The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs announced that it will hold a “UN War Veterans' Descendants Exchange Camp” from the 6th to the 12th in Seoul, Busan, Pyeongtaek, and other locations for six nights and seven days to pass on the bonds formed through the Korean War and UN participation to future generations. The UN Participating Nations' Descendants Exchange Camp, which began in 2009 and is now in its 16th year, has expanded its participation this year to include domestic and international university students, with over 50 students from the Ivy League in the United States, descendants of UN veterans, and university students from participating nations and South Korea, totaling 150 participants from 13 countries. The camp will begin with an opening ceremony and will include visits to war memorials and other facilities related to the war, talks with prominent figures, a tour of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) for security, and a visit to the Humphreys Military Base. Cultural experiences and academic tasks will also be carried out in groups. On the afternoon of the 6th, the opening ceremony will be held with the participation of Lee Hee-wan, Deputy Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, and camp participants. Following this, renowned domestic chef Choi Hyun-seok will prepare and introduce dishes symbolizing the sacrifice, overcoming, and peace embodied in the Korean War, providing a moment to reflect on the horrors of war and the significance of peace. On the 7th, the participants will visit the War Memorial of Korea to pay tribute to the noble sacrifices of UN veterans, lay flowers and pay respects at the Memorial Wall for the Fallen, and visit the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in Paju to tour Dora Observatory and Imjingak. They will then attend the Veterans' Culture Festival “Korea Memorial Music Festa” at Seoul Olympic Park and participate in the UN Uniform Runway fashion show. On the 8th, descendants from various countries participating in cultural experiences in Seoul will visit Camp Humphreys, the U.S. Forces Korea Command, and the 8th U.S. Army Command Headquarters on the 9th, tour the Korea-U.S. Alliance Memorial Tower, and have lunch with soldiers stationed at Camp Humphreys. In the afternoon, they will visit Hanwha Aerospace, Yuhan Corporation, POSCO, and the Korea Veterans Welfare Medical Corporation to share the social and economic value of veterans' affairs through the outstanding veterans' affairs projects and activities of each company and institution under the theme of “The Value of Veterans' Affairs Blooming in the Private Sector.” On the 10th, they will travel to Busan to participate in local craft experiences, followed by an academic forum on the 11th focusing on the globalization of Korean veterans' culture, the development of veterans' medical care, and improvements to veterans' services. They will then visit the UN Peace Memorial Hall to review the history of UN forces' participation in the Korean War and attend a lecture on the theme “UN Veterans and the Republic of Korea.” Following this, the group will conclude all activities with a wreath-laying ceremony and paying respects at the UN Memorial Park, followed by a closing ceremony. Kang Jung-ae, Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, stated, “Through this exchange camp, which will be attended by descendants of Republic of Korea and UN participating countries, we hope that this will be a valuable opportunity to remember and inherit the history of UN participation and the noble sacrifices and dedication of the heroes who participated in the Korean War, and to further develop the bond between the Republic of Korea and UN participating countries into a stronger friendship.” [News Source: Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs]
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) will launch the Integrated Health Hazard Information System on May 30, which will provide high-quality health hazard information operated by domestic government agencies and international organizations. Recently, with the increase in non-infectious health hazards such as liquid electronic cigarettes and humidifier sterilizers, public interest and demand for information on various types of hazards have been increasing. However, relevant information is scattered across different government ministries, making it difficult for the public to access. In response, the KDCA has established a platform that integrates health hazard information by linking 38 systems from 15 domestic ministries and 13 overseas systems, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Health Hazard Integrated Information System provides health hazard information categorized by major systems and topics. To ensure effective information dissemination, it offers visualization features (charts/tables/text) based on Open API and real-time URL linking functionality. In addition, specialized information such as searches by major hazard categories (e.g., climate, poisoning), popular search terms and content, related statistics, and research and educational materials are also provided. The Integrated Health Hazard Information System is accessible on all devices, including PCs, tablets, and mobile devices, and the system will continue to be expanded by identifying additional systems that can be linked. Meanwhile, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency is also preparing legal grounds for surveillance and epidemiological investigations for initial response in cases where a large number of patients occur in groups due to non-infectious health hazards, such as liquid electronic cigarettes and humidifier disinfectants, whose causes are not identified in the early stages of onset. Ji Young-mi, Director of the KDCA, stated, “With the launch of the Integrated Health Hazard Information System, we will ensure that the necessary institutional foundations are established without delay to enable investigations and surveillance not only for infectious diseases but also for unexplained mass outbreaks caused by non-infectious health hazards.” [News Source: KDCA]
Shenzhen, China, May 26, 2025 — The closing ceremony and award ceremony for the Huawei ICT Competition 2024–2025 Global Final were successfully held today in Shenzhen. Now in its ninth year, the competition saw participation from over 100 countries and regions, more than 2,000 universities, and over 210,000 students and faculty members, making it the largest event in its history. Following regional preliminaries, 179 teams from 48 countries advanced to the global finals. The competition featured intense competition across three main tracks: Practice, Innovation, and Programming. Eighteen outstanding teams from nine countries—China, Algeria, Brazil, the Philippines, Morocco, Nigeria, Serbia, Tanzania, and Singapore—secured the top honors. The grand prize in the Innovation category went to teams from Bulacan State University in the Philippines, Beijing University of Technology in China, the Faculty of Technology and Science at the University of Kragujevac in Serbia, and the Faculty of Science and Technology at Moulay Ismail University in Morocco. In the ‘Practical’ category – ‘Network Track,’ the Grand Prize was awarded to a joint team from Shenzhen University of Information Technology in China, Federal University of Tocantins in Brazil, Minna Federal University of Technology in Nigeria, Dar es Salaam University of Science and Technology in Tanzania, Dar es Salaam University, and Dodoma University. In the ‘Practical’ category – ‘Cloud Track,’ the award was presented to iACADEMY from the Philippines, Batna 2 University and the Algerian Higher National School of Information Technology from Algeria, Tianjin University of Technology and Education from China, and the Singapore University of Social Sciences. In the ‘Practical’ category – ‘Computing Track,’ the winning team was from Guilin University of Electronic Technology in China, Minna Federal University of Science and Technology in Nigeria, Bejaia University in Algeria, and the Higher National School of Information Technology (SBA) in Algeria, along with the team from Cebu Institute of Technology in the Philippines. The Grand Prize in the Programming category went to the team from Shenzhen Polytechnic University in China. In addition to technical excellence, special awards were also presented to recognize outstanding contributions. The Women in Tech Award was presented to four women's teams from Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Germany, and Kenya. The Green Development Award was awarded to the Ghana team. The Most Valuable Instructor Award was presented to 18 outstanding professors selected from 10 countries, including China, Algeria, Bangladesh, Brazil, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Nigeria, Hungary, and Turkey, in recognition of their contributions to the development of ICT education. Ritchie Peng, Director of Huawei's ICT Strategy and Business Development Department, stated in his opening remarks, “To achieve the goal of ‘learning through competition and innovation through competition,’ we have continuously refined the design of the competition theme.” He added, “The ‘Practical’ category aligns with Huawei's vision for ‘Intelligent World 2030,’ encouraging students to master cloud computing, big data, and AI to drive social development. The ‘Innovation’ category focuses on green development and digital inclusion, motivating participants to solve real-world problems in sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, and education through ICT.” As the digital transformation accelerates globally, the demand for skilled professionals in fields such as AI, big data, and cybersecurity continues to grow. However, a shortage of talent in these core areas is becoming increasingly evident. To address this issue, the Huawei ICT Competition operates various tracks, including practical, innovation, and programming, while also promoting initiatives such as industry-academia collaboration and customized curriculum development. These efforts aim to help students acquire the practical skills they need and grow into next-generation technical talent who will excel in an intelligent and digitalized future society. At this year's competition, Huawei held the AI Accelerating Education Transformation Summit, where experts engaged in in-depth discussions on the pivotal role AI plays in smart education. Additionally, Huawei officially unveiled the AI capabilities of the Huawei ICT Academy Intelligent Platform, providing support to help educators and students use the platform more easily and efficiently. This marks another significant step forward in the development of educational digitalization. For more details about the Huawei ICT Competition, please visit https://www.huawei.com/minisite/ict-competition-2024-2025-global/en/index.html.
On the 9th, the Jeollanam-do Office of Education announced that, based on the analysis results of the 2025 academic year College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), the academic performance of Jeollanam-do students is gradually improving compared to the national average. In particular, the percentage of students in the lower performance bracket has decreased significantly, confirming the practical results of policies aimed at improving basic academic skills. The Ministry of Education announced the analysis results of the 2025 CSAT on June 9, about six months earlier than usual. However, without structural improvements to address regional disparities, the gap in scores between metropolitan areas and rural areas and the strong performance of repeat test takers have repeatedly been revealed, causing distrust and concerns about regional education to grow again. According to the actual analysis, the average standard scores of students in large cities were 98.6 in Korean and 98.8 in mathematics, while those in rural areas were 92.9 in Korean and 93.6 in mathematics, indicating that the gap still exists. Jeollanam-do has a high percentage of rural students, with more than 60% of all high schools located in rural areas. Nevertheless, when comparing the college entrance exam scores of the 2021 academic year and the 2025 academic year with the national average, Jeollanam-do showed overall positive changes in academic performance. In Korean language, the lower-performing group decreased by 6.9 percentage points, while the higher-performing group improved by 0.5 percentage points. In mathematics, the lower-performing group decreased by 5.3 percentage points. English also showed a stable trend, with the lower-performing group decreasing by 0.5 percentage points and the higher-performing group improving by 1.0 percentage points. These changes show that the Jeollanam-do Office of Education's efforts to reduce educational disparities and strengthen basic academic skills are bearing fruit. In particular, the stable performance in Korean language and the increase in the percentage of students in the top bracket are interpreted as the result of the Jeollanam-do Office of Education's policy of improving classes with a focus on reading and humanities, which has been a priority. Earlier, Kim Dae-jung, the Jeollanam-do Education Supervisor, officially requested improvements to the method of disclosing college entrance exam analysis data at the National Association of Provincial Education Supervisors' Conference on March 27, stating that the current method could exacerbate educational inequality between regions. Kim Dae-jung emphasized, “The current method of disclosing college entrance exam analysis data causes relative deprivation and anxiety among students and parents in rural areas with insufficient educational infrastructure, which could lead to regional population decline. The current ranking-centric disclosure method must be improved.” [News Source: Jeollanam-do Education Office]
The Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province Office of Education and national universities within the province have joined forces to build a sustainable regional education ecosystem. On the 9th, the Jeonbuk Office of Education signed a business agreement with Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju National University of Education, and National Gunsan University in the auditorium on the 2nd floor of its main office and held an “Education Cooperation Declaration Ceremony.” The purpose of the agreement is for the education office and universities to collaborate in actively responding to changing educational environments, jointly addressing regional educational issues, and establishing a foundation for nurturing future talent. The declaration ceremony was attended by approximately 80 people, including Seo Geo-seok, Director of the Jeonbuk Education Office; Yang Oh-bong, President of Jeonbuk National University; Park Byung-chun, President of Jeonju National University of Education; Eom Gi-wook, Acting President of National Gunsan University; and department heads and professors from the education office and universities. Through the declaration ceremony, the Jeonbuk Education Office and the three national universities agreed to actively cooperate in strengthening the linkage between elementary, middle, and high school education and higher education to build a sustainable education ecosystem that complements and grows together. They also presented a shared vision for realizing the public nature and social responsibility of education and for the mutual growth of education and the region. Under the agreement, cooperation officers will be dispatched to each university in July to formalize the educational cooperation system with the universities. In addition, the three parties plan to share and utilize human and material resources in various fields, including research on academic support and curriculum development, cooperation in the development and operation of high school-university linked curricula and joint programs, the establishment of a support system for the cultivation of local talent, and cooperation in the discovery and operation of customized programs in the field of educational welfare. This agreement is significant in that it goes beyond simple business exchanges and lays the institutional foundation for a qualitative leap in Jeonbuk education. The operation of linked educational curricula and the development of joint programs between high schools and universities are expected to strengthen students' career planning capabilities and form an integrated educational ecosystem in which various educational resources based on the expertise of universities are organically linked with elementary and secondary education. Additionally, it is anticipated that this initiative will contribute to the establishment of a Jeonbuk-type education model where education and the region develop together by creating a structure where local talent grows and settles in the region. Gyeok-seok Seo, the education supervisor, stated, “I deeply appreciate the presidents of Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju National University of Education, and National Gunsan University for sharing their vision for the future of Jeonbuk education. We will strive to strengthen the cooperative framework with national universities within the province and dedicate our efforts to creating a Jeonbuk-style educational ecosystem that nurtures local talent together.” [News Source: Jeonbuk Education Office]
On the 6th, the Office of the President announced plans to reorganize the government to implement President Lee Jae-myung's national policy agenda. The Office of the President stated that it will focus on reorganizing the government into a responsible, future-oriented, and competent organization that works for the people, in line with its commitment to a government of national sovereignty. First, to address the shortcomings of the previous administration's presidential office in overseeing national affairs, the National Affairs Situation Room will be expanded and reorganized to serve as a clear control tower for national governance. With a commitment to ensuring the safety of the people, the National Crisis Management Center will be transferred from the National Security Office's Second Deputy Director to the National Security Office Director. Meanwhile, the Presidential Secretariat for National Policy Tasks and the Presidential Secretariat for Policy Coordination, which had been facing difficulties in advancing national policy tasks due to overlapping responsibilities and inefficiency, will be merged to systematize national policy management. Additionally, a new position of “Senior Advisor for Fiscal Planning” will be created at the level of senior secretary to oversee fiscal strategies for the implementation of national policy tasks, with a focus on ensuring that the President's governance philosophy is fully realized on the ground. The Office of the President also presented a blueprint for opening an era of national unity based on mutual respect and trust, rather than division and confrontation. To promote conflict resolution and social dialogue, the existing Chief Secretary for Civil Society will be changed to the Chief Secretary for Listening and Integration and expanded to strengthen communication with civil society and the public, and a youth affairs officer will be established under the Chief Secretary for Listening and Integration to actively gather the opinions of the younger generation. An AI Future Planning Chief will also be newly appointed to oversee growth strategies and future tasks, including becoming one of the world's top three AI powers. The administration is expected to focus on fostering the AI industry, which President Lee Jae-myung emphasized during his election campaign, as well as developing advanced technologies and addressing population and climate crises. In addition, the Presidential Office announced that it will expand the role of the former Secretary for Women and Family Affairs to the Secretary for Gender Equality and Family Affairs and restore the Secretary for National Records to ensure that the administration's activities are accurately recorded. Furthermore, a Maritime and Fisheries Secretary will be established to oversee the relocation of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries to Busan and the development of the Arctic shipping route, while a Judicial System Secretary will be appointed to ensure that the prosecution and judiciary function as the final bastion for protecting citizens' human rights, handling key issues. Finally, a management secretary will be appointed as a temporary position to oversee the return of the presidential office to the Blue House. With this reorganization, the presidential office, which previously consisted of four ministers, 11 vice ministers, and 49 secretaries, will now consist of four ministers, 11 vice ministers, and 50 secretaries. The reorganization plan will be implemented after undergoing procedures such as the revision of relevant regulations. Kang Hoon-sik, Chief of Staff of the Presidential Office, stated, “The Presidential Office aims to build an organization that works quickly and practically, with ‘responsibility,’ 'future,‘ and 'competence’ as its core principles. We will strengthen accountability through organizational restructuring that is commensurate with these principles to create a Presidential Office that is trusted by the people.” [News source: Presidential Office]
Actor Lee Yo Won will appear in the movie “Ghosts. On the 27th, Lee's agency Management Gu announced, “Lee will appear in the movie ‘Ghosts’. Please have a lot of interest and expectation.” The movie “Ghosts” is a story of human-like AIs coexisting with humans in Korea in the near future, and is an expansion of the worldview of director Hwang Seung-jae's previous film “Job Seekers,” which won the grand prize in the video category at the 8th SF Awards in 2021. The film is expected to be a highly anticipated movie as it realizes a more realistic future while reviewing the problems facing Korean society one by one, especially in the current era that is rapidly changing into the AI era. In the movie, Lee plays a character who helps an abandoned AI child like a stray cat and will play a character with a big twist. Lee, who has shown an infinite acting spectrum through various works, has recently made a big splash among the MZ generation by showing his frank and hairy side through his appearances on the TV show “Heo Yeong-man's Back to Back” and YouTube's “Impersonation Queen Lee Soo-ji”. Expectations are also rising for her new character in the upcoming movie “Ghosts. Meanwhile, the movie 'Ghosts' starring Lee is scheduled to be released on April 9th. [News Source: RNX]
Jung-gu, Busan will hold a special exhibition, “The Taegeukgi, Into the Shout of the Day,” from February 27 to March 30 at Baeksan Memorial Hall (B2F) in honor of the 106th anniversary of March 1. The special exhibition aims to recall the historical significance of March 1, 1919, which was the spark of the independence movement and the root of Korea's liberation, and to reflect on what the flag, which the independence fighters never let go of, means to the Korean people. The exhibition is composed of three spaces: the first and second parts focus on historical moments and exhibit the appearance of the flag according to the circumstances of the times, and the third part is a participatory experience corner called 'I drew the flag'. Choi Jin-bong, mayor of Jung-gu Office, said, “I hope this exhibition will be a time for many citizens to remember the meaningful day when they started the independence movement.” [News Source: Jung-gu, Busan] [News Source: Jung-gu, Busan
On Feb. 28, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Yoo In-chon will meet with the Apec Preparatory Planning Team (Ministry of Foreign Affairs), the National Heritage Administration, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Gyeongju City, Korea Tourism Organization, Korea Creative Content Agency, Korea Culture Exchange, and other relevant organizations to review the progress of the Apec Summit's cultural sector in order to successfully host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation 2025 Summit and raise Korea's cultural profile. Organize cultural and tourism events during the Summit to showcase the essence of Korean culture As the 'APEC Summit' will be held in Gyeongju, the millennium-altitude city, the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism will hold special cultural events during the summit, including ▴ the Geumgwan Special Exhibition at the Gyeongju National Museum (October-November), ▴ the K-Content Festival (September-November), which fuses Korea's cutting-edge technology with Gyeongju's historical and cultural contents, and ▴ the Korean Arts and Crafts Exhibition (July-December). In particular, the 'Silla Geumgwan Special Exhibition', which brings together five Silla Geumgwan caskets for the first time in 100 years since their discovery, is expected to showcase the excellence of Korean culture to the world and raise the pride of Korean people in their traditional culture. In addition, we will operate the 'Korea Tourism Promotion Center' and an experiential promotional tour (Fam Tour) program to showcase attractive Korean tourism contents to about 20,000 participants of the 'APEC Summit,' while also attracting high value-added MICE tourists through the 'MICE Plus Support Project,' which provides cultural and tourism programs to participants of corporate conferences and incentive tours visiting Gyeongbuk and Gyeongju with APEC equipment. In addition, we will continue to work with related organizations to develop various tourism contents and provide high-quality tourism services so that participants can visit Korea again after the APEC Summit. Creating a pre-summit atmosphere with various cultural and tourism events and promoting 'Culture Apec' with the public We will also hold events to create an atmosphere in advance of the 'APEC Summit'. Various cultural and tourism events reflecting local characteristics such as ▴ performances based on Silla traditional culture such as Hwarangdo (August-November), ▴ traditional performances centered on local and youth artists (September-October), ▴ tomb concerts (October), ▴ International Gyeongju History Forum (September), and ▴ World Heritage Festival (September-October) will be held to wish the 'APEC Summit' a successful event and create 'Culture APEC' with the people. In particular, the 'Culture High-Level Dialogue (August)' will be held for the first time in APEC, where culture ministers will gather to discuss the global agenda in the field of culture, raising expectations for the 'APEC Summit' and promoting cooperation and common growth through culture in the region. “As the theme of the 2025 APEC Summit is 'A Sustainable Tomorrow We Create,' the role of culture for sustainable development and shared prosperity in the region is more important than ever,” said Minister Yoo Yoo-chon. ”We will combine our cultural capabilities and actively work together as a team to make the Summit a festival of culture for the heads of state and delegates, as well as for the Korean people.” [News Source: Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism]
The Korean Intellectual Property Office announced on Feb. 19 that it will newly designate the fields of bio, advanced robotics, and artificial intelligence as priority examination targets following the fields of semiconductors, displays, and secondary batteries, and will also redesignate the field of secondary batteries by expanding the scope of application. The prioritized examination of carbon-neutral green technologies will also be expanded to include national strategic technologies and renewable energy fields in addition to the existing carbon dioxide capture technology. The prioritized examination will be greatly expanded to support Korean companies in securing rights quickly. Since 2022, the KIPO has been prioritizing applications related to advanced technologies that are directly related to the national economy and national competitiveness. Following semiconductors (since November 2022), displays (since November 2023), and rechargeable batteries (since February 2024), the KIPO will designate bio, advanced robotics, and artificial intelligence as new priority examination fields from February 19th. As a result, all four national high-tech strategic industries will be subject to prioritized screening. The designated priority examination targets are applications directly related to bio, advanced robotics, and artificial intelligence technologies, with the relevant patent classification (CPC) as the main classification, and are submitted by domestic production or production preparation companies, results of national research and development projects, or specialized universities. The priority examination in the field of secondary batteries will also be redesignated by expanding the scope of application as the designation period expires. The priority examination for secondary batteries is for applications directly related to secondary battery materials, components, equipment, manufacturing or design, performance inspection and evaluation, control management (BMS), or recycling technologies, and is for domestic production or preparation for production, the results of national R&D projects, or applications from specialized universities. The priority screening, currently limited to carbon dioxide capture, transportation, and storage technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, will be greatly expanded to include carbon-neutral green technologies such as next-generation nuclear power and renewable energy technologies. Specifically, the fields related to national strategic technologies such as hydrogen and ammonia, next-generation nuclear energy (small modular reactors (SMRs), high-level radioactive waste management, etc. Patent applications with a carbon-neutral green technology patent classification related to these technologies will be prioritized. As part of the proactive measures, we will simplify the procedures and requirements for prioritization applications to make it easier for Korean companies to access prioritization. First, we have removed the requirement for self-supported prior art research, which was a major burden for companies applying for prioritization due to its complexity and lengthy requirements. We are also easing the application requirements for the most common type of prioritization (32.6% of all applications as of December 2024). Previously, it was necessary to submit a business license to prove that the company had conducted or was preparing to conduct the project, but from now on, it will be possible to submit a technology transfer agreement. In particular, universities and public research institutes are expected to be able to prove that they are preparing for implementation with only a technology transfer agreement, making it easier to use priority examination. “In the era of rapidly changing technological competition, securing rights quickly is of utmost importance,” said Kim Wan-ki, head of the KIPO, ”and the KIPO will continue to seek ways to support domestic companies to lead innovation in high-tech strategic industries and carbon neutrality.” [News Source: Korean Intellectual Property Office]