submunitions in midair, effectively neutralizing a wide area with a diameter of about 400 meters (1,312 feet) in a short period. It highlighted what could be described as an area-denial capability and suggested the possibility of saturating air defense systems by combining different weapon systems.

This development goes beyond a simple display of firepower. It points to an operational concept aimed at disabling key infrastructure early in a conflict, including runways, command and control systems, air defense assets and concentrated troop formations. The use of mobile launchers with multiple tubes and the simultaneous deployment of several platforms indicate an intent to overwhelm critical targets in the initial stages of war. Such weapons also carry the risk of causing civilian harm long after hostilities end, as unexploded submunitions can remain a persistent danger.

For this reason, the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which entered into force in 2010, broadly prohibits the use, production, transfer and stockpiling of such weapons. However, the United States, Russia, North Korea and South Korea are not parties to the convention. For South Korea, openly justifying the retention of cluster munitions based on military utility alone is difficult, given the potential civilian harm, international criticism and postwar recovery burden associated with unexploded ordnance.

At the same time, in a security environment like the Korean Peninsula, where the situation could shift dramatically within hours of a conflict's onset, it is not easy to dismiss entirely the need for weapons capable of neutralizing wide-area targets quickly. As seen in recent conflicts such as those between Iran and Israel and between Russia and Ukraine, cluster munitions tend to reappear as situations become more urgent.

Discussion of such capabilities, therefore, should be limited to a narrow scope aimed at preventing gaps in deterrence. Their use, if considered at all, should be strictly confined to last-resort conditions while taking into account civilian risks and international norms. At the same time, efforts should focus on reducing submunition failure rates, developing low-cost and low-altitude air defense systems capable of intercepting munitions before dispersal and enhancing drone-based explosive ordnance disposal technologies.

In real security conditions, principles alone are insufficient. In times of crisis, the survival of the state and its people m...

Suh Kyoung-ho

The author is an editorial writer at the JoongAng Ilbo.

President Lee Jae Myung's repeated remarks about scaling back the tax break for real estate capital gains have sent ripples through both politics and the housing market. The policy, commonly referred to as the long-term holding deduction, allows sellers of land, buildings and homes held for three years or longer to deduct between 6 and 30 percent of the applied tax.

For households that own a single residence, the benefit is more generous. Depending on the holding period, 12 to 40 percent can be deducted, with an additional 8 to 40 percent reduction tied to years of actual residence. The president has taken aim at the holding-period portion of this benefit, questioning why substantial tax relief should be granted simply for owning a property over time when it is not used as a primary residence.

His concern is not without empirical support. As of 2024, Korea's homeownership rate stood at 61.4 percent, while the owner-occupancy rate was slightly lower at 58.4 percent. In the capital region, the figures were 55.6 percent and 52.7 percent, respectively, indicating a persistent gap between ownership and residence. In other words, a portion of households own homes in which they do not live, treating them as investment assets rather than dwellings. This distinction has long been a defining feature of Korea's housing market, where real estate often functions as both shelter and a key vehicle for wealth accumulation.

International comparisons further highlight the issue. In many member states of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, tax benefits or financial support are closely tied to actual occupancy. In Britain, capital gains tax relief increases in proportion to the duration of residence. In the United States, sellers must have lived in the property for at least two of the five years preceding the sale to qualify for tax exemptions. Canada, France and Norway similarly restrict such benefits to primary residences. Compared to these cases, Korea's system has been relatively lenient toward ownership without residency.

Domestically, policies that have tightened regulations on owners of multiple homes while continuing to support single-home owners have contributed to what is often described as the "one premium home" phenomenon. Rather than holding multiple properties, investors concentrate their resources in a single high-value unit, typically in Seoul or other parts of the capital region. Because the long-term holding deduction increases with the size of capital gains, high-priced properties benefit disproportionately. According to recent estimates, out of roughly 627.1 billion won ($426 million) in total tax benefits granted through the deduction in 2024, about 85.5 percent accrued for homeowners in Seoul.

This structure has raised concerns that even single-home ownership can serve as a vehicle for speculative behavior under current conditions. While it is natural for buyers to anticipate price appreciation when purchasing a home, there is little justification for public policy to support demand driven primarily by investment motives. Strengthening residency requirements could therefore help realign incentives, encouraging housing to function more as a place to live rather than as a financial asset. Such measures could also serve as a tool to curb speculative purchases by foreign buyers, who in some cases face fewer regulatory barriers and can effectively "shop" for housing without intending to reside in it.

Despite the policy's emergence as a major political issue, with candidates in the Seoul mayoral race engaging in heated debate, the government has yet to present a clear and detailed plan. This hesitation reflects the inherent complexity of the issue. While reducing benefits for nonresident ownership appears directionally sound, distinguishing between genuine residential use and investment intent is far from straightforward. Many househo...

The number of brokers caught arranging fraudulent refugee applications for foreigners seeking to enter Korea has risen sharply, underscoring growing concerns over loopholes in the country's asylum system. According to the Ministry of Justice, the number of such brokers increased from nine in 2021 to 38 last year.

These brokers typically provide would-be entrants with fabricated travel itineraries and hotel reservations, allowing them to enter Korea disguised as ordinary tourists. Once inside, the brokers assist them in filing false refugee applications, charging fees that can reach several hundred thousand won per case.

Although facilitating fraudulent refugee claims is punishable under Korean law, the practice persists because it remains profitable. With Korea's hourly minimum wage surpassing 10,000 won ($6.79), some foreign nationals are willing to take the risk of detection in hopes of securing employment. This demand fuels the broker network.

The problem is compounded by structural gaps in the current system. Under Article 5(6) of the Refugee Act, the government must allow applicants to remain in Korea until their refugee status determination process is complete. However, the full process — including initial review, appeals and administrative litigation up to the Supreme Court — takes more than four years on average. The recent introduction of constitutional complaint procedures may further prolong these timelines.

The absence of limits on the number or frequency of refugee applications has also enabled abuse. Even when applicants have little chance of being recognized as refugees, they can extend their stay by repeatedly filing applications and pursuing legal challenges. In one case identified by the Justice Ministry, a foreign national has remained in Korea for 13 years since first applying for refugee status in 2013, submitting seven rounds of applications and lawsuits.

Korea joined the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and its accompanying protocol in 1992, committing to protect individuals with legitimate claims. However, critics argue that this obligation does not extend to those who fabricate documents or abuse the system. An increase in fraudulent claims could undermine protections for genuine refugees.

Calls are growing for a swift revision of the Refugee Act to address these weaknesses. Legislative proposals submitted by lawmakers from both the Democratic Party and the People Power Party include provisions allowing authorities to dismiss repeated applications lacking substantial grounds at an early stage. Yet these bills have remained stalled for months.

Reforming the system will require balancing humanitarian commitments with the need to prevent abuse. Without prompt action, critics warn, the continued exploitation of legal gaps could erode public trust and strain administrative resources.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.