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The Korea Times

August 2026

Trump again takes aim at S. Korea over Iran war in primetime interview

U.S. President Donald Trump has once again singled out South Korea for not helping the United States in its war with Iran, reiterating criticism he has voiced several times in recent months

Donald Trumppresident
We got very little help from other countries,
Donald Trumppresident
We have thousands and thousands — like, in South Korea, as an example, we have 40,000 soldiers over there,
Donald Trumppresident
And they say, ‘Well, we'd rather not.’ And I said, ‘OK, thank you very much. I appreciate it,
When they're not willing to go for you, you just can't be a stupid person and help them,

Google Maps now shows 'Lake America' in US, not 'Lake Ontario'

It does not have any impact on Canadian naming conventions or how the rest of the world refers to the lake

People using Maps in the U.S. will see “Lake America,” those in Canada will continue to see “Lake Ontario,” and those outside of the U.S. and Canada will see both names,
Doug Fordontario Premier
President Trump can call it whatever he wants, ​but I can tell you, the rest of the world will always call it Lake Ontario,
Some Ontario government agency websites pull map data directly from Google Maps,... Following recent changes by Google, we're actively reviewing our websites to make sure they all identify Lake Ontario by its correct name: Lake Ontario."

Wall St dips as rising oil prices, hawkish Fed bets pressure stocks

The main U.S. stock indexes slipped on Monday after military clashes between the United States and Iran drove up oil prices, stoking inflation fears after Fed Chair Kevin Warsh's hawkish remarks in his maiden Jackson Hole address the previous week

The dynamism of the U.S. economy and the corporate sector is incredible. The U.S. exceptionalism argument is pretty alive and well,
David Chaotaiwanese television producer
I continue to favor areas of the market linked to structural growth themes such as artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure,
Absent a material downside surprise, the onus is now on Warsh to deliver a September hike. Otherwise, he risks undermining some of the credibility he gained on Friday,

Lionel Messi says retiring from international football

Lionel Messiforward
It was a decision that hurt — and still hurts deeply — but I understand that the time has come,
I swear I always gave everything, not just in the last few years when we won everything but before that too, and I always fought and gave my all for this shirt,

Trump vows to hit Iran hard after first exchanges of fire in a month

Donald Trumppresident
We’re going to hit them hard,
... we are still trying to achieve an agreement and understanding, and we believe that continuing the war is in no one's interest, neither ours, nor the region's, nor humanity's,
Scott Bessenttreasury Secretary
They're taking it very seriously...they're in shock at the state of their economy,

From South Sudan to Korea: Doctors carry on late Korean priest's dream

Because of the civil war, some of them fell more than five years behind in their education,
When I return home, I will actively urge the government to bring in the medical equipment we need,
We hope Father Lee’s spirit of service will be carried on to the next generation.”
Many emergency patients could be saved if we had proper emergency equipment and basic medical devices such as endoscopes.”
In South Sudan, appendicitis can be a dangerous disease because of complications,

'I'd feel guilty recommending this path': Young Korean pediatric doctors lament frontline working conditions

Even after years of training to qualify as a pediatric surgeon, there are fewer hospitals where you can find work than in other surgical subspecialties. The pay is lower, too,
If that happens, I take over the case and operate again,
Many retired pediatric surgeons, some well into their 70s, are called back to hospitals because there is no one else to perform surgeries,
Lee Tae-seokthe late Father
I feel bad to encourage anyone to do this. Risk to bear is too great, while reward is too small,
Even among pediatricians, quite a few have never worked in a PICU. I’m also the first faculty member at Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital dedicated to the unit,

Over 6,000 infected with Ebola in Congo

The epidemic has become the largest in the central African country's history, surpassing the previous worst outbreak that lasted from 2018 to 2020

New AI policy chief warns of export control risks, vows push for homegrown AI

We will make necessary policy decisions swiftly, actively coordinate issues among government ministries and remove obstacles facing the industry,
Disparities in access to leading AI models could cause gaps in national capabilities,
We need to take this opportunity to review whether the project is staying true to its original purpose, whether the national foundation model initiative remains viable and what steps we should take to narrow the gap with frontier models and join the leading group,

Prosecutors seek 10-year sentence for Pakistani man in child rape case

The man is accused of threatening and sexually assaulting two foreign children, then aged 7 and 9, at a mosque in Incheon's Seohae district in September 2008

What to expect as China's Xi Jinping attends SCO summit in Bishkek

The meetings over Monday and Tuesday are themed as “25 years of the SCO: together for sustainable peace, development and prosperity.” They are expected to focus on regional security, connectivity, energy and digital cooperation, while also addressing wider challenges including Iran, Afghanistan and food security

Through the SCO, China can project power and influence aspects of the global order,
The SCO does have a certain value as a forum for multilateral dialogue of Eurasian powers as well as a venue for diplomatic signalling.”
Central Asian states tend to pursue their own interests and resist taking sides. China has framed cooperation as open and inclusive, generally refraining from pressuring Central Asian governments to ‘choose sides’,
This year is the first time for a decade that China does not face a dire threat on the U.S. front.”
Central Asian economies increasingly lean on China for trade, investment, infrastructure and technology, while Russia retains military bases, security arrangements and deep political and cultural ties,
Protecting this ‘steel lifeline’ is critical, as it is seen as China’s gateway to Central Asia and the Persian Gulf,
Some people call it a ‘nothing burger.’ But conflict prevention and management of potential animosity are also of significant value,
I believe China’s primary interest in Central Asia is security, that is, ensuring a peaceful and stable neighbourhood,
I think the SCO can’t be regarded as an efficient organisation delivering tangible results,
Central Asian states, South Asia and Iran all seek stronger links, making connectivity inevitable,

Cabinet reshuffle unlikely to lift Lee's sinking approval, experts say

The reason for the Cabinet reshuffle is obvious — to arrest plummeting approval ratings,
People will not develop expectations for policies on improving livelihoods, prosecutors' investigative right, real estate and taxes simply because new people take the key positions. The downward trend of support ratings can be reversed only when policy changes are made,

S. Korean ambassador to Moscow to attend Russia's economic forum

This year's edition has drawn attention amid speculation that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un could travel to Russia for a possible summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the forum