Seoul and the Swiss canton of Basel-Stadt discussed possible collaboration on the 2027 Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism as architects from Seoul and Basel gathered this week to exchange ideas on public space and housing. Seoul Vice Mayor Kim Sung-bo met with Conradin Cramer, president of the Basel-Stadt Executive Council, on Tuesday to discuss cooperation on the biennale’s sixth edition, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said Wednesday. The meeting also reviewed progress on an exchang

At Gibbeum Hospital in southern Seoul, surgeon Yoon-Sik Kang’s days revolve around the operating room. On his busiest days, he performs up to 15 operations, each lasting about 20 to 30 minutes. “The simpler and quicker the operation, the better, as surgery causes trauma to the patient’s body,” Kang said in an interview with The Korea Herald on Oct. 28. The hospital’s president has spent much of his career treating conditions ranging from colorectal and anal diseases to hernias. His focus on the

President Lee Jae Myung’s remarks Tuesday about falling home prices in parts of Seoul drew skepticism, reflecting a gap between his assessment and what many buyers and renters are seeing in the market. Lee told a Cabinet meeting that transaction prices in key areas were falling “to a surprising degree” and said South Korea must “shed the stigma of being a republic of real estate speculation.” He later wrote on X that the government was considering buying homes in bulk for public rental housing i

Seoul plans to transform dim riverside paths, neighborhood parks and hilltop viewpoints into nighttime attractions, offering up to 1 billion won ($746,658) per site to encourage evening visits and spending at nearby businesses. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Tuesday it had selected 10 locations for its "Seoul Starlight Attractions" project. The initiative aims to connect nighttime sightseeing with dining, performances and other activities in surrounding neighborhoods. Among the selected

Seoul’s Gangseo-gu is seeking to attract more patients from Mongolia for fertility, dental and serious illness treatments as its medical tourism sector recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. The district office said Tuesday that its delegation representing the public and medical sector has signed five memorandums of understanding, secured treatment reservations for two patients, and recorded 156 consultations, Gangseo-gu sent a delegation representing nine medical and support institutions to Mongo

Seoul has selected 19 accommodation facilities catering to foreign patients and their families, the city government announced on Monday, as a sharp rise in medical tourism drives demand for comfortable stays before and after treatment. Services available at the 19 facilities, selected from 40 applicants following document reviews, include dedicated floors and lounges for medical tourists, free laundry services, transportation assistance and multilingual emergency guidance. About 1.76 million for

The scent of medicinal herbs filled Yangnyeongjungang-ro on Friday, as vendors and booths offering traditional Korean medicine experiences welcomed visitors to the World K-Medicine Culture Festival 2026 in Dongdaemun-gu, northeastern Seoul. “We wanted to experience the medicine market out of curiosity and get an idea of life in Korea,” said Angela, a Belgian visitor who declined to give her surname. She was visiting Seoul for the first time with her husband and three children. “This is so amazin

Seoul unveiled a record 55.7 trillion won ($41.8 billion) budget proposal for 2027 on Thursday, prioritizing AI access for young people and housing support through public rental homes and rent subsidies. “With the job market and workplace changing at lightning speed, even a delay of a few months could make a decisive difference,” Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon told reporters. The city allocated 26.6 billion won to provide generative AI subscriptions and tailored training for 500,000 young residents, rev

In the Gaepo Middle School gymnasium, 38 people from 29 households were staying in an emergency shelter Wednesday after a fire swept through nearby Guryong Village, Seoul's last shantytown. Another 50 people from 24 households took refuge at Guryong Middle School, while others were staying with acquaintances or at nearby lodging facilities arranged by the district office. The blaze affected 107 residents from 77 households before firefighters extinguished it early Wednesday, nearly 13 hours afte

A major fire swept through a cluster of makeshift homes in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on Tuesday, bringing renewed attention to Guryong Village and its long-planned redevelopment. Most residents have moved out since the village was designated for redevelopment in 2016, but about 140 households remain. The blaze affected 107 residents from 77 households before firefighters extinguished it early Wednesday, nearly 13 hours after it began. One woman suffered a minor leg injury. Authorities arranged temporar

The Ministry of Employment and Labor said Tuesday it will revise a textbook used to train migrant workers before they arrive in South Korea after it was found to advise them to "avoid revealing clothes" to prevent sexual violence. The ministry acknowledged that the textbook used under the Employment Permit System contained “inappropriate” content in a section on labor laws, sexual violence prevention and victim protection. “We plan to revise it as soon as possible,” the ministry said in a statem

Some 900 people from about 40 countries will gather at Kukkiwon, the World Taekwondo Headquarters in southern Seoul, on Saturday for a festival featuring competitions and Korean cultural activities. The 2026 Foreigner Taekwondo Exhibition Festival will run from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Kukkiwon in Gangnam-gu. Participants include US Forces Korea personnel, international students, foreign workers and members of multicultural families, according to Gangnam-gu Office. Organized by Gangnam-gu and Kukk

Two thousand drones will illuminate the sky above Ttukseom Hangang Park on Saturday, bringing Marvel characters and movie scenes to the Han River for Seoul’s final drone light show of the year. The 15-minute performance will begin at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, featuring Iron Man and other Marvel characters in formations synchronized with music, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government. It will use the largest number of drones deployed for the city’s Han River show. Visitors arriving early can

Rescue dogs will walk a red carpet in search of new families and pet owners can join conversations about saying goodbye to their animal companions at a Seoul festival on Saturday. The inaugural Seoul Daengnyang Days will take place at Oil Tank Culture Park in Mapo-gu on Oct. 31, featuring performances, hands-on activities and programs exploring life with pets, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government. Among the highlights is a red-carpet adoption event from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., where rescu

Cash support can give low-income households greater control over their daily lives, and Seoul should look beyond income and employment figures to understand its impact, British social policy researcher Abigail Davis said. Davis, a professor and co-director of the Centre for Research in Social Policy at Loughborough University, said the value of Seoul’s Stepping Stone Income project lies in allowing recipients to decide how best to meet their needs. “By offering cash transfers, rather than vouche