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K-ART FOCUS For Seok Chang-woo, painting opened world beyond his dreams

It was lunchtime on Oct. 29, 1984. Seok Chang-woo, a 29-year-old electrical technician with a young daughter and a newborn son, was inspecting electrical equipment at work. He climbed up to clean one remaining spot, then everything went blank. When he regained consciousness, he was in intensive care. Electrocuted by an astonishing 22,900 volts, Seok was hospitalized for a year and a half and lost both of his arms and two toes. On Feb. 1, 1988, four years later, his son, who turned four, carried a drawing pad to his mother and asked her to draw a bird. Busy with housework, she told him to ask his father. Realizing what she had said, she hurried into his room. She saw Seok fitting a pencil into the hook of his prosthesis and was drawing an eagle from a bird guide. “Wow, Dad, it looks like a real bird,” his son exclaimed. Encouraged, Seok drew more: sparrows, magpies and swallows, then cartoon characters. What began as something to do for his child became a practice that would carry him toward calligraphy, figure drawing and eventually, expansive abstractions drawn with his whole body. Fi

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Air travel issues to persist well into Sunday, officials say, with thousands of flights affected

WASHINGTON — The head of the FAA predicted that US air travel would not return to normal schedules until late Sunday as the aviation system gradually recovers from a nationwide flight shutdown that officials blamed on routine maintenance gone awry. As of 4:15 pm ET (2115 GMT), airlines on Saturday had canceled more than 5,300 US flights and delayed almost 6,300, according to FlightAware, an aviation website. That followed about 9,200 flights canceled and 7,500 delayed on Friday after the FAA ordered a nationwide ground stop because of disruptions to air traffic communications. Federal Aviation Administration head Bryan Bedford said on Saturday that he expected airline operations to largely return to normal by late Sunday. He also apologized for the disruption, adding that the system remains stable. The FAA issued a nationwide ground stop on Friday that halted nearly all departing flights for almost five hours. It was the longest nationwide halt to air travel since the attacks of September 11, 2001 and one of the single worst US travel days ever. The issue prompted the White House to co

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How a picture book helped a troubled student find her way

At an interview for a Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education position as a behavioral intervention specialist teacher earlier this year, Jang Se-ra, a veteran elementary school teacher of 23 years, held a well-worn book in her hands. The book, titled "Try It Like Ji-woo!," had helped bring about a remarkable transformation in just two to three months in a 13-year-old student, identified by the pseudonym Ji-woo. Jang had created the picture book herself, making Ji-woo, whom she had taught the previous year in an inclusive classroom at Haneul Elementary School in Seoul's Mapo District, its main character. The experience gave her a firsthand appreciation of the power of behavioral intervention to change both students and schools. Whenever Ji-woo, then a sixth-grader, traveled between her inclusive classroom and the special education classroom, everyone at the school could tell she was on the move. Ji-woo, who has autism spectrum disorder, repeatedly shouted, sat down on the hallway floor and cried. When Jang became her homeroom teacher, Ji-woo displayed similar behavior. She threw objects,

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Medical school prep at age 4? Korean math tutor calls it 'child abuse'

Click here for more articles by Kormedi.com. A prominent Korean math instructor has sparked debate after calling for criminal punishment of those responsible for intensive academic programs targeting children as young as 3 or 4 years old, describing the country's increasingly competitive early education culture as a form of child abuse. Jung Seung-je, one of South Korea's best-known private education instructors, made the comments during a recent appearance on the popular YouTube channel ChimChakMan. The video, titled "Which Subject Is Most Important: Korean, English or Math?" featured Jung alongside Korean language instructor Yoo Dae-jong and English instructor Kim Ji-young, who also appear on the education reality program "Teachers 3: Retake War." During the discussion, Jung criticized the growing trend of enrolling preschool children in advanced academic programs designed to prepare them for eventual admission to medical school, one of the most competitive educational pathways in South Korea. "Especially in math, children are entering medical school preparation classes at the age of 3

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Audi Korea accelerates recovery on solid sales of redesigned A6

Audi Korea surpassed 10,000 units in cumulative sales early this month, driven by solid sales of its redesigned A6 flagship sedan and expanded vehicle lineups with diverse powertrains, the carmaker said. The sales figure was achieved a month earlier than last year, marking the second consecutive year that the German automaker has hit the 10,000-unit sales milestone in Korea. Audi Korea is on track for a rapid sales rebound here after it revamped its overall strategy with a focus on product portfolio expansion. The carmaker introduced 16 new models last year, including flagship all-electric models — the Q6 e-tron and A6 e-tron — as well as the A5 sports sedan and Q5 SUV with internal combustion engines. The A6 sedan is particularly the key sales driver for Audi Korea, with the model's sales reaching 2,241 between January and September here, according to the carmaker. The strategy is designed to give Korean customers a broader range of choices amid rapidly diversifying preferences for powertrains, body styles and driving needs. The lineup has been further strengthened this year with the

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Trump not expected to raise Alice Huang case with China's Xi, US officials say

WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump is not expected to discuss with Chinese President Xi Jinping the case involving a businesswoman whose ties to former Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang raised national security concerns, US officials said on Friday. Trump is set to meet with Xi next week on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Shenzhen, China, as part of a four-day trip to Asia. The meeting will come just days after Jensen Huang resigned as Nvidia CEO on Thursday, capping a spectacular fall from the chip industry's heights. Though semiconductors have been a major flash point in US-China relations, the US president is not expected to raise the latest issue with Xi for now, the officials said, "When it comes to some of these national security matters and examinations and investigations that are going on in the US, it's probably not something that we're going to read the Chinese in on at this moment," one senior administration official told reporters. A second US official added: "I don't expect the president to raise it, the Alice Huang issue." The officials were respo

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Beijing details N. Korean leader's China visit in FM talks with Seoul: official

BEIJING — Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi elaborated on North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's recent visit to China during talks with his South Korean counterpart, a senior South Korean official said Saturday. The Chinese side explained Kim's trip to the Chinese border city of Dandong on Oct. 24 during Wang's talks with Foreign Minister Cho Hyun in Beijing on Friday, according to the foreign ministry official. "(The Chinese side) said that at a basic level, China's relations with North Korea are focused on economic cooperation rather than on political affairs," the official told reporters. "(We) were able to hear relatively detailed accounts." The official added the talks also touched on Wang's meeting with Kim Song-nam, a senior North Korean ruling party official, who visited Beijing last week. The official said the Chinese side also discussed the possibility of a U.S.-North Korea summit amid speculation over the possibility of renewed diplomacy between Washington and Pyongyang. "My impression (after the talks) was that while there is a possibility, it is not that big," the official said,

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Actor Ko Kyung-pyo caught drunk driving after crashing into cleaning truck

Actor Ko Kyung-pyo was caught drunk driving after he crashed into a cleaning truck in western Seoul early Saturday, police said. The 36-year-old, known for starring in the television drama "Reply 1988," was found behind the wheel after hitting the truck at around 3:30 a.m. in Seoul's western ward of Mapo, according to police. Police who arrived at the scene found his blood alcohol level to be high enough for his driver's license to be revoked. His agency, CL&Company, apologized for the incident, adding that Ko acknowledges his wrongdoing. Police plan to investigate the exact circumstances of the crash.

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COVER STORY 'It feels like coming home': Korean War veterans revisit US Army base after 70 years

PYEONGTAEK, Gyeonggi Province — More than seven decades after the 1950-53 Korean War, a group of Korean veterans returned to a U.S. Army base where they once served — this time as honored guests of a new generation of American soldiers. “It feels like coming home,” said Kang Ku-kon, who was 15 when he volunteered and began helping care for wounded American soldiers at an Eighth Army field hospital. “I served here 70 years ago. The moment I walked in, even the smell was the same.” Kang was among a group of Korean War veterans welcomed to Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, on Nov. 5. As their bus arrived at the Van Fleet Hall, a U.S. Army band began playing. For many of the visitors, now in their 90s, the trip offered a chance to see a place tied to their wartime service and meet the soldiers stationed there today. The visit grew out of a request from the veterans themselves. Vice Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Kang Yun-jin said several veterans, including Ryu Jae-sik, head of the Korean War Veterans Association’s Seoul branch, raised the idea at a mem

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Microsoft restores service to Outlook, Teams after global outage

Microsoft said on Saturday that services had fully recovered across Teams, Outlook and its other products, ending a global outage that crippled online communications for businesses and governments for over 24 hours. "We have completed our efforts to address the underlying issue of the incident and restored service to the remaining impacted customers and regions," the company posted on X. Microsoft had said server issues were behind the incident that also affected its Copilot artificial intelligence (AI) assistant, and that it was not aware of any malicious activity, ruling out AI as the cause. Outlook and Teams are two of the most widely used workplace applications with hundreds of millions of users. The outage prevented people from performing essential functions such as sending emails, managing calendars and hosting virtual meetings. It affected government agencies from Australia and Japan to the United States, caused delays at trading firms, hindered some companies from publishing earnings and prompted airlines to warn customers of communication lags, according to public statements. Org

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S. Korea defeats Taiwan to reach final vs. Japan at regional baseball tournament

South Korea defeated Taiwan 6-4 for its first win at an ongoing regional baseball tournament in Tokyo on Saturday, setting up a date with Japan in the championship final set for Sunday night. South Korea launched three solo home runs in the teams' third game of the Asia Professional Baseball Championship (APBC) at Tokyo Dome, including a tiebreaking shot by Kim Do-yeong in the bottom of the fifth inning. South Korea had earlier lost to Australia 8-7 and then to Japan 9-5. With Japan's 16-1 rout of Australia earlier Saturday, South Korea, Taiwan and Australia all finished the round-robin phase with a 1-2 record, while Japan topped everyone at 3-0. And South Korea came out on top in a tiebreaking formula called Team Quality Balance (TQB), which is the sum of runs scored divided by the number of offensive innings, minus the number of runs allowed divided by the number of defensive innings. This is the third edition of the APBC and also the third straight final pitting South Korea against Japan, with the latter having won the two earlier finals. The APBC is for players aged 24 years and young

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Viktor An's Korean TV comeback sparks intense public backlash

Seven years after stepping away from domestic television, former Olympic short track legend Viktor An — formerly known as Ahn Hyun-soo — is once again at the center of a public storm. His upcoming appearance on Korean television has reignited fierce debates over national identity, sports loyalty and public sentiment. According to broadcasting network TV Chosun, An is set to appear as a "hidden coach" on the upcoming sports reality show "Speed Queen," premiering on Nov. 25. The program follows aspiring athletes as they prepare for national team selection trials and features an elite coaching panel that includes a retired short track speed skater and four-time Olympic gold medalist Chun Lee-kyung and Kim A-rang, a former short track speed skater who is currently active as a broadcaster and sports commentator. For An, who has kept a low profile since January 2019, the role marks a high-stakes return to the Korean spotlight. The announcement instantly triggered heavy backlash across online communities and social media platforms in Korea. Critics zeroed in on his history of changing natio

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Are you my friend or just content?

In "Possible Love," you know everything matters. When the camera moves from the front seat of the car to the back, when a hand rests on a table or a face stays on screen a couple of seconds longer than it should, you know it means something because you trust in director Lee Chang-dong and you know he’s trying to tell you something. You just don't know what. Not yet, anyway. Watching the film is rather like reading a poem in which line 27 suddenly changes your understanding of line eight, which itself only made sense after line 15. Everything is connected. Everything is deliberate. And if you’ve seen "Poetry," "Burning," "Peppermint Candy," "Oasis" or "Secret Sunshine," you know something is going to happen and it’s probably going to hurt you. And there's something fantastically sexy about surrendering yourself to a master. Lee knows exactly what he's doing, and he has absolutely no interest in making things easier for you. It's exhausting. It's also magnificent. Lee shows us a film about two couples from very different worlds. Mi-ok (Jeon Do-yeon) and her husband Ho-seok (Sul Kyung

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'100 Days of Deception' breathes new life into colonial-era spy drama

“Please don't cry, Mr. Kim Tae-woong.” Lee Ga-kyung (Kim You-jung), a spy for an independence movement group, comforts Sato Hideo (Park Jin-young), an interpreter at the Japanese Government-General of Korea who is devastated after learning that his adoptive father took part in a massacre of a Korean village. She calls him by his Korean name, Kim Tae-woong, which he has had to conceal. It is a moment of genuine connection between two people who have spent their lives deceiving each other. Since Episode 8, tvN's weekend drama “100 Days of Deception" has been on a steep upward trajectory. Episode 10, which aired Sunday, recorded an average nationwide rating of 10.7 percent, according to Nielsen Korea, more than doubling the 5.3 percent logged by its premiere and taking the series into double digits. While many dramas have explored the independence movement against Japanese colonial rule and the world of spies and informants, the series has been praised for cleverly subverting familiar tropes to deliver a well-crafted drama. The show's distinguishing feature is its story, driven not b

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Weekender

A day with Jerry, guide dog in training

As Jerry, a Labrador retriever, approached a crosswalk, he came to a stop at the curb. His trainer, Keum Jung-hun, had given no command. Jerry simply recognized the boundary between the sidewalk and the road and stopped on his own. Keum pressed a small device, producing a sharp click. Known as a clicker, the tool signals that Jerry has performed a task correctly. "It means he did a good job," Keum explained. "Verbal praise takes time, but a clicker lets us mark the exact moment he does something right." Jerry is an almost 2-year old guide dog in training. The Korea Times met him during a training session at Samsung Guide Dog School on Nov. 2. The school in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, is fully funded by Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance. After six to seven months of professional training, he has passed his final walking assessment and is now completing the remaining steps before being paired with a visually impaired partner. Accompanying Jerry and Keum on their morning training walk outside the school grounds near Bundang Central Park in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, revealed that guide dog tr

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[WEEKENDER] How guide dogs and humans become partners thumbnail

How guide dogs and humans become partners

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[WEEKENDER] Samsung Guide Dog School marks 33 years of changing lives thumbnail

Samsung Guide Dog School marks 33 years of changing lives

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Trump may view OPCON transfer as path to US troop withdrawal: experts

WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump seems to view an envisioned transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) to South Korea as a potential means of withdrawing American troops from the Korean Peninsula, U.S. experts assessed Friday. Victor Cha, Korea chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), made the remarks during an online discussion hosted by the Washington-based think tank on the state of the South Korea-U.S. alliance. "It has been said, and I think said very credibly, that President Trump sees OPCON transition as a way to pull the forces from the peninsula," Cha said. "The president is the commander in chief," he said. "There are ways that the president can do things if he is so committed to that particular task." Cha said that even if Congress established a minimum level of U.S. troops in South Korea through the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), Trump could still find ways to reduce the American military presence. "They should have no illusions that this is not the way the U.S. president thinks," he said. "He clearly sees this as a way fo

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Antitrust fines to hit brokerage, bank earnings but leave capital buffers intact: KIS report

Korea’s largest-ever antitrust fine will cut into this year’s earnings at the brokerages and banks that underwrite government debt, but it is unlikely to weaken their capital buffers, according to Korea Investors Service (KIS), a Moody’s affiliate. In a report released earlier this week, the credit rating agency said the penalties imposed by the Korea Fair Trade Commission (FTC) will make “a short-term decline in profitability unavoidable,” especially at the firms facing the largest penalties. It added that their capital strength and the earnings they built up in the first half should be enough to absorb the cost, creating a formidable yet manageable financial hurdle for the country's primary financial institutions. The regulatory crackdown stems from an investigation into primary dealers in Korea's sovereign debt market. The FTC issued corrective orders on Wednesday and imposed roughly 1.6 trillion won ($1.2 billion) in combined fines on 15 financial institutions — all designated primary dealers responsible for underwriting Korea Treasury bonds — for restricting competit

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MORNING CALM TALES Déjà vu and the 'Yakult ajumma'

The other day, I was walking back to my apartment when a familiar sight caught my eye. A woman was quietly gliding down the sidewalk in a small electric cart. Without thinking, I smiled and motioned for her to stop. As she came closer, my mind drifted back to the winter of 1991, when I was a young foreigner discovering Korea one small surprise at a time. During my first few weeks in Seoul, I became convinced I kept seeing the same woman. She was everywhere. I saw her near my apartment in Jamsil. A day or two later, I spotted her several blocks away. Then there she was again outside the subway station. At least, I thought it was her. She always looked the same — a light beige winter jacket, a matching cap, her breath hanging in the cold morning air as she pushed a small cart from one apartment building to the next. Was I seeing the same woman? Was it déjà vu? Everywhere I went, there she was. Or so I thought. Back then, almost everything about Korea still seemed new to me. I could read Hangeul by then, even if I didn't always understand what I was reading, and I wandered through the city w

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Ownership battle over Korean Air fuels stock premium, volatility

Hoban Group is facing a strategic dilemma over its next move in its ongoing ownership battle with Hanjin Group Chairman Cho Won-tae, as sharp swings in Hanjin KAL’s stock make it increasingly costly for either side to keep buying shares to maintain the top shareholder position. Hoban became Hanjin KAL’s largest shareholder on Nov. 4 after increasing its stake to 20.69 percent, narrowly overtaking the 20.58 percent held by Cho and his affiliates. The shift followed a surge in Hanjin KAL shares. The stock has since become even more volatile. It hit a record high of 245,000 won on Tuesday before plunging to an intraday low of 185,000 won on Thursday and closing at 203,500 won on Friday. The sharp swings have added to the financial burden on both sides as they continue to accumulate shares in their battle for control. Hoban has three possible options for its next move. The first is to sell its stake through a block deal. Hoban could negotiate with Cho around next year's annual shareholders meeting over whether to halt further purchases and participate in Hanjin KAL's board. If an agreement

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43 and single: Model Han Hye-jin shares thoughts on ideal partner

Model and television personality Han Hye-jin has opened up about how her ideal type and views on relationships have changed as she has gotten older. In a video uploaded to Han's Youtube channel on Thursday, she headed out on her first-ever car camping trip with comedian Pungja. The two prepared and enjoyed food at the campsite while discussing relationships and marriage. Pungja, who had caught the bridal bouquet at comedian Park Se-mi’s wedding, said the experience had made her even more excited about getting married. Han caught viewers’ attention by promising, “If Pungja gets married, I’ll get her the most expensive gift. Something really expensive from her wedding registry.” Pungja jokingly responded, “I'm grateful just hearing you say that,” before adding, “But I'm sorry, could you introduce me to a man I could actually marry?” When Han suggested setting up a blind date, Pungja made it clear she was serious, saying, “It won't be just for content. The cameras will be rolling, but it will be a real blind date.” Han then asked Pungja about her ideal type. Pungja said

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InterviewEx-vice minister brings Shakespeare to life with AI music

Yong Ho-seong, former vice minister of culture, sports and tourism, is stepping into a bold new chapter of his creative life by using artificial intelligence (AI) technology to set classical literature to music. Performing under the stage name Dr. Dragon, Yong released his debut full-length album, "Fragile Beauty," on Nov. 10, breathing contemporary musical life into 15 of William Shakespeare's sonnets through AI-assisted composition and vocals. The release marks the first installment of "DiVerse," an ambitious ongoing project to set all 154 of Shakespeare's sonnets to modern music. The idea was sparked by a hardcover edition of Shakespeare's complete sonnets that a British friend gifted him during his tenure as director of the Korean Cultural Centre UK. "The name reflects both Shakespeare's original verse and the newly written lyrics, as well as the diverse musical genres used to reimagine centuries-old classics," Yong told The Korea Times during an interview in Seoul, Thursday. "Rather than simply translating archaic English, I adapted the themes so modern listeners can relate, such as

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Lawmaker seeks $4.9 mil. budget to detect AI smart glasses cheating

The Korean government is stepping up efforts to crack down on cheating involving artificial intelligence (AI)-powered smart glasses, as concerns spread beyond the annual college entrance exam to national licensing tests, with even top scorers facing suspicions of misconduct. However, concerns are also emerging that widespread suspicions, even without concrete evidence, could undermine public trust in the fairness of exams. While authorities have pledged zero tolerance for cheating ahead of the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), growing allegations involving high scorers in other major exams have prompted the government to seek additional funding for electronic signal detectors and dedicated personnel to prevent high-tech cheating. According to the National Assembly, Friday, Rep. Kim Wi-sang of the main opposition People Power Party has proposed an additional 6.57 billion won ($4.92 million) in next year's budget to crack down on cheating involving AI-powered smart glasses and other high-tech devices in national licensing exams. The proposal comes after the growing use of such device

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Editor's Pick

[COVER STORY] Korean investors in Nvidia suffer estimated $2.4 bil. in valuation losses

COVER STORY Korean investors in Nvidia suffer estimated $2.4 bil. in valuation losses

A deepening scandal involving Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is unnerving Korean investors, as the chip giant's shares are falling and uncertainty mounts over his future. Nvidia is the second-most-held U.S. stock among Korean investors after Tesla, leaving local shareholders exposed to mounting losses as the chipmaker's shares plunged amid the scandal. Korean investors held about $13.65 billion worth of Nvidia shares as of Thursday, according to data from the Korea Securities Depository. An estimated 800,000 retail investors in Korea own shares in the chipmaker. Nvidia shares have fallen nearly 15 percent since the company announced an investigation into these allegations. Assuming the retail investors maintained their holdings, the 15 percent decline in shares would amount to an estimated $2.4 billion in valuation losses. The losses extend beyond direct shareholdings. Some 153 exchange-traded funds (ETFs) listed on the Korea Exchange have exposure to Nvidia. The ACE Nvidia Bond Mixed ETF, with assets of about 197.9 billion won ($148 million), has roughly 30 percent of its portfolio invested in N

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Life in Korea

Itaewon residents, merchants team up to host street festival this weekend

Itaewon residents, merchants team up to host street festival this weekend

Four years after a deadly crowd crush cast a long shadow over Seoul’s best-known nightlife and dining district, Itaewon’s residents and small-business owners are taking the lead in writing its next chapter. The Yongsan District Office said it will host Rising Itaewon, a two-day neighborhood festival running Saturday and Sunday. Unlike top-down municipal tourism campaigns, the festival was conceived and organized directly by locals working to heal the community and revive foot traffic following the Oct. 29, 2022 tragedy. Since August, a 12-member committee of neighborhood leaders and merchant representatives has met repeatedly to design programming aimed at showcasing the area’s independent shops and multicultural flair. Built around four themes — run, music, market and people — the festival invites visitors to explore Itaewon’s side streets through daily events. Each morning from 10 a.m. to noon, “Rising Run” combines a casual neighborhood jog with trash collection along Itaewon’s alleys. From noon to 8 p.m., Noksapyeong will host the Itaewon Local Market, pairing arti

2 MIN READ
Winter blooms transform Seoul Botanic Park into festive garden

Winter blooms transform Seoul Botanic Park into festive garden

2 MIN READ
Korean traditional culture meets modern retail at Seoul festival

Korean traditional culture meets modern retail at Seoul festival

2 MIN READ

Lifestyle

Two 17th-century Buddhist temple halls earn national heritage honors

Two 17th-century Buddhist worship halls in southeastern Korea have been designated as national cultural treasures, the Korea Heritage Service said Friday. Under Korea’s heritage ranking system, a treasure sits just one tier below the country's top national treasure status, honoring buildings and artifacts of major historical and artistic value. The newly recognized buildings are Daeung Hall at Unheung Temple in Goseong County, South Gyeongsang Province, and Daeung Hall at Geodong Temple in Yeongcheon, North Gyeongsang Province. Both serve as the main prayer halls of temples traditionally traced to the seventh-century monk Uisang, though the surviving wooden structures date to the late Joseon Dynasty. Unheung Temple’s main hall, constructed in 1682, stands as a monument to wartime resilience. During the 1592–1598 Japanese invasions of Korea, the temple served as a strategic stronghold for warrior monks before being burned to the ground in battle. Analysis of its pillars and beams confirmed that the timber used to rebuild the hall was felled between late 1681 and early 1682. Every s

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Two 17th-century Buddhist temple halls earn national heritage honors
Love spicy instant noodles? Here's what they do to your body

Love spicy instant noodles? Here's what they do to your body

3 MIN READ
[K-ART FOCUS] Yeon Jin-yeong challenges conventions of masculinity

K-ART FOCUS Yeon Jin-yeong challenges conventions of masculinity

4 MIN READ
Up to 2,500 microplastic particles found in tea bags after 3 minutes in hot water

Up to 2,500 microplastic particles found in tea bags after 3 minutes in hot water

2 MIN READ
Seoul gears up to welcome 1 mil. pilgrims for 2027 World Youth Day

Seoul gears up to welcome 1 mil. pilgrims for 2027 World Youth Day

3 MIN READ

K-Culture

'Dead-End Job' tops Netflix's non-English TV chart

The Korean original series "Dead-End Job" has topped Netflix's non-English TV series chart, the streaming platform said Wednesday. The Netflix series, released Oct. 30, accumulated 8.7 million views during the latest tracking week ending Sunday, according to Netflix. The series, starring Lee Jae-wook and Kim Min-ha, blends horror and black comedy and satirizes South Korea's grind culture. It landed in the top 10 in 76 countries and topped the chart in 22 of them, including South Korea, Bolivia, Egypt, Indonesia and Vietnam. The Korean medical drama series "Doctor X: Mafia in White" ranked No. 4 with 3.7 million views. Based on the Japanese series "Doctor-X: Surgeon Michiko Daimon," it follows genius surgeon Gye Su-jeong (Kim Ji-won), who challenges corruption in her hospital. In the English film category, "KPop Demon Hunters" ranked No. 10, marking its 69th week in the top 10. It accumulated 2.8 million views and reached the top 10 in four countries.

1 MIN READ
'Dead-End Job' tops Netflix's non-English TV chart
ILLIT's 'Break Even' debuts at 6th on Billboard 200

ILLIT's 'Break Even' debuts at 6th on Billboard 200

1 MIN READ
Doh Kyung-soo surprises fans with new single 'Darling' during global tour

Doh Kyung-soo surprises fans with new single 'Darling' during global tour

2 MIN READ
JYP's new K-pop boy band oftheblue to debut next year

JYP's new K-pop boy band oftheblue to debut next year

1 MIN READ
Why Lee Chang-dong's award-winning 'Possible Love' struggled to find investors

Why Lee Chang-dong's award-winning 'Possible Love' struggled to find investors

3 MIN READ

Celebrities

Kim Go-eun, Gang Dong-won to star in new Netflix series

Actors Kim Go-eun and Gang Dong-won have been cast in an upcoming historical romance drama, Netflix said Thursday, in what marks their first collaboration. Titled "The Twilight Between Us," the action-packed series follows a man and a woman from two families that have been locked in a long feud, who are forced to marry by royal decree, according to the streaming platform. Gang portrays Mu-yeong, an illegitimate son of the Kang family, who lives an isolated life despite his excellent martial arts skills and noble mind. Kim plays Su-ryeon, the only daughter of the Han family, who is compelled to marry Mu-yeong after failing to become crown princess. Park Ji-eun, who penned hit dramas such as "Queen of Tears" (2024) and "Crash Landing on You" (2019-2020), wrote the upcoming drama. It is directed by hit producer Kim Won-suk, known for "When Life Gives You Tangerines" (2025), "My Mister" (2018) and "Signal" (2016).

1 MIN READ
Kim Go-eun, Gang Dong-won to star in new Netflix series
Kany apologizes for racial stereotype remarks about Black people liking watermelon, chicken

Kany apologizes for racial stereotype remarks about Black people liking watermelon, chicken

2 MIN READ
Cha Eun-woo spotted riding Seoul subway in military uniform

Cha Eun-woo spotted riding Seoul subway in military uniform

2 MIN READ
JYP founder Park Jin-young at center of controversy over his faith

JYP founder Park Jin-young at center of controversy over his faith

2 MIN READ
TXT to turn Lotte World into 'Magic Land' for 1,000 fans

TXT to turn Lotte World into 'Magic Land' for 1,000 fans

2 MIN READ

Get key insights on Korea from the members-only personalized news service My Times.

Opinion

Top 10 Stories

  1. Beijing details N. Korean leader's China visit in FM talks with Seoul: official

  2. Are you my friend or just content?

  3. Actor Ko Kyung-pyo caught drunk driving after crashing into cleaning truck

  4. Medical school prep at age 4? Korean math tutor calls it 'child abuse'

  5. Trump not expected to raise Alice Huang case with China's Xi, US officials say

  6. US to resume flights after air traffic network failure sparks chaos

  7. Microsoft restores service to Outlook, Teams after global outage

  8. Trump to meet Xi, Putin in China next week; no plans for N. Korea engagement: reports

  9. Trump tells advisers he may hold off on Iran attacks barring new provocations, sources say

  10. How a picture book helped a troubled student find her way

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